I broke the kiss and Noreen's eyes were still wide as she carefully licked her lips. When the flavor hit her tongue, she almost gasped.

“J-Jack! How...”

“It's amazing what a simple chemical can do when mixed in the right proportions.” I said.

Noreen looked at the algenate disc in in my hand. “I... I'm tempted to get replacement surgery.”

I laughed and ate the rest of the disc, and it was delicious. “Oh, that was worth a month's Points for the first batch.”

“WHAT?!?”

“The chemical additive isn't cheap.” I said. “I couldn't expect the System to adapt the food recipe for a single person without compensation.”

“But... so much...”

“It's all right.” I said and pat her shoulder. “Now that it's in the general distribution network, cyborgs are going to be buying it up like crazy.”

“But... if you and Sandra are sharing Points...”

“Don't worry, Noreen. I get residuals since I made the modification.” I said and smiled. “My return on investment should be about 3,000% by the end of the month.”

“WHAT?!?”

“Did you think I'd give an idea like that away for free?” I asked, and she nodded. “I'm not that crazy.”

Noreen didn't say anything as she ate her own algenate disc. It was the green 'health conscious' one, and she didn't enjoy the flavor very much after she had tasted mine.

“You poor thing.” I said and cupped the side of her face, and ran my hand down her neck. “Do you want me to distract you?”

Noreen nodded, so I used my fingertip to trace imaginary lines down her arm as she ate. She watched my finger as I drew lines, poked dots, and connected those dots.

“What are you... is that... a circuit board?” Noreen asked and finished the bland food disc.

I nodded. “It's an idea I've been playing with for... never mind.” I smiled. “It's going to be a surprise for a lot of people. Hopefully.”

“Jack...”

I looked at the clock on the vidwall. “We've got a bit of time before you need to leave to pick up Sandra.” I said. “Do you want to keep cuddling?”

Noreen looked like she was debating it.

“Why don't you face away from me this time?”

“F-face away?”

“Yeah.” I said and laid down on the bed. “You laid against my chest last night, so put your back to me this time.”

“But...”

“If you don't like it, or it's not satisfying enough, you can always turn back around to face me.” I said.

“Well, I... I guess we can at least try it.” Noreen said, and laid down next to me.

“Lift your head.” I said and put my arm down underneath her shoulders. “Scoot back a little... a bit more... okay, that's good.”

“Jack, it's not very comfortable.” Noreen said. She was on her side with her back against my bare side, and her head was up from the pillow.

“That's because the cuddle is incomplete.” I said. “Now relax.”

Noreen took in a deep breath and let it out, and I carefully pulled her in close so that her head rested on my shoulder. I lifted my arm slightly and folded it around her, and put my hand on her hip. My upper arm was nestled between her breasts, and my forearm rested across her abdomen. I tensed my arm and pulled her in close to get the maximum amount of skin contact I could, then used my synthetic hand to pull up the blanket to our shoulders.

“How's that?” I asked, because all I could see was the back of her head and not her face. Noreen didn't say anything, though. “Noreen? Is this okay?”

“Jack, why... why are you doing this?” Noreen asked in a flat voice.

“I don't have two good arms to hold someone anymore, so I have to improvise.” I said. “I wasn't sure this would work, and I needed to know if it was possible.”

“But...”

“Hopefully, when Sandra's feeling better, I'll be able to hold her like this and not have to worry about my synthetic parts getting in the way.” I said. “I want to touch her as much as possible without hurting her.”

Noreen wrapped her arms around my arm and hugged it tightly, and I thought I felt a drop of something on my shoulder. I could hear her whisper softly, and my enhanced hearing picked it up.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

“Noreen.” I said, and she quieted. After a few moments, and a few more tear drops, she spoke.

“You're really not thinking about sex right now.” Noreen said when she found the courage. “Are you?”

“No.” I said. “That's definitely not what you need from me.”

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“But...”

“I know a lot of people would take advantage of you in a situation like this.” I said. “Some of them believe women like you that suffer from skin starvation are a dream come true.”

Noreen curled her legs up and hugged my arm even tighter.

“I know the truth, though.” I said. “You love it and hate it at the same time.”

“How... how do you...”

“You know people will take advantage of you if you're not careful, and you hate that.” I said. “But, you also love the feeling of being touched.”

“J-Jack...”

“I want you to know that I'll always be here when you need someone to hold you.”

“Jack, you... you can't...”

“Oh, yes I can.” I said. “I'm going to be in this apartment for a long time, since my synthetic limbs are so out of whack with my normal limbs.” I explained. “It's also going to take me a week or so to alter the interface with my immersion chamber to accommodate my new synthetic parts and attachments.” I sighed. “Mainly because I have to submit the paperwork and can't do the things myself, because I would need the immersion chamber to make the alterations to the immersion chamber.”

“I should say I'm sorry to hear about your problems; but, you're also offering to give me unlimited access to you.” Noreen said. “Now, I... I don't know what to say.”

“You can say that you're thinking about it, and when you go to pick up Sandra, mention it to Nathan.”

“I... no, I can't do that.” Noreen said. “He'll be upset if he thinks... that you and I...”

“Then I'll talk to him.” I said.

“Jack...”

“I won't have you sneaking around behind his back, and possibly have him think something else actually is going on.” I said, and Noreen sighed.

“Yes, that would look suspicious.”

“Then it's settled.” I said. “When you go back to your apartment to get changed, send Nathan over and I'll broach the subject of being a cuddle surrogate occasionally.”

“I... all right. I'll send him over.”

“That's good; but, I have bad news for you.” I said.

“What's that?” Noreen asked, worry in her voice.

“You can only hold me like this for another hour.” I said, and she laughed.

The hour passed by quickly, and when she got up and gathered her clothing, she looked at me with the same odd look on her face. She smiled warmly at me and left through the connecting door, and a minute later, Nathan came in.

“Noreen said you have something to talk to me about.” Nathan said.

“I do.” I said and sat up, then explained my predicament and my proposal.

“You're serious.” Nathan said. “You really want to... to...”

“Nathan, let me do this for you.” I said. “You've been run ragged the last few weeks, with Sandra's accident and with Noreen needing to be touched more than ever.”

Nathan took in a breath and let it out. “Is it that obvious?”

I nodded. “I saw the relief on your face last night, and you let me cuddle with her in the hospital as much as I wanted.” I said. “Let me share your burden.”

“Jack, I...” Nathan sighed. “She can never know that I can't handle her hunger alone anymore.”

“I won't tell her.” I said. “So, what do you say?”

“You're too good to be true.” Nathan said, and I chuckled.

“How are you going to play this?” I asked.

“I'm thinking I should show a bit of reluctance, for propriety's sake... and maybe a touch of sadness.”

“Only once, don't milk it.” I said. “We don't want her to feel guilty about it, like she did last night.”

Nathan nodded. “I'll turn it to acceptance quickly, since it's for your benefit.”

“Sounds good.” I said. “With the both of us to help her, she should be happy and healthy in no time.”

Nathan reached out and pat my normal shoulder. “Jack, I... I can't thank you enough.”

“I don't need thanks.” I said. “She helped me get through a really tough time, is helping me get through it, and I'm going to repay her kindness.”

Nathan nodded and walked over to the connecting door. “We'll be back in an hour or so with Sandra.”

“I'll have the place ready.” I said and got out of bed, and Nathan saw what I was wearing on half of my body.

“That can't be comfortable.”

“I was cuddling Noreen.” I chuckled. “I honestly didn't notice what I was wearing.”

Nathan chuckled too, and went to his apartment. The admittance chime sounded, and I looked at the vidwall. It was the nurse, so I walked over to the door and let her in.

“Good morning!” Nurse Deloris said happily.

“Somebody had a good time last night.” I said as she went by me and into the bathroom.

“You have no idea!” Nurse Deloris said. “A nice dinner in the town square, a bit of dancing, and then a lot of...” Her eyes widened and her words drifted off as her face went red. “Yes, it was a good time.”

I smiled knowingly. “Will I be getting a detailed description during my bath?”

Nurse Deloris's face went bright red. “Get your ass back in bed!”

I laughed and hobbled over to the bed and sat down, and she came over with extra towels and put them down, and I laid on them. She didn't speak as she proceeded to give me a rough sponge bath, and when she moved to my nether region, I held a hand out to stop her.

“Easy, there.” I said. “It's a lot more sensitive than my normal skin.”

Nurse Deloris sighed. “I'm sorry.”

“I didn't mean to embarrass you.” I said. “I know you had a good time, and I'm sorry if my teasing made you angry.”

The nurse sighed again, and changed the sponge she was using for a soft cloth. “No, I overreacted.” She said and carefully washed my tender bits. “It's been a while since...” She smiled as she looked at me. “I haven't seen one of these in a recreational capacity for a long time.”

“I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm also happy you finally did.” I said. “Should I assume that you have another date set up for tonight?”

“I do, and with the same man.” Nurse Deloris said and rinsed me off and dried me. “He's got a chiselled chin, black hair and hazel eyes, and a smile to die for.”

I thought about the description. “That kind of sounds like Stephane.”

“Do you know him well?”

“Considering he's my best friend, I do know him well.” I said and smiled. “Not in the same way that you do, though.” I joked, and she smacked my chest.

“I don't want to discuss my sex life, thank you.”

“What else do you want to talk about?” I asked as she finished washing my normal side, then slid off my unitard and started cleaning the synthetic side of my body.

“Nothing.” Nurse Deloris said. “Just lay there and don't say a word.” She said, then stopped cleaning and looked at me. “Not. A. Word.”

I grinned at her, and she sighed as she got back to work. I didn't say anything else; but, every time she looked up from her work, I grinned at her. She sighed every time, and when she was done and had applied the lubricating oil to cover the synthetic parts, I thanked her.

“Please, don't tease me about him.” Nurse Deloris said.

I held my hand up in surrender. “I won't ever speak of it to you again.” I said. “Right after I ask you one question.”

Nurse Deloris closed her eyes for a moment, and then looked at me with resignation. “What is it?”

“How did you meet?”

“He came to the hospital to see a patient.” Nurse Deloris said, and then her eyes went wide. “He didn't say who... but... it must have been you.”

“It could have been me.” I said and smiled. “Considering I never saw him at all, he apparently only saw you that day.”

“Jack, I... I'm sorry.”

“For what? That he met you and completely forgot he was going to visit me?”

“I... yes.” Nurse Deloris said, and then she smiled.

“Ah, you get it now.” I said. “He thought meeting you was more important than seeing his old friend.”

Nurse Deloris nodded as her face flushed red. “I distracted him.”

“You really did.” I said and touched her arm. “Have fun tonight.”

“I will.” Nurse Deloris said. “I really will.”

The nurse left my apartment after handing me another unitard. I slipped it on fully this time and looked around at the apartment. I sighed at the disorganization, and started to move things back into their proper places. I used up the rest of the time I had getting everything back into order, and then the admittance chime sounded. I looked at the vidwall and saw it was Noreen, Nathan, and Sandra. I quickly hobbled over to the door and hit the button, and held my arms open.

“Welcome-”

My words were cut off when Sandra pushed me out of the way and ran to the bathroom. She knelt in front of the toilet and threw up, over and over.