I'm not much of a writer, but something about POI compels me to try this. Appreciative of any and all critiques. Don't know how long this will end up- just know there will be several chapters.
The next morning's meeting was pushed back to 11:00 to accommodate PT schedule adjustments for both Root and Reese. The therapists had suggested two lighter sessions in an attempt to balance Root's impatience with their need to keep her from self-inflicted injury.
Dr. Ingram had begun arranging for delivery of the ingredients necessary for the initial batches of compounds he planned to use for John's therapy sessions. He also put together a rough draft of the schedule of therapies to be used and their order.
As the group filed in at eleven, Dr. Tillman marveled at all that had transpired to get this group to this place. Events had molded the five who formed the core group into a family of sorts, there was no denying that. She wondered if her feelings for the group as a whole was affecting her objectivity.
So many months working on, observing, and yes… praying for John. Battling to keep Ms. Groves alive. I've become a part of this family almost by default, and it feels good. I want to stay connected to them. Strange how familiar some of them are already and how comfortable those I've just met are even though yesterday they were total strangers.
She shook her head to clear it. Looking at her phone, she read Dr. West's text and addressed the group.
"Dr. West will be here in about five minutes. Emergency consult at another hospital this morning. We need to discuss Mr. Reese's prognosis and therapy protocol, discuss Ms. Groves' progress in light of her habit of pushing herself to extremes and the long-term situation for both."
Root chimed in, "I have a question, when do you think I'll be able to get out of here? Not that I don't appreciate this place and all you've done for me, but I sure would like to get on with the rest of our lives." She looked at Shaw and Gen and winked.
"Ms. Groves, that's something we may be able to begin to answer today. Since your rehab has become almost 100% physical we can discuss this while we wait for Dr. West. The therapists tell me you've shown more restraint and become more cooperative in your sessions.
"Apparently the first few were concerning due to your desire to go way beyond the limits they set for you. Then, almost magically, you became more cooperative and more willing to follow the protocols we had set for you."
Root looked at Shaw with a smirk and a wink. Sameen rolled her eyes in response but a small smile appeared on her face. Dr. Tillman, either consciously or unconsciously, ignored the interplay and continued.
"Your progress has been significant especially for your situation. Remember, less than two weeks ago you were still in the coma. I do think the best plan of action would be to begin outside excursions with supervision and within the month we can discuss your leaving."
"A month, doc, that's too long." Root's face darkened briefly, then cleared as Shaw walked over and took her hand. Sameen bent down, kissed her on the top of her head and said.
"Does it matter that much where we are Root?"
"Sorry, Sam, but I'm in a hurry to get well. You know how much I hate feeling helpless and dependent. I… I just want to be back to normal."
Shaw laughed, "Sorry love, but you and normal should never be used together."
Root smiled back, almost wistfully. "We'll talk about this later."
Sameen studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Okay."
All eyes turned toward the doorway as Dr. West entered, obviously in a hurry.
"Sorry I'm late."
"It's perfectly fine, doctor, we took the time you were gone to begin to FTC from a two discussing Ms. Groves rehab and possible departure from our facility." Dr. Tillman introduced Dr. West to the new arrivals, then turned the meeting over to him.
After summarizing the neurological aspects of John's case, the doctor turned the discussion toward Dr. Ingram and possible therapies. Thirty minutes of brainstorming later, the meeting broke up as the doctors went on to their own tasks. Will hung back long enough to mention that he'd be prepared to begin the initial session later that afternoon.
"Prep time for this initial attempt is about one hour and forty-five minutes. I'd like to begin the treatment around 3:00. I believe all of you should be there, just to stimulate any possible part of Mr. Reese's memory possible. Uncle Harold, Detective Fusco and Bear are absolutely critical to the initial treatments, since he's reacted to you. But Ms. Groves and Ms. Shaw may also prove valuable. Gen, you are certainly welcome, however your lack of history with Mr. Reese reduces the necessity."
Gen smiled and hesitated before answering. "I think I'll see how the kids are doing and, depending on what's going on with them, decide later."
Dr. Ingram nodded. "Well, see you all at three." Dr. Tillman nodded at the group and followed Will out the door. The others sat briefly before heading back to their quarters to wait. As the group split up Harold looked back at Root and Shaw briefly.
"I think we need to talk about the future and what the machine became toward the end- I'm afraid my unleashing her fully may have long-term negative consequences."
Root turned toward him, her expression angry. "You never trusted her, Harold, and that was one of your biggest errors. Don't try to put the genie back in the bottle. She won't hurt anyone or anything that doesn't deserve it. Don't forget, all this…" Root waved her hands indicating the hospital, "was done to save members of our team- and done without asking your permission."
"Easy girl, don't forget Harold created the Machine- he loves 'her' as much as you do, maybe even more." Shaw took Root's hand and gently stroked it trying to calm her. "He's just trying to plan for any future contingencies. If I understand this process correctly, Harold's unleashing his creation can't be undone and he's simply saying we need to plan for any anomalies that may arise."
Finch nodded, and smiled sadly at Root. "Ms. Groves, if I could go back and unleash it now to keep you and Mr. Reese from going through this, believe me I would in a second. I just think we may have to restore more open communication with the Machine so we can at least be ready if there are dangers resulting from it's complete 'freedom'."
Root's eyes flashed both anger and frustration. "Harold, the numbers never stopped coming and there aren't enough of us out there to help all the 'irrelevant' numbers out there. And I think there's a threat out there of another… Samaritan for lack of a better word, being developed in the next few years.
"You guys destroyed Samaritan, but the idea of an AI that can do what Samaritan was on the verge of doing, that wasn't destroyed. The government shut 'Northern Lights' down thinking that was the end of it, but they forgot the lessons of history.
"Victor Hugo said, 'Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come.' Without killing everyone who knows what happened, including us, the idea of the Machine and Samaritan is out there and it's simply a matter of time until someone tries to recreate it.
"Harold, you were years ahead of your time when you created her, but we are years beyond that now; the idea that you can design a system that will protect or even destroy a nation, a people a civilization has 'escaped'. What we should be doing is using her to develop an early warning system so any Samaritan-like threat can be detected and dealt with before it's too late.
"We already know She can stop a threat like Samaritan if given the proper tools, but we need to at least prod her to look for 'potential' threats and deal with them before we face another, maybe more powerful AI developed by someone whose motives are less benign than ours. I'm afraid we've already perverted the terms good and evil with some of our actions.
"I'm not saying we were wrong; for example- if Reese had killed Blackwell when he first encountered him, it would have been taking out an innocent individual. Sameen's killing him is totally justified from my point of view- another war criminal executed for his crimes. However we have blurred the lines between right and wrong and a case could be made that we were the bad guys."
Shaw looked at Root, frowning. "Root, how do you know I killed Blackwell? We haven't talked about it? Are you talking to the Machine again?"
"Sam, this is what we needed to 'talk about later'. Yes, I've reestablished contact with her, I wanted to learn what I've missed and see how all aspects of the war turned out. I also want to make sure we're going to be around to enjoy 'the rest of our lives'; and if that means we still have work to do, I want to make sure that work gets done."
Shaw frowned, rolled her eyes, then smiled and shook her head. "I suppose asking how you managed to reestablish communication so quickly is stupid. I knew you had accessed your financials, I should have realized talking to it was inevitable.
"It does bother me though, I have to admit that. Your past discussions with the Machine had you flying around the world and putting yourself at risk constantly. Root, I cannot lose you again, so could we agree to please do this stuff together? I'm afraid you're telling me we could still be at war. I, quite frankly, am not interested in saving the world anymore. We've done our part."
"Sam, you know the numbers never stopped coming. Did you know the Machine has made contingency plans to deal with those numbers. There are teams out there dealing with the numbers as we speak. I'm not saying we have to get back in the business of fighting an all-out war with evil forces, but we can be of assistance to the teams that are out there."
Shaw walked over to the window and gazed out at the foothills and the mountains beyond. After a couple of minutes she turned back toward Root.
"You know we got the President's number toward the end. You also apparently know that we were helped in DC by three people who were once numbers themselves. I may have decided subconsciously to ignore the implications, but now I see that there had to be more going on away from our little corner of the world."
Shaw took a few steps toward Root, then stopped again, eyes flashing.
"You almost died, Root. I spent months in Samaritans clutches and 'killed' myself over seven thousand times. Look at the state John's in right now…" tears were starting to trickle down Shaw's cheeks.
"When is enough, enough?"
Root wheeled herself over to Sameen then reached out, took her hand and smiled.
"We don't have to spend the rest of our lives worrying that each day might be our last, Sam, there are other ways we can contribute. But to ignore the threat that exists- well that just isn't us- and you know it!"
Shaw shook off Root's hand and headed for the door.
"I'm not talking about this anymore. I'm going for a run."
Root looked forlorn as Shaw left. She turned to Finch eyes shining.
"I can't lose her either Harold, but I don't think we could live with ourselves if we ignored the stuff going on out there. I think eventually it would destroy who we are, who she is. And I think if we just go hide somewhere, eventually Sam would start to realize it and subconsciously blame her feelings for Gen and especially me for causing the withdrawal.
"Sam should never be put in that position- regretting the fact that she can feel, and the fact that she's so willing to be vulnerable about how they affect her."
Finch smiled and walked over to Root.
"Ms. Groves, I think she'll come around. She's one of the smartest people I've ever met, present company excluded, and she'll realize you have thought this through and have considered the possible consequences. Then she'll do the same and I would be surprised if she didn't come to the same conclusions you did.
"Just give her a little time."