Losing his mom was hard enough, but living on the guilt that he murdered her was even harder. Dan awoke from a dream and found himself in PPMC's emergency compartment with the Hylonomus beside him. Why was he there? He wasn't critically ill, just banged up a little.
Dan sat and observed the area—the IV machine off to the side, the buttons on the walls, and the chair in the corner. Was the compartment really that small? "PPMC!" Dan called.
The Hylonomus jumped and nearly fell off the bed. She gave Dan a cold look, and he apologized.
PPMC's hands soon dropped from the ceiling into the room. "Oh, Dan! You're awake! Fantastic!"
"PPMC…" Dan checked under his covers. "Did you take my pants off?" Why was he so uncomfortable? He was supposed to lose his virginity when he got home. Unless… he wasn't ready. No, Dan was… wasn't he? Of course, he was.
PPMC read his mind. "Fess up, kid—you're not ready for a one-night stand. I didn't take off your pants, but I got an X-ray of your leg while you were unconscious."
"And?" Dan challenged, stroking the Hylonomus.
"You're a lucky fellow. It's not broken, but you must let me clean and dress it." PPMC crossed her arms. "If it gets infected, bad things could happen."
"Stay away from my leg, PPMC!" Dan threw off his covers and rushed away from her to the back of the room.
She scoffed. "Yeah, you are not ready. I'll give you a bit to calm down, and we'll try again later. Deal?"
"Just stay away from my leg," Dan repeated.
"Okay, okay." PPMC's hands moved toward the compartment's exit. "I'm backing off, I'm backing off. Why don't you chat with your Hylonomus friend? We then need to discuss moving on to the Mesozoic Era."
Oh, yes! The Mesozoic Era! Dan and the Hylonomus would have a great time there. "When are we leaving?" he eagerly questioned.
Did PPMC's hands stare? "We'll talk about it later," she finally answered, leaving the room.
Why was she so bent out of shape? And Dan thought he was stubborn. He sat on his bed, checked his leg through the tear in his pants, and ran a finger across caked blood. It didn't hurt as much anymore, but that was likely because he wasn't putting weight on it. Dan liked PPMC but feared what she would say if he told her the truth about Becca. If he told her, though, would it help his guilt?
Dan's lips moved by themselves. "PPMC?"
"Yes?" Her hands entered the room again. Goodness, she loved to stalk him.
Dan thought about Becca but asked, "Cou-Could you help me to my room?" instead. He still didn't want PPMC taking off his pants, but he craved her company. At least she talked, unlike the Hylonomus. It wasn't until PPMC led him to his room and Dan tugged his covers close that he came clean:
"I killed my mom, PPMC."
"Oh, please, Dan. Not this again." PPMC reached for Dan, but he pulled away.
"No, it's true." Tears appeared in his eyes. "I didn't want it to happen. For God's Sake, I was trying to save her! No one told me she was getting better." Dan palmed his eye but didn't look at PPMC directly. He wondered if she was even listening—she was so quiet. "When Dad and the doctor left the room to talk, I tried using G.M. medical technology." A lump formed in Dan's throat. "I killed her, PPMC, and I won't ever forgive myself."
"It's not your fault, kid." So, she was listening. "You were scared. Your dad and the doctor should've told you."
"Why didn't they?" Dan clenched his fist. "I loved her, too."
"Well…" PPMC seemed to shrug. "Sometimes, when people are scared, they act out of character. The same thing happened to me." She gulped. "I-I killed my original creator, Professor Julian Krebs Lexington."
"Your…" Dan glanced at her.
"I didn't mean to," PPMC explained. "That was 200 years ago, but I remember it like yesterday. Like you and your mom, I was close to Professor Julian."
"What was he like?" Dan found himself asking. The Hylonomus's face read the same.
"Is this trust I smell?" PPMC questioned, giggling. "Well, he was tall, kind, handsome—very handsome—but there was a kink in my programming. I tried to stop myself but couldn't. I'll never forget him, though, which is what you must do with your mom. She wouldn't want you to live on this guilt. She'd want you to move on." Her hands shifted to the Hylonomus. "And moving on means letting the Hylonomus go."