: Prompting Needed_

eMotional Reboot

From Daily Quordle 347 (1/5/23): CRUDE, NURSE, LEARN

The dial tone was quickly replaced by the buzzing of a requested line. Liza huddled her legs underneath her and then hugged them as Charlie tried the line for a second time. The first call had ended with the voicemail being activated after a stale reciting of the phone number she had just dialed. This time, though, it had progressed past four rings and she felt the little hungry gnat of anxiety begin to stir within her gut. The room's heat still pressed in on her from the various computer components still powered on. Though the Rec Room itself was powered off, the sensors and signal repeaters necessary to track the system still pulled a bit of amperage. That power flow was steadily heating the room. Better that than freezing to death, she thought. As if summoned by her passing mental presence, a strong gust of wind shoved itself against the shuttered window behind her. No doubt, the winter storm that had been predicted was well within its heyday out there. Thinking of the inches of snow that was probably coating the driveway outside, Liz admitted to herself that she was more than thankful for Jove's insistence that she insulate the computer room's walls.

A click sounded over the speakers and she pressed in on the ear piece to transfer the call to her personal tech. A rattling sigh washed through her, followed by the faintest whisper of a man's voice. It was a voice she knew, missed, and loved. It was a voice she hadn't heard in years. "Who is this?"

Liza's mouth dropped and her chest filled with the words to respond. Her throat, however, held on to the air instead. Her heart thudded against her ribs. She could feel the pulse in her fingertips.

"Hello?" Her father's voice was a bit clearer now. She guessed he had been sleeping. She glanced over to Charlie's monitor and read the time. It stood to reason he'd been asleep. The only time he'd been a late sleeper was when he had to fill in for thirds at the plant. Most of the time he ran the first shift. She should have checked the time before calling. Dammit. "Who's there," her father asked. The sound of him sitting up in the sheets of his bed scraped across his microphone. She could imagine him cradling the analog handset between his head and shoulder like always. He never had given into to digital culture and learned how to use a cellphone.

A small dam in her throat gave way and she sighed. Then, "Hey, Jack."

It took a moment for her father to recognize the voice, but she could hear the moment he did. An intake of air rasped over the line. A couple of coughs later, he wheezed, "Elizabeth? That you?"

Liza sat back and rolled her eyes at the full name. "Yep. I'm sorry to wake you. I-"

"It's three o'clock in the morning. What are you doing up? Are you okay?" More rustling took over the line as he adjusted in his bed again. "What's wrong?"

The question caught her off guard and a prepared response died in her mouth, the words already rounding her tongue. She swallowed. "I..." She looked around at the oscillating lights on the powered equipment then down to the headset on the floor. The neural probes still had flecks of blood that were slowly pooling to the motion pad. The overhead light cast a bluish tint over everything, so the blood itself looked black. "I just had a nightmare." She set the words out between them as an offered hand that was asking to be grasped by someone – anyone­ – nearby.

"Oh, yeah?" Liza smiled at the response.

"Yeah."

"Was it about..." Jack let the silence draw out and she was glad for it. This wasn't supposed to be something that was rushed. Her face flushed suddenly as tears bum-rushed her eyes. She scrunched her face tight against it, but couldn't keep all of the sob out that shook her. Her body convulsed once like she was in the grip of a giant dog's mouth then fell to the side. She caught herself. "Elizabeth?"

"Yeah," she coughed. She stared into the Rec Room headset. "I mean, well... not her exactly. She wasn't in it. But the memories... I... we were at the Tortic Fair." She let the memory of the playthrough run again. She could almost feel the wind against her as she had stood outside the gate in the simulation. The gatekeeper smiled at her. Wait, she thought. I know that face. "My god, it was the nurse."

"Who's nurse? Where?" Having no video phone, Jack was missing out on the physical aspects of his daughter's reverie.

"Her nurse. I mean, it was a crude representation, but still. Her last nurse."

A confused silence sat between them in the line until Jack asked, "Are you talking about the hospice nurse?"

"Yeah." She ran a finger over the nearby gauntlet. "I... do you... should..." Liza let out a soft laugh. "Shit. This isn't the right time. You need to sleep, and I woke you up and-"

"Elizabeth."

"-I'm just being silly. Nightmares are just programs that haven't been vetted yet and-" Her hands started to gather the equipment to her.

"Elizabeth, stop." Jack's voice got deep and soft. It was his serious 'Dad' voice, but spoken in a way that brought to mind hugs and warm fires in the forest. It was also the voice he had used that afternoon Mom had died. The tears resurged, and this time filled her vision with salty, stinging waves that crested over and fell to the floor. "If you want to talk, I'm awake." The receiver on his side shifted again and when Jack spoke, the volume had shifted so that it sounded like he was next to her.

Liza dropped the headset and gauntlets and leaned over them with leaky eyes and a heavy head. "Dad," she whispered. "Where was Cassie on the night of... of the fire?"