The Watch – Part 188:

‘So you need my help with figuring out what to do once you’ve broken Amy and Tom out of that laboratory because the world where you come from already have a version of them both and someone who you don’t want to know your secret,’ Amy said in one breath.

‘Yep,’ I said.

‘Well,’ Amy said thoughtfully, mimicking the same mannerisms that Amy does when she thinks – I mean, my Amy. ‘Why don’t you just find a parallel universe that is exactly the same as the one you’re from, except Amy and Tom aren’t there and he is there but he doesn’t know?’

‘You see how messed up I’ve become,’ I said. ‘That’s literally the most obvious answer and yet I didn’t figure it out.’

‘Hey,’ Amy demanded my attention. ‘Don’t ever think that. You’re suffering from short-term side effects that will go but you just have to wait it out. As well as that, but you’re exhausted. From what I understand, your brain has been working overtime and then some. You have every right to not be able to think properly, but you do not have every right to say that you are messed up. Now, if you really are worried, why don’t you use your watch to make yourself better?’

‘Oh, that’s an idea,’ I said piping up.

‘Or,’ Amy continued before I could run away with that idea, ‘you can get better the natural way. Relax and let your body readjust itself without any artificial medication, if you know what I mean. And before you start worrying about leaving Amy and Tom in that laboratory, from what you have told me, you can travel in time, to any point in time as well, so, once you’re better, you can go back to the very next second after you left and save them then. Does that make any sense?’ she asked, generally wondering if that did actually make any sense.

‘Well, when you put it like that,’ I tilted my head thoughtfully.

‘Any other thoughts,’ she pushed, but she also had that tone of voice, telling me that I had better end this conversation now and get some rest. Unfortunately, my mind wasn’t going to let that happen.

‘Using the watch to make myself better would help me with not having to worry about not saving them, you know,’ I screwed up my face in confusion… I really wasn’t sure if that sentence came out the way it sounded in my head or not.

Amy just sighed, and I knew what she meant by that. She decided to follow that expression up with an elaborative explanation just to make sure that I really wouldn’t do anything rationally. ‘I would rather know that my body has recovered by itself rather than via anything else, that’s all. But it’s your choice and I don’t want to pressure you into doing something you don’t want to do.’

Even if I do use the watch to make myself better, would that function have to be activated for an indefinite amount of time in order to keep me well, or not? The moment that I disable all functions, I’m going to go straight back to how I am now, and that’s the last thing I want to happen if I’m stuck in another sticky situation. I have no idea what that sticky situation I’ll be in, but it would be nice to know that I’ll be well throughout. By allowing my body to get better on its own, I won’t have to find out.

But how long will it take before I’m back to being myself? Well, considering that I had just made a very tough decision – was it a tough decision though. I do feel as if I’ve resorted back to being an indecisive person once again… but I’ve always been that person though, haven’t I? The watch has only allowed me to make my decisions easier and quicker than without it, or isn’t that the case at all. I get the inkling that it won’t be too long. You may not be happy about it, but that’s the decision that I made and I’m sticking to it. Sorry.

Satisfied with my decision, I rolled off the sofa and picked myself up. My legs were still a bit shaky, but were solid enough to keep me from falling down again. Walking into the kitchen, Amy noticed me as she was placing a glass on the bottom shelf of the dishwasher and stood up to face me.

‘I’ve decided to stay and let my body get better the natural way,’ I said.

Amy smiled making the entire room light up once more, which in turn made me smile as well. She walked around the open door of the dishwasher, opened her arms and hugged me tightly.

‘And do you feel as if you’ve made the right decision,’ she said, her voice slightly muffled as she spoke into my shoulder.

‘I don’t know,’ I said truthfully, ‘but what I do know is that I am not going to let me not be the person I want to be. I owe myself that much. And I may have gotten hold of the wrong side of the stick here, but I’m also doing what I feel Amy and Tom would want me to do, what you would want me to do.’

‘Now you’re making things confusing again.’

‘Sorry.’

‘Don’t apologise and hug me back,’ she said. ‘I mean, because you’ll feel better afterwards if you do,’ Amy continued quickly.

She may not be the version of Amy I know, but she’s still Amy.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)