Copy, (An Astro Boy Story)

Chapter 29: Dissonance

Toby was sprinting.

He'd never been much of a sporty kid, but with the events of the past few days, it appeared he had managed to build up a bit of endurance. Concrete blurred beneath his feet.

He felt light-headed and a bit sick to his stomach, but he reminded himself that that would probably be nothing compared to how horrid Astro would be feeling when his father woke him. That thought pushed him further.

He almost barreled right past the room he'd been gunning for and had to skid to a stop, grabbing the frame to pull himself back and gasping for breath.

The door was open and light piano music was seeping out into the hall, as well as a set of large blue eyes that stared at him in surprise and confusion.

The girl opened her mouth, but Toby pressed forward before she could speak.

"Hi," he wheezed. "Sorry. Ran...ran halfway...'cross the city. I don't expect....expect you to remember me, and if you do, you probably hate me, but I need your help."

He took in a shuttering breath and set his head back against the thin metal of the door.

"Scratch that," he managed. "My brother needs your help."

~O~

Astro thought whatever receptors there were in his eyes, they must not be accustomed to sunlight.

Following Cora's official discharge, the Sable's had left the hospital, flanked by Tenma and Astro. Despite Astro's slight wariness, the Sable's and his father seemed to be hitting it off okay - or at least, as best as could be. His father was never much of a socialite, but Mr. and Mrs. Sable seemed to hold at least some sort of position in the government, so politics was something they could discuss as Tenma had rather strong opinions when it came to the Presidency.

Cora and Astro lagged behind their chatty parents as they exited the sterile building and into the sunny daytime air- much to Astro relief. Toby's latent fear of hospitals slowly leaked out of his system and he made a mental note to ask his father to remove that part of his programming later and replace it with - say - fear of spiders, or something. Anything but hospitals.

A slight bit of awkwardness bloomed between the two of them as the doors shut behind them, and they walked in silence for a little while until Cora broke it, looking like she was about to burst.

"I'm glad you're back," she blurted, keeping her gaze solidly ahead of her.

Astro looked at her scrutinizingly out of the corner of his eye and found the faintest hint of the pain and worry she must have experienced in her eyes. Her concern made him smile and caused a warm feeling to rush through him. He was glad she had missed him, but he also felt like garbage for making her go through that. At least he'd had the benefit of being dead.

He struggled to find a fitting response. I'm glad you're back too didn't really seem to fit and it also seemed to downplay her trauma, which Astro by no means wanted to do.

So he didn't say anything, simply chewing on his tongue as the two of them reached the kerb, a bit of Tenma's furious opinions on taxes reaching their ears as their parents planted themselves farther down the kerb with clearly no quick intentions of parting ways.

Astro and Cora happily followed suit, but the sideways glance Cora was sliding his way suggested she was not looking to stand in silence. I said something, now it's your turn, her eyes seemed to snap.

Again - oddly - Astro found his mouth to be dry. His arm sparked and he winced at it, sighing.

"I'm scared, Cora," he said finally, the words coming out much faster than he'd intended.