[Orange Steve's POV]

Why did Sabre have to go and do something that reckless...

I look at him as he's still lying down on the couch. He looks so peaceful, despite the pain he's probably in... I hope I treated his injuries correctly. Based on his description of how the cuts kept stinging, it seems like they were all fairly minor, but even hail can break down a building. If I don't keep a close eye on them, those cuts could get worse... a lot worse. And that punch he took... I can only hope that the Darkness didn't break anything in him. We have no idea how to check without the knowledge of how to use an X-Ray machine, and even then, only a Green Steve would know that.

I'm pulled from my thoughts when Gerald bumps up against my leg. As he looks up at me, I smile and pick him up off the ground, walking towards my own room.

"Hey there, Gerald." I whisper. "Let's hang out in here so we can give Sabre some quiet time so he can sleep."

Entering my little room, I look around. I don't really have much in here yet, as I spend a lot of my time either outside or with Sabre. I have a charging station, a chair next to a small bookshelf placed by the window, an orange rug matching the one in the living room, a little pillow for Gerald next to the chair, and a picture of me and Red Steve on the bookshelf. The rest of my stuff is still at my house.

I walk over to the chair, and sit down. Gerald sits in my lap as I look at him.

"Okay, what is it, buddy?" I ask my little friend.

Gerald then uses a code I taught him, called Morse Code, using one of the lights on his face. It's so he can talk to me when he needs to, and I can understand. He was able to learn it  because, well... we're both robots. He's much smarter than a biological pig, and on top of that smarter than the other mechanical pigs I have. Gerald proceeds to talk in Morse Code to me.

"What? What do you mean, something's up with him?" I ask Gerald.

...

"Pft, yeah right. He's just a little weirder than the humans we see in recordings." I say. "Besides, he was both raised in an apocalypse and not from our world. Of course he's not going to act the same."

...

"What the crap is- I'm pretty sure there's no component called that, buddy."

...

"Ohh, I get what's up with you now. Heh, Sabre was right about you being jealous. You gotta just accept I can't be with you all the time."

Gerald then headbutts my arm.

"Hey!" I say, confused. "What-"

...

"...Sick? Yeah, Sabre is injured right now, but I'm pretty sure he's not sick. There's no signs of illness showing up when I scan him."

...

"What do you mean, 'It's not a normal illness'? Gerald, you're just spouting off nonsense at this point. Did something get in your wiring?"

Gerald looks at me, either unamused or annoyed, and jumps off me and trots over to his little cushion. He faces his back towards me. I then get up and walk back over to the door.

"Alright, jeez..." I say. "You're cranky today."

I carefully shut the door as I go back into the living room, and walk over to Sabre as quietly as I can. I dunno, I guess I just feel like I need to watch over him.

...Could I have done something to prevent him from getting hurt like this? Maybe kept him from running towards the Darkness and attacking, or followed him into the forest so he didn't get hit... Why does this little guy have such a lack of self-preservation? I mean, I've heard him say he's climbed to the top of a radio broadcast tower, and I'm pretty sure those are the really high things on top of those skyscrapers in abandoned city ruins! How did he even handle climbing up there without getting scared?! Geez, a little under half my size and he's braver than me.

I'm reminded of the random thing Gerald said about Sabre being sick, and I get a little worried. I scan him, just to be safe, and it's just like last time. No signs of illness at all. Oh, what's that?

'Entered stages of REM'? Oh, I know what that is. That means he's dreaming. I wonder what he's dreaming about...

—————————————————————————————————————

[Sabre's POV]

I open my eyes to see I'm once again tiny, but this time I'm in a little bed. The room is one that looks like a mix of a hospital patient's room and a toddler's room. Looking around, I see Alaric looking at charts on a nearby table. Suddenly, a phone rings.

"Oop- no no no no no!" Alaric whispers, quickly picking up the phone. "Hello? Who's this?"

Alaric seems relieved by hearing the person on the other end.

"Oh, hey again Cygni. Thought you were another bothersome reporter, for a minute." Alaric whispers. "What's up?"

Alaric puts down the charts and walks over to a window covered by thin curtains, only some light coming through, and being tinted a greenish-blue.

"Ah, Sabre? He's doing well. Got the surgery with the heart attachment the other week, no signs of any malfunctions yet. Actually, I just got him to sleep a little while ago. No, no, you're fine. I think he's still asleep."

Some speaking on the other end.

"Yes, it's been a little tiring, balancing taking care of my son and my work. Origin has been helping me with that, though. He and Sabre have taken really well to each other."

More speaking. Alaric chuckles.

"Oh hush, when we were little you'd get so close with those robotic toys mirroring animals that you'd be inconsolable when their batteries ran out. I'm not 'giving personality to a mindless thing', Origin is actually partially sentient. I like to believe he has a soul, even. He's done very considerate things, things I didn't program into him."

Alaric listens to the person in the other line again, and smiles.

"Oh, don't be so worried. He's not only your nephew, but my son. And I'm pretty sure I know what's best for him. Besides, even if anything were to happen, Origin has a protocol in his system where he will protect Sabre with his life, and will never under any circumstances harm him. I have trust in my creation that he will be the perfect guardian as Sabre grows, even while helping with Project Steel."

Suddenly, the door opens, and a familiar tall figure ducks under the doorframe as he enters the room.

"I'll have to call you back, sis." Alaric whispers. "See you."

Alaric then hangs up the phone, and turns to Origin.

"Yes?" Alaric asks.

"Doctor Kerrings is asking to see you." Origin says. "Something about a meeting involving the plan for the next of Sabre's surgeries?"

"Oh shoot- that was today?!" Alaric says, still whispering.

Alaric grabs a lab coat off the table, picks up the charts again, and heads out the door.

"Watch over my son, will you, Origin?" Alaric whispers.

"Yes, Alaric." Origin says.

Alaric leaves the room and quietly closes the door. Origin then walks up to where I am, and seems surprised.

"Oh, what are you doing awake...?" Origin says, curiously turning his head slightly. "Here, little one..."

Origin picks tiny me up, and I see a small smile form on his face.

"Starting Program: Music Box." A quiet, robotic voice says, coming from Origin. It's not his voice, though; more like a little announcer thing.

The sound of many notes echo inside the room, creating a song. I... I feel like I recognize it from somewhere... it's nice. The atmosphere is peaceful as Origin just looks into tiny me's eyes, still smiling.

Eventually, tiny me closes his eyes, falling back asleep.

—————————————————————————————————————

I wake up, still on the couch, wrapped in the soft blanket Orange gave me. I don't really feel too sore right now... although everything still stings.

Sitting up, I see Orange is walking around outside, chasing after a few pigs. They must have gotten loose. I get up off the couch, and walk over to the open door with the blanket still wrapped around me, being careful of keeping myself balanced as my sliced-up legs want to give out.

I watch as Orange rounds up the pigs as I lean against the huge doorframe. It's funny, because the pigs are still normal-sized while Orange is... well, really tall. They keep dashing between his legs and making him almost fall over, and Orange has trouble catching up to the pigs. To him, they're the same size as cats. Eventually, Orange gets all the pigs back in their pen and goes to walk back inside, when he sees me.

"Hi, Orange." I say.

Orange quickly walks over to me and picks me up, being careful not to cause discomfort.

"Sabre, what are you doing walking around, you're still recovering!" Orange says. "You might accidentally reopen one of your injuries, if you keep straining yourself like this after I just treated them!"

Orange sits me down back on the couch.

"Orange, I'm fine. I just wanted to see where you were." I say.

"Sabre, you are not 'fine'. You're covered in cuts and will probably have a huge bruise." Orange says, sitting down next to me.

"Well, I'm not really that sore anymore..." I say.

"Okay, that's good." Orange says. "I went out while you were asleep and asked the Leader for some help, since I was getting worried about you. He pointed me in the direction of an abandoned hospital, and told me about some things that will help you in case you get worse."

"Heh, you worry too much..." I say, giggling.

"I do not." Orange says, looking a little peeved about my comment. "I just- I don't really know how humans work too well, and you've proven to be a little... reckless, so I can't really trust too much if you just say you're okay."

"Aw, what? I'm trustworthy!" I say.

"You've shown to have quite the lack of self-preservation, Sabre." Orange says.

We both laugh. Staying silent for a minute, I realize that I'm feeling hungry... Which is fair, all I've really had today is that loaf of bread I didn't get to finish. Orange seems to notice.

"Do you want food now?" Orange asks me.

"Heheh, yep." I say.

Orange gets up and goes to the storage room, while I get up too and follow behind him. Orange notices, and immediately picks me up again and sets me back on the couch.

"Sabre, stooop." Orange says. "I don't want you getting up right now, you're hurt."

"Aw, but-" I start, but Orange interrupts.

"Nope, you are staying right here on the couch, buddy." Orange says. "Don't think I didn't see you struggling to stay balanced as you walked. Now, just sit back so you can get better."

I hesitantly do as I'm told, and Orange talks to me as he cooks. He tells me jokes to keep me smiling, and even tells me a story of something that happened during one of his visits to the village before I got there. Apparently, Shy knows how to RKO people! ...Although that's not what they call it. They call it a 'tower takedown'. Heh, I get it, cuz they're all tall as frick-

Eventually, Orange finishes the food, and he doodles in a sketchbook as I eat.

—————————————————————————————————————

"Thanks for all this, Orange." I say.

"No problem, buddy." Orange replies.

I finished a while ago, and have been leaning against Orange since. He didn't bring up me slowing down this time and just let me have what I usually get, probably because I'm hurt right now. I might not wanna move, but food is sooo worth it. I then look up at Orange and notice he has a smug grin, for some reason.

...Hey, wait a minute.

"Hold on, did you just trick me with food again?" I ask, and Orange starts laughing.

"Another point for the robot!" Orange giggles. "Now you can't try to wander around when you're not supposed to be while recovering."

I try to sit upright so I can move over, but give up about two seconds into trying. Shoot, he's right.

"You're a jerk." I grumble, and Orange calms down and looks at me.

"Maybe, but I'm a smart jerk." Orange says.

Orange keeps quietly doodling in his sketchbook for the rest of the night. Eventually, I feel tired, and let myself drift off again since I can't really do anything else.

...I'm so getting back at him again.