Spirit Heart

Surgery

Chris sat in his room, waiting. Gabriel and Cheryle logged out to grab their father while he logged out to meet them. It was the first time he had seen them in person in 10 years. A knock on the door called his attention. "Come in." He said, looking at the door.

A girl with brown hair, a boy with redish hair, and a grown man with a goatee came in. "Hello Christopher." The grown man said. "Hello Richard." Chris responded. "It's just Chris, thanks." "Hello." The red haired boy said. "Hey Gabriel. Nice to see you and Chryle again."

Cheryle said nothing and just sat down with Gabriel sitting next to her. Richard rubbed the back of his head. "How... Have you been Chris? I see you dyed your hair white." He said, trying to break the awkward silence. Chris looked at him and rolled his eyes. "It's not dyed." Was all Chris responded with.

"I know what you came for." Chris said. "Just get the surgery done already." Richard sighed. "Yknow. I've been keeping that metal heart updated. Maybe she can survi-" "No." Chris interrupted. "My heart is stronger. Just give her the parts she needs and replace what you take out with the metal heart."

"It's a lot Chris. Please, I've learned my mistake. She can use it until we get a new heart for her. I regret what-" Chris threw a cup at Richards head. When Richard looked at Chris, he noticed the tears in Chris' eyes. "The ones you adopted will be more of your children then I'll ever be, RICHARD."

Richard was about to respond before he realized that what Chris said was what Richard said to him 10 years ago. He remembered when he shoved Chris out of his room and onto the front yard, repeating the words Chris had just spoken to him.

Cheryle and Gabrieln looked at each other and stayed silent. Being the adopted ones, they felt awkward sitting there. Cheryle remembered the day they moved in. Of the 3 kids sitting there, only Chris talked to them.

"My... Heart is damaged from birth. Our parents disowned us. No one wanted us." A younger Cheryle said between tears, being rejected by multiple potential parents. "Well, with your damaged heart and Gabriel missing his leg, you belong here." A young Chris said, smiling. "When the time comes, you can have my heart."

Cheryle looked at Chris. "But wont that kill you?!" She said, tears starting to flow again. "I don't want you to die!" Chris tapped her head. "Knowing the 'Styles Family Curse,' I'll be fine. Injured at most." Chris said. "We're the outcasts, and ironically, the majority of the Styles kids." Chris laughed, looking at Gabriel who was laughing hard enough to fall out of the swing he was in.

She looked up at Chris, now lying in a hospital bed in Japan 10 years later. "I don't fear death anymore Richard." Chris said, the resentment heard stronger and stronger in his voice. "Christopher-" "CHRIS!" "Chris..... Your young. You don't need to be like this." Richard was unsure how to react.

Chris finally removed his arms from under the blankets, showing the scars on his arms. Richard, Cheryle, and Gabriel stared at the scars in absolute shock. "I don't fear death Richard. Let's just do the surgery. If I die, I die. If I don't then I have a heart as cold and metallic as I like to pretend it is."

Richard sighed. "Ironically, we came here because this was the hospital I was hired to work at. We can do it here. We will log you into the Atmushphere so you won't move and go to work... But Chris...." Richard reached out but backed away. He walked to the nurses and spoke to her. He walked back to Chris.

"We can do it right now. Chris, Cheryle, it's time for your surgery."