Chapter 6-Misunderstanding
3 was only marginally interested in being in the Scientist's room. There had been a couple of times when the twins had followed 9 into the first room and looked over things, including the Scientist's corpse. Now 3 just sat in the middle of the floor and looked over an early sketch of 1.
9 looked over 6's sketch. It seemed like the quickest sketch out of the lot. After that, he looked at 8's sketch. And then 2 sketch, then 5's, and then 7's. 9 looked over 7's the longest. He then returned to 5's and 2's sketch. After 3 was done with 1's sketch, 9 took it and paired it with 8's sketch. He put 2 and 5 next to each other. 6 went in between 5 and himself. 7 was next to him. 9 went looking for the twins' sketch but couldn't find it. Just then, he realized that 3 had it.
There was only one twin on the sketch and no number on it. 3 had found some ink. 9 watched 3's finger dip into the ink well and write the number '4' on the picture of the twin. 9 had wanted to set the twins' sketch nest to 7's but 3 clearly wouldn't be giving the picture up anytime soon.
There was a book in the far corner of the room that 9 retrieved and pushed it in 3's direction. 3 looked at the book apathetically. There was no point in cataloging it if there was no one to share the information with; no one to talk to about it. It wasn't like 3 could show 9 the discoveries. 4 was the only twin that could project images. 3's back turned to the book and the twin's attention turned back to the Scientist's drawing.
9 sighed. "Are you just gonna mope around?"
3 did nothing. "Come on," 9 urged sitting down and opening the book.
3 didn't budge. Reading just wouldn't be the same without 4.
"Come on, please?" 9 asked.
3's head shook. 9 took 3's arm and tried to turn the twin around but 3 shook him off. "We can't just sit around and do nothing."
3's arms crossed. "You never used to do nothing."
Still nothing from 3. "Look, I get it, alright?"
3 finally turned around. "You're upset. I am too. I miss 4 and 7 too."
3's eyes met 9's. "I know how you feel," 9 said.
3's eyebrows pitched downwards. "5 was kind of like a brother to me. I think of him as my twin, you know, kind of like you and 4…"
3 fumed. How dare 9 even say that! 5 wasn't his twin! It wasn't the same! He didn't know how it felt to lose a twin!
3 and 4 looked alike; they could only really talk to each other. They had a special connection that the others didn't understand. How dare 9 compare his relationship with 5 to 3's with 4!
9 noticed the anger in 3's eyes and asked: "What?"
As 9's face was met with 3's back 9 reached out to touch 3's shoulder. 3 shrugged 9's hand off.
"Hey," 9 tried again. 3 shoved 9 away.
"Hey!" 9 tried once more.
3 lunged for 9 and pushed him to the ground. 9 attempted to shield himself from 3's fists beating down on him.
"OW! STOP IT! CUT IT OUT! 3!" 9 cried.
Suddenly, 3 stopped. The twin's finger dipped into the ink well and began scrawling out a message on the open book.
Once finished, 3 crawled back over to the picture of 4 and laid down on it as if to conceal it from the world. 9 cringed at the words 3 had written:
EVERTHING WAS FINE UNTIL YOU SHOWED UP
What hurt most about this was that 3 was right. If it hadn't been for 9 the group would still be alive. 2 wouldn't have died were it not for 9 awakening the Machine. If it weren't for 9 awakening the Machine, 8 wouldn't have been taken by the Seamstress and killed. 5 would still be alive if it weren't for 9. 6 would still be alive 1 would still be alive. 4 would too (technically the Machine had killed the twin). Even 7 would still be alive had 9 not come along. She had gone out to look for him, it was his fault she was dead.
Ordinarily, 9 would've listened to the Scientist's message but 3 would probably get even more annoyed with it so 9 left the box alone. Instead, 9 crawled over to the Scientist's body and curled up into the crook of the man's neck. There were times when 9 felt like this, like a failure, like a horrible person, and he would image talking to the Scientist. He wasn't sure why, exactly, but he took comfort in the idea of talking with the Scientist. He was sure the Scientist would listen to him and give him good advice. Unfortunately, 9 would never know. There was no way possible for the Scientist to come back to life.
"I wish I could talk to you," 9 whispered sadly. "Maybe you'd know what to do."
He pulled a nearby sheet of paper closer to him and used it as a blanket. 3 peered over at 9 before falling asleep on the picture of 4.