Goodbye, Robot

The rash burned like tiny forest fire on Freda’s wrist. Her black boyfriend took her to the robot. His synthetic intelligence assessed the problem and added an analgesic to the wound. It began to cool. She hugged him. In all of her twenty years, she had not found a healer like this. Freda kissed her boyfriend.

As Synthfeed wrapped her arm, he looked at both of them.

“Are you for a long time?” Maxton asked.

The synthetic being shook his head.

“No. I must be decommissioned. There’s going to be another—why are you crying?”

“I wanted you to stay here.”