Chapter 4 – I got my notepad confiscated in maths for writing this. Ah well, it's far more interesting than maths

Helen couldn't help keeping sneaking glances up at the window where Sophie was stood with her nose pressed against the glass. The doctors were working hard to revive the being and Helen knew she had to be there, once they'd revived it they seemed to turn to her.

'What now?' one of the doctors asked.

'Do you have a surgeon?' Helen asked, the fetched him at once and soon Helen found herself stood with her daughter on the other side of the glass along with Michael. Sophie gripped her father's hand but Helen kept close, she still wasn't comfortable with Sophie seeing a surgery but it didn't seem to be affecting her. In fact she just looked curios and interested to understand what was going on.

She listened intently at what the Doctor had to say, Michael needed to talk to them so he smiled and gestured for Sophie to press the button. She seemed to be honoured to.

'Put it on ice and we'll have it mapped for DNA testing.' He said officially.

Helen suddenly had a thought.

'I'd like a sample too.' She said and Michael nodded and gestured for Sophie to take her finger off the button. She did so.

The Doctor became confused as he went further and further into the being, he continued until he had finally found what was under the grey fleshy outer layer; he found the figure of a human being.

'Can you explain any of this?' Michael asked Helen, tightening his grip on Sophie's hand. She seemed irritated by this; she was more interested in watching this new life be uncovered. Helen shook her head slowly, but gently took a hold of Sophie's other hand, much to her annoyance.

Six hours passed and each hour they surveyed it, or it, turned out to be a him. They cleaned him and clothed him and put him in a place which would keep him safe and all the while he remained unconscious. But no one touched him with their bare hands; he still hadn't made proper human contact.

Helen and Michael were surveying him on the eighth hour and he was definitely human. Sophie trailed along behind and stood by the tent-like shield surrounding him. She peered curiously into one of the little portholes, she noticed that the porthole she was peering into could in fact have someone's hand pushed through it, it was split into four flaps which meant that someone's hand and arm could go through. She pulled back one of the flaps curiously before her mother scolded her.

'Sophie no.' she said sternly and Sophie drew back her hand, she could see the man's hand just in front of her. She imagined he must be scared, what did her mom do when she was scared? She held her hand. But then again, her mom had told her not to, and she couldn't say no to her mom.

Helen went back to looking at the man, 'he's dreaming,' she whispered. 'Look Sophie,' she tried to make her daughter look but she was busy looking through her own flap. Suddenly a hand pushed against the tent and the man inside seemed to be fighting to get out.

'Get help!' Helen told the nurse on duty. Sophie didn't even think, she knew what her mommy would do and so, in an attempt to be a good person, she thrust her hand through the porthole and grabbed his hand. She didn't pay attention to her mother's protests and shouts for help but instead grabbed the man's hand.

For a moment he went rigid, then he relaxed, and he grasped her hand back. She didn't know why but she found tears coming to her eyes, she felt everything the man felt, he was frightened, alone and lonely. and she felt small sparks of electricity shooting up her arm and spreading through her body, but it didn't make her want to let go, It made her hold on tighter, it felt warm and she felt the man's feelings again. He was feeling a little safer; a little less frightened now he knew that she was there.

Sophie was happy to help.

'Sophie no!' she heard her mom shout, then her father echo it. He was breathing heavily, before his eyes rested on Helen, but Sophie refused to let go.

'He's looking at you.' Michael said softly, 'try saying something.'

She paused and glanced at him gripping her daughters hand tight before she looked him in the eyes and spoke, 'My name is Doctor Helen Benson, and we're here to help you. You have nothing to fear.'

He paused before repeating what she said in a whisper, 'Help you, nothing to fear.' It was as if he was rolling the language around his tongue.

Helen drew back, surprised at this new discovery before she grabbed her daughters hand and drew it gently from the "tent".

She pulled her to the corner of the room and Michael rushed over to them.

'Are you ok?' she asked, 'why did you do that?'

'Because I wanted to be like you. When I'm scared you hold my hand and I feel better. And I felt what he felt…' Sophie said indignantly, convinced she'd done the right thing.

'What? What do you mean?' Michael asked. Sophie sighed like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

'When I held his hand I felt that he was really scared and lonely, but once I held it he felt better. And then I got tiny little electric shocks all up my arms and all over my body and I felt really sad because I felt like I had a… connection with him.' She looked up at both her parents worried faces, 'did I do something wrong?' she asked, terrified of being reprimanded.

'No…' Helen said before Michael could say anything. Even thought they were both thinking the same thing.

'Do you still think you can sense what he feels?' Helen asked, and Sophie thought for a moment before nodding.

'I still feel connected to him.' She grinned; she was excited, thought it was all a big game and didn't see the bigger picture. Michael and Helen looked at each other; they were both thinking exactly the same thing.

This alien man had made a special bond, with their eleven year old daughter.