Futuristic Cyborg Sister

[sleepingonneptune]

Em nodded tersely as the doctor announced the results of her file's analysis, unhappy with the amount of time she would get to check the mechanics she had built just weeks prior, but she knew she should have expected that she wouldn't get long. She had trained long hours under the government's careful watch, growing quicker and more efficient at the various safety and maintenance checks that were required, memorizing cyborg limbs versus automated robotic carriers versus artificial intelligence packages. 20 minutes would be more than enough to do what she needed. The lack of privacy also bothered her, but speaking up would likely guarantee her boss threatening to take away what little time she had with her sister.

She said nothing as she went through the familiar routine on her sister's new legs- movement calibration, rust prevention, and other essential checks. She didn't want to accidentally wake Clover up from her deceivingly-peaceful slumber. The hum of the life support machines attached to the teen and the occasional quick breath from the anxious young engineer were the only sounds keeping the room from falling into total silence. Em supposed that was a result of the hour. Part of her felt slightly sick at the realization that these foreign appendages were her work, something her sister hadn't even gotten a decision in, but the logical voice in her head reassured that this had saved her life. Right? There had been an accident. This wasn't something that had been under anyone's control, really.

By the time just over 15 minutes had passed, Em was finished. She tucked Clover safely under the hospital blanket once more, kneeling by her side to give her a quick kiss on the forehead. It was a gesture that she knew betrayed the true weight of her sisterly bond to the doctor. Doing it was essential, however, as it gave her the fleeting opportunity to slip a small folded piece of paper underneath the teen's pillow, the sight hopefully hidden from Reina due to the way she concealed the note within her pale palm. She then pushed herself upwards so she was standing next to the bed, rubbing a hand over her eyes in half-feigned exhaustion. "Thank you, doctor. That should be all for this check."

 

[rainywrites]

Clover slept peacefully. she couldn't feel her legs, didn't know they were being moved and checked. she broke the silence with her own soft sighs, the ones that indicated she was sleeping peacefully. she always sobbed when she was having a bad dream. and that hadn't happened once in her time here.

Reina kept her watch over them from her corner, making tapping noises on her screen to make it seem like she was doing other work and simply staying in case of emergency. but every few seconds she would look up, keep monitoring the situation. when Emelyn was clearly done, Reina watched carefully, trying to see what she was up to. a kiss to her sister's forehead. sweet, she supposed. she gleefully thought about how well this was going to work. after all... well. Emelyn seemed very attached to the little cyborg thing. she missed the paper.

"anything out of the ordinary?" she grilled, slipping into her employee check mode gracefully. her eyes were more stern now, taking her job seriously. no need to soften them. it was imparitive that Emelyn be able to do this well.

 

[sleepingonneptune]

As she fully straightened herself up, Em risked a glance towards her boss. The woman was impossible to read, really- the neutral expression betrayed nothing about whether she had seen her slip the note beneath her sister’s pillow, and it was slightly unnerving. She knew she couldn’t take back the choice now, though, so after a moment’s hesitation, she returned her attention to the machinery she had previously been checking.

“Nothing out of the ordinary.” She reported truthfully, mentally reviewing all the systems that were keeping her sister’s new robotic legs operational. There was little she could do in the way of testing their endurance so early on in the process, unfortunately, so she knew she would have to wait and see whether there were any issues with Clover’s mobility. A small, selfish part of her was thankful for that; knowing that she wouldn’t have many opportunities to visit her sister if the development were smoother. Her gaze flickered back up towards the elder woman, noting with a certain nervousness how quickly Reina’s face had gone from sympathetic to ruthlessly stoic. A product of spending so long in her field, Em supposed, but that knowledge didn’t make it any easier to bear.

 

[rainywrites]

"that's good." she said, decisively. "come on, now. you should be headed home." she put her hand on the girl's shoulder, steering her out of the room. she allowed the girl one last glance at her sister before she closed the door. "oh, and you should know your keycard won't work on this room anymore. we don't want you exhausting her any farther, do we? or accidentally triggering her medications." she took a moment. "I need you to understand, that girl is good, but she is not strong. we have been fighting to keep her alive, simply put." she looked at Emelyn, eyes staring into her soul. "I'm sure you'd prefer her alive." she wanted to scare her more than anything else. to see clover that weak and oblivious only played into Reina's story. although in all honesty the girl had been a simple surgery. her medical history said that this would be a believable lie for her sister to palate. "I wouldn't tell your family she's alive, if I were you. she's stable now, but until she's more stable... it's a risk. you don't want more heartbreak for them."

and with that, Reina locked the door and went away, for another round of her duties.

hours later, Clover awoke from her slumber, still confused. was her sister here? she didn't know. she'd had a dream... or maybe she'd been awake... her sister. and then she remembered waking up with the nice doctor next to her. maybe it had been a dream... yes. a dream. she was certain.

 

[sleepingonneptune]

Em’s pale hands were clenched tightly by her side as the doctor none-too-gently guided her away from her sister’s bed. Her entire body was as stiff as a ramrod from the unwanted movement, fearful of what the elder might do. The last glimpse she got of Clover was a positive one- her sister seemed calm, something the scientist had learned to identify at a moment’s glance. She quickly turned to meet Reina's gaze as she began explaining the medical semantics of the situation, though, knowing she had to be alert in order to absorb the information at hand. It didn't matter if she trusted the doctor or not. The complications also made a lot of sense to her, if she was being honest with herself, though she wasn’t sure if she'd be able to keep that sort of secret from her family.

She nodded agreeably at the suggestion despite her reservations, refusing to give the elder woman another reason to lecture her. "Agreed, Doctor." Observing carefully as Reina disappeared from her line of sight, Em leaned back against the wall. She gave herself a moment to calm her breaths before making her way out of the building for the night. Refusing to let the waves of panic and sorrow overwhelm her, she banished her emotions to the banes of her mind as she squared her shoulders firmly.

Keep calm, she thought. Keep calm for her.

Once Em had arrived home, plopping down heavily on her bed, she looked with a hint of longing in her eyes towards her parents’ bedroom, wishing for once that someone would be awake at this hour. No one was, though, so she pressed her hands firmly to her forehead until the threat of tears at her eyelid had dissipated. She wondered if Clover would even find the note. It had been a fleeting decision, a result of paranoia that for once had ended up working out for the both of them. She recalled the words she had written just hours prior in her mind once more, feeling a little bit of tension release from her shoulders as she did.

Dear Coco,
If you’re reading this letter, then that means that I had to leave earlier than I would’ve liked. I’m sorry about that. I’ll be back, though, trust me- they need an engineer like me to do some of those checks I used to talk about for you.
Stay strong. I promise I’ll get there as soon as I can.
Love,
Emmy.

 

[rainywrites]

Clover found the letter, but of course she was drugged. so when she found it, she smiled and left it on her chest, where it was picked up by none other than reina mathews as Clover gazed dazedly on. Reina left it exactly where she'd found it, filing away the information she'd learned from it without actually acting on it. she didn't see anything incriminating, other than a deep sisterly love between them. which was interesting, and useful, and good to know. but not something that needed to be acted upon.

the days went on, and Reina molded her patient into her own little four leafed clover. a stroke of wild luck. and every day, as she got healthier and her mind got a tad clearer, and she became a tad more loyal. she had smiled at Reina brightly with every greeting, and reina had been the one there to hug her when she'd found out she was a cyborg. she'd been told of an accident involving some heavy machinery, and that of course the drugs tended to knock out the memory of the accident. probably for the best, they'd told her. you don't want to remember. so she nodded, and kept going. she couldn't yet walk, but she worked on wiggling her new toes each day, and she seemed to live off of reina's praise. she accepted everything without question, but she never mentioned the letter, keeping it in her pillowcase.

it was a week later when Emmy was allowed to visit again.

Reina was already there, helping Clover into a sitting position and smiling. a simple encouragement of "there, good job!" did the trick. she was simply glowing under the praise, like a sunflower turning towards the sun. she'd told Reina a lot about her sister. how Emmy loved her paintings. how Emmy supported her being a teacher. how Emmy had to come for career day when she grew up and had a classroom. how she was the most important thing in Emmy's world. all of this and more, in the last week. and now, Emmy was visiting.

when she walked through the door, Clover waved, excitement radiating off of her. she was clearly back to her sunshiney self. "sissy! emmy! look! i'm sitting up so much better now!" the machines were all there. but she looked like she needed them less, which was... something.

 

[sleepingonneptune]

Each night Em fell asleep in her barely used bedroom, she dreamed. Nebulous figures would smile menacingly as she desperately tried to pry her robotic creations’ frantic fingers from her body. They would scream in voiceless static until the darkness finally overwhelmed her, leaving her gasping and panting in fright as she opened her eyes. It was a seemingly tame scene, considering the bloody streets she had walked in the city as a child, but for some reason, it would always leave her breathless. Sometimes she’d fall asleep unceremoniously in her bed, sometimes at her desk halfway through the night, but the scene would always remain. Distracting as always. It wasn’t as though she wasn’t able to complete the slightly-overwhelming tasks forced on her each day and night, but she felt as though she could never quite shake the lingering feelings it left her with.

One long, long week later, she woke up promptly at 5 o'clock in the morning and rushed out the door without a word to either of her slightly-concerned parents. She swore to herself that she’d tell them about Clover soon. When she’s more stable. Like Reina said.

A nagging voice in her head asked when she had decided to listen to her. She ignored it.

As she walked through the already-opened door, Em was immediately caught between selfish sorrow and cautious hope. She had been desperately hoping for the past few weeks that she would be able to be there to help Clover, no matter how impossible she knew the idea was, and seeing Reina in a place that should’ve by all accounts been hers was achingly conflicting. However, it would have been nihilistic of her to not notice that her baby sister looked… well, not good, considering the slightly-uneasy sight of the robotic limbs attached to her frail torso, but better. She forced a genuine-looking smile at the two of them despite her emotions. Clover truly was one of, if not the most important person in her life, and she wasn’t about to ruin the happy moment just because of her own shortcomings and mistakes.

“You really are, Coco. That’s so wonderful,” She praised, walking forward and kneeling by the side of the bed. “How have you been feeling?” Em knew that the answer would almost certainly be positive, judging by the wide smile on Clover’s face, but she wanted to make sure there wasn’t anything she was missing.

 

[rainywrites]

"I feel good!" she said, pulling her covers off with some effort to reveal her right leg. there was a hospital gown that covered where her skin met metal, and the horrific scarring there. all she saw were her blue-grey legs, and she wiggled her toes proudly. yes, they made some mechanic noises, but she was proud. even if it was a little scary. "look! my toes!"

"good job, lucky girl." Reina praised her, smiling and ruffling her hair. "you're progressing so well! isn't she, Emelyn?" Reina looked over at the engineer. the woman knew that the smile was a bit strained when it was turned towards her. but she was behaving, so the elder turned a blind eye. for now, she simply focused on the girl at hand. or more aptly, under her hand. leaning into it's touch.

and with that prompting, Clover's attention turned to emelyn. "am i doing good, Emmy?" she asked, perking up. while reina's opinion was conditioned into her mind to be very important, she was still curious at what her sister would think. she was important too. "good enough to go back to school soon? I've got classes i'm missing, and if i'm going to be the best teacher ever i can't skip school." she still hadn't really realized just how changed her life was going to be.

Reina offered a look to Emelyn, clearly differing the answer to the sister. she was curious to see how Emelyn would react.

 

[sleepingonneptune]

Em smiled, a little more honestly this time, even though seeing her sister’s metal legs was a little jarring. She was cheerful despite the circumstances, it seemed like. It was comfortingly characteristic. “I see,” She replied smoothly, watching the movement of the mechanical appendages with a watchful eye. Even the machinery seemed to be working pretty smoothly. She remembered reading horror stories about cyborgs with fried circuits back in her time in engineering school, so even something as arbitrary as that felt like a small blessing.

She met Reina’s gaze with newfound confidence as she turned towards her. Just being able to see Clover after days of working herself to the bone made her feel more alive, more like she didn’t have to submit to the government’s wishes just because of sheer hopelessness. She didn’t let any hostility slip into her expression, though- knowing that her boss wouldn’t hesitate to crack down if she did, instead deciding to file away that motivation for a later time.

Gently leaning her pale hands on to the hospital bed’s surface, she turned her focus to Clover. There was a thin line in between righteous deception to save her feelings and brutal honesty, and so she took a moment to think it over, her face now far softer than it had been moments prior. “You’re doing so good, Coco,” She praised, smiling gently. “I don’t know what things are gonna look like yet, but you know me and Mom and Dad are gonna work as hard as we can to get you back at school, right? No need to worry about that right away.” The statement was more optimistic than her feelings about the situation, but if anything it gave her more determination to work as hard as she could to give her baby sister her life back. No matter if the government liked to condition its citizens to think that being a cyborg meant ‘you owed your life to science’.

 

[rainywrites]

Clover smiled at the priase, reaching out a hand for Emelyn to take. she was happy that her sister thought she was doing so good. she'd been working really hard. and she knew her doctor thought highly of her, but hearing it from her smart cookie sister made her really feel special. "Thanks. I was scared. at first. because I couldn't... remember? and I wanted my feet back. but then, the nice doctor... she helped me. she gave me lots of hugs and she reminded me that you're the best engineer ever, right? so I was sure you'd take real good care of me. and i'll learn to walk again. until I do they're going to get me a chair with wheels."

Reina watched, a proud smile all over her face. the kid just lapped up everything she put out there. it was endearing to a girl who loved control. and Reina loved being in control. it was why she fit in so well with the government. she was just like them, in every way. "and what did you say?" she asked, looking down on the girl.

"oh! oh yeah! I said 'since I owe my life to science... i'm lucky to have the smartest scientist ever in my house!' that's what i said." she beamed at her sister, happy to see her. and proud to present that view. "thank you. for legs. thank you so much. I don't remember... the accident. but I know I'm lucky to have you building legs for me." she paused, for a moment, before she had a question. "will i be able to paint my toenails anymore?"

 

[sleepingonneptune]

She took her sister’s hand without a moment of hesitation, attempting to display as much support as she could in a situation as difficult as this. The wheelchair Clover was getting made sense to Em- getting used to literal robotic legs was going to be a long process, and this would hopefully lead to her being able to get back into her classes sooner rather than later. She nodded, not wanting to somehow mess up the fragile joy resting in the room’s air through her own lack of emotional awareness. Being around someone she knew she could trust made being honest and optimistic easier for her, truly, even if Reina’s presence was still throwing her off a bit.

“Coco, you don’t have to thank me for anything, and you don’t owe me anything. I’m your sister.” She reminded firmly, the relative calmness of her voice straining against the fiery frustration she could feel stirring up in her body’s core. Was this what their society had come to? Making children think that they were responsible for something completely out of their control? These sorts of questions had plagued Em for as long as she could remember, her undying curiosity and inability to live in a passive societal role forging idea after idea, and now it was more personal than anything she could have dreamed up in her darkest nightmares.

But Clover was still talking. She forcefully shook herself out of those thoughts, pointedly ignoring Reina in a way that she knew she wouldn’t have a few months prior. Maybe her little sister wasn’t the only one starting to get trapped under the government’s grasp. “I’ll see what I can do,” She shot back playfully. “Maybe you’ll get holo-toenails, though I guess that takes out the fun of painting them.”

 

[rainywrites]

"i don't? but you made me legs." she didn't understand. "not you... but Dr Mathews. and the nice nurses. and you too." even if Emelyn wouldn't accept her indebtedness, Clover knew that was how this worked. her sister had saved her life and limbs. Clover owed those things to her and to science as a whole. and she was happy with that. obscenely grateful, and happy.

"holo nails? momma never let us get holo nails!" she grinned, her eyes brightening. she smiled, happy about the idea. "that's okay. the best part about nail painting is that you do it. holo nails you could program. right?" then they could still spend their weekend nights together. that would be nice.

"should I order some? we can install them here, you see those little slits?" Reina was pointing on Clover's toes, where she looked down.

"yeah! i see!"

"they'd go there. you'd look really nice with some holo nails."

"you think so too? Emmy, do you think I'd look so nice with holo nails?" Clover's excitement was infectious as a disease.

 

[sleepingonneptune]

She supposed that she shouldn’t have expected much else. Clover had always been incredibly eager to please, always asking how she could do better in whatever scenario their family found themselves in, always asking her why she was so frustrated at what she believed to be a nearly utopian government. It frustrated Em to no end when she was younger, especially considering her growing suspicions and fears about the dying world around her. She had gotten better at hiding it for her sister’s sake, but the feeling still remained. Feelings always remained. Em preferred facts and figures, as useless as they were in a situation like this.

Forcing her gaze downwards as Clover and Reina babbled on about the logistics of holo nails, she stared at the floor beneath her for a moment in an attempt to maintain her false optimism. A ladybug was slowly crawling across the cold metal tile. Em wondered if it knew the fate that lied ahead of it- starvation in the desolate city, a bumbling human stepping on it without care. The bug remained optimistic in the few quick seconds of silence she had to herself, moving forwards sluggishly but with a persistent attitude about it.

It reminded her of Clover. She wasn’t sure why.

A cheerful voice, clearly directed towards her, snapped Em out of her inane internal ramblings about a literal bug. She looked upward in a moment with a weak smile, pretending as though she had been listening to the whole time. “Of course, sis. You’d look amazing,” She answered, voice a little louder than it had been just a second ago. It would have been pathetic to not be able to force enthusiasm for something as inane as nail painting, but she found herself struggling under the weight of it nonetheless. All she could do was hope Clover was too caught up in her own positive emotions to realize it.

 

[rainywrites]

"you do?" Clover beamed, the sun radiating from her smile as her sister spoke highly of how she'd look with nails. she looked at her sister's face, and saw something off within it. she felt odd. and when Emelyn was discomforted, so tended to be Clover. she started getting an itchy nervous feeling in her tummy. why was emmy so off-put by the halo nails? "if they're too expensive, it's okay... I know my legs are gonna cost a whole bucket of credits." it was just that her school didn't allow painted fingernails. toes nobody could see within one's shoe, so... they were free terrain.

Reina, for her part, was watching Emelyn like a hawk. she was zoning out, zoning in, and clearly not nearly as good at faking emotion as Reina. she was clearly upset by this. Reina could imagine why. rebels seeing those they loved so thoroughly owned by the system... it could be a lot for them. she stepped away, for a moment, getting her chart and running a maintenance check of the machines. her ear was still there, but she wasn't showing off just exactly how broken clover was, for a moment. clover would show that herself.

clover held emmy's hand, sending her a smile. "you know... Its really good to see you." that was the truth. the honest, wholesome, absolute truth. Clover was happy to see her sister. "the doctors say i'm a really good patient. and i've been working really hard. I can't wait to go home." she hoped she'd be allowed to. she'd heard some cyborgs were simply disallowed from leaving the cyborg quarters except for work. she hoped she got to go home. she missed her mom and her nana.

 

[sleepingonneptune]

Dammit. Seeing the doubt and discomfort in Clover’s bright-shining eyes made her feel as though she had done something horribly wrong. Em supposed she had done something wrong if she was being honest with herself- it was no one’s fault but her own that she had such an easily-crumbled lighthearted facade. She quickly squeezed Clover’s hand, smiling at her more genuinely than she had a moment earlier. “No, of course, they’re fine. Your big sis is still working, so you have nothing to worry about.” The money aspect of it was true. As long as Em didn’t manage to get herself fired somehow, she knew from the endless papers she had poured over for hours during the lonely week she spent back home that they would be able to afford the new appendages. It had brought the slightest breeze of relief to her back then, drifting over her shoulders and allowing her to relax enough to sleep that night, and so she tried to call upon that same feeling now.

Her gaze jumped over to Reina anxiously as she stood up, noting the way her piercing gaze seemed to pick Em to pieces. Part of her almost desperately wanted to believe in the doctor’s goodwill, to not drag every single person and system she came across under inspection until its demons were exposed, but she knew that she would never be able to put her full trust in a person with that much power. Just a snap of the fingers and her whole life would be gone. Clover’s whole life would be gone.

Em gently laced her fingers through Clover’s, keeping the smile from before as she attempted to banish all worry from her face. It did really make her feel special to know that her sister still cared about seeing her. A silly little gesture, really, but it meant the world to someone to whom optimism didn’t come easy. “It’s good to see you too,” She responded; the honest statement allowing her to inject a little more happiness into it. “Of course, I’m sure you’ll be out of here in no time at all. You’ve been so strong throughout all this. Everyone’s going to be ecstatic when you get back.” Em swore to remember to tell Mom and Nana about their youngest’s condition the moment she got back. She had been cowardly in the past week, stepping on eggshells and letting them assume she was still grieving, but now that Clover’s condition was stable she had no more excuses.

 

[rainywrites]

She smiled as her sister’s face went back to normal. Clover must have just been misreading it. She was wrong. Wrong wrong wrong. Her sister was good, and she was going to get holo nails. “I have the best sister in this whole country.” She said it with a huge smile on her face. honestly, she did have the best sister. "even if you couldn't get me holo nails. or pay for these. you'd still be the best ever, Emmy." she held Emmy's hand, pulling emmy close so she could boop her nose, trying to bring that smile brighter. then she lay back, smiling and giggling a bit.

Reina offered a reassuring smile over Clover's shoulder, before she focused her attention back on the screens. she was just doing routine check ups, inputting heart rates and blood pressure, that sort of thing. Clover was very cooperative, per usual.

"how's momma? and nana?" Clover sat up again as she thought about her family. "I miss them... when can I go home?" she turned to Reina, who thought for a moment.

"you can't go home until your legs are all paid off." knowing the installments that Emelyn could make, that would be awhile. "but if you and your sister are both behaving nicely, i'm sure we can get you regular visits with them. and school, of course."

"yes ma'am! don't worry, I'll behave. Emmy, don't I always behave so good??"

 

[sleepingonneptune]

Something warm bloomed in her chest at Clover’s appraisal, as naïve as she knew it was. It reminded her of the fact that they were family. They cared for each other, not one way or the other, and it made her smile just a little wider. More genuine. As her sister leaned forward to poke her nose with her smaller hand, Em couldn’t help but let out a quiet chuckle. A little raspy and tired, sure, but it was still there. What had she done in life to deserve such a sweetheart?

Even as she winced a bit at the reminder of the payments, she managed to keep a decently warm expression on her face, not wanting a repeat of the quiet but ever-present possibility of an upset Clover. “They’re doing well. They miss you, of course,” She answered carefully, leaving out the fact that they currently thought she was dead. That would be dealt with soon enough. Em knew paying off the robotic installments she had created wouldn’t be a quick process, but being patient was key. Her gaze shifted to Reina’s silent background movement for a moment, quickly checking to make sure nothing strange was happening, before looking back to the girl in front of her.

“Of course you do, hon. I’m sure they’ll be able to visit,” She smiled, gently patting Clover’s hand. The regular visits would certainly be ideal- Mom and Nana could dote over their youngest for a bit, letting Em get some extra hours in at the lab, and it could hopefully help suppress the restlessness she had seen in so many other new cyborgs. The possibility of remote schoolwork could also be helpful. She turned her attention to that train of thought for a moment, pushing past the fog hovering in her brain and thinking back to the last time she had contacted her old school’s teachers. Training could be relentless to those with circumstances like their own, but she remembered the kind warmth that exuded from most of those who taught Clover clear as day. They worked hard, no matter the awful salaries and rowdy teenagers they were forced to coexist with, and she felt a little optimistic at the prospect of asking whether they could do online coursework. An email or two certainly couldn’t do any harm.

 

[rainywrites]

she smiled as Emmy said that they missed her. of course they had. or at least, she'd hoped they had. they were her family. and as soon as she was present enough in reality to remember them, she'd missed them. She missed her mother's porridge, the way sometimes she would splurge on brown sugar to go over the warm meal. she missed the way her sister would sometimes take a bit of that rare delicacy off her own porridge and sprinkle it on clover's. she missed the way that their small apartment was set up, with the kitchen, the family room that was mostly nana's things but also soft pillows to sit on and talk, Momma's room and the girl's room. she missed her top bunk, with her sister's bed below her and both of their at home desks scrunched up against the wall. she missed her worn teddy bear, the one she'd had since infancy. she'd never slept without it, and now that she was here...

she missed Nana's stories more than anything. the elderly woman told Clover the stories of far off lands, magical princesses, and amazing people. Clover lapped up the words, always. she loved hearing stories of girls who were magical. she'd always been told she was magic too. she just hoped that magic hadn't been stored in her now-parted legs.

"can you bring my things?" she asked, hopefully. she missed her bear more than anything. but having her clothes would be nice. "and... maybe buy me long pants?" she'd need them, to hide the legs. she knew that showing cyborg parts wasn't really okay. it made people scowl at you. really, she didn't understand why. after all, they were just people who usually worked very hard to pay off debts. she always thanked cyborgs for their work. but if she could cover her own mechanical parts, she'd probably be for the better. "I miss home. I miss our beds. and trying to tell you to go bed, because it's tomorrow now... who's going to tell you now?"

 

[sleepingonneptune]

They’d be there without fail, she knew. Their hardworking family carried such an unbreakable bond, like a string of blue thread tying their hearts together at the seams, even when they happened to be across the city from each other. Clover’s gentle smile at the reminder of that seemed to echo Em’s own thoughts, almost wistful in quality. She understood how much her baby sister hated being separated from her loved ones. They were certainly the same on that front, even if Em had grown to pretend to love the independence that came with her job, and despite having spent the past week back at their apartment she felt as though Clover’s absence had prevented it from feeling like home. There was no smell of pasta sauce cooking on the stove, no light filtering in through the windows glinting rare sunshine onto her face. It felt empty.

She knew she had to hold hope in that precious idea of home returning, though. Her sister wasn’t dead— something still relieving to be reminded of after that heartbreaking visit from the agents— and there was the possibility of renewing their family’s cracked bondage. Not irreparable, she thought. Not yet. It would just take some hard work on her part to get there, and she’d been through enough long hours to know that she could hold out a little longer, especially with something so unspeakably valuable on the line.

“Of course,” She nodded, even as the grim feeling in the pit of her stomach returned. It hurt to know that Clover was aware of the prejudice against cyborgs, a range of half-concealed nosy glances to outright disgust at the metal appendages of their fellow citizens, but the logical part of her knew it was for the better of them both. “I’ll get you spotted leggings. You remember how you used to wear those to bed when you were little?” A small smile crossed her face at the memory. Little bright green dots scattered across soft fabric, the only pajamas she wanted to wear. She remembered how Mom had searched all over the city when Clover grew too large for them, asking around and even enlisting the help of her eldest daughter when she had returned from school, only to come up with a similar pair that the young girl was nonetheless happy with. Simpler times, really.

 

[rainywrites]

the leggings. oh, she'd forgotten about those things. it had been years since she'd fit into either pair, but she remembered being a small child with them. she'd worn them every night, to be washed every few nights. and she'd put her green sheet around herself like a cape and hopped around on the floor. the girl had always loved pretending to be a frog. "ribbit ribbit ribbit!" she smiled, remembering jumping around at home.

"and get black ones, too?" she wanted something to wear outside. "momma never let me wear the green ones outside." mostly because if her mother had allowed that, the poor pants would've never been washed. that was the main reason, honestly.

she thought for a minute, before adding a final addition "and bring Tuffy. please." her teddy bear, honestly more than a bit worn, but Clover was a sentimental creature. she'd use things until they broke or even longer. She hadn't slept without that bear in years, and Tuffy knew it. "please?" she wanted her sister to be there. "I miss him."

 

[sleepingonneptune]

Her eyes grew slightly brighter at the memory— not with tears, especially considering how Reina was still silently hovering in the background— but rather with happiness. The memories had been painful to think back upon when she had first visited Clover, weighing down on the doubts of survival spinning around in her mind rather than soothing them, but now they felt as though they were giving her just a little bit more optimism about their situation. “Certainly. And maybe you can even wear the green ones outside now that you have some other pants to wear.” She retorted playfully, remembering how attached Clover had been to that particular piece of clothing as a kid.

And Tuffy. Of course. She remembered the bear just as well as her sister, truly, having memorized him in his entirety after she’d been informed of Clover’s accident. It brought a chill down her spine to remember the way she had tearfully crawled into the upper bunk of their shared bedroom, feeling the warmth drain from the room and hearing the muffled sobs of her guardians through the thin wooden walls that separated the apartment. The two would be reunited soon though, she knew. Em had never personally had as loyal a stuffed animal, preferring to stick with whatever books she got for her birthday, but she knew the feeling. She was sure she would be heartbroken if she was separated from a certain blue-and-white pillow she’d had since she was an infant.

“Of course. I’m sure he misses you too,” She responded gently, not able to force a smile this time around but refusing to show any distress in her pale features. “I’m presuming I can bring in her items at a different time from my weekly visits?” Her head was tilted to the side slightly, seemingly directing the question at Reina.

 

[rainywrites]

"do you really think I could? Momma wouldn't have a heart attack?" she remembered vividly the way their mother had picked her up and wrestled her out of those poor threadbare pants. hadn't they had to hold a funeral when the things were broken beyond even Nana's repair capabilities? Clover just wouldn't let the damn thing go. so they'd made a send off in front of the trash collector and Clover had made him promise to treat it well as he'd taken it away. at the time, she hadn't known that he'd just thrown it in the pile of garbage after he turned the corner. a small, dumb part of her hoped the threadbare pants were okay.

"you think he does? I miss him bunches and bunches." she really did. the bear was a peice of herself, nearly. and while she was sure he'd been doing a wonderful job of watching over her sister, Clover wanted the bear back. quickly. when Emelyn directed a question at Reina, Clover turned her eyes and send a pleading look at the benevolent doctor.

Reina, for her part, was wondering what Tuffy, as Clover was calling it, was. "depends on the item. who or what is... Tuffy?" it was true. certain items were allowed in guest's rooms. certain items were allowed in the hospital. but once a cyborg was relocated to the facility for cyborgs paying off debts... there were tighter restrictions. the whole point was to make the cyborgs yearn to be home, no matter how good the stable room and board was. the government couldn't be creul. but treasured objects were typically banned from being kept.

"he's my bear." she explained, hopefully. "my nanna stitched him when I was in my momma's tummy."

"isn't that precious. you still have it?" clover nodded, smiling proudly. she took good care of her things. "you'll be allowed to keep him while you're at the hospital. and i'll make an exception for you to see her tomorrow, Emelyn. to bring the bear."

 

[sleepingonneptune]

She tilted her head at that, lips quirking upwards. “I can’t promise that, but I’ll do my best.” Now that Em was older, she was able to understand her mother’s exasperated but undeniably loving thought process behind dealing with her two girls, though she couldn’t predict how she would react so soon after the good news was broken to her. Josephine Capello was a loving woman, but an anxious and emotional one. Would she be… upset? Scenarios of tearful accusations or distrust creeping into their family’s bond struck Em suddenly, her hand that wasn’t interlaced with her sister’s own clenching tightly against the cold floor she was still kneeling upon.

Dark brown eyes watched carefully as Clover explained her want for her bear to the seemingly-benevolent doctor. Em knew only vaguely of the cyborg policies, having researched them briefly in her flurry of work the previous week, but she was aware of their unfairness. Lines and lines of jet-black text on the government’s website declared innocuous statements about dedication and fair repayment, carefully leaving out the ridiculous cost of even the most basic of appendages and using censored language to keep the public’s mind at bay. ‘Incidents’ were life-threatening injuries, people lying prone on hospital beds with bloodstained bandages. ‘Protests’ were sticks and stones thrown at innocent cyborgs working hours under godawful conditions in the city’s transport. As for some of the more fine-print related text, well… she was too lacking in both skill and ample time to decipher them, but the possibilities were endless.

Thinking of that young man’s file she had read a few months back sent a chill down her spine, even now. It was impossible to know whether the government truly cared for all its citizens.

“Alright,” She agreed readily, shifting her mind out of that dark spiral in favor of focusing on what she could do now to make sure Clover’s life remained as intact as possible. Had she paid a little more attention, she would have noticed the worrying implications of Tuffy’s stay, but it seemed as though it passed by her head entirely this time. “I’ll go home and pick him up, then. Does that sound alright, Coco?” She turned, addressing her sister once more. Talking about Clover as though she wasn’t in the room felt uneasy.

 

[rainywrites]

that was good enough, she supposed. her mother always seemed on the edge of a breakdown when it came to anything less than presentable. honestly, Clover was on the receiving end of that. Clover loved their government and worked her hardest to obey its laws. she always tried to straighten her clothes to be just so. she wanted to look perfect and presentable. and then her free spirit took over and she skipped all the way to school, jostling her perfect plaited braids. in her heart, she wanted to be perfect. but she couldn't stop enjoying life.

Reina nodded at the way Emelyn was reacting. she seemed confused, overwhelmed, with no choice other than to do what Reina asked. that was the goal, wasn't it? get the girl so confused and hurt that she just fell in line to protect her sister. Reina always loved when her plans fell into place. it was a reminder that she'd gotten where she was by pure skill, born in a solidly middle class family and working her way up on the backs of cyborgs and people just like Clover.

if they weren't smart enough to defend themselves, it was on them.

"do you gotta go now, Emmy?" she grabbed her sister's hand. as she improved condition, she missed her sister more and more. "can you stay?" she wanted to keep her there as long as she could. mousey brown eyes met Reina's, who looked down.

"you know your sister is very busy, don't you, dear?"

she sighed, looking down. she was clearly dejected. "yes ma'am."

she nodded. "good girl." she put her fingers under the girl's chin, so they were looking at each other. "and we don't want to keep her busy, do we?"

"no ma'am." there were tears shining in Clover's eyes, and Reina kissed her head gently.

"I guess we can keep her here for 5 more minutes, little one." with that, clover's eyes lit up. Reina knew she'd made a good choice. the child's trust doubled in her, which was what she needed. you lure more flies with honey than vinegar, after all.

 

[sleepingonneptune]

She swallowed, steeling her expression against the piercing gaze once more. This song and dance were utterly familiar to her— she had seen during her time as an intern, watched the shiny-faced hope of people like her get beaten into dust by their corporate overloads. It took a heart of cold titanium and a skilled poker face to make it far in this world. Though Em had been able to master the latter easily enough by the time she reached adulthood, her heart had always been a weak spot. It was something she would likely resent were it not for those she was close to, the way they reminded her ever so subtly that her emotions were necessary and appreciated.

It was difficult to prioritize emotions in this situation, though. Em knew that her weakness for her family left open an opportunity for manipulation, assuming no one had done so yet. Her eyes flickered to the doctor’s badge for a moment before settling back on Clover.

The nervousness squeezing around her chest tightened as Reina explained the lack of time that she had. Part of Em wanted to protest vigorously against more separation from her dear sister, to stay here sitting on the tarnished hospital floor until she grew old and withered, but the logical voice in her head was present as always. She had to go back to work soon, or else the fragile hope of paying off Clover’s debts would vanish like a sparrow snatched up by a vulture.

She placed her hand on Clover’s shoulder, as to get her attention without overly startling her. “Doctor Reina’s right, hon,” Her stomach twisted uneasily at that- maybe from the act of letting down her pride, maybe just instincts coming back to bite her. “I have to get back to work for a bit. And then I’ll go and pick up your stuff from home, huh?” She added, knowing that a purer reason for having to leave would put her more at ease. The stuffed animal wasn’t Em’s biggest concern right now, but the bigger fish she had to fry could wait for a little, especially considering the tears she could see shining in those innocent eyes. “I’ll be back tomorrow with Tuffy and then you’ll feel a whole lot better.”