Metal and Bone | A Rainbow Quest AU

Chapter 11 - A Moment of Quiet

[Orange Steve's POV]

Why did Sabre have to go and do something that reckless...

I look at him as he's still lying down on the couch. He looks so peaceful, despite the pain he's probably in... I hope I treated his injuries correctly. Based on his description of how the cuts kept stinging, it seems like they were all fairly minor, but even hail can break down a building. If I don't keep a close eye on them, those cuts could get worse... a lot worse. And that punch he took... I can only hope that the Darkness didn't break anything in him. We have no idea how to check without the knowledge of how to use an X-Ray machine, and even then, only a Green Steve would know that.

I'm pulled from my thoughts when Gerald bumps up against my leg. As he looks up at me, I smile and pick him up off the ground, walking towards my own room.

"Hey there, Gerald." I whisper. "Let's hang out in here so we can give Sabre some quiet time so he can sleep."

Entering my little room, I look around. I don't really have much in here yet, as I spend a lot of my time either outside or with Sabre. I have a charging station, a chair next to a small bookshelf placed by the window, an orange rug matching the one in the living room, a little pillow for Gerald next to the chair, and a picture of me and Red Steve on the bookshelf. The rest of my stuff is still at my house.

I walk over to the chair, and sit down. Gerald sits in my lap as I look at him.

"Okay, what is it, buddy?" I ask my little friend.

Gerald then uses a code I taught him, called Morse Code, using one of the lights on his face. It's so he can talk to me when he needs to, and I can understand. He was able to learn it  because, well... we're both robots. He's much smarter than a biological pig, and on top of that smarter than the other mechanical pigs I have. Gerald proceeds to talk in Morse Code to me.

"What? What do you mean, something's up with him?" I ask Gerald.

...

"Pft, yeah right. He's just a little weirder than the humans we see in recordings." I say. "Besides, he was both raised in an apocalypse and not from our world. Of course he's not going to act the same."

...

"What the crap is- I'm pretty sure there's no component called that, buddy."

...

"Ohh, I get what's up with you now. Heh, Sabre was right about you being jealous. You gotta just accept I can't be with you all the time."

Gerald then headbutts my arm.

"Hey!" I say, confused. "What-"

...

"...Sick? Yeah, Sabre is injured right now, but I'm pretty sure he's not sick. There's no signs of illness showing up when I scan him."

...

"What do you mean, 'It's not a normal illness'? Gerald, you're just spouting off nonsense at this point. Did something get in your wiring?"

Gerald looks at me, either unamused or annoyed, and jumps off me and trots over to his little cushion. He faces his back towards me. I then get up and walk back over to the door.

"Alright, jeez..." I say. "You're cranky today."

I carefully shut the door as I go back into the living room, and walk over to Sabre as quietly as I can. I dunno, I guess I just feel like I need to watch over him.

...Could I have done something to prevent him from getting hurt like this? Maybe kept him from running towards the Darkness and attacking, or followed him into the forest so he didn't get hit... Why does this little guy have such a lack of self-preservation? I mean, I've heard him say he's climbed to the top of a radio broadcast tower, and I'm pretty sure those are the really high things on top of those skyscrapers in abandoned city ruins! How did he even handle climbing up there without getting scared?! Geez, a little under half my size and he's braver than me.