A Companion's Journey

Chapter 9 - Old Feelings

Time seemed to blur together for Karson since his routine changed little from day to day. He read a lot and chatted on the computer with Rachel at lunch. His typing improved rapidly and he looked forward to time spent together in the evening after she got home. Karson began doing simple chores like washing dishes, vacuuming and dusting.

One weekend Rachel decided to take Karson for a picnic in the park, and made sure to visit one where people flew kites. He thoroughly enjoyed the day, and the pair saw a few other Companions on similar outings. The rest of the weekend passed happily as Rachel spent more time with Karson. They played board games or cards after dinner, which soon became a regular occurrence. Rachel found it far more entertaining when she talked to the Companion rather than staring at the TV all night. Karson opened up more to his new friend as days passed, and before long the two chatted like lifelong pals.

One evening they played Gin Rummy.

"Would you mind if I go in your room," Karson asked between plays, "I wanted to vacuum and dust, I just thought it would be better if I got your permission first."

Rachel discarded before she replied.

"Oh, yeah sure that's fine."

Karson drew her discard, knocked on the table and laid down his last card.

"Ah, crap," she muttered as she drew the next card, "guess you win this one."

He grinned as he laid down his hand.

"Thanks for the game. I'm going to check the forums before I go to bed."

Karson busied himself in the kitchen.

"I still need to load the dish washer."

"Thanks for doing the chores; I know I can be a little lazy about it sometimes."

He gave her a friendly smile.

"It is my pleasure."

The rest of the night passed quietly, and Rachel finished up on the computer a short time after Karson sat down to read. He enjoyed her company even if they were not engaged in conversation.

The next morning Rachel rushed off to work in her usual fashion, and left Karson alone in the apartment. He accessed the computer to check some of the daily news sites before he tended to the chores.

His routine took him from room to room, lightly dusting the furniture and pictures before he followed with the vacuum. This time however, he entered Rachel's room and began his cleaning. The whole time he lived with her he only entered a couple of times, and only after she asked him to come in. Her room, being the master bedroom, had its own bathroom with shower. Karson briefly peeked in and saw the cluttered array of things on the counter and several used towels. He made a note to grab them for the next laundry run.

The Companion was soon lost in his work as he went about her room. He straightened things, dusted numerous pictures, and attempted to organize the large dresser that took up one corner. He was amazed how much stuff she had littered about her make-up table, and decided not to even attempt to organize the myriad collection of cosmetics. He eventually came to the simple metal shelves opposite her bed, which were also piled with assorted boxes and random items. Her small TV sat on the third shelf, and he nearly sneezed when the duster produced a cloud of particles from the screen.

Karson grumbled for a brief second and wondered why he had not come in sooner to clean. He took a few moments to clear the accumulated layer of dust off the shelves and the items piled on them. When he reached the bottom tier, he found a large shoe box that stuck out at an angle and tugged on it to find a better location. As he attempted to extract it, he lost his grip and the box fell on the floor to spill its contents. A brief whimper escaped his throat at his blunder, but he quickly stooped to put the items back into the container.