I woke up with a yawn, my eyes slowly opening as I found myself looking out the nearby window. There were a lot of grey clouds in the sky which made it appear as though it could rain at any moment. Rainy days always made me feel drowsy or sleepy for some reason, maybe it was the sound of raindrops falling that helped lull me to sleep.

  I looked down and noticed that my copy of ‘Eragon’ is still resting in my lap, making me realize that I must have dozed off after reading for a while. I then looked to my left and saw Alice, still sitting in her seat and reading a book… except this one was my copy of ‘Return of the King’.

  She looked up at me, taking notice that I had woken up and asked me “I apologize. Did I wake you?” I shook my head while rubbing the remaining drowsiness from my eyes.

  “Nah. You didn’t wake me. Looks like you’ve really gotten into ‘Lord of the Rings’.” I commented with a smirk, pointing towards the third entry that she was still holding.

  She made no comment and only stared at me for a few seconds before asking me “Why a ring?”

  “Pardon?” I ask in confusion, not understanding her question for a second. My mind must still have some lingering sleepiness since I hadn’t fully woken up yet, before realizing that she was asking about the iconic ‘One Ring’ from the book series.

  “Out of all the objects that the villain Sauron could have imparted his essence into… why a ring?” Alice questioned me tilting her head slightly, as if puzzled. Her question made me bite my lip for a second. That was a somewhat odd question. I never really thought about the ‘why’ but simply accepted it as part of the story.

  I shrugged my shoulders and answered “I don’t really know the exact answer for sure. Maybe Sauron decided on a ring because it was small, portable, and perhaps most importantly, it appeared utterly harmless. I mean, would you think that a small golden ring contained the essence of an almost unstoppable dark lord that wanted to conquer the world as we know it?”

  “That does not happen in reality.” Alice stated in a flat tone, making me chuckle a bit since she was right about that.

  “No, it doesn’t. But stories and movies are often exaggerated for the sake of drama, and fiction makes way for a lot of creative writing." I spoke while scratching at my cheek with a lone finger.

  Her eyes flickered between me and the book in her hands. Her lack of expression made it hard to tell if she wanted to continue this line of conversation or return to reading. Before she could make an actual decision, there was a knock at my door. I called out ‘Come in’ almost automatically, causing the door to open with my doctor entering inside, scratch that, he almost ran inside as he quickly slipped through and shut the door behind him.

  He approached my bedside and was about to say something to me, but then he paused as he looked at Alice, his mouth gaping wide and his eyes blinking owlishly. I didn’t need to have the power of mind reading to sense that his brain was potentially malfunctioning as he tried to put a name and face to Alice, since her scrubs were probably throwing him off.

  “I’m sorry… Do you work here?” The doctor asked while pointing his pen towards the Android. That was kind of funny. This is the first time that anyone, not counting myself, acknowledged her presence.

  I had to suppress my own laughter as I quickly cut in and spoke “She’s with me. Something I can do for you doctor?”

  The doc looked between the two of us a few times before focusing on me as he replied “Yes. At least, I hope so. There is a large group of reporters asking for you. They want to take pictures and conduct interviews with you. They’re practically setting themselves up to camp outside waiting for you and they don’t seem ready to leave anytime soon. They brought cameras, microphones, vans, the whole kit and kaboodle.”

  Oh… I guess I should have expected this. I honestly didn’t think about it. I always lived by a philosophy of ‘live and let live’ or ‘don’t bother others or be bothered’. I was never a really sociable kind of guy anyway and never enjoyed extensively interacting with other people. Yet another reason I hated my job as a cashier.

  Right now, it seems that I have been unintentionally thrust into the spotlight. Goes to show, the ‘reality’ of my newfound wealth and borderline celebrity status hasn’t fully caught up to me yet. “I don’t want to see them. I’m not interested in any interviews or anything.” I answered bluntly, wanting the media to go away and leave me in peace.

  “Respectfully, I don’t think that’s gonna make them go away. If anything, I think they’ll persist more aggressively.” The doctor answered honestly, not bothering to mince words, though I didn’t really mind as I preferred to hear the honest truth from someone rather than beat around the bush.

  He was right of course, reporters and paparazzi can be annoyingly persistent. Especially in the pursuit of a story, any kind of story really, a picture, some gossip, et cetera. “Yeah, I think you’re right. You mind discharging me a bit early so I can make my escape?” I requested in a half-joking and half-serious manner.

  Lucky for me, the doctor quickly presented me with his pen and clipboard as he answered “I had a very strong feeling you’d say that. Good thing too. I’m not sure how long security can keep those people in check.”

  “Hoo boy.” I mutter as I quickly sign the required discharge papers as fast as I was able to, briefly noting that my papers made mention of a discharge wheelchair that would be added to my final bill, and then returned everything back to the doctor. He gave me a quick ‘goodbye and good luck’ before leaving me alone with Alice.

  I then turned on my new phone and brought up my list of contacts, prompting me to quickly scroll to the entry of my step-dad which is listed by his nickname ‘Dickie’. After pushing the call button, I bring the phone up to my ear and listen to it ring. I didn’t have to wait for very long before the call was picked up and I heard the voice of my step-dad speak “Hello? What do you need, buddy?”

  “I need you to get me the heck out of here! Stat!” I jokingly but urgently barked into the phone. I then explained to him the presence of the media that was waiting for me outside the hospital and that I was discharged early and had already signed the paperwork and was ready to go.

  “Say no more! We’re on the way! See you buddy.” He answered me before hanging up, leaving me to wait until he and my mama arrived to pick me up.

  “I shall collect your personal effects for transportation.” Alice stated as she quickly and neatly gathered up my belongings. She set my books into a pair of stacks and then collected my portable gaming console, followed by the empty containers that were used to bring me food so that they could later be washed and reused.

  With that done, I turned on the TV again to watch a show as I waited for my folks to arrive. Assuming traffic was good, it should take them twenty to thirty minutes to get from their home to the hospital; give or take.

  I felt a sudden sense of homesickness and restlessness, feeling eager to return to familiar surroundings. I paid little attention to the show that was playing on the TV, one of many law enforcement type shows, I have a hard time keeping track of them all. My mind was mentally counting down the minutes and seconds while sometimes drifting towards thoughts of what to expect and potentially prepare for with my new wealth and loss of my legs.

  Speaking of which, one thing I had noticed was that I still had feeling in my legs. For example, I felt the cold floor beneath my feet in the bathroom, and the warmth of the blankets that covered my legs. That felt like a good sign to me. Looking back on it, my accident could have been so much worse. I try to look on the bright side and think to myself that at least I made it through alive and wasn’t completely mangled.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  I then looked towards Alice, who was standing in the corner yet again as I thought about how to explain her presence to my folks. I mean, obviously I would tell them the truth. It was the exact words to use that I had a hard time coming up with. I guess I would just have to figure that part out as I went along. After all… how do you explain that you now have a freakishly life-like robot caretaker?

  I didn’t have long to further ponder that line of thought, as the form of my mother entered my room while rolling along a wheelchair for me, my discharge wheelchair, no doubt. “Little help, Alice?” I quickly asked while extending an arm to her, with quiet precision she quickly picked me up off my bed and set me down into my new wheelchair when my mother came to a stop just short of the bed.

  “Thank you so much for all your help. I’ve got him from here.” My mother spoke politely and gratefully to Alice, understandably mistaking her for a member of the hospital staff due to her scrubs.

  “Mama, this is Alice. She’s with me and is coming with us.” I try to explain while being brief and to the point for now as I intend to share the whole story on the drive home.

  “Come again?” My mother blurted out in clear confusion, looking towards my robotic caretaker who was depositing my personal belongings in a pouch attached to the back of my seat… which was rather spacious as it easily fit my books and stuff, but I digress.

  “It’s a bit of a story. I’ll explain on the way home. For right now… it’s time for a jail break!” I called out in an almost overly excited tone at the end, almost bouncing in my seat at the prospect of returning home.

  As expected, my mother continued to stare at me in confusion but didn’t question me any further at the moment as she chose to trust that I would explain everything to her as I had promised. She then opened up her purse and fished out a camouflage ball cap, a pair of sunglasses, and a disposable surgical mask for me to wear and disguise myself. Clearly, she planned ahead.

  I slip on the hat and sunglasses which comfortably fit on my head, though I briefly grimaced as I reluctantly slipped on the mask. I remember back with Covid was a big thing, my store had the staff all wear these kinds of masks. They were stuffy and uncomfortable to me, which was even worse during the summer heat back in those days.

  My own grumblings aside, I could put up with it, at least for a bit until we got to the car. My mother pushed my wheelchair through the halls of the hospital, with Alice dutifully following close behind. I find myself checking over my shoulder every so often, noticing that my mom keeps giving odd looks towards Alice. It was easy to see that my mother had a million questions but was trying to hold them all in for my sake.

  We went into an elevator and rode it down to the large lobby area. I looked towards the main entrance and could see the gathered crowd of the media, some of them trying to push their way past the guards that kept them at bay. I felt kinda bad for the guards for having to deal with that circus. At least I’d be gone soon, and then the reporters wouldn’t have any more reason to stay.

  Seems a bit weird that none of them thought to try the back way, a side entrance or something. Some reporter types can be pretty sneaky that way. Then again, not everyone is that smart, I guess. A lot of people are capable of overlooking the obvious, but in this case, I am certainly not complaining.

  I just hope they don’t decide to try and follow me home. I suppress a shudder at the thought as my mother wheels me over towards a back entrance where I saw my step-dad’s white truck waiting for us. For some reason, I felt a sense of giddiness. I felt like I was in some kind of action/thriller or spy movie. Like I was about to escape the enemy base unseen and make my getaway. It felt pretty cool.

  After wheeling me up to my step-dad’s truck, my mother opened the passenger door for me so that I would be seated inside. Alice picked me up again and set me in the seat and even put on my seatbelt, much to my annoyance since I could have handled the seatbelt myself, but I chose not to say anything.

  I grabbed the handle for the car door and pulled it shut as I used the passenger side-view mirror to observe Alice folding up my wheelchair and deposit it into the back of the truck. My mom then opened the back door and ushered the robotic caretaker inside, probably letting her get in first so that she wasn’t left behind.

  “Who the heck is that? You hire a nurse without telling us? Well… I guess you can hire a nurse Mr. Three Billion.” My step-dad spoke in confusion followed by his usual joking tone. He was always a jolly guy and almost constantly cracking jokes.

  “I’ll explain. Start driving.” I urgently requested, which made him grin and give a thumbs-up. As soon as my mother was in her own seat and buckled up, we began to slowly drive away from the hospital.

  I remove my surgical mask, allowing myself to breathe more comfortably. I didn’t have to really worry about anyone seeing me through the window by this point since my step-dad had the windows of his truck tinted. I looked over my shoulder to find Alice sitting in her seat with perfect poise and safely buckled in place… and my mom was staring at the robotic caretaker for a minute or two before she turned to look at me.

  “Okay, Nate. Spill it. Who. is. She?” My mom asked in a slow and emphasizing tone.

  I sucked on the inside of my cheek for a second before replying “That’s Alice. She’s a robot.”

  “She’s a robot?” My mother questioned while staring once again at Alice, her face now resembling that of a fish out of water.

  “She’s a robot?” My step-dad parroted, glancing up at his rear-view mirror to look at Alice’s face, almost forgetting to keep his eyes on the road before he snapped himself back to attention.

  “She’s a robot.” I repeat in confirmation while using my fingers to rub my temples, as I already sense the coming headache that is creeping up on me.

  “Technically, I am an Android.” Alice suddenly chimed in, gently correcting us as me and my mom exchanged looks with my step-dad asking “What the hell is the difference?”

  “Robots are machines designed to automatically perform specific or repetitive tasks and can come in a variety of different forms. Androids are specifically designed to look and act human.” Alice answered in a smooth and factual tone of voice. I saw my mother, extending a finger towards the Android’s face and poking at her cheeks, almost as if she were trying to confirm if she was real or not.

  If Alice was offended by the poking and prodding, she certainly didn’t show any reaction to it. At least from what I could see as her face remained perfectly stoic.

  “She’s so life-like… since when did machines get this advanced? Why is she here? Where did she even come from?” My mother questioned me, making me sigh a bit as I prepared to share the story of how Alice showed up.

  The words came spilling out of my mouth as I told them about how I was approached by the Thin Man, George Carver, about Elysium, about providing me with Alice, their prototype in the hopes of earning my endorsement and funding, and about how Alice is my robot… I mean, Android caretaker.

  “Oh my god… it is finally happening… someone is making machines to take our jobs.” My mother muttered in horror. Ah… I forgot. My mother is one of those types of people that aren’t big fans of technology. For example, she utterly hates Self-Checkouts at stores as she believes that they’ll, as she already mentioned ‘Take jobs from people’.

  I guess that being a Nurse, she feels potentially threatened by the prospect of an Android Caretaker becoming a big thing and possibly replacing her and other nurses in the future… in this instance, perhaps the ‘not-so-distant’ future from her perspective.

  I didn't want to say it directly to my mother's face, not to be insensitive, but I'm of the mind that technology is advancing rapidly and will continue to advance whether we like it or not. I remember the days when rotary phones were a thing, or those big and clunky satellite phones that had to be installed in a car? Now? We basically have miniature computers that can fit in our pockets.

  I'm of the mind that we simply have to adapt to the times. No matter what comes our way, life will still go on. Then again, I suppose it is in the nature of people to fear change or what is unfamiliar to them.

  “I have no intention of taking your job, ma'am. My only goal is to care for Mr. Harper.” Alice spoke succinctly, though her words didn't stop my mother from continuing to stare at her in suspicion.

  “Mom. Relax. It's just a trial run. She'll be with us for three months. That's it.” I spoke in a firm but gentle tone to try and break up the tension. Fortunately, my words seemed to appease my mother as she relaxed just a little.

  My mom then turned to me and whispered “I don't see why you agreed to take that… Thing with you in the first place.”

  I could only shrug my shoulders as I answered “I dunno. I guess I was curious about her. Also, would it be a bad thing if there were androids like her that could help people?”

  My mother said nothing, her expression remained skeptical but she didn't pursue the matter any further.

  I sighed tiredly as I put two fingers to my temple and shook my head. I then looked out the window, gazing at the passing treetops as we drove down the interstate.

  Truth be told, I was always more of a rider than a driver. I always liked looking out the window and watching things pass by, even if there wasn't anything in particular to look at. I guess it helped relax me somehow.

  When you're in the driver's seat, you have to pay attention to the road and the cars around you and have virtually no time to look at anything else… Which was my almost fatal mistake that led to my own car accident.

  The drive was a quiet one, even my normally talkative and joking step-dad seemed to be at a loss for words. He didn't seem to be as put off as my mother was by Alice's presence and android nature. Perhaps his time in the Navy amidst all the weapons and tech probably helped open him up to the idea of cutting edge and advancing technology.

  I yawned slightly as we got off the interstate and on the road that would lead us home. We lived fairly far out into the woods. Far from town and most other people. The only neighbor they have, not counting me, is a guy by the name of Terry who is a longtime friend of my step-dad and just as jovial and friendly. A really nice guy.

  I always liked the idea of living out in the woods. Sure, it is pretty isolated, but it is nice and quiet, and we don't have to worry about nosy neighbors… not counting the Deer, Raccoons and Possums that like to come out at night to steal my cat's food. Note to self: Remind everyone to feed my cat Gracie small scoops of food. She's getting too fat.

  At long last, we began to pull into the driveway of my parents home which was a welcome sight. The gravel crackled underneath the truck tires as we pulled up by the house and my step-dad put his truck into park. There was a new addition to the front porch, a makeshift ramp that was hastily put together from the looks of it.

  Probably to help me into the house for now until my step-dad can make a better and more sturdy ramp. Everyone, excluding myself, exited the vehicle as Alice quickly retrieved my wheelchair, set it up and then brought it over to me.

  I opened the passenger side door and pushed it open, unbuckling my seatbelt to allow Alice to pick me up and gently put me down in my wheelchair.

  I breathed in deeply, taking in the fresh air, which was a welcome change since I didn't like the sterile air of the hospital. It was definitely comforting to be back in familiar surroundings, it kind of felt like, at least to me, being covered with a security blanket.

  My folks watched Alice carefully push me up the ramp, my mother watching with almost piercing hawk-like eyes as she watched the android’s every move. Though whether that was out of motherly concern, being wary of a machine, or simply judging as a nurse… I can't say with certainty. Maybe a mix of all of the above?

  My stepfather opened the front door, allowing Alice to push my inside as I felt myself jostled slightly when my wheelchair rolled over the doorstep. I couldn't help but grin a bit and say to myself “Great to be back.”