I watch the back of the doctor disappear around the corner, and I feel a small blossom of gratitude swell in my heart.

A blossom that is quickly smothered by worry. And fear. No, pure terror.

I've never been a super brave person. Yes, I can do hard things when someone I love is threatened, but when its stand-up-for-your-beliefs-and-be-harmed, I usually just slink back into the corner. Some would say I'm selfish. Others would say I'm a coward. I say I try to stay alive as long as possible.

Now, all I can feel is terror and nervousness. One small part of me still holds on to going in, and slowly but surely I start to build up my nerve.

I stand there for almost a minute, then finally take a deep breath and raise my hand to knock.

Then I stop. I hear a faint sound on the other side of the door, and I strain to make it out.

Sobs. They're muffled, but definitely sobs. I feel my wall of courage crash down, and desperation once again engulfs me.

I can't face her now. Not when she's crying. 

With a slight groan I tilt forward and rest my head lightly on the door, then quickly draw back in fear. The slight pressure of my head hitting the door swung it open about a foot, giving me a glimpse of the room.

All I can see is a bed with a figure in it before I wheel around and sprint out of the hospital. 

As quickly as I turn around and walk down the hallway, the boy is already sprinting behind me. I turn right as he swishes past me, but he trips over my foot and falls on his face. I contain my laughter. 

"Looks like we've run into each other again," I say, offering a hand.

He takes it. "Thanks. It's Kristjan, by the way."

"Doctor Aspen," I reply, helping him up. "But please, call me Quill. Now what was that about? Weren't you supposed to see Sprocket?"

"Yes, but I accidently opened the door while she was crying, and now I feel kind of guilty for waltzing right in when she's upset. Honestly, who likes showing weaknesses?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Are you two...ya know...a thing?"

He turns red. "Wha-what? No, I just...I mean, really, it's just-"

"Go," I laugh.

I push him back down the hallway towards Sprocket's room.

He looks at me uneasily. 

"Look, maybe she wants someone to comfort her right now. Woman up or you'll never get to know her. Now go. She won't bite."

He glances down the hallway and then back at me. "Fine."

He starts walking down and finally reaches Sprocket's room.

He looks at me and I nod.

He pushes back the door and I roll my eyes, heading back. Suddenly, nurses jostle down the hallway along with my assistant doctor, Leio.

I catch his arm. "What's going on?"

His worried eyes meet mine. "A patient-I think she might die."

I run down with him until we see the girl on the medical bed.

"Prepare for emergency surgery," I say. "Only top staff, please. This isn't for the faint hearted."

I turn back to Leio. "We're going to have to do an amputation."

This might seem insignificant, but does anyone remember the name of the person who took over the role of Rigga? She was an intern at SOCS before she revealed herself as the Headmistress.

The door closes with a soft thud, and I immediately stop crying. The despair and sadness is completely swallowed up by shock and disbeleif.

Shock because I just saw a dead person. Disbelief because I know that it couldn't have happened. Why was he here?

No, Sprocket, I think. He isn't here. He's dead. You are just a wreck right now and imagining things. It was just a nurse who got lost. It wasn't him.

I take a deep breath, trying to push out the fact that I don't believe anything I'm telling myself. With my one good arm I reach up and wipe the tears off of my face using a torn piece of my shirt.

Closing my eyes, I take a couple more deep breaths and try to calm down.

Then I hear the door open, and the sound of soft footsteps.  

I open my eyes quickly and turn slightly to face the visitor.

It's Kristjan, and my brain explodes. I blink several times but he's still there, standing casually, with a slight smile on his face.

My eyes meet his and my brain explodes again. They're the same clear blue I had always remembered.

His smile becomes more apparent, and I can feel my blood pulsing in my ears.

"Hello Sprocket," he says.

"You're dead," I say, my voice sounding harsher than I mean it to.

He ducks his head.

"Yeah, about that-"

"No," I say, my voice rising. "No, I don't want to hear it. You're dead, and you can't be alive."

"Sprocket, I'm not-"

"No!" I shout. "No! You are not alive! You're dead!"

Tears start to stream down my face, and my breath comes in short, rapid gasps.

He moves closer to the hospital bed, and reaches out a hand as if to comfort me.

"Sprocket-"

"You can't be alive!!!" I'm practically screaming now. "I mourned you!!! I thought you were dead for eleven years!! I had to live on the streets alone again! I-I-"

I give a short, breathy whistle. A few seconds pass, and then the door bursts open. In comes Cobalt, his metal outer covering glinting in the bright lights.

Kristjan pales.

"You did it," he whispers. "You actually made him. I had seen the automatons and knew it was you, but..."

He gestures wordlessly at Cobalt, who regards him with curiosity.

"And you named him-"

"Cobalt," I finish. "I named him Cobalt."

Kristjan turns to face me, and I am somewhat calmed by the remorseful expression on his face. Tears still come in a steady stream from my eyes, but my breath has evened out and I no longer feel white-hot emotion pulsing through me.

He sighs, then closes his eyes briefly.

"I need to explain..." 

Fia~

I fly in the direction that I hope the resistance battle will be. It's forest, all forest. A sea of leaves looming below me. And then I see a clearing. The forest ends. And it's frightening. I can see the battle playing out before my eyes, the soldiers fighting. And even from this height I can hear the clang of metal on metal, the screams, the shouts. If I wasn't accustomed to bloodshed, it might have scared me. 

I glide closer the ground, hovering just above the trees, waiting for a break in the fight. I then drop between the trees, crouching at the forest's edge. I pull my bow off my back, and string a poisoned arrow, letting it fly toward an enemy soldier. Before he knows what hit him, he falls to the ground, clutching his hip. He won't last more than a mjinite and a half. I shoot three more at his comrades before they can spot me. Then I disappear back into the forest and take to the sky. 

I swoop across the battle field, looking for Connie. I think that was her name...yes, the one who sent the message across the resistance intercom. She said something about the resistance. She said they needed help.

I spot a sprinkling of tents, and land here, hoping I'll find Connie--or maybe someone else who can help me. And then I see some other Homo Avians. Or maybe the Winged Ones...I still don't know much about these things. Even though it's my own species. 

"Excuse me,"  I say. "I'm looking for Connie. Connie of the Resistance."