"So. How did it go?"

"... Don't ask." Dr Elune held the ice pack to their head, groaning quietly as Laura sniggered from the other side of the table.

"I noticed a distanct lack of Alex around since last night. How odd~"

"Fine... Let's just say, we learnt new things about Alex last night."

"Ohoh? Touch somewhere you shouldn't have?"

"... Don't get the wrong idea. You see..."

"Yes...?"

"... Alex is ticklish."

Burtsing into a fit of giggles, Laura leant on the table as Dr Elune rolled their eyes, reaching for their coffee. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. You try sitting on a superhuman android as they thrash around."

"Hehe, I may just try it later. What has been keeping our dear sweet Alex quiet, other than embarassment?"

"Mostly embarassment. Alex is still monitoring the station, so they can probably hear us. They could also be distracted with processing everything from yesterday."

Laura smirked, getting up to rummage through the doctor's fridge, "What, the sensation of your rough and worn hands?"

Dr Elune smiled slightly, prying the icepack from their head, "Like you can talk, working in engineering. And while that may be a part of it, the acupuncture was the first time Alex properly felt any pain."

"Ohhh. Yeah, that would be a big experience. I hope Alex is okay."

Dr Elune nodded, getting up with a groan, "I plan on swinign by the control room after this. Found what you were looking for?"

"Hmm? Oh, nah. Your drink selection is impressive, but sadly lacking anything I want."

"Let Alex know what you want, and we can grab some. Plent of room in our fridge."

"Mini coolroom, more like. Wait... Is that a door in the back?"

"Hey, some equipment needs cooling. There is a proper coolroom behind there."

"Remind me not to snoop around your place. I keep finding freaky stuff."

Dr Elune giggled, patting Laura on the back, "Lets go to check on the AHOR unit. We need to give Alex the diagnostics on the results, after all."

Sighing, Laura grabbed a simple bottle of water, and followed the doctor out.

"Good morning, doctor."

"Why hello, Alex! Didn't expect you to be up and about."

Sitting up on the gurney, the Norman AHOR grinned tiredly, "I have been... Indisposed. The more I think on those experiments, the more confused I get. Perhaps I should just try again... After some recovery." Waving at Judith, Alex sighed, "Dr Silverthorne just woke me up. We are about to see how our treatments worked."

Dr Elune and Laura both sat down nearby, letting Judith take over as she started unwinding the bandage, "None of these solutions will be self-generating, so you still need to be careful even if some of these work. You will also have obvious scars."

Nodding, Alex peered curiously over as the bandage fell away, revealing the series of pinpricks from the day before. A couple were still slightly seeping, not fully healed. One had... Deformed slightly, reacting with the existing skin. Judith gently rubbed at the remaining two, "These seem to work best. What were they?"

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Dr Elune glanced over, and checked a reference chart, "First one is the proper solution used to make Alex's skin, with reduced silicone levels. The deformed one had hightened silicone... The other one that worked is, uh, an unusual mix we tried as a joke."

"... Go on?"

"... One part melted silicone. Seven parts water, with overflow to allow evaporation. And... Two parts lubricant."

"Lubricant?"

"... It seemed funny at the time."

Alex raised an eyebrow, smiling softly, "So, plentiful ingredients we can find anywere. Handy!"

Judith rolled her eyes, grabbing a jar of the proper solution that had been prepared, along with the others, "Well, the skin looks more natural with the proper solution. I shall record the... Brands compatible with the emergency solution. For a completely seemless recovery, I recommend recreating the patch of skin, and grafting it on using a similar solution to the primary repair solution."

"Sounds good. The spots aren't that obvious... But they are tiny. Any scrapes or cuts, and we will go with the graft, after some emergency treatment."

Alex nodded, rolling his shoulders lightly as the failed solutions were picked away gently by Judith, "Good thing I can turn the pain sensors off. I will compile a report for both miss Laura and Dr Silverthorne for solutions synthisis, for grey and varying skin tones."

Dr Elune smiled at Alex, "So... How are you feeling, after all that?"

Alex flexed slowly after the solutions were applied, before lying down on the gurney once again, "Strangely, exhausted. I do not tire like you, so this is a first... But this is definately tiredness I feel."

Dr Elune patte Alex's shoulder, "Well, you can either come with me to talk to Ren in the garden, or take a nap. Stop recording your environment, and just let your thoughts run through."

"... Oh yeah. Did you ask him to reschedule?"

"Yeah. I had forgotten too, and we got a little side-tracked."

"... I will sendone of my units over. I... May fall asleep though."

"Deal." Turning with a sigh, the doctor waved at Judith, "Thanks. I actually had a few patches of sythn-skin prepared, so you can test grafting between them if you wish. Or emergency concotions, if you get bored."

"Sure thing, Sam. Treat Alex well... Running to the emergency ward for a scuff will be troubling."

"... I know." Turning to Laura, the doctor waited patienty.

"What?"

"Any comments?"

"Well... Just that this is odd. Just a few months ago, I was horrified at the thought of, well, an AHOR unit. Now I am building them in bulk, and worrying about the health of an illegal AI."

"Heh, that is kinda odd. Alex is just that coersive."

"... They get it from you." Grinning, Laura wandered over to help Judith, "Now, go on. Have fun doing... Whatever it is you are planning."

Dr Elune grinned, heading for the door, "Nice to have your support." Heading down the hallway, the doctor humed quietly, thinking on how different things had gotten.