Three Years Later…

David stood by the bed and watched as Irene and Michael slept quietly and peacefully. Michael woke up first, saw David there, and smiled.

"Good morning, David," he said. "Let's let Irene sleep a little more. She was very tired last night."

"OK," David smiled. "I'll come with you."

In the kitchen, Michael started to get his coffee for the morning. He got his newspaper and started to read it as he sipped the coffee.

"Are you and Irene doing anything today?," David asked.

"No, we're not," Michael replied. "We're resting for a while, then we're going to go on another expedition."

"Am I going with you?," David asked.

"You and Joe are both coming with us," Michael replied. "Just like you two always do."

As Michael and David talked and planned, Joe walked into the room.

"Good morning, Joe," Michael said. "We were just talking about you."

"Yes, I heard," Joe replied. "Where is Irene?"

"Still sleeping," Michael replied. He set down his coffee cup. "Joe, please answer something. Why are you always asking about Irene?"

"I don't know," Joe replied.

Later that afternoon, Michael and Irene were alone on the back patio when he had to ask; "Have you noticed that Joe is always asking about you?"

"Yeah," Irene replied. "I know why, too." She looked at Michael. "Do you remember when Joe was rewired a little last year? I asked Justin and Jason to give him some of David's programming. He has the same emotion and love that David has now. He had a little before, but we amped it up some. He won't love the same way as David does, but love like friends love one another."

"Why did you do that?," Michael asked.

"Look at Professor Hobby's journal," Irene said. "David had dreams and desires. Before David was created, robots didn't dream. They didn't desire unless a human told them what to want. David set out to get something he desired. Nobody told him how and nobody told him what to want. He wanted it, alone. Maybe Joe will surprise us like that. I wanted to give him a purpose, a reason for existing."

"He had a reason already," Michael argued.

"Had," Irene agreed. "But once the new laws went into effect after he was to be destroyed, his reason went out the window. There are no more of his type being built anymore. So, he needed a reason to exist." She paused. "And I had it hardwired into him," Irene said. "I was afraid you might try to reverse it. Only I can do that. It's like a passcode."

Michael sighed. "He's your responsibility," Michael replied. "You don't think he would… go too far?"

"I turned down his drive, as far as that's concerned," Irene replied. "I knew that might help ease your mind about what I did to him. But, it's for his own good. He has a reason to exist now. He has a purpose, just like David does."

"OK," Michael reluctantly agreed. "But, if anything goes wrong, you use your code to turn him back to what he was before."

"I will," Irene promised. She yawned. "I am tired. I'm going to go take a nap."

"Are you OK?," Michael asked. "You seem extra tired lately."

"Michael, it's nothing," Irene replied. "Look after David."

Irene went to bed.

Michael was concerned, but thought that maybe a nap was all she needed. He went to the living room, where David was watching a new documentary about whales. Now that they were no longer hunted, their numbers were recovering and they were thriving.

"Wow," David watched and really liked what he was seeing. What magnificent animals they were!

Irene slept. Michael worked.

The next day, Michael drove into town to run a few errands while Irene introduced David to her horses. She still seemed so tired. Joe leaned on the fence and watched.

"There was a time when there were no motorized vehicles, David," Irene was explaining. "Horses are how people got around then. They had wagons pulled by horses or you could ride the horses."

"Why do people have horses now?," David asked. "Since we have the cars."

"They're pets," Irene said. "They're fun and they can love. We also ride them in shows and in races."

David liked the horses.

Inside the house, Michael had returned and was relaxing and watching television when he heard the back door bang open. Michael rushed to see and came upon Joe, carrying Irene into the house. Irene was completely limp and unconscious in Joe's arms. She looked pale and her eyes looked a little sunken.

"Did she fall off a horse, Joe?," Michael asked.

"No," Joe replied. "She was standing when she fell. She just fell."

Joe stopped, still holding Irene as Michael examined her face.

"Put her on her bed, Joe," Michael ordered. "Gently." He looked at David, who was following. "David, please stay in the living room."

Teddy kept David in the living room, watching television.

Joe placed Irene onto the bed as Michael got his phone and started to dial. As Michael talked in the other room, Joe stayed by the bed. He placed a hand on Irene's face and stared at her. Was she going to die?

Moments later, Michael walked into the room. Joe stood up and stepped back from the bed. "Joe, I need you to look after David and keep him out of this room for a while," Michael said. "There's a doctor coming here to see Irene."

Unknown to Michael, Joe stood right outside the bedroom and listened to the conversation in the room as the doctor examined Irene.

"She needs Lextenda," the doctor said. "Without it, the infection will kill her in a week."

"That's almost impossible to find," Michael said, realizing how dire the situation was. "Where can we get that?"

"The only city that has a supply is Memphis," the doctor said.

"I can't leave her," Michael said. "I'll start making phone calls now. Maybe one of my people can get it."

Joe left his spot by the door.

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