Disclaimer: I own nothing, sadly. Review of stuff:

"talking"

'thinking'

:telepathically speaking:..

Roll the fanfiction!

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"Is it time for… the test?" 003 asked nervously.

Dr. Gilmore nodded, a grim look on his face. "But, my colleague, Dr. Kazumi, is on his way to help with the procedure. It might be somewhat quicker and safer with someone else to help."

The older man stepped forward. "It's nice to see you all again. It's been awhile." He said warmly to everyone else in the room.

"Have you ever preformed this test before?" 005 asked.

Dr. Kazumi nodded. "Back when me and Dr. Gilmore were younger and the processes of cyborgs were much more primitive, some would dysfunction for reasons unknown. This spinal tap procedure would always tell us what was wrong, but it would sometimes mess them up even worse."

"Man… it'll be really hard on all of us if 009 kicks the bucket in this one." 002 murmured.

"Yeah… he's virtually the best of all of us." 007 added. "He's really a great guy, and we'd all miss him like crazy."

"Could any of us help you in this?" 004 questioned. "If this really is his last moment, it'd be nice for at least one of us to be there..."

"Well… you and 008 are knowledgeable in these types of things, so it would be nice if you could help us." Dr. Gilmore agreed.

"It'd be our pleasure to help you out in this." 008 said. "Where is 009, anyway?"

"He's down in the medical wing. Once we get down there, could you two help him into the correct position and spread the iodine across his back for us?" Dr. Kazumi asked.

"You've got it." 004 said. "Are you all ready?"

"Wait! Can't we at least see 009 first?" 002 asked.

"Oh… I suppose it couldn't hurt." Dr. Gilmore agreed.

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The room was empty. 009 stirred from his doze, and sat up. Everything was normal, and as usual, lonesome. The only sounds were from the many medical machines that surrounded him 24/7. God, this place was depressing.

"Hey, 009." 004 greeted, walking in.

"Oh… hey." 009 greeted.

"You feeling good enough for a visit?" The German man asked. "Everyone's been missing you."

"Yeah… I've missed them, too." 009 agreed. 004 nodded, and walked back out. When he returned, everyone flooded the room. 009's face lit up to see all of his friends.

"Hey, pal!" 007 greeted heartily. "Seems like forever since we got to spend more than 5 minutes with you."

"And pretty good timing too; 001's finally awake." 003 added, holding the said cyborgs infant in her hands."

:It's definitely been awhile, 009.::. 001 greeted in that same, telepathic-like voice. :The others told me you've been very sick lately.::.

"Yeah… hasn't exactly been a cake-walk…" 009 said.

"Listen… 009, there's something we need to tell you." 008 said uncomfortably.

"What?" 009 asked nervously.

"Well… the doctor can come up with what's wrong with you with this one procedure… it's a lot like a spinal tap, except the 6-inch long needle is 12 inches long and it's gotta be done twice because you're a cyborg. It needs to get the machine cerebrospinal fluid, and the human cerebrospinal fluid. It's extremely painful, and it can kill you. We can't perform it without your permission." 008 explained.

009 didn't care about pain or death. "Do it." He said.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" 003 asked.

"Yes." 009 replied in a serious tone.

"Even knowing it can kill you?" 006 questioned, surprised.

"Please… do it. I'd rather die when someone finds out what's wrong with me then passing up this offer and dying empty-handed." 009 asked.

"Okay. Let me go tell Dr. Gilmore, and we'll get you prepped for the procedure." 008 said, and walked out of the room.

002 walked up to 009's bedside. "Man… if you live through this screwed-up disease and get better… you're gonna get a freakin' 30 ounce steak because of your bravery." He said. "And I'm gonna pay for it."

009 smiled. 'There's no way I could eat an entire thing of those… but they sure are good.' "You promise?"

002 nodded. "On my life, man."

"Thank you… and I am gonna live through this. I can't promise it, but I'm gonna try." 009 replied.

"009… we're ready for the preparations." 008 said. "I'm afraid all of you can't stay for this one."

Before they all left, everyone had said at least something to 009.

"Knock 'em dead." 002 said.

"I just know you can live through this." 003 encouraged.

"Kudos to you for being so brave…" 006 said, tears filling his eyes. "Good luck."

"I'll pray for you. Be strong." 005 said deeply.

"If you live through this, you'll be the only person with that kind of will power I've ever known. And if you don't live, you'll still be the only person with that kind of will power I've ever known. Be strong for us." 007 said.

:This may be our last goodbye. I really hope you'll survive. Good luck. 001 said.

"I'll… I'll try." 009 said. He felt tears filling up his vision from what everyone had said.

Everyone had left the room, and the two old doctors had walked in.

"Here, just lay on your side." 004 coached 009. 009 did so, curling up as he was told.

008 got the cotton balls and the bottle of iodine, and began spreading it over the Japanese man's back. "This is just some disinfectant." He informed.

After Dr. Gilmore and Dr. Kazumi had gotten into the surgical uniforms, washed their hands, and put on the surgical masks and gloves, they were ready to begin.

Dr. Gilmore took out the needle, and the two cyborgs cringed when they saw the length of it.

'Good God, it's the length of a football...' 004 thought.

"Are you ready, 009?" Dr. Gilmore asked.

"More than ever." 009 replied. He clutched the sheets, waiting for the pain to come.

He waited, and waited, and waited, and waited. Every second seemed like an hour to him as the needle neared his back.

Dr. Gilmore pressed down on the plunger, and the needle broke through the skin.

009 couldn't help but cry out in pain as the agony hit full-force. Take the pain of breaking your knee, getting bitten by about 1000 fire-ants, getting stabbed and shot by a gun, and multiply all of those by 50. That's how great the pain felt for 009.

His screams could painfully be heard up in the recreation room. 003 hung her head, letting the tears roll down her cheeks. Everyone else (even 001) seemed to be on the verge of tears.

It seemed like forever that the needle was in 009. 004 and 008 reminded him to stay still as possible, they had coaxed him through all of the pain, but 009 could barely hear them. The pain was just too horrible for him to bear, but he knew he had to stay awake. All of the promises and words of encouragement that everyone had said to him replayed in his mind like a record, and that's what gave him the will to stay conscious. Soon, Dr. Gilmore had collected enough human cerebrospinal fluid.

009 sighed a breath of relief when he felt the needle exit his body. He was completely exhausted from the pain and screaming, and had worked up a good sweat.

004 knew that 009 must have been thirsty to the bone, and dehydration was the last thing you'd want during a procedure dangerous as this. He found a water bottle nearby, opened it, and handed it to 009.

009 gladly accepted the fresh, cool liquid. He drank it down until half the bottle was gone.

"We'll give him some time to recover before the next one." Dr. Kazumi suggested. The three agreed.

"That was fantastic, 009." 008 encouraged. "You came through that beautifully."

"Y-yeah… but… oh God… it hurt so much…" 009 said, trying to forget the pain. "And it's gonna… happen again…"

"009, if you can do as good as you just did, you'll sail through the next one smooth as silk. That was just amazing." 004 said.

009 nodded. "Right…"

Soon, it was time for the next one.

"009, I just want you to know you're doing great." Dr. Gilmore said. "Just one more, allright?"

009 nodded. "Bring it on."

Dr. Kazumi readied the next needle, and handed it to Dr. Gilmore. He injected the needle, and 009 felt that same, horrid pain. Only this time, it felt much worse. He cried out in pain, feeling the needle sink deeper and deeper into his skin. Little black dots gobbled up at his vision, and he tried desperately to fight them off.

"No… I can't… not gonna… I've got to… live…" He said. The words replayed in his mind like a record, urging him onward and onward.

"Not gonna... die... no... not gonna... gonna live...!" He clutched the sheets even harder.

Then, the heart rate monitor began to increase steadily until it was dangerously high.

"Gilmore, hurry and get the rest! If this goes on for much longer, we'll lose him." Dr. Kazumi warned.

"Just a bit more, and... there! We've got enough." Dr. Gilmore sighed a sigh of relief. He ever so gently pulled the needle out of 009's back, praying that he wouldn't break it while it was inside the skin.

Finally, 009 felt the relieving feeling of the needle exit his body. He let out a huge breath he had held. It was finally over.

009 had gone against the odds, but it wasn't over yet.

It was far from over.

TBC