Unnatural Instinct: Android

10.

'Shit!' you cry. 'Quickly, Hiro. Shut the door!'

A surprised look passes over his face before he obeys, rising to his feet and closing it.

'Help me!' you cry as you pick up your pants and struggle to put them on.

'You are distressed,' he says, walking back over.

'No shit! If she finds out what we've been up to ...'

'I do not understand,' he says as he sits on the edge of the bed and helps you dress. 'Does she not want me to help you? Does she not want me to give you pleasure?'

'No! She definitely doesn't want you to give me pleasure. If she found out ...'

Your mother is smart. Once the shock wears off, she will quickly put two and two together just like you have and toss Hiro out—or worse. And that's the last thing you want.

She calls your name, her voice muffled behind the door.

'Just a minute!' you call back. 'I'm in the bathroom!'

You can hear her walking down the hallway. You hear a thump as she puts something on the dining room table just outside your door. Any moment now she could walk in.

'Hurry, Hiro,' you whisper as he helps pull on your shirt.

He buttons up your shirt in seconds.

'Get my shoes on, quick.'

Your mother calls your name again.

'I'm coming! God!' you cry.

Finally, you're done and that's when you realise you have no way to leave your room—your wheelchair is sitting broken in the garage. How are you going to explain that?

What else can you do? You take a breath. 'Open the door, Hiro. Let her come in.'

He obeys, standing aside with his hands folded in front of him. You stare at them in horror. His right hand is still covered in your mucus. You can see the shine of it. You swear you can even smell it.

Shit.

As your mother steps into your room, she brightens at the sight of you. Unusual. She must have had a good day.

Probably not as good as yours, though.

The thought would make you laugh if it wasn't for your dread over your situation. You look around quickly and realise how messy your bed is. Too late to fix it now. All you can do is try your best to look relaxed and guiltless.

'Hello, Hiro,' your mother greets the robot.

He bows. 'Hello.'

She turns back to you, her eyes flickering over what must be your dishevelled state and breathless look. At least Hiro looks perfect, accept his hair is still a little poofy.

She frowns. 'Why are you in bed?'

'Do I need a reason?'

Her frown deepens, then she sniffs.

You feel a little guilty but being nasty is the only way you're going to end this interaction as quickly as possible. You need to talk with Hiro urgently. If she sees his hand ...

Worse, if she asks him any questions ... You hadn't thought about that.

You try to hide your panic.

Fuck.

'How did it go today?' she asks you. 'Did he work out well?' She nods at the robot who's still standing by the door, blinking slowly, unmoving. Does your mother notice the new spark in his eyes? Can she tell how different he is?

It's hard to swallow, your mouth dry.

But she only glances at him, her focus mostly on you.

'He's shit,' you lie.

Your mother isn't surprised at your outburst, of course. You shoot a quick glance at Hiro, but he's staring at the opposite wall, his hands still folded in place, as though he hasn't heard.

'He seems to have taken pretty good care of you.' Again, she studies you, her eyes travelling over you. Are you still flushed? Can she see something's up? Are your pants on straight?

'I can't believe you just left me,' you say quickly. 'How could you know if he was any good? How could you know he wasn't going to hurt me? Or even know what the hell he was doing?' She's still studying you much too closely and it's making you nervous. 'What kind of mother are you?'

That does it. She jerks back as though she's been punched. Again, you feel a rush of guilt, but you have no choice. You have to distract her.

'I'm sorry,' she says. 'I didn't know what else to do. I was at my wits end. I had to ... I had to get out of here, at least for a short time.'

'You had to get away from me, you mean.'

'That's not what I meant.' But she shifts awkwardly.

'Then what did you mean?'

She falls silent, then takes a breath. 'I'm sorry.' And suddenly her voice is thick. 'I can take him back, if you like. Or sell him.'

'No,' you say quickly. 'No,' you repeat more calmly. You give a feigned sigh. 'I'll just have to make do with him.'

'I'm sorry.'

'It's fine. Just leave me ... just leave me alone for a bit.'

She gives a sad nod. 'Come out soon. I'll put some dinner on.'

She starts to leave but pauses in front of Hiro. Your heart leaps in your throat. Does she suspect something? But all she does is give him a passing glance before leaving, closing the door gently behind her.

You release a breath of relief.

'You are unhappy with my services,' Hiro suddenly says.

'What?' you say. 'No. What makes you think that?'

'You said I was "shit" and that you will "just have to make do with me".'

'No! That was just to get rid of my mother before she suspected something. I didn't mean it.Truly.'

He cocks his head. 'I must update my programs.'

'I said I didn't mean it! I thought that that was supposed to be a skill of yours: understanding human interactions and emotions, as part of your psychological assessment mapping or whatever.'

'I must update my programs.' He turns to leave.

'Don't leave,' you command. 'You are my android, so you must do what I say.'

He stares at the door, his back to you.

'Come back,' you say. 'I want you with me. I ... I need you. You're a competent nurse and a good man.'

You wait, hoping it's enough. You're worried that if he updates his programs it'll affect him. Will it change what, or who he has become? Or even fry his mechanics completely? If he's already 'broken', there's no telling what might happen.

He turns and you lift your eyebrows in surprise.