by Lewis, Anna
The two collapsed against the sheets of the bed while still entangled, chuckling between fits of panting. Fingers found their way to his chin to trace his jaw. She whispered that they weren’t to tell a soul about their encounter.
“I promise,” he whispered. “I like you too much to compromise your career.”
“I’m glad. I’ll come back again later and we can cuddle for a bit,” she said while pecking his lips. “But now I have to clean up.”
“I’ll be waiting for you,” he whispered.
Chapter 6
Over the next few days, Lena and Trevor formed an intense magnetism that would lead to her sneaking into his room late at night in order to cuddle him. Their bodies ached to repeat the steamy encounter from days before, but they knew they had to wait until Trevor had recovered fully from his surgery. The passionate sex had torn the skin around his shoulder and caused him a delay in healing, his cybernetic arm appearing undamaged by the incident. Feeling particularly well, Trevor decided to take a leisurely stroll down to the cafeteria where he found a man from his troop.
The scruffy man before him was Mike, a long-time comrade who had been with him in three battles this year. Mike had been admitted for a head injury that the field medics worried would be fatal. After a few tests, it was determined to be nothing more than a concussion and he was celebrating by eating the greasiest thing in the cafeteria. A natural silence gathered between the two as they ate until Trevor asked how Mike was doing.
“Better than a few days ago,” Mike replied. “I swear I was back home, but woke up here.”
Trevor empathized with his response.
“I’ve been here for a few weeks now. Check out my new gun,” Trevor said while raising his cybernetic arm.
Mike dropped his food as he marveled at the sight, admiring the detailed design laid into the forearm of the addition.
“That’s amazing, Trevor! Do you know how many guys are going to be jealous of this?” exclaimed Mike. “Everyone is going to be all over you, especially the ladies.”
“Yeah, I think I already caught someone’s attention,” said Trevor while digging into his food. “But there’s a little problem.”
“What’s that?” asked Mike between bites. “I mean, what could possibly be problematic about having a woman’s attention?”
Trevor looked around and then leaned forward to whisper, explaining the situation with Lena. Intrigued, Mike asked about what he would do once he leaves the hospital.
“I’m not sure,” Trevor responded. “Because I have feelings but I’m not sure where they’re going to lead.”
“In our line of work, it’s better to be thankful and cherish what you have before it disappears forever,” said Mike.
“You’re right. I don’t want to lose her,” said Trevor.
Just above their heads, one floor up, was the unsuspecting Lena, pouring her heart out to a close friend and staff member of the hospital named Lily. They had been working together since Lena’s residency and had grown close over the years. With wide eyes, Lily absorbed every bit of information Lena gave her and rubbed her back as Lena conveyed her emotions with tears in her eyes.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve regretted not going for it,” said Lily. “You should give it a shot.”
“But what if it’s just his dependency that’s driving the emotion?” asked the worried Lena.
“Then, you break up. It’s a rough truth, but it’s better to face it than to hide from it. If he truly cares about you, he’ll stick around,” Lily assured her. “That’s how I found Phil.”
“You met Phil in the hospital?” asked Lena.
“Yeah, I was the nurse who helped him walk again. It’s almost the same situation, Lena, only Trevor is a cyborg. I don’t think it’s such a bad thing to have feelings for him,” explained Lily.
“I’m just worried about our superiors,” Lena admitted.
“Screw the superiors. You want to be happy, right?”
“Of course.”
“Then, go for it.”
Feeling reassured, Lena thanked her friend and did another round of check-ups after drying her face. She made her way to Trevor’s room where she found it empty. Her disappointed eyes scanned over the sheets, wondering where he might have wandered. Following her gut took her to the cafeteria where she spotted Trevor sitting with Mike. As she approached, Mike whispered, “Here comes your lady.”
Lena nervously greeted the two and then sat next to Trevor who introduced her to his comrade. They shook hands and then awkwardly sat in silence until Mike excused himself from the table, patting Trevor’s arm as he walked away.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“You did no such thing. We were just talking about the war,” said Trevor, feeling guilty about having to tell a white lie.
They had sworn to each other to never speak of their relationship, yet they were just discussing it with their own confidants as their feelings were still a mess of confusion and desire. Nodding, Lena looked down at the table and back up at Trevor.
“Do you want to take a walk?” she asked. “It looks like you’re getting better at it.”
“It’s becoming second nature. I hadn’t thanked you yet for doing what you did. I really appreciate it, Lena. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you,” he replied.
“It’s my job,” she said, regretting how dry it sounded. “And it was my pleasure to do so. It brings me joy to see you moving around.”
“I just wish people would stop staring,” he said while glancing around.
Most of the cafeteria appeared immersed in their own conversations, but it was apparent that some of them were trying to look at Trevor out of their peripheral vision. A young man looked over and then looked away, embarrassed that he had been caught.
“It’s new to them, so they’re going to stare,” she explained.
“I’m getting more stares than the guy without legs,” he claimed.
“That’s because part of your body is made of metal,” she said, stifling a giggle.
“Are you laughing at me?” he asked while eying her.
“I would do no such thing!” she said, giggles erupting from her gut.
The pair became engrossed in a teasing battle, their flirty conversation melding with the rest of the voices in the room. When they stood, Trevor used the table as leverage and accidentally knocked it to the ground. Lena fumbled with the edge to fix it to which Trevor used only one finger to lift it back up. The entire room glared at Trevor for interrupting their meal, a voice from the back whispering something about a freak.
Lena gathered their trays and headed for the exit, placing them on the shelf for collection as they left the cafeteria. The room plunged back into chaotic chatter after they left and they exchanged a look of concern. Had someone just called Trevor a freak for his new additions? Such care and precision had gone into formulating those limbs, their design years ahead of most technology known to humans. It was disappointing to think that the masses wouldn’t be receptive to such technology, especially after Mike had heavily insisted on how jealous the other officers would be.
Whether it phased him or not was unapparent because Trevor walked with a sense of pride. Lena admired the way he had brushed off that incident and still walked from the room with his head up, her own tilting forward in a way that indicated shame. Just like it would need time for Trevor to get used to his new body, the rest of the world would need time to get used to him.
Chapter 7
The garden was awash with green and smelled fresh, the flowers lining the walkway leading them out further until they reached an open field. Trevor hesitated to step off the path, looking around to check for any enemy soldiers that might be nearby.
“It’s not the warzone,” Lena assured him as she took his hand. “Come. You need to practice using your gun.”
“You mean this one,” joked Trevor while holding up his mechanical arm.
“Actually, yes,” replied Lena while chuckling at the joke. “I’ve set up targets some yards out that you can aim for. Have at it.”
As she spoke, she raised her arm towards the field and Trevor noticed the little mannequins set up in the distance. He looked her over with a wide grin and then looked back at the field to study how much force he’d have to use in order to fire an energy bolt that far.
“You did all this for me?” he asked while raising his arm.
“Of course. I want you to be ready when you leave in two weeks,” she replied while typing into her digital pad
The response caught him off guard and he missed his first target, the bolt dissipating somewhere off to the right.
“Are you alright?” she asked, noticing his change of focus.
“Yeah, sorry. I just got lost in thought,” he said, another white lie leaving his lips.
Did he only have two weeks left? That didn’t seem like enough time to spend with Lena, his heart aching at the thought of putting any distance between them. She was just within an arm’s reach and her eyes followed his movements, studying the way he stood and how he catapulted the energy from his palm.
“Two weeks,” he huffed while taking another shot.
“Hard to believe you’ve been here for four,” she said, averting her attention back to the chart on her touch pad.
“And you’ll be here?” he asked nervously.
“I have other patients,” she responded.
Another bolt went flying into the distance, demolishing one of the mannequins.
“Can I visit?” he asked, keeping his eyes on a plastic figure.
“Why would you do that?”
The next bolt went shooting up into the air and disappeared beyond the fog that was rolling over them, dimly lighting the other side of the mist and mixing with the violet of dusk. Trevor turned and took Lena up into his human arm, pressing his hungry lips to hers, nearly knocking her touch pad out of her hands
“Because I like you,” he whispered between kisses. “I don’t want to be without you.”
“I was worried you wouldn’t want to come back,” she said, growing tearful in their passionate embrace.
“You’ve opened my heart, Lena. I’m not leaving you behind,” he said.
“But what about the war?” she asked with some trepidation. “Will they let you leave?”
Another kiss silenced her fears, Trevor whispering that he would do anything to come back and kiss her lips a million times. While distracted, the sound of a miniature explosion came from behind Lena and she turned to see what it was. Trevor had effectively shot one of the closer mannequins while kissing her, a sly grin plastered across his face as she turned to face him.
“Now you’re just showing off,” Lena whispered while nuzzling his nose.
“I think that’s a great skill to have,” said Trevor, stroking her chin. “It means you’re always safe with me.”
“I’m glad I met you,” she said as the sun set behind the haze in the distance. “I can’t believe we met, but I’m glad we did.”
“As am I, Lena,” he said, taking another taste of her lips.
After they pulled away, Trevor took a few more shots at the mannequins farther away and raised his arms in triumph when he shot them all down. This new body could likely take out entire platoons which gave the Navy leverage against any dangerous enemies. Being that sort of weapon meant everyone would want him, and the generals who had encouraged the procedure made sure to hide the documentation about Trevor from the rest of the world, so that the technology to make a cyborg like him would never be acquired by the enemy. Also hidden was the truth about the cyborg project which, if it were ever made public, would cause a scandal.
It was General Sanders who had volunteered Trevor for the project, stating that the hero had a resilience to pain and a strong character. He was great for battle and would follow orders to the ends of the earth. Though he would never volunteer readily, the general knew he could push the boy in the direction of danger so that the threat posed would inspire the surgery. He had paid the released prisoner to shoot Trevor in order to have him injured enough to qualify. Had it not been for the general’s elaborate plan, Trevor wouldn’t be a cyborg, nor would he have met Lena.
The plan was sworn to secrecy between Trevor’s superiors and he went unknowingly to avenge his brother, convinced the death of the enemy general would be his ticket to peace. He had unsuspectingly walked into a trap which put him where he now stood, on the path weaving in and out of the great garden behind the naval hospital. Warships soared overhead as they strolled along on the cement, Lena bending down every so often to sniff a bell flower that was full of nectar. The basic rehabilitation had been successful, but he would need more training before returning to the war. Most of his functions were under control due to Lena’s extensive physical therapy and he was feeling more confident, especially with her hand intertwined with his.
While walking up towards the building, Lena pulled her hand away in fear of one of her staff members witnessing their affections. The field had provided them a bit of privacy and she had enjoyed every moment of it, his lips caressing hers unabashedly while he shot targets. It had been impressive to watch him do this and her thighs were tense with anticipation for their next encounter. Perhaps it was a bit strange to be turned on by such a thing, but his skill was intensely attractive. It made her feel like this was the man who would protect her during the terrible time they lived in.
People like Trevor would be the ones who could tip the balance of the war, which was the whole point of running the cyborg trials. He was the most successful cyborg to date. Better and better, she knew what to repeat and what to let fall to the wayside. The arm gun, for example, was a good innovation, and seemed to be effective too. The process of transforming wounded soldiers into cyborgs would only become faster and faster after this.
But what would happen after the war? When these men returned home to their families, was it wise to allow them access to such destructive weapons? In a sense, they were the weapons which put them at a higher risk for discrimination in their towns.
All of this weighed on Lena’s shoulders, her eyes looking around the white-tiled halls in search of a solution. But all the answers would come in time. She just had to have faith in her work and in Trevor. As she thought this, she looked over at him and he caught her gaze, smiling when he saw the swirling blues in her eyes. There was hope between them. The opposing forces would meet their defeat and perhaps there would finally be peace in the world. Defeat was not an option, as the battle was raging on their own soil.
When the couple arrived at Trevor’s room, he nearly leaned in to kiss her, but thought better to shake her hand instead. A giggle sent her off to check on a few patients and Trevor sat in his hospital bed, turning on the television to check the status of his troop. Images of war filled the screen and tore him away from the wonderful mood he was in. There was still a war out there. How could he fall in love if there was such disaster happening?
Chapter 8
By the time the fifth week rolled around, Trevor had grown restless from sitting in his room all day and went to the nurse’s desk to ask if there was anything they needed help doing. She mentioned that the new fridge had arrived, but no one was strong enough to lift it. It took a matter of five minutes for Trevor to carry it up the stairs and install it, his cybernetic arm and leg proving to have more uses than as mere weapons. Thankful for his help, the nurses gathered some flowers and left them in a vase in his room with a few pieces of chocolate for him to munch on as he rested.
It wasn’t long before Trevor was back on his feet out of boredom and wandering the halls, helping people move and retrieve things that were too heavy or too out of reach.
He came across the children’s ward at one point, made up of underage civilian victims of the war. He noticed that many of the kids didn’t have visitors. With the help of a nurse, he gathered them in the main play room to read them stories, allo
wing them to touch his cybernetic arm when they became curious. One of the little boys stood up and said he wanted to be just like Trevor when he grew up which prompted him to smile and pat his head.
“You want to be a Navy officer?” asked the nurse.
“No, I want to be a cool cyborg!” yelled the boy while raising his arms and growling.
It caused the group to erupt into chuckles until Trevor had them settle down for another book, one about a cat who wore his favorite sweater even though people thought the sweater was ugly. As he was reading, he didn’t notice Lena standing in the doorway, admiring the way he was entertaining the children. It was wonderful to see them smiling and laughing as it gave them a reprieve from the awful sounds of the battle. When he looked up again, he found Lena smiling at him and blushed, pausing mid-sentence to admire her beauty.
“Keep reading, mister,” said one of the girls up front, shaking his cybernetic arm. “What happens next?”
“Yeah!” chimed the group.
Trevor apologized to the children and read the rest of the book, showing them the pictures in between the pages. A light applause filled the room as Trevor stood to leave, receiving pleads from some of the kids to stay. Lena announced that he had work to do elsewhere and that it was lunchtime which put the children at ease, their bellies hungry after such an exciting morning. As they walked away, Lena looped her arm through Trevor’s and commended him for being sweet.
“They don’t often get to have time like that. Our volunteers haven’t been showing up lately,” she explained.
“Admittedly, I was just bored, but once I got started I was having fun,” he said while they walked up the hall. “I can’t wait to have children someday.”
Lena smiled at the comment.
“I can have children, right?” asked Trevor, stopping to wait for Lena’s reply.
