That evening, Allan knocked on Shadow's door with a feeling of trepidation. There was a childish squeal from inside, and the door was wrenched open. Bit flung herself onto him with a zeal possessed only by the young.
Shadow appeared behind her. Her arm was out of its sling, and her face looked shocking - thin and drawn, with dark circles under her eyes.
"Allan," said Bit as he stepped inside and closed the door, "do I have to go to bed?"
He looked at Shadow, who nodded firmly. "Yes, you do."
Bit scowled, all her sunnyness vanishing. "Well, I don't want to! I won't!" she shouted.
Shadow shook her head, looking tired. "She's been doing this all freaking evening. She was supposed to be in bed an hour ago."
Allan crouched down to stare at the sulking child. "Bit. Look at me." She complied. "What time do you have to go to bed at home?"
"Nine o'clock," she said defiantly. He saw Shadow shake her head.
"What time, Bit? The truth, now."
Bit hung her head. "Seven-thirty."
"What time is it now?"
"Eight-thirty."
"Then why aren't you in bed?"
"Because I'm not at home!" said Bit hopefully.
"Okay," said Allan cheerfully, taking her by the hand and pulling her towards the door.
"Wait. Where are we going?" she asked, resisting.
"I'm taking you home. If you won't go to bed here, you'll just have to go to bed at home."
Bit freed her hand and stared up at him, lower lip trembling. "That's not fair."
He crouched down to her level again. "It's absolutely fair, little Bit. You're going to bed. You can either go here, or at home. Your choice."
Her small brow furrowed. "Will you tell me a story?' she asked hopefully.
"Sure I will," he agreed amiably.
"Okay then," she said, and went quietly to bed in the other section of Shadow's small apartment. Allan sat on the floor beside her bed and told her Cinderella until she dropped off.
When he came back out into the main area, Shadow was sitting slumped at the small table, nursing a cup. She looked up as he entered. "Thanks," she muttered hoarsely. She really did look terrible this evening.
"S'nothing. You looked like you could use the help," he replied, sitting down opposite her.
"No kidding. I can deal with her anytime except bedtime. Drink?" she asked, getting another cup from a shelf within easy reach.
"Please. I've had practise, though. I have - I had a little sister. You know. In the Matrix."
She poured a drink for him and pushed it over. "Have."
"What?"
"You have a little sister in the Matrix. The fact that she's still in there and you're out here doesn't mean she isn't your sister."
"But I don't know if she's even my real sister. She could just be some random."
"No, she's your sister. The machines have some sort of system where the child in the Matrix is created from the corresponding parents in the real world. Otherwise you could get really messed up."
"I guess." Silence fell, a comfortable silence. He took a sip from his cup and almost choked, his eyes stinging. "Strong stuff."
She smiled tiredly. "Sorry. I should have warned you. Zion loves its alcohol."
He smiled. "So, what are you going to do now?'
"You mean now I'm stuck dockside for months?" She picked at a loose thread in the sleeve of her threadbare sweater. "Dunno. There's lots of stuff to be done in these cases - usually boring make-work. In cafeterias and stuff."
"You'll die of boredom."
"I know. But what else can I do?"
"You could work in the orphanage."
"God, that place is depressing."
He shrugged and took another, more cautious sip from his cup. It burned all the way down, but he was prepared for it this time.
Shadow slumped, rocking slightly in her seat, her eyes slightly unfocussed. "Looks like you're ready for bed as well," he suggested mildly.
She looked at him, blinking owlishly, and nodded. "I think so."
Rising from the table, he caught her elbow as she stumbled. "Have you been drinking a lot of that stuff?" he asked, concerned at her lack of coordination.
She shook her head slightly. "Doctor gave me some painkillers."
"And you then you started drinking. Silly girl."
She tilted her head, swaying alarmingly. "Yeah. Silly." She looked at him, a crease forming between her eyebrows. "Bed now, please."
He lifted her, one arm behind her shoulders, the other behind her knees, and carried her through the thin curtain to the sleeping area.
By the time he laid her carefully down and covered her with the thick blankets, she was fast asleep. He wondered if the drugs and the drink would harm her, but after consulting his mental files decided probably not. She looked comfortable enough, so he turned and walked reluctantly out of her apartment and back to his own.
Shadow appeared behind her. Her arm was out of its sling, and her face looked shocking - thin and drawn, with dark circles under her eyes.
"Allan," said Bit as he stepped inside and closed the door, "do I have to go to bed?"
He looked at Shadow, who nodded firmly. "Yes, you do."
Bit scowled, all her sunnyness vanishing. "Well, I don't want to! I won't!" she shouted.
Shadow shook her head, looking tired. "She's been doing this all freaking evening. She was supposed to be in bed an hour ago."
Allan crouched down to stare at the sulking child. "Bit. Look at me." She complied. "What time do you have to go to bed at home?"
"Nine o'clock," she said defiantly. He saw Shadow shake her head.
"What time, Bit? The truth, now."
Bit hung her head. "Seven-thirty."
"What time is it now?"
"Eight-thirty."
"Then why aren't you in bed?"
"Because I'm not at home!" said Bit hopefully.
"Okay," said Allan cheerfully, taking her by the hand and pulling her towards the door.
"Wait. Where are we going?" she asked, resisting.
"I'm taking you home. If you won't go to bed here, you'll just have to go to bed at home."
Bit freed her hand and stared up at him, lower lip trembling. "That's not fair."
He crouched down to her level again. "It's absolutely fair, little Bit. You're going to bed. You can either go here, or at home. Your choice."
Her small brow furrowed. "Will you tell me a story?' she asked hopefully.
"Sure I will," he agreed amiably.
"Okay then," she said, and went quietly to bed in the other section of Shadow's small apartment. Allan sat on the floor beside her bed and told her Cinderella until she dropped off.
When he came back out into the main area, Shadow was sitting slumped at the small table, nursing a cup. She looked up as he entered. "Thanks," she muttered hoarsely. She really did look terrible this evening.
"S'nothing. You looked like you could use the help," he replied, sitting down opposite her.
"No kidding. I can deal with her anytime except bedtime. Drink?" she asked, getting another cup from a shelf within easy reach.
"Please. I've had practise, though. I have - I had a little sister. You know. In the Matrix."
She poured a drink for him and pushed it over. "Have."
"What?"
"You have a little sister in the Matrix. The fact that she's still in there and you're out here doesn't mean she isn't your sister."
"But I don't know if she's even my real sister. She could just be some random."
"No, she's your sister. The machines have some sort of system where the child in the Matrix is created from the corresponding parents in the real world. Otherwise you could get really messed up."
"I guess." Silence fell, a comfortable silence. He took a sip from his cup and almost choked, his eyes stinging. "Strong stuff."
She smiled tiredly. "Sorry. I should have warned you. Zion loves its alcohol."
He smiled. "So, what are you going to do now?'
"You mean now I'm stuck dockside for months?" She picked at a loose thread in the sleeve of her threadbare sweater. "Dunno. There's lots of stuff to be done in these cases - usually boring make-work. In cafeterias and stuff."
"You'll die of boredom."
"I know. But what else can I do?"
"You could work in the orphanage."
"God, that place is depressing."
He shrugged and took another, more cautious sip from his cup. It burned all the way down, but he was prepared for it this time.
Shadow slumped, rocking slightly in her seat, her eyes slightly unfocussed. "Looks like you're ready for bed as well," he suggested mildly.
She looked at him, blinking owlishly, and nodded. "I think so."
Rising from the table, he caught her elbow as she stumbled. "Have you been drinking a lot of that stuff?" he asked, concerned at her lack of coordination.
She shook her head slightly. "Doctor gave me some painkillers."
"And you then you started drinking. Silly girl."
She tilted her head, swaying alarmingly. "Yeah. Silly." She looked at him, a crease forming between her eyebrows. "Bed now, please."
He lifted her, one arm behind her shoulders, the other behind her knees, and carried her through the thin curtain to the sleeping area.
By the time he laid her carefully down and covered her with the thick blankets, she was fast asleep. He wondered if the drugs and the drink would harm her, but after consulting his mental files decided probably not. She looked comfortable enough, so he turned and walked reluctantly out of her apartment and back to his own.
