Her Cyborg by Nellie C. Lind Page A

direction that his didn't. He was just curious. He was a newborn who learned fast but he still had a lot to learn about the world, and the Fighters were a fascinating subject because they had once been in his situation. They had been bonded to someone they had loved dearly.
    “Their leader, Nightmare, is an interesting cyborg. He was the first to lose his bound one about forty years ago. When it happened, the entire world went into shock. It had been unheard of and no doctor expected a cyborg to react the way he did. One day, he had been a loving and caring cyborg and had turned into a mad killing machine the next day. People are afraid of Nightmare and I don't blame them. He has no remorse.”
    Phoebe swallowed. She had heard the stories about Nightmare, but what was true and what was false, she didn't know, but she knew one thing. The Internet was filled with crap.
    “Don't judge him based on what is written on the Internet,” she said.
    “I don't. I am just informing you of what is being said about him. It doesn't mean I believe it, but I do believe some truth lies within it. He has been filmed many times breaking into places and hurting innocent people. That, he cannot lie about.”
    There was a knock on the door.
    “Come in,” Phoebe said and the door opened.
    Jade entered. She smiled as she approached them. She had her hair put up in a ponytail and she had a doctor's coat on. In her hands, she held a notebook and a pen. She came alone. No big and bad-looking cyborgs were with her this time. They hadn't been with her for the past week. Maybe she felt it was safe to come alone now that Shade was stable.
    “I see you have packed,” she said.
    “Yes, we are ready to go home,” Phoebe said with excitement.
    Jade turned to Shade. “How are you doing?”
    Shade's face showed no emotions. His eyes were cold and his voice hard when he answered: “I'm fine.”
    Jade sighed and wrote something down in her notebook. “Don't worry, Shade. You will get rid of me soon, but you will have to come back here from time to time during the next two years.”
    His eyes narrowed. “I don't want to get rid of you. You are my doctor and I need you, but you need to learn how to handle newborn cyborgs. You did nothing to gain my trust. From the start, you showed me I can't trust you.”
    “I'm sorry about that, but you are the first one who I have not been able to become friends with.”
    “Or I am the first one who tells you what you did wrong.”
    “Think what you want. I came to make a last check up on you before I follow you down to the reception area to sign you out.”
    “Nothing has changed since yesterday.”
    “Good, but this is protocol.”
    “Fine.” Shade removed his t-shirt. “Get on with it.”
    Phoebe watched Shade as Jade examined him. It amazed her how far he had come since he had awakened. The first time Jade tried to examine him, he hadn't allowed her to touch him, but now, he allowed it even if he didn't like it. He didn't want Jade to touch him, but he understood that the doctor's touch didn't mean he was unfaithful. It had taken a while to explain that to him. She knew he had understood it from the start. He was a cyborg after all, but he had just refused to accept it. He had been afraid of her leaving him if he touched another woman, but after watching her interact with other people, he had finally relaxed. His need to defend her was still there, though. A new person had to go through him first before they could approach her. She didn't mind, as long as he didn't take it any further.
    Jade placed the device against Shade's chest. It blinked to life and a few minutes later it was over. She pulled it away and looked at it. “It looks like everything is still fine, and you have developed like you should. I believe you are ready to go home. I will sign you out.” She smiled.
    Phoebe could barely contain her excitement. She longed to bring him home, to show him where they would live. She knew Shade looked