Impossible Miracles

Chapter 13
Thank You

The days passed in a blur. One week, two weeks. Months.

The chaos within her was growing. She worried and fussed. It was unnatural. Odd. But when she had brought it up to Brother, he only shook his head, smiled, and said to let it be.

He compared it to a bitter medicine, something bad that had to happen for something good to happen. He said it was like climbing a mountain, where you feel a sense of accomplishment at having reached the top.

It didn't make her feel any better. It was still an anomaly, and anomalies were dangerous. However, if Brother said it was all right, then the only thing she could do was trust him.

But that was only the least of the problems. She had not forgotten the troubling visions, and occasionally she would see him still, still and unmoving, and her hand would move on its own to shake him.

Luckily, he thought nothing of this, and was perhaps even amused by the nonsensical gesture.

But then one day, he did not wake up immediately, and suddenly, it was all a blur – illogical; time was constant, no matter the instance, so why did it feel like everything happened so fast? She yelled his name, louder than she had all his life.

(It was only later she realized she had called him by his name, something she'd never uttered before. Amazing, how it just flowed from her lips, so much easier than Brother or even Master.)

Still no response, and now that unnatural feeling was writhing all through her. She didn't like it.

"Wake up, Brother!" she yelled, louder than the last.

And there, finally, there was a response. A small cough, and then his eyes opened slowly. "Rin…?"

"We have to get you to bed. You need to lie down." She hastened to lift Len up, but his hand stopped her.

"No. It's all right." A small cough, and a small upturn of the lips. "It's been a long time coming." He straightened against the back of the chair, despite her protests. His breathing was wet and she hastened to grab a tissue.

With a small thanks, Len wiped the drop of red from his hand. The coughing was less frequent lately, but she noticed that instead they were accompanied by blood more and more often.

"I will bring you some water. Please, don't move," she said as she stood and made her way quickly to the sink.

While she was filling the glass, she heard his voice over the running water. "What would you like your name to be?"

The question startled her. "I do not know. I was never assigned a name."

He nodded. "I'm sorry. For everything. I haven't been treating you properly."

"That is not true. You have taught me everything I know, and I owe my life to you. For that, I am eternally grateful."

"No, I should be thanking you." She did not respond, not knowing how to. "You brought me back, back from … from the company of a ghost. I think I lived life more these past weeks than I have half my life. The least I can do… Would you like to choose your name? What would you like your name to be?" he asked again.

Another pause, and the girl robot figured something was wrong with her. In need of maintenance? Her circuit, made by the hands of her creator, should not be having processing errors this often. "Choose my name?"

Len only nodded. "I wouldn't be asking you if I didn't want you to choose. Don't worry, I won't say no, whatever it is."

She returned and handed the glass to him. A name. Her name… A different kind of a worm from before squirmed within her, another indescribable emotion. But there was only one identity she associated herself with. "With your permission, I would like … to be called 'Rin.'"

Silence greeted her. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Is it … undesirable?"

He shook his head. "No, it's just … how to put it … ironic." He looked up into her eyes. "Rin, then?"

She nodded.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded again.

Then the boy scientist stood and wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you for everything, Rin."

Even though they were facing away from each other, they were clasped so tightly that they could feel the trembles from each other as they cried.