Finding herself and Slade called out from Cassie's barn for their next mission, Shara found herself wondering just what she, her brother and the other Animorphs were going to be doing. There had been the implication that they were going to be looking in on Mr. Aldershot III, since the hospital where he was staying was so heavily infiltrated, according to Erek.

Erek… Was someone who Shara hadn't been expecting to meet, really. Even with all of the strange things that Shara had seen since becoming an Animorph, she hadn't been expecting to meet an actual android. Ness would have been so excited to meet something – someone, really – that he'd only heard about in science fiction, but Slade hadn't reacted once he knew that Erek wasn't a threat to any of the others.

Father would have loved to have met Erek, too, but thinking about that hurt even worse than remembering how Ness would have reacted.

Pacing on the windowsill where she, Rachel, Marco, and Ax were all sitting, Shara found herself more than a little amused by what Marco was actually saying.

(I have a question: If you already have a Hewlett Aldershot, and a Hewlett Aldershot jr., what kind of parent is going to go and inflict that name on a third kid? He must have gotten beat up every day of his life.)

(Actually, that sounds more like the kind of pretentious name someone who went to a snooty prep school would have. He probably fit right in,) she mused, looking in on the comatose man they were here to look after.

(Okay, you win this round, Shara,) Marco said; he'd been sounding more and more like Cain the more time she'd spent with him, so Shara had found herself feeling more than a little protective lately. (Still, for all we know, Chapman ran him down because he couldn't stand that name.)

Marco was younger than Sam, and he reminded her more than a little of Cain, but Shara supposed she could see why other people might find him trying, at times.

(Why does Jake keep making me go on missions with you, Marco?) Rachel asked, clearly growing steadily more annoyed with the younger boy.

(What, I shouldn't talk? I shouldn't make conversation?) Marco asked, and Shara couldn't help but imagine Cain in his place; but Cain only really existed in her memories, now, so Shara tried not to think about him too often.

(No, I think what Rachel is trying to say is that you should try talking about something else,) Shara said, feeling a melancholy sort of amusement that she hoped wouldn't confuse her friends too much.

(Yeah Marco, you've been talking over and over about the same old thing,) Rachel grumbled. (it definitely feels a lot longer than just the hour and a half it's been since we got here. Time with you just keeps dragging on, and on, and on…)

(Very funny,) Marco said, clearly unimpressed.

(Actually, it has only been one of your hours and eighteen minutes,) Ax piped up, more formal as he always seemed to be.

(One of our hours,) Marco said, sounding like he'd have been rolling his eyes if any of them had been human at the moment. (You know, they are your hours now, too. This is Earth; you're stuck here. Go ahead and set your watch to local time.)

Shara would have smiled, if that kind of thing had been remotely possible for her at the moment.

(This is so not what I wanted to be doing on a beautiful Saturday, with major sales on at Express and Old Navy,) Rachel said, sounding steadily more annoyed about what they were currently doing. (It's my turn to take off and fly around. And, you should probably check in with Jake, Shara.)

(Yeah, I'll do that,) she said, glancing briefly into the hospital room, before turning her attention outwards. (Jake, it's almost time for a shift-change, and nothing much seems to be going on on our end. Though I will let you know if that changes, as always.)