“Who do you think you are?” Neil screamed, picking up the bat. “You think you can mess with me? You’re nothing! You’re broken! You don’t know who you’re messing with!”
Josh raised his arms to block the incoming swing. He managed to raise his forearm in time, but Neil’s anger gave him power and he felt something pop in his shoulder. The pain was intense. Neil raised the bat for another swing. Josh curled up in a ball to protect his head as Neil rained down frenzied blow after blow upon on him.
Distantly he heard voices of adults and of other kids. It sounded like the little girl continued to scream, but he couldn’t focus on any of them through the pain. The blows struck everywhere, across his back and shoulders, over his arms and legs, but miraculously none of them connected with his head.
Finally they stopped as adults approached, and he heard the bat clatter into the street as Neil discarded it and ran off. His entire body hurt, the pain coursed through his limbs.
None of the adults approached, they hung back talking amongst themselves. Slowly he uncurled from his fetal position and felt the tears come. He looked about, searching the faces for someone to help him. One by one they all walked away, leaving him alone.
It wasn’t fair. He’d come so close. He’d gotten fixed. He had the promise of being made better, of having a chance to last forever. He could’ve gotten his family back. They would’ve let him come home, but Neil had ruined everything. He couldn’t go back to Cody’s. He would never mod him now. What if he was broken again?
Some of the pain began to dull. His left arm though, every time he moved it lightning bolts of pain exploded from his elbow. He could hardly move his wrist and fingers, and when he did pain accompanied it.
He wiped his nose and tears on the back of his right arm and took a deep breath. He could still go home, his parents wouldn’t complain about a broken arm. They could afford to fix that, especially since he’d taken care of the expensive part. He’d go home now, and he’d be good enough. Maybe he could find a way to mod himself on his own.
Slowly he got to his feet. Though they hurt too, his legs seemed to be okay. He scanned the park but everyone ignored him. If he caught someone’s eye they quickly looked away. Nobody had bothered with the baseball bat. He didn’t want it either. It represented something terrible, something that had been used to break children, other children just like him.
Josh walked slowly to the sidewalk, dragging his feet all the way. It seemed like the place to start. He could go either direction, it wouldn’t matter. He didn’t know exactly how far Twin Falls was from Boise, but maybe he could walk. His parents went to Boise sometimes. They’d driven here to see concerts and to shop, but they’d never brought him.
He only needed to find someone that would let him use their phone. He walked up to the nearest stranger, a man in a suit that appeared to be texting.
“Excuse me,” he said, “But I need to call my parents. Can you help me?”
“I’m busy, kid,” he said, turning his back on him.
The next two people he approached responded much the same, though the last didn’t even bother to acknowledge him as he passed by. They don’t see a person, he realized, they only see someone’s discarded toy, and one that no longer held any value.
A bright red station wagon pulled up next to him, and for a moment he felt hope. The little girl he had saved in the park sat in the passenger seat, gesturing wildly at him. Her mom, a young woman with her hair pinned up, quickly got out of the vehicle and came up to him.
Were they here to thank him for saving the girl’s life? He wouldn’t ask for a reward, only a ride home. It would be the least they could do for him.
“You attacked my daughter?” the woman shrieked, “Do you realize that you could’ve damaged her? Do you know how much I paid for her?”
“What? No! I didn’t…”
The woman grabbed him by his left shoulder, his injured arm, and shook him. He cried out from the pain but couldn’t pull away. She continued screaming. “How dare you attack my little girl! Where are your owners?”
“They’re not here,” he said, “I didn’t hurt her.”
“You’re lucky you didn’t or I’d break you myself. Stay right there. I’m calling the police.”
With her free hand, the woman pulled her cell phone from her purse and dialed 911. He looked at the girl for help but she only shot back a look of spite. She could tell her mom that he’d saved her. Everything would be okay. He took a step toward her but the mother cut him off. “I said don’t move. Hello? Yes, I’d like to report a dangerous child… yes, it attacked my daughter… at the Julia Davis Park… yes I’ve got him right here.”
With a quick jerk he pulled out of her grip. The park was huge, there had to have places to hide. He turned and ran toward the river. Trees grew thick along the water. It briefly reminded him of the mountains again. An asphalt trail ran alongside it and he quickly turned down the path. He could hear the woman screaming at him, but everyone ignored her too. Adults walked and rode bikes on the trail, some walked dogs. He didn’t see any kids anywhere. He ran as long as he could, desperately trying to ignore the pain of his arm. Once he was sure he’d gotten far enough away, he found a bench hidden in the shade of trees, facing the river. He could hear the traffic of the city but he couldn’t see them, and better, they couldn’t see him.
Josh sat there, the events of the morning sinking in. He pulled his knees up to his chin and cried. He didn’t know how long he sat there, eventually the tears ran out, but he didn’t leave. He didn’t know where to go or what to do. He watched the ducks swim back and forth across the river, feeling once more utterly alone.
“Excuse me,” a man said from behind him, “Are you lost?”
Josh looked up at him with red eyes. The man had a friendly smile, though he seemed a bit twitchy. “Yes, I want to go home. I think my arm’s broken.”
“Well come with me. I’ll take care of you. Are you hungry? Do you like candy? I’ve got lots of it at my house.”
Josh nodded. The man wasn’t parked too far away.
5
James rubbed his eyes. Police had taped off half of the building and were questioning everyone. This wasn’t the type of thing Kidsmith needed. The three androids that had come in yesterday were missing, and worse, it looked like the adult android had killed Gus. He’d worked with Gus for years. He even saw him most nights on his way out.
A security camera had recorded all three leaving Kidsmith last night, and the adult wearing Gus’s bloody uniform. Worse, upper management was going to have his ass after the police left. He’d left his office unlocked. His keys were dumped out in front of the kid rooms. He’d be lucky to still have a job after the day was through.
They were interviewing others now. He’d moved to an empty office on the second floor while they continued with the investigation. He dropped his head into his hands with a groan.
“What are you doing hiding up here?” He looked up as Tamara entered the office. He must’ve really been feeling sorry for himself to not hear her heels on the tiles. You could hear her coming anywhere in the building. They sounded like a hammer rhythmically hitting a board. Whack whack whack whack whack.
“Your surprise is going to get me fired.”
She grabbed a chair by the wall and sat down, legs crossed. She had very nice legs. He realized he was staring and forced himself to meet her eyes.
“You look a little beat yourself,” he said, “How are you feeling?”
“Not so well,” she said, following the words with a heavy sigh, “I was at the doctor this morning, before I got the call. It looks like my cancer is coming back. I’m starting to think that the cure is a lie.”