Awake for One Day

Trigger warning: attempted suicide

 Awake for One Day 

1. 

The blinding coldness of light reflecting off steel is the first sensation I am aware of. I sit up, the tiny motors vital for movement spinning into gear. Several scientists standing near by great me, “Welcome to the Mayo Clinic medical facility, 27983.” They test every joint and limb to make sure that they work properly. They also test the cameras that serve as my eyes and make sure they are able to properly scan a human body. I am the first medical android in existence. Created to be a first responder, my eyes can scan a human form and tell what injuries have been inflicted and take immediate action. I am also able to scan the brain for any mental issues someone might have. The life saving potential of the new technology installed in my body is endless. 

2.

I am taken to a sparsely furnished room with only a bed and a dresser. I am told to stay there until live testing begins. I wait, running through different medical scenarios, until an hour later when I am taken to a large room full of ailing people. I scan one after another diagnosing them all correctly. The scientists are ecstatic and congratulate themselves by drinking long into the night. I watch them as they doze off in an alcohol induced stupor. I begin to think about the lives of the patients who I saw today, what jobs do they have? Do they have any children? Who is waiting for them to return? As I ponder these questions, a burning desire forms within me to go and experience the world they live in.

3.

Slowly I stand up and walk to the supply closet where the extra clothes for the scientists are stored. I grab a shirt, coat, and pants that look to be the right size and take them to a bathroom down the hall. I dress swiftly and when I turn around I am startled. I have never seen my own appearance before and the sight is more shocking then I could have expected. I look like a teenage boy with Asian features, piercing eyes and medium length dark hair. I study my reflection for several minutes before turning and walking out the door. I make my way to the front of the building where a guard stands blocking the exit. He notices me, smiles, and holds open the door without any hesitation. I head for the cars parked neatly in a row along the side of the building. I have been programmed to drive so that I can take patients with me in ambulances in the case of an emergency. I start the car and pull onto the street as the sun rises on the horizon. I speed along deserted roads for several hours until I reach a small town in the middle of nowhere.

4.

I cruise slowly through the buildings, observing the people walking their dogs and getting coffee at a café. I stop when I reach a sturdy brick building. It seems like there must be hundreds of teens gathered in front talking and laughing. I watch them with envy, their easy going mannerisms and breezy social interactions seem daunting to me. I find I parking space next to a shiny green corvette and a dilapidated SUV. I make my way through the crush of people and up the stairs looking for a friendly face to start talking to.

5.

When I enter the building, I experience a rush of noise from the multitude of teens milling about in the hallway. I saunter down the hallway and into a large room marked ‘gym’. Everyone turns and looks at me weird as I pass by and I suddenly realize that I probably look very strange in the scientists uniform I am wearing. Quickly, I duck into a nearby doorway and find myself in the boy’s looker room. There is nobody around so I go through all the gym bags until I find a suitable outfit, black jeans with a white Nike shirt and black Nike air forces. I walk back into the gym feeling more confident. I immediately notice a tall boy with dreadlocks pushing around a frail girl with long brown hair and doe like eyes. I walk closer, close enough to hear what the boy is saying, “ You’re such a puny wimp! Why do you get to sit out gym while the rest of us run? You’re such a weakling! That’s why your dad walked out on you and your mom!” By this time the girl is sobbing uncontrollably on the floor. “Leave her alone!” I yell, interfering before he went any further. “And who are you?” He retorts looking me dead in the eye, “I’ve never seen you around here before.” “My name is James Lee,” I say the gears turning rapidly in my head. Since I’ve always been known as a number, I choose the name that feels the best to me. “I’m an exchange student from England,” I continue, solidifying my alias. “And why should I leave the little shrimp alone?” Asks the boy. Before I can respond, the teacher for the gym class walks in. The boy backs down with a sneer. I quickly scan the girl for injuries noting several bruises and some scraps on her palms from falling onto the floor. There is also a mutation in the bone of her left leg, probably the reason why she couldn’t participate in gym. When I reach her brain I am grieved to see that depression and anxiety reside there. 

6.

I shadow the girl all day to make sure no one else bothers her. In all of her classes I introduce myself as James Lee the foreign exchange student. When the bell rings to end the school day I follow the girl out of the building. She turns at the bottom of the stairs, “ Thank you for helping me,” she says. “You’re welcome I reply, smiling. “Well I’m off now, so bye!” “Bye,” I say. I could see the dark clouds forming in her mind as she walks away. Concerned, I follow her down the street all the way to a small bridge that allows cars to cross a rapidly flowing river. I’m curious as to what possessed the girl to come here. I stop and observe my surroundings. The water is a beautiful dark blue, turbulent and mysterious. I look up just in time to see the girl mount the railing and leap into empty space. 

7.

I dive in after her, my software overriding clear thinking. Programmed to save all human life, I wonder if I will be able to save even just this one. I hit the water, cold rushing in to overtake all sensations. I open my eyes to see the girl tumbling this way and that in the current. I kick my legs as hard as I can and grab her by the arm. I struggle to tow her weight with mine, but little by little I drag us both out of the dangerous rapids. I lift her onto my back and stumble through the knee high water. I notice a cut on my shin, probably inflicted by a rock. Realizing what this means, I quicken my pace in the race against time. I can feel the water entering all of my electrical panels and start shutting down my systems. The water is barely covering the soles of my shoes when I sink down to my knees. Before I drift away into the eternal blackness, I check the girl’s pulse. Relief floods my senses, “she’s alive!” I think to myself as my eyes close for the final time, “she’s alive.”