Waking up to a bright light and a pounding headache wasn't something I'd ever want to get used to, but it seemed I wouldn't have a choice.

"Ughh, did anyone catch the number of the gonk that ran me over?" Reaching a hand up to my head, only to flinch at the sudden pain lancing through my head. Memories, not my own. Thoughts, not my own. Emotions, not my own, suddenly come into focus.

"Mr. Martinez, we're glad to see you awake." A hoarse voice calls out, glancing in its direction shows a stout man, wearing gloves reaching up to his elbows, his front covered by a large overall. "Sorry to do this right as you're waking up, but you only have a few scratches and we'll need the bed you're using for some patients that just came in." Pulling me up, not unkindly, the man leads me over to a bench directing me to sit as he fiddles with the device in his hands. Mom, is she... no, no she should be fine for now.

"Ho-how is my mom doing?" Grimacing at the pain in my throat, my hope soars as he nods, relief taking as I relax onto the bench.

"Surgery was a success. She hasn't come to just yet, but she's stable." My hope shrivels just as quickly, the words reminding me of the memories, mine, but not.

"Here's some paperwork and your bill. Brought your mom's things, too." Handing me the pad and a garbage bag he offers one last word, There's a reason everyone in Night City wants insurance nowadays, kid. "There's a reason everyone in Night City wants insurance nowadays, kid." Exactly the same as I remember. Just as I remember how things would happen in the near future, if I left her, mom , as she was.

"Can- can I get her transported to a different location." I can't leave her here, I'm not even sure if this place is just waiting for her to flatline to klep her chrome, what little she has.

"We can transfer to another location for a fee of three thousand eddies, the service is available 24/7, feel free to contact me if you choose to do so."

I can save her, give mom the life she deserves, not the day in day out struggle she's been going through just to send me to a school, just to get a job that'll never be right for me. She can be happy, happier than she ever was with me, David, as a son. Money, I need money first, but what can David do? He's an Arasaka student, no real world experience, nothing to offer. What can I do? Think. Think. Think.

My feet carry me along, as I drown the world around me with my own thoughts.

The sandevistan? The garbage bag in my arms is heavy. I can't sell it. Maine's gang will probably be on the streets looking for it by tonight at the latest, if they aren't already. I'd be lucky if all they did was beat me up, they'd probably think I killed mom or something. I could… get it chipped, use it to make money that way, run some jobs, maybe make a name for myself. A part of me warms at the idea, with dreams of running the edge, being a cyberpunk. Viktor, he-he'll help, I can pay him back in work with the sandy.

My feet drag, past stairs, slopes, under the shade of a megabuilding.

Wait… mom, she sold the sandy this morning didn't she? Maine, he paid upfront right? This thing has to be worth a ton of eddies, at least enough for mom's medical and the transfer right? It has to be enough.

ACCESS DENIED

RENT PAST DUE

"Ughh, whatever." Sneaking in through the vent is annoying, but not enough of a problem for me to care right now. First, gotta get access to moms account, then pay off the medical and get the transport.

€$10,000

The number lights up the room around me, it's enough with a bit to spare, five thousand for the bill, and three thousand for transport. Its not quite the retirement plan I was hoping for, but this. I can work with this, I'll head over to Viks now, convince him to take care of mom then pay for the medical and transport.

"Mom, I'll save you! I won't- I won't let this be the end for you." The words scratch at my throat, just as hope wells up inside me. Swinging her bright EMT jacket over myself I stand. I won't let this city take you, I won't let this city take anything from David-Me.

'Misty's Esoterica and Chakra Harmonization' The neon lights fit right into its surroundings, if I didn't know better I'd assume it was just some new age spirituality bullshit. But I do know better, Vik, he works out of the back of this place. Walking in I'm greeted by a series of chimes and bells, soothing and quiet.

"Hello! Welcome to my shop, where I sell all manner of esoterica. What can I get for you today?" Misty's gentle voice rings out in the calming ambience.

"I-uh, I'm looking for a Viktor, Viktor Vektor, I was told that I could find him here?"

"Yes, he actually works out of the back, here I'll show you the way." She waves me over, pushing me out the door in the back, leading into an alley. "He's just down those stairs, he'll have a sign up if he's taking care of someone else."

Okay I can do this. From what I can remember he's a pretty nice guy anyways. No need to stress about it.

The sliding door opens for me, the static of a boxing match buzzing alive. "Is there a Viktor here?" The room is dark, lit by red neon lights, comfortable, not too bright, but not so dark that you'd lose track of anything.

"That's me, Viktor, Viktor Vektor. Nice to meet you." Viktor shuts off the screen he's watching to stand up and approach me, lifting a hand in greeting.

"Yeah, it's nice to meet you too, I'm uh David, look could I ask you a favor?" My heart's beating, and my anxiety is climbing, I need him to agree. I don't have many other options, and none of them are as straightforward, or as easy, as asking Vik.

"My, uh my mom, she was caught in a drive by the other day, animals, could I ask you to hold her up here, and take care of her for a bit?" My hands are clammy, the sandevistan taped to mom's jacket feels heavier, its weight lopsided, pulling the jacket to the side. "Not for too long, just enough to make sure she's stable, that she- that she won't just flatline out of nowhere."

"Kid, that isn-" Vik is pulling his sunglasses down with a frown before I interrupt, panicking at what sounds like a denial.

"I can pay you back for it! I, I'm a bit tight on eddies right now, but I can bring in other things, ripperdocs always need more chrome right? I can do that, bring in chrome, you can use it however you want." The words are rushing out of me now, my panic rising. I need him to agree, this is the best chance I have.

"Woah, woah there kid, I never said no, but this isn't exactly a small favor. And besides, I'm a ripperdoc. I'm good with chrome, but that's about it, most of the stuff here is to make sure my customers don't flatline during surgery."

"Please choom, I've heard good things about you, and my mom, the place she's at now, I can't even guarantee it isn't some scav den looking to kill her and klep what little chrome she has." I definitely caught his attention with that if his blatant frown is anything to go by.

"Where did you say she was getting treated?"

"Some shady clinic, the meat wagons just left us there. I couldn't even see my mom, was told my package didn't include visitation. They said I could have her transported somewhere else for three thousand eddies." Left unsaid is my hope he would let me transport her here.

He seems to be having an internal crisis, his face pinching, bringing his hand up to massage his nose. "Hahh. Alright fine kid, I'll take care of your mom though I can't promise anything. I'll do my best, but I think you should just have her transported to the Med Center, they have better facilities for this, more likely for her to live."

Grimacing at the response I shrug, "Can't do that, they'll want payment upfront, it's not something I can afford, not now, and there's no way they'll set me up with a payment plan, not when we have nothing for collateral."

I turn away as I make a call, an icon showing in my vision.

- Calling: Meat Wagon Clinic -

[Hello? Is this Mr. Martinez?]

[Yeah, uh I got the payment, I'm also looking to transfer my mom.]

[Very well, please send me the address and eurodollars and she'll be shipped in an hour.]

[Aight, I'm sending the deets now.]

[Thank you, we have received the payment, she'll arrive shortly.]

- Call Ended -

Ending the call I turn back to Viktor with a frown, calling out, "Hey, they said that she should arrive in about an hour." Should I ask now? I gotta get it chipped in sooner or later, though I'm not sure if he'll even be willing to do it.

"Alright, I'll start setting up then. Though I want you to understand, this isn't free, I expect you to pay me back." He's grumbling as he works to set up a table to the side, moving equipment over to the table. All sorts of tools, most of which I don't recognize, but David does, enough that I can feel safe in thinking he fully intends to treat mom.

"Yeah, uh about the payment, I'll be good for it, but could I get maybe one more favor? I get it if not, but y'know I wasn't planning on asking you, I got another ripperdoc. I was thinking of going to see him for this, over in Santo Domingo. Can't trust the guy with much other than chrome, but I got a few favors I could cash in with him, and I was thinking of asking him to install something, just one thing, for me, but I wanted to ask if you'd be willing?" I was ranting, the words coming out in a hurry, almost desperate. I feel myself flinch a bit when Vik spins to look at me, the glower on his face harsh.

"Ripper in Santo. The freak that can't be asked for an ounce of professionalism?"

"Uh yeah, that's- that uh, sounds like him." Scratching my head, my laugh sounds lame even to my own ears.

"Sit in the goddamn chair." Vik's practically growling as he jerks some parts back to the surgery chair, the clattering of tools and the screeching of the side table helping to show how happy he was with my words. Which is to say; absolutely livid. "What're you getting implanted, it better not be some stupid shit." The last words are muttered, but as close as I am I hear it clearly.

Pulling off mom's jacket, I peel off the tape attaching the sandy to it, gingerly holding out the bag as I leave the jacket on the table in the corner. Swallowing, I clear my throat nervously "Uh, well, a sandevistan?" An audible crack sounds out as I watch him snap one of the tools he had been pulling out of a cabinet on the side.

If Vik was angry earlier, it doesn't show. His face is entirely still now, as he closes his eyes, reaching up to massage his head. "Kid, there's a lot of things I wouldn't mind implanting, but a sandy is at the very bottom of that list, I'd understand more if you wanted a Mr. Studd. Hell, you're more likely to flatline just implanting the thing than to get any use out of it."

His words cause my cheeks to burn, completely mortified "No, uh I don't need anything like that. Besides, I can handle the sandy, it won't be a problem." I may not be David exactly, but this is still his body, and if there's one thing that I can say: is that David is built different.

"I'll give this one chance, you're gonna sit in this chair, I'm gonna put you under and try implanting this thing. If for even one second, I think this is going to flatline you, if you show any signs of going psycho, I'm pulling it right out and you won't be getting it back." His threat, if it could even be called that, has no effect on me. Laying down I grin up at him over my shoulder.

"Sounds good to me doc, I trust you enough to know you won't cheat me, if you think it'll mess me up, I'll trust your judgment." A pinch in my arm is all I feel before my eyes start to close, a familiar darkness pulling at me. Thoughts of a familiar weight, a comfortable companion, a reliable friend on my back lulling me to a comfortable sleep.