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“Logan?” Virgil whispered, looking into the room. It was dark except for the small form with blue lights shining out of his eyes.
“Virgil?” he asked, and those bright beams moved to illuminate Virgil.
“What are you doing?”
“Error, cannot compute. Running diagnostic test, please stand by.”
“Never mind, Logan.”
“Please stand by.”
“Cancel, don’t do a diagnostic test.”
Those bright blue lights flickered, “Help." His hands started to lift and staggered back to his sides half-way through the movement.
“Okay, okay, come here, Logan.”
Logan leaned forward and took a stiff step. How long had he been standing here?
“Error, cannot complete. Running diagnostic test, please stand by.”
“Logan.”
“Please stand by.”
“Logan, can you hear me?”
“Please stand by. Test completed. Problem: Pain from system:muscular. Options: Disable, restart.”
“Logan.”
“Problem detected: Pain from system:muscular. Options:Disable, restart.”
“Logan, restart.”
“Shutting down. Please stand by.”
“Okay, Logan, I’m here.”
“Error, cannot complete. Running diagnostic test, please stand by.”
“Logan, cancel and retry.”
“Shutting down. Please stand by.”
The tiny form collapsed with no more warning and Virgil rushed forward, gathering him into his arms. He couldn’t weigh more than 50 pounds. When was the last time he had eaten? He kicked on Patton’s door, and the fatherly friend opened it, losing his smile the instant his eyes landed on Logan.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know,” Virgil whispered, trying the will away the tears he felt beading at the edge of his eyes.
“Patton?”
“Hey, Logan.”
“Where’s Virgil?”
“He’s holding you, Kiddo.”
“I haven’t left you, L.”
“Problem detected: Pain from system:digestive. Options: Disable, restart.”
“Logan, cancel. Do nothing.”
“I’m going to get you some food, Logan.”
“Problem detected: Pain from system:digestive. Options: Disable, restart.”
“Logan, cancel.”
“Problem detected: Pain from system:digestive. Options: Disable, restart. Automatic disable in 30 seconds.”
“Logan, restart.”
“Error, cannot complete. Running diagnostic test. Please stand by. 15 seconds to automatic disable.”
“Logan, cancel and try again.”
“Error, cannot complete. Running diagnostic test. Please stand by. 10 seconds to automatic disable.”
“Logan, cancel and try again,” Virgil repeated desperately.
“Restarting, please stand by.”
The small form in Virgil’s arms relaxed again. Patton and Virgil made eye contact. Virgil could see tears gathering in Patton’s eyes.
“You better get some food before he wakes up again.”
Patton hurried away, and Virgil gently laid Logan down on the bed heaped with plushies. Patton returned in no time at all armed with chips, trail mix, lemonade, and water. They sat next to the bed, watching Logan. His body tensed and he sat up.
“Problem detected: Pain from system:digestive. Options: Disable, restart,” he said. The blue light glared at the poster for the Steven Universe movie across from the bed. It flickered red, then returned to blue.
“Logan, eat, honey,” Patton said, pressing trail mix into his hands. Logan looked down at it, unreactive, as if the concept of eating was foreign to him. Slowly his hands moved and brought a single nut into his mouth. Virgil dug the fingers of his hands into the edge of the mattress, his eyes never leaving Logan’s face as his jaw moved once, twice, three times, then a movement in his throat indicated that he had swallowed. A two more followed that.
“Problem detected: Nausea from system:digestive. Options: Disable, restart.”
“Cancel, run diagnostics program,” Virgil whispered, feeling color drain out of his face. How long did you have to be starving to feel nauseous at the return of food?
“Running diagnostics program, please stand by.”
Virgil felt a hand on his and looked over to see Patton watching Logan just as intently as he had been.
“Scan completed. Problem: Nausea from system:digestive. Source: Consumption of food after a period of starvation. Options: Vomit, disable, restart.”
“Cancel, drink this, please, Logan,” Patton whispered, pressing lemonade into Logan’s hand.
“Bug: Nausea preventing the intake of plugin:lemonade. Options: Vomit, disable, restart. Vomit reflex in 10 seconds.”
Patton ran to grab the trash can and brought it back just in time for the three crushed nuts to come up with some stomach acid.
“Drink this, Logan, baby,” Patton pleaded, pressing the lemonade into Logan’s hands again. He took it and sipped it, managing half the glass before handing it back to Patton.
“Problem detected: Pain from area:head. Running diagnostic program.”
Virgil shifted his hand so that he was holding Patton’s.
“Problem detected: Pain from system:muscular. Options: Disable, restart.”
“Logan, cancel.”
“Error, cannot complete. Running diagnostics program. Error, cannot complete. Running diagnostics program. Error, cannot complete. Running diagnostics program. Please stand by.”
Virgil risked another glance at Patton. His face was tense, focused on Logan.
“Problem detected: Pain from system:muscular. Options: Disable, restart.”
“Logan, restart,” Virgil whispered.
“Error, cannot complete. Running diagnostic test.”
“Logan, cancel and try again.”
“Error, cannot complete. Running diagnostic test.”
“Logan, cancel and try again.” Virgil repeated and felt a squeeze. He somehow knew Patton was crying without taking his eyes off of those blue beams of light staring at that poster.
“Error, cannot complete. Automatic disable in 30 seconds.”
“Logan, cancel and try again.”
“Error, cannot complete. Automatic disable in 15 seconds.”
“Logan, cancel and try again.”
“Error, cannot complete. Automatic disable in 10 seconds.”
“Logan, cancel and try again.”
“Error, cannot complete. Automatic disable in 5 seconds.”
“Logan, cancel and try again,” Virgil heard Patton’s broken voice join his.
“Error, cannot complete. Disabling system:muscular. Please stand by.”
Virgil wordlessly pulled Patton into a hug. Neither of them took their eyes off of Logan, even as 30 seconds later the bright blue beams of light flickered, one, twice, three times, then turned off.