Sophia lay motionless in the hospital bed, her tiny frame dwarfed by the sterile white sheets and surrounded by the constant hum of medical equipment. Jeffrey Thompson sat by her side, staring blankly at her pale face, struggling to muster an appropriate emotion—actually, any emotion whatsoever. He knew, cognitively, that he should be overwhelmed with sadness and fear. What he didn’t know was that his own NanoChip, constantly pumping happy hormones into his system, dulled his capacity to feel anything genuine. So, he just sat there, looking at the clock and wondering when it might be suitable for him to leave.

Next to him sat Mrs. Lim, who hadn’t left Sophia’s side for hours. She couldn’t stop crying, which made Jeffrey increasingly uncomfortable. He reached out to pat Sophia's shoulder awkwardly, a gesture that felt like an obligation.

A soft knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. He turned to see Lucy, his ex-wife, standing in the doorway, her expression a mix of concern and animosity.

“Jeffrey,” she said, stepping into the room and nodding curtly. “I came as soon as I heard. How is she?” She quickly moved to the head of the bed and started to stroke Sophia’s hair, while Jeffrey instinctively moved away.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “The doctors say she had a seizure. They are still working to wake her up.”

Lucy looked him straight in the eyes, full of contempt. “It was that damn NanoChip, wasn’t it? How the hell can a twelve-year-old even get that?”

She still has the same look in her eyes, Jeffrey thought. That look had grown into a habit over the last years of their marriage. The look from when she had filed for divorce. The look she showed him every time they met thereafter. They had been together for over thirty years, yet it had taken them twenty-five to realize they had nothing in common except their daughter. But once their daughter was gone, so was their marriage.

Staring back at her, anger flickered in him for a second. “I gave her permission, didn’t I?” he shot back. “It is a perfectly safe device—millions of children use it already.”

“Perfectly safe? Are you bloody kidding me, Jeffrey? Then what the hell happened with her?” She pointed at Sophia, holding back tears.

“The doctors don’t know yet. They say overuse of the NanoChip is one of the possibilities if she somehow managed to bypass the time limit, but we had assessed the risk previously—”

“Don’t give me that corporate bullshit again, Jeffrey Thompson. How dare you, when our granddaughter is lying here helpless?” She broke down on a chair next to Sophia’s bed, sobbing into a handkerchief.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Lucy …” he started.

She waved him away. “Just leave us, please, Jeffrey. I’m sure you have some meeting to attend.”

He took his jacket and left quickly.

Lucy looked up, as if seeing Mrs. Lim for the first time. “Oh, my dear Tabitha, tell me: what happened?” Mrs. Thompson stretched out her hand toward her.

Mrs. Lim stopped her sobbing for a second, speaking in a raised voice. “I’m sure it was that damn chip. I told Mr. Thompson she was too young, too easy to influence.”

“But how did it happen? I want to know everything. Obviously, I stopped my journey as soon as I got the message from the hospital.”

“It all started some months ago when Sophia first got that devilish thing. She was so excited! She would spend hours in her virtual reality games, learning languages, and exploring new worlds. At first, it seemed harmless. One day, she ran into the room after dinner and said, ‘Grandpa, look! I can speak French now!’ And then she began to speak some sentences in French! It was incredible. And Mr. Thompson was so happy and proud of her. I have never seen him like that.”

“So, what changed? How did she end up … here?” Mrs. Thompson was becoming impatient.

“I told her that she should take breaks and spend some time outside, right? But as the weeks passed, Sophia became more irritable when she wasn’t using the NanoChip. She started skipping meals, staying up late, and neglecting her schoolwork. Every time I tried to talk to her about it, she would brush me off, insisting she was fine. What was I supposed to do, Mrs. Thompson?” The sobbing started again.

“That imbecile, Jeffrey, didn’t even notice, did he? He’s always so stuck on his precious work.” She dried the corners of her eyes with her hand and looked at the camera app on her phone, using it as a mirror.

“I am not sure,” Tabitha said, trying to compose herself. “Mr. Thompson has also changed in the last months. He was so indifferent toward everything, even when I mentioned that something was going on with Sophia. He didn’t listen. He didn’t even reprimand the gardeners in the last weeks. I don’t know what—”

“He became even more a self-centric asshole, Tabitha—that’s what happened. Oh, my poor Sophia!” Mrs. Thompson turned to her and let out a cry.

“She changed considerably during that time. I mean, you know her—she was so bright, but became increasingly withdrawn, and she spent almost every waking moment connected to the damn NanoChip.” Talking about the incident seemed to calm Mrs. Lim down a bit.

“That night, the night of the seizure, I found her lying on the floor of her room, convulsing. I panicked and knelt beside her, trying to calm her. But it didn’t work. ‘Sophia! Sophia, can you hear me?’ I shouted.” Mrs. Lim’s voice was trembling, and tears started welling up again in her eyes. “Then Mr. Thompson must have heard us. He came upstairs, and he called the ambulance. She was still twitching when they arrived …”

At that moment, Mr. Thompson returned and Mrs. Lim became immediately quiet.

“Apologies, I forgot my bag,” he said. “Will you be here tomorrow, as well, Lucy?”

Lucy looked away. “I have nothing else to say to you. And if Sophia should ever wake up, I will make sure you never see her again!” Her voice rose to a shout as she gesticulated wildly. “Do you hear me, Jeffrey Thompson? This is your fault!”

Jeffrey knew that arguing was futile. Swallowing his words, he grabbed his bag and hurriedly left the room.

As he stepped outside, he felt a hot, wet sensation on his skin around his shirt collar.

Pausing, he looked down and realized, to his surprise, that tears were streaming down his face.

Jeffrey Thompson was crying.