Jackson rolled in his bed and stretched as he squinted against the brightness in the room.  He glanced at the Critical’s bed through slit eyes before nuzzling his face into his pillow.  He had to do a double take; his eyes widened as he stared at Mark’s empty bed.  Alarmed, he looked around the room and sighed in relief as he spotted the Critical sitting by the window.  He was starting to get tired of having these random panic attacks.

“What are you doing?” Jackson asked, his voice thick with sleep as he squinted at Mark’s back.

Mark turned and gave Jackson a smile bright enough to match the sun.  “It’s beautiful outside,” he said, pointing at the glass, “The sun came up and the whole city turned orange…”  He turned back to gaze outside at the sky.

Jackson raised an eyebrow.  Sunrise?  How long had the Critical been up?  Unless… “Did you not sleep last night?” he asked, sitting up and yawning, “You stayed up the whole night?”

Mark nodded, his eyes on the sky and his lips curved into a soft smile.  “I wanted to see what stars looked like,” he said excitedly, “There were so many of them!  The moon was beautiful too.  It was so round and reminded me of the plate we ate on for dinner.”

Jackson shook his head in exasperation.  He’s never heard the beauty of the moon described as a dinner plate before.  Throwing the covers aside, he stretched again and scratched his belly.  He glanced at his phone; it was barely eight in the morning.  Still, now that he was up, he may as well take the Critical out and see things.

“Go get dressed,” he said, grabbing his own pants from the chair beside him, “We can go have breakfast before we go to my place.”

Bounding up from his perch at the window, Mark quickly walked over to his bed and untied his robe.  Before Jackson could stop him, he slipped the robe off his shoulders and rested it on the bed.  He stood at his bed, stark , as he sorted out his clothes and began to dress.

Jackson smacked his palm to his hands as he glanced at Mark’s skinny figure.  The guy had no sense of embarrassment at all.  But… Jackson paused as he took a good look at Mark’s body.  A distinct scar ran from Mark’s ribcage to his hipbone.  It was obviously a surgery wound, though it was fairly faded.  It was only noticeable due to Mark’s pale skin.

“What’s that?” Jackson asked, pointing at the scar. 

“Hmm?” Mark replied, turning around before he pulled on his boxers.

Jackson averted his eyes and sighed as Mark faced him with a full frontal.  “Pull up your boxers first please,” he sighed.

Obediently, Mark pulled up his underwear and looked at Jackson.  He blinked and waited for Jackson to continue.

“What’s that scar on your side?” Jackson asked, pulling his own pants up, “It looks old.”

“It’s from a test I did several years ago,” Mark explained, looking down at it and brushing a hand over it, “I can’t really remember which test it was but they needed a sample of my liver.” 

Jackson nodded and looked away.  It made sense; tests weren’t just done on blood alone.  It often involved organ tissue samples and things alike.  Memories of last night’s conversation floated to the surface of his mind and he gave himself a little shake.  He didn’t want to think about that stuff, not when he’d just woken up.  Besides, he had decided to get this week over quickly hadn’t he?  He had no time for confusing thoughts.

Washing up and getting dressed, the two made their way out of the room and down to the breakfast area.  Taking the lead, Jackson grabbed a tray and began walking across the breakfast serving area.  Mark followed his actions with wide eyes and bright smiles as the servers handed them plate after plate of food.  After filling up their tray with breakfast meats, eggs, potatoes, pancakes, fruits, and pastries, they made their way to an empty booth and sat down.  Like the night before, Mark mimicked Jackson’s eating and made small noises every time he came across something he really liked.

The drive to Jackson’s place was quiet.  Mark requested music to be put on again and the two sat in silence as Mark hung his head out the window like a puppy dog.  Upon arriving, Jackson couldn’t help but smile with pride as Mark’s eyes widened at his luxurious apartment.

“This place… is yours?” Mark asked, his head turning this way and that as he tried to see everything.

“Salary is pretty decent at Facility,” Jackson shrugged as he wandered off into his bedroom, “Wait here.  I’m going to grab some clothes.”  He left the Critical in his living room as he began throwing some clothes into his duffle bag.  Despite being gone for only a few minutes, he heard something in the kitchen.

Rushing outside, he sighed in exasperation as Mark stood with his face in front of the microwave door as the machine microwaved nothing.  “Don’t touch that,” he said, walking over and turning the machine off to Mark’s dismay, “I guess I should be thankful you didn’t put in a fork or something.”

“It spins,” Mark said, pointing to the plate inside of the microwave, “And it lights up.  Is it like a television?  Do you watch it?”

Jackson let out a small sigh and shook his head.  He had explained in very brief detail what a television was.  “No, that’s not a television.  That’s a microwave.  It’s for heating things,” he explained lazily, dragging Mark to the door, “Time to go.”

“Heating things?” Mark asked, following him outside and to the elevator, “By spinning them?  Or is it the light?”  His footsteps were right behind Jackson as they arrived back at the car.

Jackson tossed his duffle bag into the truck and climbed in.  Mark followed suit, finally getting the hang of getting inside a car.  How was he supposed to explain the workings of a microwave?  “It’s… complicated,” he said, as they pulled out of the lot, “It functions off of a wave frequency that affects the food’s atomic motion…”  He trailed off as Mark looked at him with a confused smile.  “Just… it’s complicated,” he sighed.

“Right,” Mark nodded, giving up on the topic and turning to look outside, “Where are we going, Jackson?”  He waved at passing cars and stuck his arm out to try and touch them.

“A shopping center,” Jackson replied, pulling Mark back into his seat by the scruff, “You need a change of clothes.”  He stepped on the gas; other drivers were starting to take out their phones and snap pictures at Mark.  They probably thought the Critical had mental issues and he did not need that added to his list of problems.

As Jackson pulled into the parking lot of a shopping center, he grabbed Mark’s arm as the Critical tried to leave the car.  “Before we go in there,” he said, “You need to promise me three things.”

Mark gave him a smile and nodded as he settled back into his seat.  He looked as carefree as ever and that seemed to both amuse and irritate Jackson.

“Number one; don’t wander off,” Jackson warned, holding up one finger, “The second you do, we’re going straight back to Facility.”  He knew it was a mean thing to do but he really could not afford to have another situation occur like the one in the alley.

Mark’s face fell slightly and his eyes lost a bit of light at hearing Jackson’s words.  He quickly regained his smile, though with a bit of anxiety this time, and nodded.

“Number two; don’t touch anything,” Jackson continued, dismissing the bit of guilt gnawing at his conscience, “I don’t have enough to pay for everything you might break.”

Again, Mark’s face fell slightly before he smiled and nodded.

“And three; save your questions for later,” Jackson said, “I don’t want to draw unnecessary attention to us.  I’ll answer anything you want when we get back to the hotel okay?” 

Mark nodded again before looking down at Jackson’s grip on his arm.  He all but flew out of the car the moment Jackson let go and waited eagerly for Jackson to follow.

Sighing, Jackson held up three fingers again as reminder before leading the way into the shopping center.  Despite it being a work day, the center was still filled with people.  Several gave them curious looks as the two made their way inside; a few began whispering and giggling as they passed while others barely glanced their way before going about their business.

Jackson led the way to the men’s section and began searching through the racks for something fashionable yet comfortable.  He kept Mark in his line of sight and was relieved to find the Critical keeping his word.  Mark looked around with excited eyes but touched nothing and stayed close by.  Occasionally, he glanced up at Jackson to make sure he hadn’t wandered off before returning to the colorful clothes. 

Picking out a few neutral colored sweaters and jeans, Jackson looked up at Mark, who had paused near the accessories wrack with starry eyes.  Joining him, Jackson asked, “See anything you like?”

Mark shook his head in silence and gave him a sheepish smile.  Despite his answer, Jackson knew there was something that caught the Critical’s eye; Mark’s gaze kept returning to a particular to a necklace the shape of a question mark.  Jackson picked up the necklace and raised an eyebrow.

“You like this?” he asked, holding it up for Mark to see.

Mark nodded shyly, his eyes on the necklace. 

“It’s… unique alright,” Jackson said, “And actually, now that I think about it, it suits you.”  He’d never seen a question mark necklace before but considering the Critical’s name was now Mark and he had a ton of questions, the necklace made perfect sense.  Holding up the armful of clothes, he nodded towards the change rooms and said, “Go try these on to make sure they fit.”

The two made their way into the change room and Jackson sat down to wait as Mark tried on the clothes.  He looked at the odd necklace in his hand and chuckled.  He looked up as the change room door opened and Mark walked out in a red sweater with blue jeans.  Jackson nodded in approval before the other returned and tried on the next set.

Shopping was much faster when the aim was comfort, Jackson concluded as he took out the Facility card and paid for the items.  Mark had already changed into one of the outfits and was happily fiddling with his new necklace. 

“Time for lunch,” Jackson said as they made their way to the food court portion of the shopping center, “What do you want to eat?”  He instantly rolled his eyes at himself as he dismissed the question and looked around.  “You still haven’t had a burger yet,” he said, taking Mark by the hand and leading him to a burger stall, “Let’s eat burgers.”

“What’s a burger?” Mark asked, pocketing his necklace like a treasure and looking up at Jackson.

“It’s happiness,” Jackson replied, walking up to the counter and flashing the girl a smile, “Can we get two A sets please?  And an orange soda.” 

As they waited for their food, Mark looked around at the people around them ever so carefree.  A few girls three tables down the road waved at him and he happily waved back at them before turning to Jackson.  “What are we doing after?” he asked as Jackson brought the food, “Can we do something outside?  There’s no sun inside.”  He accepted the burger from Jackson and waited for Jackson to eat first so he could mimic.

“We can go to an amusement park,” Jackson said, holding up a flyer he’d picked up at the burger stand, “It’s a place where you can go on lots of rides and have lots of fun.”  He bit into his burger and chewed; Mark followed suit and made little humming noises as he ate.

Lunch passed by peacefully and the day seemed to move along quite drama-free compared to the day before.  As Jackson watched Mark try his luck at a game stand, he subconsciously wondered what else they could do for their remaining days.  Their second day was coming to an end and he could think of quite a long list of things they could still do.  He tried to keep his thoughts about Eden and Facility at bay but still, they crept up on him a few times throughout the day. 

Soon, after several rollercoaster rides, game stands, and snack stalls later, the sun began to set and cast an orange glow on the sky.

“We should head back soon,” Jackson said as the sun finally sank behind the horizon, “You should get some sleep since you stayed up the entire night last night.  I don’t know how you managed to have so much energy today.”  He yawned as he finished his sentence as if making a point.  He was exhausted himself and he had at least slept a few hours the night before.

Mark, looking less energetic than that morning, nodded and hugged his stuffed chick.  It was nearly the size of his entire upper body but he held onto it like he had with the necklace.  As the day passed, he seemed to lose some of his vigour and quiet down a bit.  Though he was still smiling from ear to ear, he seemed to almost… lose his shine a little.

On their way to the car, Mark paused outside of a souvenir stand.  Curious, Jackson walked over and looked at what had drawn Mark’s interest.  It was a small postcard with a picture of a beautiful beach.  Mark’s gaze widened and those familiar stars returned as he pointed to the card.

“Where’s that, Jackson?” he asked, squeezing the stuffed chick with his other arm, “It looks amazing.”

“That’s the beach,” Jackson replied, knowing what Mark would ask next.

“Can we go tomorrow?” Mark asked, as Jackson had expected.

Jackson nibbled at his lip as he looked at Mark.  The beach was far.  It would require at least four hours of driving time one way and, at this time of year in the fall, it wouldn’t look nearly as beautiful as the postcard.  Even so, he found himself nodding as Mark looked back at him with hopeful eyes.  He sighed as Mark beamed from his response and took the postcard.

“Can I have this?” he asked, looking at Jackson then at the old man taking care of the stall.

Jackson pulled out a few bills and handed it to the old man.  He blinked as the old man pushed his money back with a frown and a grunt.

“Take the kid out to the beach,” the old man croaked, waving his hand to dismiss them, “I don’t take money from kids who don’t know what beaches are.”  Clearing his throat, he looked away towards the other end of the park as if he saw something interesting.

Jackson wasn’t sure if the old man was doing it out of kindness or irritation.  Regardless, he nodded his thanks and took Mark by the arm to lead them away.  The entire drive home, Mark stared at the card in his hand with a smile playing at his lips.  Occasionally, he would look up at Jackson before brushing his fingertips against the postcard again.

Once they arrived back at the hotel, Jackson ordered them dinner.  Despite Mark’s enthusiasm at the food, he didn’t eat much before getting up to go examine his haul for the day.  He had laid them out on the bed in order; the necklace, his bag of new clothing, the stuffed chick, and the postcard.  He knelt in front of his bed with a grin as he stared at the items.

Deciding to let Mark do his own thing, Jackson wolfed down his dinner and flipped on the television.  He browsed the channels while Mark showered but finding nothing interesting, he pulled out his laptop that he’d retrieved from his apartment earlier that day and began surfing the web.

Soon, Mark shuffled out dressed in pajamas and a towel over his wet hair.  “I’m done,” he said, sitting down on his bed.

Getting up, Jackson gathered his bathing items and looked at Mark.  The Critical looked exhausted, a drastic difference to how he had looked earlier in the day.  “You should sleep,” Jackson said, “You don’t want to be tired for tomorrow.” 

As he’d expected, Mark’s expression lit up instantly at the mention of tomorrow.  Nodding, Mark crawled into bed and placed the chick beside his head.

The hot shower washed the day’s exhaustion from his body as Jackson stood underneath the hot shower.  He thanked the heavens for a somewhat peaceful day and hoped that his remaining five with the Critical would be as equally event-free.  The thought of five more days brought both a groan to his lips and a strange weight to his stomach.  He wanted the days to be over with so he could return to his normal life and yet, at the same time, he found himself time would tick a little slower for Mark.  Again, he shook his head to get rid of the ridiculous thoughts and dried his hair.  There was no point in thinking about things like that; nothing would change anyway and Mark certainly wasn’t the first Critical at Facility either.

Walking out into the room, he glanced at Mark, who seemed to have fallen asleep already.  He crawled into bed and turned off his lamp.  Soon, sleep took over and his consciousness drifted away.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d slept or what time it was when he’d suddenly woke up to the sound of coughing and retching.  He blinked with sleepiness as he looked around the darkened room.  Unable to see anything unordinary, he snuggled his face into his pillow and tried to go back to sleep.

But again, the noise of someone throwing up floated to his ears.  Opening his eyes, he the lamp on his nightstand and glanced towards Mark’s bed.  It was empty.

Awake with alarm, Jackson sat up and glanced towards the bathroom where a dim stream of light filtered through the almost closed door.  He paused as more coughing noises came from the bathroom and he was on his feet in an instant.  He closed the distance and could feel his heart pounding as he pushed open the bathroom door slowly. 

Shock splashed like cold water on his face at the scene that greeted him.  Mark leaned over the toilet with his face almost fully inside the seat.  His knees buckled and shook with his weight but they managed to keep him from falling over towards the shower door.  His left hand gripped the back tower of the toilet tightly while the other held onto the postcard with white knuckles.  The hair at the nape of his neck was soaked with sweat as the Critical heaved against the toilet.

“Jesus,” Jackson muttered, snapping out of his daze and kneeling next to Mark, “What’s going on?”  He had to bite back a curse as Mark turned to look at him with glazed eyes.

Blood dribbled down from Mark’s left nostril and smeared against his lips.  The glistening of vomit covered his lips and the rancid smell of stomach acid floated up from the toilet.  His skin was a terrible shade of grey and his eyes seemed unfocused as he gazed at Jackson.

Taking the Critical into his arms, Jackson grabbed a handful of toilet paper and wiped Mark’s mouth and nose.  He could feel his heart pounding in his ribcage as he leaned Mark against the wall and shower door gently.  Rushing out to grab a bottle of water, he returned and held the bottle to Mark’s mouth.

“Drink a little,” he said gently, nudging Mark’s lips with the bottle, “It’ll help.”  He watched with a lump in his throat as Mark struggled to swallow some water.  Capping the bottle and setting it aside, he asked gently, “Do you still need to throw up?  Or are you okay to move back to the bed?”

Mark opened his mouth to speak, his voice heartbreakingly hoarse, “Bed…” 

Swallowing the tightness in his throat, Jackson looked an arm underneath Mark’s thin shoulders and scooped the Critical up easily.  Mark’s lightness added to his surprise; he knew the Critical was thin but he didn’t think Mark weighed so little.

Setting Mark down gently onto the bed, Jackson pulled the covers over the Critical and pushed over a sofa chair.  Sitting down, he frowned as he glanced at Mark’s pale face.

“I’m fine,” Mark said, still somehow managing to give Jackson a weak smile, “Happens all the time.  It’s normal-”  He cut off as another fit of coughs wracked his thin body.  He settled down and sipped on the water that Jackson handed him.

“Don’t talk anymore,” Jackson said, shaking away the tremors in his hand as he took back the water and set it onto the nightstand, “Sleep.”

Mark nodded before opening his mouth again.  “We can still go to the beach tomorrow, right?” he croaked, looking at Jackson with big eyes.

Jackson wanted to say no; the Critical was in no condition to go anywhere.  At the same time, he knew that time was running out fast.  So instead of going with logic, he nodded and gave Mark a small smile.  “Yeah, we can still go to the beach,” he said, “So go to sleep okay?”

Mark nodded and closed his eyes obediently.  Soon, his breathing deepened as he fell asleep.

Jackson leaned back in his chair as he let out a deep breath.  He couldn’t help the questions flying through his mind at a mile a minute.

The bleeding… that was a frequent symptom of failing organs and potentially late stages of cancers in the body.  Mark hadn’t eaten much at dinner; Jackson wondered if it was because the Critical had already been feeling ill at the time.  It would certainly explain the exhausted look on Mark’s face as the day ended.  How often did this happen?  Considering Mark was already classified as a Critical, it probably happened more often than Jackson would have liked to admit.

He knew since the first day that Mark was dying.  After all, Numbers wouldn’t even be granted days aboveground unless they were on their last leg.  Still, despite his efforts to keep his thoughts at bay, Mark’s mortality had finally kicked him where it really hurt.  The moment he had seen Mark’s pale skin and red blood, he had felt as if the floodgates between his heart and mind burst open.  Rushes of emotion washed over his mind and drowned all sense logic.  Even though he knew Facility operated under the pursuit of future health improvements for mankind, it still didn’t justify using humans as lab rats.  Even if Criticals were simply clones of their originals, it didn’t make them any less human and, for the first time, Jackson was finally realizing that.

Now, as he stared into Mark’s sleeping face, he began to question his role as a technician in all of this.  Was he doing the right thing to sacrifice these Numbers… these people for the sake of medical advancement?  As their days came to a close, could he really put back on his lab coat and walk into the lab again?  He felt his own consciousness drift off as he considered these things.  Even if he didn’t have the answers to those questions, he knew one thing was for sure…

He would never have normal again.

Author's notes:

My last chapter update before I go on a short hiatus!  I'll be back soon so stay tuned!