I was walking down the street. Zee let me go off on my own. I guess he felt it was safe enough or maybe I was just starting to annoy him. I walked down the street alone. I needed sometime to think. I wasn't really thrilled with our situation. I think I've fallen for Zee but I can't. It's impossible no way this will ever happen. It's not right. Yeah it's not. Just keep saying that to yourself.
As big explosion happened above where Ro and several other people are walking down below. Pieces of the building fall down to the ground below crushing five people including Ro. She tried to brace herself as she saw it a second before it crushed her.
*
I looked out the window. Ro looked upset with me and she asked if she could go out for a walk. At first I was thinking if it was safe. Bennett and the others hadn't shown themselves for a while. I allowed Ro to go out but I doubted that I could keep her here even if I wanted to. She didn't listen to anybody but herself.
I soon learned that she was the only person she had to depend on. That's why it seemed we where so much alike. I was alone and I needed an ally, friend, partner, someone. It was a often-lonely life but I guess I wasn't supposed to feel compassion for anything.
It proved to be right when IU7 attacked. He didn't think for himself he just took orders. How different I was from him. I was a thinner, sleeker robot compared to the big lug of metal. But I guess I'm just made of metal too.
I don't think I've ever felt so angry at something like I was at IU7. He hurt my partner, my friend, and my ally. She was pretty much the only one I had. If he had killed her I don't know how I could live with the guilt of murdering her. That was another thing I wasn't supposed to feel but I felt something. It caused a great pain in my head every time I would see Ro getting hurt because of me.
She was out right now, Alone. What did I do? I've made a mistake. What if that was what Bennett wanted me to do? Get the girl out of the way so no one would come save me if I ever needed. What did I just do? How could I be so stupid?
I walked quickly to window when I heard the sounds of sirens. Oh no, Ro. No, get a hold of yourself Zeta. She's fine; she's tough and strong. Nothing happened to her because nothing can. She always gets herself out of messes all the time so why would this be any different.
Wait, I'm not there with her. That's the difference can't you even remember that when you met her she was in trouble with some guy hassling her to guard the door while he robs the Cred City. I zoom in with my eye to look at the scene. A pile of rubble is in the streets. I look farther up the building near the site.
There looks like there was a bomb that exploded at one of the top floors. It hit innocent people below. I sit down to take this in for a minute. No Zeta thinks that she wasn't there. Cause she wasn't there to begin with. She's probably heading up the elevator right now.
Suddenly I felt really strange and all I could think of was Ro. Something wasn't right. I ran out the door grabbing the hotel key. I wasn't sure what was wrong. I out of the hotel in a big rush apologizing as I ran past. I crossed the street almost getting hit. I searched everywhere. There was no sign of Rosalie Rowen anywhere.
I went back to the hotel room. I was hoping with every part of my metallic body that she was up there. When I got up there the room was completely empty. Where was Ro? She wouldn't have ran off again would she? No, she wouldn't do that. He turned on the TV and heard the report on it.
"Today an explosion happened in the West Central Business district in the Central Towers of Demos. Five people are life support. It is unsure if any of them will survive. If you know anything about this crime please call the police department or if you know who any of these people might be please go to the central hospital."
I got up quickly and ran to that hospital. Ro could be there in danger of losing her life because I didn't go with her. I wasn't thinking of the other dangers that could happen to her. Only the NSA agents. I got there to the hospital and a secretary showed me the way.
I got to the hospital room. There were some officers standing by the door. "Excuse me sir but you can't go in there."
"I think my friend is in there."
"Can you please describe her?"
"Yes, Her name is Rosalie Rowen. She's a runaway from the Girl's Home on Central and 7th St. in Spring City. She has medium blonde hair, pale skin and she was wearing a black and silver tanktop, blue jeans and a pair of black sneakers."
"Okay what are her parents names?"
"She's a orphan. She doesn't have any that she told me of."
"Okay you can go in and see her since you got her description right to the button." He stepped out of the way. I ran over to her side. I took a hold of her small hand that was broken. It had a cast around it along with both of her legs and arms and a big bandage around her head.
*~*~*~*
She couldn't see. She couldn't feel a thing. She couldn't even think for that matter. She knew nothing but that darkness that crept upon her again like it did so long ago when she was a small child. She couldn't remember a single thought before when she met the Morgan's. She had forgotten her past before and she did it again.
* * * * *
"Ro… I… I'm sorry Ro." She wanted to answer the echo that went through her head. But she had no voice or thoughts to do so.
"I should of never…"
She felt like she was falling in a dark, black, endless pit. But who would save her this time? She didn't want to hear or know the answer to that question that ran through her head over and over again. She was drowning in the darkness. It was suffocating her.
"Ro… you're going to be okay?" She wanted to tell that voice that rang through her mind. No she wasn't going to make it this time. She had no one to look forward to seeing this time. The last time broke her heart. That was the day she had runaway from her foster home. They told her the day after she woke up that she would never amount to anything. After she was stronger she ran away from the monsters, the nightmares that haunted her sleep. Her nightmares becoming more and more violent every night she slept till she only slept because she was too tired to even dream.
The voice that was plaguing her mind soon went away and all she heard was the soft sound of herself breathing. The darkness pulled her in deeper and she was gasping for air. The darkness filled a time, a very, very, very long time. It seemed like it was a never-ending moment replaying again and again.
* * * * *
My eyes. I finally opened them slowly. They weighed down almost forcing them shut again. No I was stronger. I could survive anything anybody through at me. It was so bright where I was. Where was I? How did I get here? I couldn't see anything but light and shadows. I finally brought my surroundings into focus.
I could hear beeping of something. I smelled a strong smell of chemicals. Where the heck was I? What happened to me? I started to recognize objects in the room. Like a window. But what did it show. I was in a bed? And a blanket was covering my body? This is so strange everything is running a blank.
I was breathing normally. I was suffocating like before. I could breath in deeply. It seemed like forever since she could take deep breaths with out choking. I turned my head weakly. I was so weak. I could barely move a single muscle in my body.
"Doctor I think she's up." I heard a femine voice say out to a doctor. I guess but what in the world was a doctor. I looked at the man who seemed very old that walked in. He had to be sixty years old at least. A girl walked in passed the "Doctor". She felt the top of my head, which really hurt at the moment.
"Please don't try to move." She didn't have to worry about me moving. I couldn't even if I wanted to. I could barely move my fingers much less walk away. Why would I want to anyway?
"Well I guess it's finally time. You had us to believe that you would be an old lady before you woke up. But I guess you've had a very long nap. Probably the longest you will ever have. Let me look you over. Let me run a quick check up on you." I nodded weakly. I sat still as he placed a round shiny thing over my heart. It was freezing cold. But I could only lay there.
"Everything's okay there."
"Let me see how much you can remember. What is your name?" I had three names in my mind. Zee, Ro, and Marie and the last were Rowen. The second one is the most appealing I think.
"Ro Rowen." I whispered out softly choking on the words.
"Excellent Ro, now do you remember anything else?"
"Zee, Marie?" I could barely talk.
"Hmm very good. You seem to remember a little. Now my name is Dr. Selig and just press this red button and a nurse or I will come to your assistance."
"Wait." I pleaded still choking on my words. He turned around to face me. "Can I listen to something?" I choked out barely able to breathe. He handed me something I remembered well. It was a discplayer. It had earphones and everything. I placed them on as I heard soothing sounds of the ocean. I soon felt sleepy and I couldn't stay up anymore.
* * * * *
I switched off the lights. I went looking for that lonely synthoid, who got his freedom two years ago at least. I took the girl and the synthoid into my big house I lived in alone by myself. I had some labs and some treatment rooms in my house since I did a lot of my work at home. Zeta thanked me a million times but was still sad about what happened. He often went outside walking down by the ocean to gather his thoughts all together.
I could tell that he was very disturbed and sadden by the whole ordeal of his friend being hurt. He didn't talk much to him. Zeta was very quiet and observant. I saw him sitting out in the grass thinking about something. Probably about Rosalie again.
"Zeta?"
"Yes. Dr. Selig?"
"I have someone here who I think wants to see you."
"Okay." He walked across the yard to over next to me. I motioned for him to follow me into the house. I told him to sit down while I go check on her. He didn't know who wanted to see him. I walked into the back into the girl's room.
"Rosalie?" She moved her head in acknowledgement that I was there. I went near her and asked her if she wanted a visitor. She nodded weakly. She still needed her strength back. She had moved a single muscle in five years. Her body no doubly was used to moving around. I would get her to some physical therapy right after a week or so.
I left the room to get Zeta. He looked at me strangely. He wore a hologram of a young man in his twenties in a lavender coat, gray shirt under the coat, black pants with a black belt. His hair was jet black and his eyes where a purplish blue. He looked at me sadly. I nodded for him to enter the room. I don't think he realized that it was Rosalie's room. Because he walked slowly not really wanting to go.
* * * * *
A man stepped in. He looked in his twenties. I weakly looked at him. Who would want to visit me? I felt sort of queasy and uneasy about the visitor. Why did I feel this way? His eyes looked over me curiously. As if he hadn't seen me in ages. Maybe he hadn't seen me in a long time.
He walked quickly up to me like he hadn't seen me in twenty years or something. He wrapped his big, strong arms around me. The first thing I noticed was he was very tall compared to me in the bed I was lying in.
"Who are you?" I gasped out almost silently.
"Ro don't you remember me?" I shook my head no. He soon got all fuzzy and I heard a buzz noise. "It's me Zeta. Don't you recognize me?" I shook my head no as I shrank away from him. He was a robot and if he could change himself too human no telling what else he could do.
"It's okay I won't hurt you." I looked up at his eyes. He seemed sincere but how could that be he was a robot right? He seemed different. "It's dark are you hungry?"
Woah it was like a flashback from some where in my memory. I nodded shyly. I wasn't sure if I could trust him or not. "Here I'll get you something." He left for a half an hour as I sat down. I was starting to feel stronger and stronger but my memory was a total blank. I must of hit my head hard or something.
I looked at my hand. My hand it was long and slender. That wasn't my hand was it? Well it was connected to your arm Ro. I ran my fingers through my hair. It felt silky soft but something was different. It was longer I think. I don't remember my hair ever being this long. I looked at where it ended. It was half way down my back.
I tried to relax a little. I'm sure I was hulicantating. I bet it was just my imagination. He came back with what looked like a relieved smile. "Here Ro I got you a ham sandwich. You used to eat these all the time before."
I looked at it for a second before picking it up slowly and eating, chewing it before swallowing it down. It tasted good. I don't think I have had food in my stomach for a while. I looked at him. He reminded me of someone. Who was it though? He looked down at me almost affectionately.
"Zeta? Your name wouldn't be Zee would it?" He changed into a human form again.
"Yes that's what you used to call me."
"I remember your name but nothing else."
"I'm sure it'll all come back to you Ro." There was something I liked about him. He just sat down silent next to me answering questions I asked.
"If you're a robot then why do you care about me?"
"Because you're my friend."
"If I was your friend then who are my parents?"
"You don't have any Ro, you've been a orphan since you can remember."
"I don't have any parents?" He nodded sadly. I'm sure he didn't want to bring me this news. I tried to sit up but he pushed me back down.
"You need to sleep Ro, your weaken."
"I've slept for… Hey how long have I been out of it?"
"Five long years."
"Then how old am I?"
"Twenty."
"I was fifteen when I…"
"Ro I'm sorry."
"Why?"
"I shouldn't of let you go. I thought since Bennett and the other NSA agents hadn't showed up for a couple of days I figured that you would be okay."
I suddenly saw a flash of my memory flash before my eyes. He was holding me around the neck. I was gasping for air. I closed my eyes as hot tears came down my face. "Go away you aren't any friend of mine."
"Ro what did I do?"
"Just go away. No. No don't touch me. NO!!!!"
* * * * * * *
She went into hysterics. I tried to calm her down. I took a hold of her hand. She clutched onto it tightly. She was feeling pain for some reason. It wasn't if I caused her enough pain before now she was still suffering after the fact.
"Ro take deep breaths, calm down." She passed out before she could do that. I held her hand tight still. I wasn't going to let go this time. I had done that before and I almost lost her. I sat down next to her on her bed looking down at her.
She had changed a lot while she was in coma. Her hair had grown out to become very long. It was golden like the sun when the light reflected off it in a certain way. She was so weak. I never thought I would see her like this ever again. I really didn't want to. She was my strength. I didn't realize that till she was in coma for almost two years. I visited her as often as I could without getting caught. Dr. Selig did my a big favor by keeping her here under observation.
She finally woke up from her sleep but this sleep seemed to make her more tired than before. She seemed confused and her eyes where different. I think she was afraid of me. I don't know why though I never did a single thing to scare her.
It was nearly sunrise. Ro was sleeping as quietly as the first night I spent with her. She slept in the back of the car while I stood watch. She smiles while she sleeps. I bet she has good dreams in her sleep. I watched her as she slept now. It felt like the old times with Ro almost.
I would watch over her. I wanted to protect her but even I failed at that. She needed me to protect her and what did I do? I sent her out in the world all alone unprotected. That was a mistake that is going to follow me my whole life.
I looked at her. She told me once about angels. She said they had souls as pure as the ocean is blue. She said that she had a guardian angel once. She said she thought I was her's. But more likely she was mine. She did look like those mythical creatures.
She was starting to wake up. She shifted around a little bit. "Zee you can be so clueless." What was she doing? "Zee get it through that big thick tin can you call a head. I'm not leaving you." She smiled as she reached out for something. "I thought I would find you here. You know what that means right? We're starting to think alike. No, not good freaky." "Zee I love you." She said in a thin barely audible whisper.
She loved me? Why in the world would she love me? I can at least say I was surprised to hear this news. She fluttered her eyes opened and looked at me before yawning. "Did you stay up all night don't ya get bored?"
"No not really."
"Zee? Zee!" I think she remembered me finally. She wrapped her arms around me before hugging me tight. I patted her back softly. "Zee it was horrible I thought you wouldn't find me and I would have no one to see when I woke up."
"It's okay Ro. I'm here right now. I would never forget about you Ro."
"Really?"
"I can't Ro your placed in my permanent memory. Only way for me to forget is to have my self be destroyed for good."
"Well you're pretty much unforgettable too." I held onto Ro for a few minutes. I didn't want to let go. I pulled up a chair next to her bed.
"If I've been asleep for five years what has happened while I was asleep."
"Well I got my freedom."
"You found Dr. Shelig didn't you. He's the doctor who came in and checked up on me."
"Right."
"If I was asleep all this time why didn't you just give up on me?"
"Because you never gave up on me and you're my friend Ro. Don't ya know that?"
"I'm not so sure of anything Zee anymore." She stretched out her legs slowly. Her bones cracked as they where starting to be used. "So tell me everything that happened every detail."
"We'll I kept you at the hospital visiting whenever I could. I kept looking for Dr. Selig cause I knew that if you where out of coma you would have wanted me to keep searching, keep on trying anything. I found him two years later here. He told the NSA that it was possible and that I should have the right to choose. I choose to stay near you. He said I could stay with him and he could keep you under observation."
"Why?"
"I told you Ro. You mean a lot to me. I don't kid remember?"
"Oh yeah it must of slipped my mind. So if you were my best friend what did I do while we ran from the Feds right?"
"Yes, you helped me search. You said you wanted to see how this ended."
"So it ended with me being in the hospital and you getting your freedom?"
"I'm afraid so Ro."
"Well it's better to be here than dead right?" I nodded thinking over that possibility over and over while she was in coma.
"Ro, I'm so sorry."
"Stop apologizing. You've done enough all ready. Thank you for everything." I sat there. This was a completely new Ro. She seemed like the person she was sometimes. Kind, gentle, caring and sometimes almost affectionate. I remember the times when her eyes looked so sad and they were about to cry.
"Your welcome." I turned to leave her alone.
"Wait where are you going?"
"To leave you alone that's what you want right?" She shook her head no.
"Don't leave me here. Stay?" Well this was different. She usually was annoyed or frustrated with me but now she seemed to be me to stay. The door opened and Dr. Selig entered. I stepped out of his way.
*
Zeta always a polite robot. He would step out of the way or greet people even if he didn't want to or didn't look like he really wanted to move out of the way. The girl eyes looked at me fearlessly. I knew that this girl was the one that went on the many adventures Zeta told me about. She was getting her strength back already. Well I heard that she got a concussion one time and convinced Batman to stop hurting Zeta. She was an amazingly fast healer when she was awake or asleep.
"Well Mrs. Rowen I think that today you should start you therapy."
"Okay. What is it?"
"It will retrain you to use your muscles again. It'll help you learn to walk again."
"Alright." My assistant nurse came in with a wheelchair. Zeta stepped in between the wheelchair and Ro. He slowly picked her up. She wrapped her arms weakly around his neck. I could see that in her memory she had done that before. Because Zeta had an awkward neck. It was longer that most necks. She soon released her grip when she found herself in the wheelchair.
Zeta followed us down to the therapy. He sat off to the side. I hope he wouldn't be a distraction. "Now Rosalie this is going to be your therapist. His name is Dr. Falcons."
"Hello Rosalie, you can call me Scott."
"Okay." I left the two to start getting to work. I nodded to Zeta as I passed him.
*
"We're going to start with something simple okay?" She nodded. I watched intently. He placed a ball in her hand. "Now squeeze this ball for one minute." She did so easily. She was always good at working with her hands. "Okay excellent now the other hand." She did it again easily.
"Alright good job now we're going to see how much you can remember. I'm going to put things like letters, animals, numbers, shapes and you tell me what they are." She answered as slowly to begin with but soon she answered them as quickly as he lifted them.
"Excellent you're going faster than we expected. Lets try to get you to start to walk." She nodded. I saw her wobbly trying to get up. It seemed to hurt a lot but she was bearing the pain. "Alright tell me when you want to stop. Alright." She nodded slowly. I saw her face turn into one filled with anguish. Scott let her lay down on the floor to get rid of the pain. I walked up to her.
"Ro this is Scott do you want to give it another try?" She nodded weakly. "Alright I'll let you if you want. But do you want Zeta to help you walk?"
"Zee?"
"Yes Zee." She nodded again. I picked her up and set her gently on her feet. She still looked like she was in pain. She took small steps with me. I made sure that they weren't bigger than a foot. She slowly made her way. She soon took bigger strides. I think she wanted to walk more than anything. Slowly she made her way across the room with me. Soon she collapsed in my arms I looked down at her. "I think that's enough for today."
"Alright Ro." I picked her up in my arms. She gasped but soon relaxed in my arms. I held its parent would hold her up to me like a little child. She rested her head on my shoulder as I carried her back to her room. I put her down on the bed gently. She was practically asleep when we got there. I think she kissed my cheek before I put her down. "What was that?"
"A kiss don't you know what a kiss is?"
"I mean what for?"
"As a thank you."
"Zeta could you bring her to the bathroom?" I nodded to the nurse. I forgot that Ro needed a bath she hadn't had one in almost five years. Ro looked up to me with curious eyes. She had her hands outreached to be picked up. She was like a small child again. Though I never saw her as a small child this is how I imagined she would act. I picked her up holding under her thighs as she wrapped her arms around my neck.
I brought her to the bathroom. She seemed confused why she was here. "Ro they're going to give you a bath. They will help you okay?" She nodded to me as I sat her down on a chair and left the room.
*
"Why did he leave?" I asked the old woman who sat there smiling at both Zee and me. She waved Zee off as he closed the door.
"He can't stay here. Heavens no."
"Why not?"
"It's not right. Anyway my name is Helga. I've heard a lot about you."
"Hmm well I haven't heard anything about you."
"Well dear you just woke up. Dr. Selig says you're the fastest healing patient from coma he's ever seen."
"Maybe I've had it before?"
"It's a possibility. You know Zee I think that's what you call him right." I nodded. "Yes, he's been really depressed that you where in coma."
"Why?"
"You don't remember do you?" I shook my head. "Well, he's told us stories about your adventures, mishaps and good times. I believe that you traveled around on the run from the Feds. I believe you were his only friend because he always thought of you before anything else. Even when he got his freedom he ran back to your side. I've never seen anybody who was so anxious to see someone in the hospital." The bathtub was filled and she helped me take off all of my clothes. I stepped into the soothing warm water. She got washed my hair and everything.
"I can believe you ran all over by just looking at your legs and stomach."
"Why?"
"You have the strongest legs I've seen in a long time and you practically have a six pack stomach. You're the fittest twenty year old girl I've seen in all my years working as a nurse."
"Hmm. I remember running a lot and hiding a lot too."
"You're starting to remember. Perhaps Zee can help you remember more."
"I hope so. I like him a lot. There's something about him that's different."
"He's a robot who can look and act completely human."
"I know that but there's something else. A look in his eyes or something."
"He cares about you could that be it?"
"Maybe. I don't remember my memory is really foggy."
"It will come all back to you in good time."
"I hope so."
