Xiang Shan was awakened by the gentle patting on his cheek.
He rebooted his vision and found the little girl gently patting his face.
"Don't be afraid… don't be afraid…"
She said in a babyish voice.
For a second, she seemed to realize that Xiang Shan was "awake"—although the sleep and waking patterns of cybernetically enhanced people are not limited, she seemed to judge that he was in a "conscious" state based on subtle movements.
The little girl wanted to shrink back.
Xiang Shan's hands went under the little girl's armpits, lifting her up.
The little girl still had that trumpet-like mouth, her throat open. Xiang Shan shook his head. He had failed to find a proper surgical environment after all.
He looked at the little girl and said softly, "ba."
The little girl didn't understand.
"ba," Xiang Shan repeated.
"ba…" The little girl mimicked.
"ba," Xiang Shan nodded and repeated.
"ba… ba!" The little girl joyfully repeated the syllable as if it contained infinite fun.
