Chapter 14

Tiffany eased her left foot onto the four-inch wide, sixteen-foot long line on the master bedroom floor, waiting for it to finish rising three inches. Mounting the balance beam, her steps were heel to toe. Four times, she crossed the room. She hummed Moonlight Sonata to help maintain her pace.

"Stand still Tiffany. The gravity in your exercise area is being reduced to five and sixty-one hundredths meters per second squared."

The sensation of the changing gravity was like an elongated drop on a roller coaster and gave Tiffany the feeling she needed to pee. Once the pull stabilized, the feelings abated.

"Please place the mobile neuron device on. Then we will continue."

The AI called it a mobile neuron net. To Tiffany it resembled an open-face diving hood with a large bib. The bib, an oval flap, sat on her shoulders, back and chest just above her cleavage. Surprisingly, it stretched easily over her head, proving that it only looked like a diving mask.

"The gravity change is complete. Please hold as still as possible, the neuron net is being initialized."

One of the side effects of Tiffany's recovery was heightened awareness of her body position. She froze her head and neck in a fixed attitude. Tiffany could feel the material adhere to her skin. The device never made her hot and sweaty like neoprene did. If anything, it seemed to help keep her cool.

"Tiffany, move to the end of the beam using a develop walk at hip level extension."

The requested move, a basic movement at competitions, required delicate muscle control and balance. The process was repeated six times. Each pass became slower and slower at the AI's direction. Tiffany fell more times than she wanted to admit. In the reduced gravity, her pride suffered more than her body.

"Please use heel-to-toe steps and include at least four single turn revolutions randomly during the pass."

At the end of two hours, Tiffany was exhausted. Every day she improved. Yesterday was the first time she had felt comfortable holding little Katy. The beam sank back into the floor, becoming a line.

"Restoring gravity to Wayward Norm, eleven and twenty-two hundredths meters per second squared. Once the gravity is stabilized, please report to the med tube for follow up therapy."

Stripping off the neuron net, she placed it in the recycler. Part of that action seemed wasteful, having learned what 'cleaning' was from Gina. Tiffany better understood the conservation of resources. All those speeches she ever gave about not being wasteful needed modifying to be sure to recycle.

Tiffany took her time in the shower. Alternating the hot and cold left her skin tingling. Toweling off, she walked into the kitchen for some pineapple mango juice.

"Momma!" Tina ran to give her a hug.

She lifted Tina slowly, relishing the hug. "What'cha doing baby?"

"Me painting pink flowers." Tina pointed to a cluster of images on the wall.

She had about four minutes left. Walking over to the artwork, she admired her daughter's diligence. The flowers were more recognizable. Tina's effort at artwork showed promise in her mother's eye. The AI easily retrieved, and displayed in several places some of Tina's stored renderings.

"Tina," called the AI. "It is time for your mother to play Sleeping Beauty again." Salome had made that suggestion to the AI during the second follow up treatment. Tina was able to understand the procedure in that context. Trying to explain to Tina that her mother was part of a pilot therapy to help the Confederacy with severely injured warriors proved fruitless. At three, Tina's conceptions of reality were just starting to expand beyond what she could see.

Tina looked up at the central light fixture. "Howl long?"

"Two hours."

"Will Daddy or Papa be home?"

Any time she went into the med tube for treatment, Tina wanted someone to kiss Tiffany to wake her up.

"They are not expected to be here."

Tina looked at her mom. Tiffany shook her head. Tina squished up her face, looked up at the ceiling then smiled.

"Can Bert do it?"

Tiffany smiled at her little girl's problem solving skills.

"Bert is qualified for the task."

Tina led her mother to the den that held the med tube. She kissed and hugged her. Tina ran from the room giggling.

"AI, please warn Bert about Tina."

"Bert has agreed to fill in for Prince Charming if Tina is awake."

As the tube closed, Tiffany felt the need to sleep overwhelm her.

A detailed analysis began of any changes in Tiffany's nerve functions and the resulting balance beam physical performance. Terabytes of data were collected in just under ten minutes. The Pod's AI applied suggested treatment based on projections from the Severe Trauma & Medical Rehabilitation Center as an extension of Project Miracle Cure. Afterwards, Tiffany began a sleep training module about medieval formulas for making paint pigments using plants and minerals.

Salome hugged the girl. Cindy Williams had finished a video telling her family about her adventures. She had asked Salome to be with her. Nothing seemed out of place until she finished, but then Cindy grabbed Salome.

"Salome, I need to go to to confession." Cindy looked pleadingly into her eyes.

Salome kissed her forehead. "Come with me." She pulled the girl softly to her feet and led her to a working terminal. She knew asking the AI verbally would be quicker. Sometimes turning back to familiar methods, a keyboard and a monitor created more value to the seeker.

"Cindy, where did you go to church?" Salome asked.

"I went to Our Lady of Lourdes on U.S. 19."

Salome could type much faster than she could speak. She also came to realize the AI was fairly intuitive for a machine. In about three minutes, she found Father Jacobo Kyushei Tomonaga.

"There is a priest over in Blue Seven." Salome turned to Cindy. "I sent a message inquiring about times for the Sacrament of Confession."

"Thank you, Salome." In the ensuing hug, Cindy almost bowled them both over.

"Father Tomonaga will be hearing confessions today from fifteen hundred until seventeen hundred or until the line ends."

Salome brushed a few wisps of hair from Cindy's face. "We'll go to see him in an hour then."

"Thank you." Cindy bounced away two or three steps. She stopped and looked back at Salome. They exchanged a glance. Salome crossed to the girl. The embrace comforted Salome, it gave her a sense of belonging, a connection to the children who were becoming hers. Letting her go, she watched Cindy glide up to the second floor.

Arms encompassed Salome from behind. "That, my dear sister, was both beautiful and sweet." Leslie hugged her from behind.

Salome crossed her hands, holding Leslie in the embrace. When there was no effort to break away, she held on and started a gentle sway.

"Louis! Get lost!" The pillow landed where his head had been. He thought Ruby liked being an exhibitionist. "I hate it when you sneak peek."

Standing just outside the door, Louis knew she wouldn't chase him. Standing still, he listened. Bert began to moan softly.

"Fuck Ruby, this is good."

Louis could feel his own cock twitch. Glancing down, a globule of clear precum gathered at the head.

Slurping noises came in harmony with Bert's vocalizations. Louis placed his cum rag over his dick and tried to match the rhythm.

It wasn't Ruby he'd been spying on. The bigger of two thirteen-year-old peckers belonged to Bert. Louis never felt gay. He was a late bloomer. His first orgasm occurred after watching Ray-ray teach the boys how to jack off.

He worried he might be gay. He enjoyed watching the men bang the women. When Misty ended up bent over facing away and his teacher's large frame physically dominated her, Louis almost didn't need to touch himself to cum. With Mr. Jenkins and Ray-ray out of the pod for the day, Bert was his next best ogle option.

The sounds from the room softened. Louis eased near the open door. He had to see. Ruby giggled softly. Something different, something he could not see. The edge of the doorway enticed him to look through, to peek at the new scene inside the room.

Ruby was moaning differently from anything Louis recalled.

"There Bert, yes that's it."

"Place more weight on the palms of your hands, Bert Morehouse. That will cause more force to be imparted," the AI directed. "Position your knees a bit wider to maintain a better balance."

What was the AI having him do to Ruby? Louis could hear Ruby mew.

"God Bert, yes!" Ruby mumbled. "That's so much better. Bless you AI."

Louis lurched forward. The wall ended up being a few inches further than he remembered. He stumbled forward. A stabilizer, once part of a die-cast A22 Swift, stuck into the bottom of his foot.

The pain never reached the conscious part of his mind until he heard one of the little guys yell at him for breaking the plane. Louis hopped to the right. Slipping, he fell over somebody.

The wail startled Ruby. She tried to get up, forgetting Bert was on her back. It was one of the little ones. Ruby spent the last six years having to live in pain. The med tubes had ended her need for chemo. The cry of a small child empowered Ruby. She went to help. Bert rolled off her back.

Exiting the door, Ruby saw Kurt holding a bloody broken plane.

"He stomped Blue Leader!" Burt pointed at Louis, his eyes welling in tears.

Ruby grabbed Kurt's hand quickly but gently. Pulling the toy away, she touched the fingers softly. Kurt kept his eyes on the A22.

"Are you hurt baby?"

Kurt shook his head. "No."

Ruby looked over at Louis. She spied a blood trail over to his right foot. Louis had blood oozing between his fingers that clamped on his left foot.

"What happened?" That voice belonged to Joyce.

"I think Louis Godzilla'd a toy plane." She held out the broken A22. "The blood on Kurt's hands is from Louis's foot."

Bert appeared at the door, rubbing his head. "Ruby, that hurt," he stopped, staring at Ruby and not taking in the whole scene. "You flipped me off your back-"

"Ruby, take Kurt and wash the blood off his hands." Joyce's voice took on a determined, mom tone. "Bert, let's get Louis down to the sleep trainer. It should be able to fix this."

Yes, he was six months from becoming his own man. However, in emergencies he had learned it sometimes was better to follow a reasonable plan than to form his own. Glad that Ray-ray had started weight training with him and Ted, Bert wished they had started months ago. Louis was heavy, but people were watching.

Louis did shift his weight to help Bert get him in a standing position. The change in blood pressure caused the first real influx of pain.

Bert looked him in the eyes. "Louis, I need to try to use a fireman's carry." Louis nodded.

Bert leaned in and placed his shoulder easily into Louis's waist. He reached around the injured boy's thighs grabbing securely. Louis leaned over Bert's back. As Bert stood, Louis discovered he had a good view of Bert's ass. The way the muscles flexed took his mind off the pain.

They followed Joyce to the sleep trainer. Tiffany was asleep in the med tube but the sleep trainer could handle this damage.

Louis was aghast that he had thrown an erection. Bert paid no attention.

"Lay back, Louis." Joyce's voice was hard to ignore.

Louis lay back in the sleep trainer. The pain faded with his consciousness.

The kiss was on her forehead. That meant two things. Tina was awake and the men weren't home yet. Sitting up she saw only Bert.

"Where is Tina?" Panic began to boil.

Bert smiled and turned beat red. "She's asleep, but she made the AI promise to show her a video of the kiss."

Bert began to giggle. Tiffany joined in.

"That little stinker," she turned, putting her legs out and over the floor. Bert held out his hand. She took it, gently standing, hoping she wouldn't need him to steady her. She felt surer, more confident in her balance.

"Tiffany," Bert had a much too serious face on. "I think Ruby is going to kill Louis."

She felt her eyes roll. Louis might end up being the death of her. "What happened?"

"I'll show you on the wall." Bert led Tiffany to Bill's desk.

"When Tina asked for a video of me waking you," Bert looked up to the right, remembering, "that caused Kurt to ask to see if Louis was really telling the truth about accidentally stepping on the A22."

The image of Louis creeping toward a door showed him not looking where he stepped.

"I don't understand."

The image changed to show Bert straddling Ruby. "My mom was a massage therapist." Tiffany could see Bert's hands working Ruby's back. "Ruby used to get a massage after her treatments. I was trying to make her feel good without it being sexual." The look on Ruby's face didn't help Tiffany decide the validity of Bert's words.

The image flipped back to Louis outside the room. "Ruby caught this." The picture zoomed showing Louis stroking himself. "She wants him dead. Ms. Howard had to ground her and make her go to her room until Mr. Jenkins gets back."

"Thanks for the update." Tiffany went to get up.

Bert leaned in. "I know he's a bit of a perv. After I carried him to the sleep trainer to fix his foot, he'd leaked precum on my chest."