Atlas slowly pushed open the door. He stepped inside, his eyes sweeping the room. No one was there. He was fortunate enough to pick a time when the nurses weren't around. It was late and visiting hours were almost over.
The red-headed android walked slowly but deliberately over to a bed. He quietly pulled a chair up beside the bed and sat in it. He looked to the figure lying in the bed. This figure was Atsuko Tokugawa, his mother. She had been in a coma for six years now, following a car accident.
"Hey, Mom," he said although he knew she could not hear him or answer. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Atlas looked down at the floor. Oh how he wished his mother would wake up so he wouldn't be so lonely anymore. He was currently just living on the street. Atlas hadn't gone home after the Robotonia incident and had no intention of doing so. Even if Tokugawa felt sorry, he doubted anything would change. He couldn't go back to that pain.
Atlas looked back up at his mother, tears now streaming down his face.
"I wish you'd wake up, Mom, but... would you even love me anymore? ...now that I'm a robot? ...after what I've done?"
Just then Atlas heard footsteps growing closer. He looked out of the corner of his eye to see a nurse. He recognized her from before, but didn't know her name. He continued to sit there, not sure what to do.
"Don't mind me, Daichi," the nurse said as she walked over to the machine behind Atlas. "Just checking on some things."
Atlas turned to look at her, shocked at what she called him.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, noticing his stare.
"Haven't you heard? I'm a robot now," he replied.
"I've heard," she affirmed.
"Why then," Atlas started, "do you talk to me as if I were still Daichi?"
"Aren't you?" she asked back.
"I..." Atlas still wasn't sure on this. He certainly had all of Daich's memories and he felt the same as Daichi. Everything was the same right down to every little behavior. But did that make him the real deal or just an impressive copy?
"Now I'm no roboticist so I can't say for sure," the nurse began, "but here you are, visiting your mother like always."
Atlas looked down again, contemplating what the nurse had just said. It was true that he always visited his mother before. Even now as a robot, he missed his mother just as much, maybe more.
Perhaps he wasn't just a destructive robot with Daichi's memories. He still wasn't sure, but he felt a little more confident that he was. Maybe he should talk to Astro about it?
"Well, I'll leave you be," the nurse said as she went to leave, "and don't worry about visiting hours ending. I'm sure we can make an exception just this once."
"Really? You'd do that?" Atlas asked, shocked at the nurse's generosity.
"Sure," the nurse said. "With the treaty, we're supposed to be mending old wounds. It'll be no trouble to let you stay later as long as you behave."
"Of course," Atlas assured. "I won't cause you any trouble."
"Okay then. I'll see you later." And with that, the nurse was gone.
Atlas turned to look at his mother again. She remained as still as ever, the only movement coming from her shallow breaths. Atlas smiled, feeling a little better. More tears streamed down his face. It wasn't over for him.
"Please get better, mother," Atlas said. "I really miss you."
Atlas wasn't going to give up on his mother either. As long as she was still alive, there was a chance she would wake up. He would wait as long as it took and while he was waiting he would be busy making a new life for himself. Something to be proud of when his mother did wake up. This would keep him going. He wouldn't want his mother waking up to find her son was a monster.
"I'll do it for you."