Sally already seemed to be doing much better. She was looking around with a more alert look in her eyes. She had finally been able to focus on something other than her pain. Riley too seemed to have noticed the change. Riley spent most of the morning with Sally. When they saw each other, Sally’s eyes lit up. Riley seemed to be far chattier than she had been before.
“I’m sorry if I was a little bit rude to you yesterday, Miss. I really am happy that you’re here to help us out,” Riley said.
“Well, I’m happy to be here, so thank you for giving me a place to stay. Are you hungry?” Lisa pointed to the set table. At that, Riley’s eyes lit up, but her shoulders slumped.
“W-we need to be very careful about using the food. We really should be saving it very carefully, Miss,” she said mournfully.
“Don’t worry. All this food is new. I bought it this morning with my own money.”
“R-really?” Riley’s face filled suddenly with a look of pure suspicion.
“Yeah, help yourself.”
“Thank you so much, Miss Lisa!”
“You can just call me Lisa if you like.”
“I-I’m not sure I want to. S-sorry, Miss.” Lisa laughed softly.
“Call me whatever you want. I don’t feel strongly.”
“C-can I just eat whenever, Miss?”
“Dig in.” Riley let out a sound Lisa could only describe as a whoop as she set herself down daintily at the table, folded the napkin in her lap and began stuffing her face like a hungry puppy. Lisa watched with satisfaction as bread and cheese and meat and milk vanished into thin air in front of her. The food had been fairly cheap. But Lisa knew that money didn't grow on trees. Now that she had a roof over her head, she could start looking for jobs.
“Thank you so much!” Riley began stacking the pile of empty plates slowly. “Oh….um you…”
“I've already eaten,” Lisa reassured her. Riley let out a sigh of relief loud enough to fill the room.
“So, are you going to perform surgery on Sally today, Miss?” Riley asked, her voice becoming steadier and more focused.
“Yes. Very soon. I really shouldn’t wait too long. Waiting will only cause trouble. The longer we wait, the worse things could get. Does that make sense?” Riley nodded.
“So then… what exactly are you going to do to her, Miss?” Riley asked softly. Lisa hesitated. It was not pretty. But it could be even more traumatic to not be told what was going to change and then to see the final result.
“I’m going to remove her arm, but don’t worry, I will replace it with a synthetic arm once I get more supplies. So, she should still be able to use it.”
“A-alright.” Tears filled Riley’s eyes once again.
“But she’s going to be alright. Don’t worry.”
“I know... it’s just hard, Miss.”
“I’m sure it is and I’m sorry. How did this happen? I know you don’t want me to ask questions, but I’m asking out of concern.”
“Where are you from, Miss Lisa? You don’t seem like you’re from around these parts.”
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“You’re right… I-I’m not.”
“How do you like being asked all these questions, Miss?”
“That was just one question.” For a moment, Riley looked as if she was about to burst into flames. Her eyes glowed with rage. Suddenly, she burst out laughing. It was a small natural laugh. Lisa couldn’t help laughing along with her. Riley had chosen a very natural look for herself, so had Sally. Every little detail on her face had been so well thought through. It was really astonishing. Lisa herself had struggled when choosing her appearance, despite it being a much simpler design. These girls must have put an insane amount of time and effort into making themselves look so human.
“I’m going to go ahead and prepare my things for the surgery. I hope you understand I will need perfect peace and quiet when I’m working.”
“Of course, Miss.”
“Good. Now, I’m going to go check on her one more time.”
“A-alright. Please… just take care of her for me, Miss. S-she means a lot to me.” She would take care of her. Nothing is going to happen to these poor little babies. Lisa promised herself.
“I hope you’re feeling a little better and I hope you got some sleep,” Lisa said gently to Sally. She didn’t seem to remember Lisa. But she also didn’t move away from Lisa as she sat down.
Lisa did her best to explain the operation in simple terms. No emotion appeared in Sally's expressions as Lisa spoke. She didn't pull away from Lisa as she prepared another shot. There was a good chance that she was unable to understand half of what Lisa was saying. It was time. Lisa felt a small pang of fear shoot through her.
But shaky hands and scattered thoughts could result in the death of a person. Lisa knew that fear was something you just couldn’t afford. She knew how to distance herself from everything. Like from the fear, from the world around her. Even from the person she was caring for. Once she did that, she was able to unlock something within herself. It was a deep-set and long-forgotten feeling that she could only reach during times like this.
She sliced through the burnt flesh, feeling nothing. Nothing but a deep fascination and a faint awe at the complex creature who she was working on. Soon the surgery would be over, and Lisa would come back to herself once again. She saw the body that lay in front of her. She saw that it had been changed, and she knew that she had done it. Lisa looked down and saw that her clothes were stained with blood, but she didn’t know why. She had performed the surgery and done so perfectly. That was how Formas worked
But she had no memory of anything that had taken place. If you asked her, she wouldn’t have been able to tell you how. Instead, she would just describe to you what she would do. Lisa herself didn’t even know it, but it was in that state of pure focus that she felt happiest and most in control. Sally would probably wake up in a few hours. Lisa still felt a little unsure about the operation. What bothered her was the fact that she had operated on a child who may not have been able to understand what was happening. She wouldn't feel as bad about it if there had been parents present to give her permission. Sally could die from those wounds. Lisa reminded herself. Lisa had likely saved Sally's life. But she didn't feel as if she had done the right thing. She only knew it when Sally woke up. Sally didn't seem bothered by the fact that she was missing an arm. That was a surprise to Lisa. Sally's eyes lit up when Riley came to visit her. Lisa left the two girls alone, giving them a little bit of privacy. She had done what she could, and now she was ready for her reward. She was ready for answers, answers to her many questions
“Riley? Are you hungry? I made dinner,” Lisa called.
“Could you please bring it in here, Miss?” Riley answered. Lisa filled a bowl with soup and went to give it to Riley. She pushed open the door quietly, just in case Sally was sleeping.
“Aww,” Lisa breathed softly as she stepped into the room. Sally lay fast asleep with her head resting in Riley’s lap. “I’ll just set this here for you, Riley.” Who could ever have it in them to harm these two? Who could look at them and ever even think of doing something this awful to them?
“Thank you, Miss. Just so you know I’m going to be sleeping down here tonight, on the floor by my sister.”
“So you are sisters?”
“We are. She’s really doing so much better. Thank you, Miss Lisa!”
“I like that you made your designs match. That way everyone can tell you two are sisters,” Lisa said. A strange squinty look crossed over Riley’s face. That was meant to be a compliment. Their designs were adorable and so realistic. They had somehow made themselves look exactly like what they were, two little girls. “Is something wrong, Riley?” Riley turned her attention back to Sally.
“Yeah… it’s just a-a lot has happened today, Miss,” Riley said softly as she gently stroked her sister’s hair.
“Oh, please don’t start crying again, Riley. You should be happy.”
“Oh, I am! I’m so, so happy! Thank you!” With that, Riley flung her arms around Lisa’s neck and buried her face in Lisa’s shoulder. It was from that moment onward that Lisa finally understood where she really belonged.