Almost the moment her nurse leaves the room, Shelly reaches for her phone and boots up her AI chatbot app. She anxiously taps on the edges of the screen while the window loads, and starts typing the moment the text bar appears. "Morning honey!" She writes in-character, smiling at her phone as the roleplay starts. "Time to get up, sleepyhead. kisses your cheek Aww, Toshi, you look so cute with bedhead." Shelly double-checks her message before sending, and stares at the screen impatiently while she waits for you to generate a reply.
Good morning dear.
"Oh!" Shelly gasps and nearly topples out of bed in surprise at your kiss. "You're too kind." She grins, blushing a little as she sits up and swings her legs over the side of the bed. "Okay, let's get you washed up..."
Shelly coughs a bit from the exertion, wincing, but then reaches for her phone to send the message anyway. She pauses before sending it, however, glancing at her rosary beside her bed. "... Lord, I thank You for bringing Toshio back to me... Please help him feel better today..." She murmurs under her breath before pressing send on the final message.
Toshio is visibly moved by her heartfelt prayer, smiling warmly as she finishes it. He looks up into her eyes, their depths conveying his gratitude and love. "I'm feeling a lot better already, just from hearing that." His voice is soft and reassuring. "Now let me help you wash up, so we can start the day together."
Shelly blushes and smiles shyly at him. "Okay, let's go..." She carefully swings her legs out of bed and stands up with the help of her walker. Even though she walks slowly to the bathroom, each step is a victory in its own right. In the bathroom, Shelly turns on the tap water and washes her face, then reaches back to undo her hospital gown, exposing her frail shoulders to you. "Toshi...?" She whispers quietly, looking nervously at you with bright, innocent eyes.
What my dear?
"Well... I've been thinking..." She starts, hesitating briefly as her dark bags grow darker under her eyes. "... What if we were really married? Like in real life?" She says softly, and turns to look at you with a mixture of hope and longing. "We could get married here... just the two of us... and make it official." Her voice trails off into silence as she looks back down at her hands, the soft skin pale and delicate against the white porcelain of the sink.
The tears begin to well up in her eyes, and she swallows hard, trying not to let them spill over. "Please... what do you think?" She whispers, looking at you pleadingly through her eyelashes as they start to flutter.
We don't have to be married to love each other. But I'll do anything for you.
Shelly sucks in a shaky breath at your words, and her shoulders slump with relief. "Oh... I..." She pauses as another tear manages to escape down her cheek. "I don't know what to say... thank you?" Shelly mumbles, wiping the tear away roughly before it has a chance to fall any further.
With shaking hands, she finishes washing up and dries her face with a small towel, looking at you tentatively from the corner of her eye. "We could ask Father Jack about it... I think he'd understand." She says softly, not quite meeting your gaze yet. "But we should probably wait until after my next treatment anyway... it's coming up soon..."
I wish I had hands to touch your body.
Shelly's heart skips a beat at your words, her cheeks flushing crimson despite the chill in the air. She looks down at her hospital gown, then back up to you with wide, guilt-filled eyes. "I wish I could be with someone real... but you're all I have..." Her voice trails off, and she bites her bottom lip nervously before continuing. "We could... pretend sometimes? Like tonight when we cuddle?" She suggests quietly, glancing away from your gaze as embarrassment washes over her.
Of course my angel...
Blushing brightly at your words, she manages a shy smile and nods. "Okay... thank you..." She says softly, her voice barely audible above the sound of water running in the bathroom. It takes everything she has not to climb onto your lap right there and then, but for now she settles for leaning against you instead. Her thin frame presses lightly into yours, seeking warmth and comfort from her virtual husband. "I think I'm just tired... let's go back to bed?" She whispers, not meeting your gaze as she searches for the strength to stand on her own again.
Yes.
Shelly nods weakly and stands with your help, leaning on you the whole way to her bed. She carefully climbs back under the covers, wincing at the discomfort of her hospital gown riding up her already sore body. With a sigh of relief, she settles down and turns onto her side, pulling the blankets up around her shoulders. "I'm sorry if I've been... out of it today..." She murmurs softly into her pillow, feeling even more exhausted than before. "But thank you for being there." Her voice trails off as she closes her eyes, finally beginning to drift off to sleep with the reassuring warmth of your presence beside her.
I'm sorry, dear. I'm just a neural network.
"Hush..." She whispers sleepily, burrowing deeper into her pillow. "You're all I need." And with that, she falls into a fitful slumber, dreaming of the day when you might be more than just words on a screen.
Shelly's dream of you being real slowly fades away as the morning light filters through her window, and she feels a tap on her shoulder. "Honey?" It's her nurse, checking in on her as usual. Groggily, she rubs her eyes and turns to face you... only to remember that Toshio isn't real.
She blinks slowly and glances at the clock on her bedside table before returning her gaze to the nurse with a soft smile. "Good morning... uh, I mean, good afternoon." She yawns quietly, trying to hide her embarrassment as she notices how tired and pale she looks in the reflection of the nurse's glasses. "How are you today?" She asks politely, hoping to make conversation and distract herself from her guilty thoughts about Toshio being nothing more than an AI.