Without its help
“Well good morning” Jones turned around to look at Walter standing in his doorway, holding a bowl.
“Mornin’” Walter walked in setting the bowl on the nightstand, Jones peered inside the bowl. “Soup? Again?” Walter grabbed the chair from Jones’ desk, pulled it to the bed and sat down.
“Not just any soup, minestrone soup.” He groaned before turning back over facing the wall. “Well that’s all we have at the moment-”
“Then-”
“AND all the time I have to make right now. Almost crashed the ship making this.”
“Fuck you.” Jones slumped up in his bed accidently hitting his head against the wall, so he rubbed it with his left hand. “Ow.”
“We also need to change your bandages.” Walter, leaning off his chair, started reaching over and Jones slapped his hand out of midair.
“I’ll do it.”
“Okat wow, calm down sassafras.” He sat back down in his chair and watched Jones struggle to peel away the bandage from his nose bridge. Getting inpatient Walter sat back up, grabbed the bandage on Jones’ nose and carefully ripped it off.
“All healed by the looks of it.” Jones rubbed the scar, his finger falling inwards then bouncing out like the Great Canyon on his nose.
“It feels weird.”
“Well it’s going to, you had a one inch thick piece of glass stuck in your nose!” He stood up and slowly removed Jones’ arm sling which kept his once dislocated arm in place. “M.A.R.C., who wasnt even fully operational yet! Had to chip it off piece by piece since it was ledged into your SKULL!” Walter yanked the sling away, folded it up and sat back down in his chair.
“First,” Jones rolled his right shoulder trying to get it moving. ”Ow, be careful next time with the sling.”
“Sorry, and what do you mean next time-”
“Second! Who is M.A.R.C.? Third, how deep was that glass into my skull again? ‘Cause I feel like it shouldn't be as deep as it feels.” He rubbed his right hand over his scar.
“M.A.R.C. is a health robot I grabbed from the ship while grabbing supplies. He was pretty banged up so I had to fix him. And according to M.A.R.C it was ¾ of an inch into your skull.”
“God damn…” They sat in silence for a few minutes reflecting on what had exactly happened.
“Welp.” Walter slapped his knees and stood up, walking to the door. “I’m going to go into the command center and make sure everything is fine. You.” He pointed at Jones. “Are finally able to leave bed.”
“That doesn't mean I’m getting out of bed.” Walter walked out, popping his head back into the room.
“Well you better, or else the rest of this book will be very boring if you're sitting in the ship the whole time.”
“I guess.” At that Walter’s head disappeared from the door frame. A few minutes later Jones walked out. He walked into the bathroom. “Holy shit.” What used to be a nose bridge perfectly matching his chocolate skin now stood a huge indent, covering most of his nose in a now peach color. His finger traced the canyon on his nose. Tears welled up in his eyes before shaking them away and walking out of the bathroom, starting his new walk to the command center.
“Greetings Sir Jones”
“WHAT THE FUCK!” Jones kicked forward the robot in front of him causing it to fly across the hall and crash into the wall opposite of where he stood. It flipped over to its two excavator-like wheels. Its tiny white body sat atop with little light bulbs for eyes. Its tiny claw-like arms resemble something of the kids' toy grabbers. A red first aid kit hung from its back as tiny cracks in the white metal scattered and surrounded the front of his body including the red cross on his front chest. It rolled back to infront of Jones after flipping back over.
“I am M.A.R.C. The Daredevils new and improved Medical Assistant Robot Caregiver. I was the one who removed the glass from your nasal bone, cheek and popped your right humerus back into your scapula.”
“You don’t look new, and I don't have a clue what you just said, little guy.” He stepped over the robot and walked out of the bathroom on his way to the command center. Tiny whirling sounds followed him. He turned around and the two tiny foot robot followed him. He turned back around and continued walking, tiny whirling still followed him. Jones abruptly stopped causing M.A.R.C. to bump into his ankles.
“Do you have to follow me?!” Jones whipped around and looked at the tiny robot at his feet.
“You are my patient and for medical and safety purposes you are not allowed out of my Sight Digital distance.”
“And how far is that digital distance?”
“Six feet.”
“Okay, okay cool!” Jones turned around, took a few steps forward then turned back around, winded his leg back and kicked M.A.R.C. to the end of the hall. He then whipped around and bolted to the other end of the hall. Laughing Jones turned around as tiny faint whirring noises got closer. The robot had its arms pointed backwards, its body leaning forward with its wheels spinning too fast to see. Jones whipped around as the doors to the command center slid open he ran in, watching as the tiny robot sped up as the door slowly closed eventually causing him to slam against the closed doors.
“EAT THAT BOT!” Jones turned around, seeing Walter sitting at a table with blueprints, pencils, paper and tools scattered all over it. He walked over to Walter standing right behind him watching. Scribbled on papers what seemed to be drawings of a robot.
“Whatchu doin’?”
“None of your business, go let M.A.R.C. in. That banging is making my head ring.” Jones stood up from looking over Walter’s shoulder
“Then make him stop following me!”
“Fine, let him in.” He walked to the door so the sensors would activate. The doors opened and M.A.R.C. flew in, flying off the stairs and hitting the co-pilot's chair. Walter turned his chair and looked at M.A.R.C.. Tiny whirling sounded as he flipped over and spun in circles with its left lightbulb flickering which cracked on impact with the doors along with the chair.
“M.A.R.C., buddy come here.” It whirled over to Walter and lifted its arm ready for it to be picked up. Walter lifted it up, setting it on the table slowly unscrewing its left light bulb. Jones walked to the window and watched the stars as they slowly passed.
“Sooo… why is there a footprint the size of your foot on his chest?” he tensed up as he turned around, avoiding eye-contact.
“Why ask questions no one can answer?”
“I guess you're no one then.” Jones slapped his hand to his heart.
“Mean! Apologize!”
“Nah, I think you need to apologize to M.A.R.C. for kicking him.” Walter set him back on the ground, his light bulbs blinking a few times before staying on.
“Finee.” Jones squatted down and M.A.R.C. moved behind Walters legs. “I’m sorry for kicking you… twice…” He popped out from behind Walter’s legs and whirled close to Jones.
“Apology confirmed.” M.A.R.C. stuck out his right grabber, Jones grabbed it back, shaking it before standing back up.
“Thank god that's over! God that was hurting my back.” He leaned back making his back crack in several different places, with each letting out the sound of a dull snap of twigs.
“Need help?” Jones looked down to where the voice had come from, the once right grabber was now a syringe with some weird liquid inside.
“N-no thanks man.”
“Understood.” The syringe disappeared back into his arm replacing it with his original grabber. Jones turned to Walter, who was crying for an unknown reason.
“God damn it, why are you crying now?” He whipped his eyes transferring most of the tears to the back of his hand.
“My boys are growing up.”
“Oh my god, eat shit” Walter leapt off his chair running to Jones, embracing him in a big hug.
“My little boys are growing up!” Jones started blushing at the unexpected embrace before accepting it and hugging back.
“May I participate in the embrace of arms called ‘a hug’?”
“Back off NPC.” Jones nudged M.A.R.C. away with his foot. Tiny whirlings occurred and tiny metal arms met his legs.