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"I told you already; you don't need to worry, it's just a simple cold," Sethos said, followed by a sneeze. Scara pulled out another tissue from the box Sethos requested earlier and handed it to him.
"You're saying that, but your body temperature keeps rising. You're going to overheat. I can ask my mother for spare parts, this is dangerous," Scara shook his head. The gears in his head had been whirring faster than usual and it had been making him heat up as well.
He wasn't quite used to talking to humans yet. They were far too different from him even though they looked practically the same. With every word they said, there was a chance they meant something completely different than he imagined.
That was especially the case with Sethos; he was affiliated with the Ancient Library, and one of the first things Scara learned about him was that Sethos had no idea about anything technical. During his visit to the Ancient Library, the two walked through the aisles with an oil lamp instead of the LED ceiling lights Scara was used to seeing everywhere.
"I'm alright, really. It's normal for humans to be sick sometimes. I just need some rest to recharge and I'll be running errands again in no time," Sethos insisted. "Besides," he held up a small, yarn doll Scara left with him, "I have this little guy with me. You said it helps you calm down, so I'm sure it will be capable of helping me with the cold too."
Sethos was way too casual about this. Scara's programming had never made a mistake, and he definitely wasn't making one now.
Distraught, he got up and rummaged through his bag near the door. When he came back to Sethos, he was holding a thin, neatly folded cable.
"Here, you said you needed to recharge. You can use my charger," he said with a determined expression. If Sethos wasn't going to tell him the truth, he would at least do everything he could to help him.
Instead of words of gratitude, Sethos burst out laughing. Even in the condition he was in, he had enough energy to be in a good mood.
"Oh Scara, you oaf... I didn't mean it literally. Humans don't need that," he gently pushed Scara's hand with the cable back. "I get energy from eating and sleeping. I explained that to you a few weeks ago if you recall."
Scara's pupils did the same weird spin they usually did when he was trying to remember something. It still made Sethos a bit uncomfortable, but his curiosity and fascination with modern technology always made him keep his eyes on Scara.
He, too, was still trying to come to terms with the fact that androids, synthetic humans, were real, and not just a piece of his grandfather's imagination he used for bedtime stories when Sethos was a child. No wonder his grandfather was strictly against him and Scara hanging out, now that Sethos thought about it, he always painted the androids as evil and heartless.
Scara was anything but heartless. Sure, he always seemed emotionally distant, but Sethos wouldn't say he didn't have any emotions at all. All Scara needed was someone who would help him understand those feelings.
"Ah, I remember now. Apologies, I'll keep that in mind," Scara retreated his hand to his lap. "So... is there anything I can help with?"
Sethos shook his head lightly. "Not right now. Buuut... You could bring me a hot soup in a few hours when I wake up," he said.
Scara nodded immediately.
"I'll do that. How many hours? Do you have a preference? Would you like something else with the soup? Should I buy more portions so you have some for later as well?" he asked, trying to find a solution that would help Sethos the most.
"Hey, hey, take it easy. It's not like I'm dying, come on. Just remember. You'll figure it out," Sethos gave him a gentle pat on his knee to encourage him. He strongly believed Scara was capable of figuring out the answers to all his questions on his own. He never liked telling Scara exactly what to do in tough situations, it felt like giving orders and that wasn't how he wanted to treat a friend.
Scara sat there awkwardly, trying to come to terms with the fact that Sethos wasn't going to help him. Every time he did this, Scara felt thrown into the water. Only after Scara found a way to deal with the situation at hand did Sethos offer his thoughts. It was frustrating, but Scara understood Sethos's approach.
Yet, this time was different. Sethos had never been in danger when he left decision-making to Scara.
"... Okay," he said in the end, getting up from the chair. "I'll be back."
On his way out, all the emotions broke the dam, leaving Scara even more confused about what was happening.
Later, he'd return to Sethos's side with smudged oil stains on his face.