GLASS BACK [COMPLETED]

6

Henric woke up freezing cold, laying on his back. A bright white light nearly blinding him. He was in a hospital room, and his leg had been set and put in a casket. He felt strangely calm, too calm. Most of the pain was gone, just a little numbness here and there. The figure was sitting at his side, watching him.

"You're conscious." It spoke. It's voice was an awkward blend of monotone and someone's real voice. It bothered Henric.

"What are you?" he asked it. It waited a moment before speaking, looking at Henric from head to toe. Henric guessed it must have been scanning him.

"I am Wireless, a service automaton designed to help scientists with a variety of tasks. Your dire situation was beyond I had to download a total of 117 files to be able to nurse you to recovery. Would you like to know all of the drugs and procedures I administered?"

"No."

"Understood."

They sat in silence for a while, Henric looking at the ceiling while the automaton watched him.

"Wireless, where did you come from?"

"I came from my charging station."

Charging station? This thing was battery powered? "And where is that?"

"Inside this laboratory."

Henric rubbed his eyelids and sighed. "Can you be more specific?"

"Absolutely not. David McCathey has no clearance, and neither would his son."

Henric sat up and looked directly at the automaton.

"You knew my father?!"

"No." It replied bluntly. "David McCathey is the last person to use their I.D. to enter this building in the past two weeks. You are the only person I have encountered in the four hours since the power came on. I presumed that you'd be his son, otherwise I would've terminated you for trespassing."

Henric was so deep in thought he didn't realize the automaton just said it would've killed him.

"Two weeks, you said? Nobody's entered the facility in two weeks?"

"Yes."

"Has anyone left since then?"

The automaton got quiet after that question. Was it trying to hold the truth from him or wa.s it searching for an answer?

"I am uncertain. I was undergoing an update when the power shut down. The update failed and partially deleted my memory."

"Of course." Henric flipped off the covers and swung his feet over the side of the bed. He gingerly tested his foot in the cast before standing up.

"Have you fully recovered?" the automaton asked him.

Henric turned around. "Why?"

"I wouldn't leave unless I was positive you are in a stable condition. I am going to search for my creators."

"Why don't I come with you?"

"You don't have the clearance. I would advise you not to follow me in a restricted area. You won't be walking out of it."

Henric rolled his eyes and saw a big red bag with the biohazard label sticking out the trash. He grabbed what looked like a nurse outfit and a lab coat from chair beside him.

"If that's the case, I'm fine."

"Good. Your father made you well, you know. There aren't many that could survive that fall. The remaining medications are in that cabinet. You most likely will not require them."

Wireless marched out the room before Henric to respond. Henric took a few steps slowly and noticed a pair of crutches leaning against the counter next to a bottle of pain pills. He slid them into his pocket and began to limp towards the door.

A robot saved my life. Henric thought as he reached the door. He didn't even know where he was. How did it take him to a hospital?

Henric could see the automaton walking down the hallway. He wouldn't have been able to keep up with it if he tried. He looked down both sides of the hallway and saw no one coming. He didn't hear anything either.

This must still be the lab.

He made his way down the hallway and reached a common area with a bunch of couches lined up on the right and a tv. The left had an elevator, two vending machines and a receptionist's desk. As soon as he got to the elevator he noticed it didn't have an up or down button, just a black I.D. scanner.

"Seriously?" Henric muttered. He turned around and headed back to the room when he heard a faint coughing sound nearby. He stood still and listened. Following the sound, he reached a room 2 doors away from his. Gazing down at the handle he saw a scanner next to it, and already figured out what he need.

Why the hell does everything need an I.D.? He thought. You can't walk ten feet in here without scanning something.

Reaching his own room, he propped his crutches against the counter and pulled the bag out of the trash. As soon as he ripped it open he was greeted with the smell of blood. Even worse, the clothes were wet. Pulling out the I.D., Henric dumped the bag back in the trash and rinsed his hands and the I.D. off. Hobbling to the room, he held up his I.D. and the door slid open. Inside was a room much like his but with a TV and flowers. A sickly looking teenage boy was laying in bed with a oxygen mask on his face. His eyes widened and he snatched it off, sitting up.

"How'd you get in here?!" He rasped, his voice only slightly louder than a whisper.

"I...uh used my I.D." Henric didn't know what to say the guy. It had been since he'd seen an actual person.

The teenager's eyes narrowed. "Bullshit."

He threw the covers off him and tried to stand. He was extremely skinny, he shook as he stood before falling back in the bed.

"Do you need help?" Henric asked him, unsure if he should get closer.

"Ask a doctor to bring me a wheelchair. I can't walk." The boy was breathing heavily, but Henric was sure it was because of anger and not a respiratory issue.

"There's uh, not any doctors here, actually. Or nurses."

The boy turned to him. "Why? No, I don't care. Go get my dad then."

"I don't know who he is, but I haven't seen anyone here besides you."

"How'd the fuck did you get in my room then?!" He shouted.

"Where's my dad kid, don't fuck with me!" The boy glared at him but considering his state, Henric wasn't afraid.

"I swear on my life, I don't know." Henric held up his hands. The boy watched him intently and finally realized Henric wasn't lying.

"Who are you then?" He asked. He looked at the badge in Henric's hand, but couldn't see anything.

"My name is Henric. Henric McCathey. What's yours?" He asked the boy.

He stared at him without answering for a second, and looked angry again.

"What now? What's wrong with you?" Henric asked him, confused.

"That ain't your name kid, because it's mine."