"Happy Birthday to You
Happy Birthday to You
Happy Birthday Dear The Spine
Happy Birthday to You…"

Hatchworth and Rabbit cheered as they finished singing.

"Blow out your candles, The Spine! Make a wi-wi-wi-ish!"

The Spine smiled at the 10 candles stuck in the icing of the cake. He knew what he wanted. He knew his wish. He wanted nothing more than to be humans.

He blew out the tiny flames hoping and dreaming the wish would come true. His brother and sister cheered once again.

The Spine looked at his reflection. He reached a hand up to his face. It was just metal. Not human skin. He sighed heavily.

He ran his fingers though his artificial hair. It didn't feel right. It wasn't him. He wanted real hair. Real black hair along with a real human face and real human skin.

"The Spine? Are you done in the bathroom?" Hatchworth's voice sounded from behind the bathroom door, "I have to wash this badger."

"Gimme a sec, Hatchy," The Spine took one last look at his reflection before turning towards the door. He opened the door and walked past his brother.
Hatchworth watched him walk away. Something didn't seem right.

"Oh, oh, oh," Rabbit started, beaming with joy, "Imagine being a Mermaid!"

"I would love to be a mermaid!" Hatchworth nodded in agreement, "I'd be the prettiest Mermaid."

Peter Walter VI finished eating a fork full of mash potatoes, "I believe the correct term is Merman, Hatchworth. You would be the prettiest Merman."

"Oh, yes. Forgive my error!" The small automaton laughed.

The humans and robots were sitting around the dining table. The humans had plates carrying potatoes, roast beef and some vegetables. Human food. Something the Spine wanted to taste. The robots had their own plates too. But in smaller portions. They also couldn't taste anything. It bothering The Spine more than anything. Hatchworth and Rabbit didn't seem to mind though.

It pained him.

"Imagine being something weird. Like what if you were a fruit. Like a pomegranate," Steve started, "You wouldn't be thinking anything. You wouldn't see anything. You wouldn't hear, feel or smell. You'd be useless. A vegetable basically….HA! But you wouldn't be a vegetable either! You'd be a fruit!"

Steve laughed hard at his own joke. The only other being who found it funny was Hatchworth.

"Imagine being human," The Spine spoke up. Everyone went silent. They're eyes were now on him.

"This again, The Spine?" Rabbit asked with concern in her tone.

"I'm sorry it's just…" he paused looking away, "Lately I've been thinking about how it doesn't feel right."

"What doesn't feel right?" Peter asked.

"Being in this body," The Spine continued, "I mean, I am so grateful for our Pappy making us this way. But it just doesn't feel right at all. Maybe not to Rabbit. Maybe not to Hatchworth. But it does to me."

"Don't worry," Peter replied, "This is just another one of those phases. Remember you went through a stage like this before? And it passed by within a week. This could just be a recurring thing that will just pass by again eventually."

"Yeah. You're probably right. I'll just not let it get to me," he lied. In his head he knew he was right. He was in the wrong body. This wasn't just a phase. And the previous thoughts hadn't ever left him. They were always there. He just refused to speak about them.

"You OK, The Spine?" Hatchworth asked, "You don't look too good."

"Yes, Hatchworth. I'm fi-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-" his voice looped as he jolted.

"No-no-no," Peter pushed away from the table abruptly. He ran to the other side to The Spine, "Calm down or you're going to malfunction."

But it was too late. The Spine jolted violently, breaking down and falling limp.

"Is he going to be OK?" Rabbit asked as she stroked his metal cheek, her voice shaking with concern, "Is he?"

"Yes. We're just going to have to repair him," Peter pulled The Spine's chair out and grabbed him under the arms, "Steve, take his legs and help me get him to my work space."

The two humans carried the Spine from the room leaving the other two automatons.

"Do you think…it was what he said?" Hatchworth asked with a shaky voice, "about being human? Rabbit…what if he's serious? What if he really wants to be a human?"

Rabbit sighed, "I think so too, Hatchy. I really do think so."