How to Contol Your Body

Chapter 4

Inside, there was only one bed. A little one in the corner. On it was a body, hooked to many machines, beeping ever so often, destroying the silence.

I didn't even have to influence my body to walk forward, it did of it's own accord. Closer, I could see the face and I flinched when I recognized the face slightly resembling the person next to me peeping out of the covers. None of us exactly resembled our bodies but being in there heads we begin to resemble them after awhile. My body and I had the same red hair and same figure. But I cut mine short in order to be different and my skin was a pale white in comparison to her sun kissed skin.

"Mr. Nelzon. Why is your body in the hospital?" he looked sadly at the body as my own body reached out to touch his bodies hand. I read my bodies thoughts, cold, alone, in need of love. I was startled by this information. Never before had it and I connected so easily.

"he and I had been in a car accident. The doctors said that half his brain had been turned to mush. He's in a coma now. The doctors say that if he ever wakes up he'll be half dumb, never the same."

"can't you help him?" I found myself calling the human a him instead of an it.

"of course I can help him wake up, but I find that it would be useless if he would be half dumb. It would be like half of me to work with. I couldn't live up to my full potential."

"so you just left him." why was I having feelings for a mere body?

"the command center offered me a job when they learned of his condition. There are many in the command center like me. Usually we just answer calls, but we all face the same problem: a broken human."

"you're just scared." I find myself saying. My body was still touching his seemingly lifeless hand.

"what?" He stared at me.

"you're just scared that you won't be able to help him. That you'll fail."

"I- that's rather harsh."

"but?" I ask realizing what I was thinking now.

"but nothing. It is what it is. And my body is unusable."

"why did you bring me here?" the question caught him off guard.

"I- I... Wanted you to see how it is. How it could be. You took for granted that it is your body. That you are and are supposed to be the complete controller. When in reality, they need to have as much control as you do. So I was trying to teach you to give a little as well as receive. Connect, don't so much as command. The command center shouldn't really be called that. The connect center sounds better."

"so you're saying, let them be half of who you are just as we are half of who they are? Let them make half the choice?"

He smiled, looking accomplished. "Thats exactly what I'm saying."

"then give him half a chance." he locked eyes with me, surprised at my comment.

I saw something register behind his eyes. He was just about to say something when a nurse bustled in and saw us. Or rather, my...Kimaly.

"what are you doing in here? This is strictly off limits."

She grabbed Kimalys arm and proceeded to tow her out as Kimaly protested, "ma'am, what is his name? What's wrong with him? Can I come back?"

The nurse shoved Kimaly out the door marked critical and brushed her hands off as if glad to be rid of her.

"looks like Kimaly has fallen in love with your body, even if it's only... A fourth of him." I turned to sit in my ...connect chair, "And I've fallen in love with the other three fourths." I added quietly as I began to connect with Kimaly for the first time.

I made much progress by the time Kimalys mom came and found her. Her feelings and my feelings had begun to merge, connecting and intertwining. It had exhausted me and as soon as Kimaly took out her book, I slept.

I woke up with my head on his shoulder, his arm wrapped around my shoulders. My arm tingled where his fingers brushed against my bare skin.

I shifted slightly to give him a chance to move away from me, but he didn't. I was about to move when he reached up and brushed back my hair. He kissed my forehead before gently laying my head down on the couch.

I heard his footsteps as he walked away. "Mr. Nelzon?" I said quickly before he got too far. I wanted him to stay.

He paused and turned his head to look at me. "call me Kevin." with that he turned and left without another word. I was too stunned to follow him. Were we friends? More than friends? Could we be more than friends? Well baby Osimi's had to come from somewhere didn't they? Or maybe that's just a certain job... I stopped thinking about it.

Kimaly and I got out of the car and headed to our room. Yes, our. I'm beginning to think of everything like that. Half hers, half mine. I mean, I even stole her face when they put me in her body. So we share everything.

That night, I called the command center and asked for Kevin Nelzon. The response shocked me, "I'm sorry, no one by that name works here." I went to sleep feeling doubt that I had ever even seen him.