Chapter 7: Reentering the Hospital 
Miguel stood at the edge of the hospital room, gazing at Aubree’s comatose body, lying peacefully in the bed. The rhythmic beeping of the machines monitoring her vitals was a constant reminder of the life still tethered to this world. Yet, it felt as if he were standing at a crossroads, torn between the woman he had loved for years and the robotic facsimile that had taken on her voice, her mannerisms, and fragments of her memories.
Next to him, Robo-Aubree stood silently, her eyes a perfect replication of Aubree’s emerald gaze focused on the body in the bed. The room was heavy with the weight of unspoken emotions, a mixture of grief, guilt, and a desperate hope that this unconventional solution might somehow keep their love alive.
"Are you ready to go, Miguel?" Robo-Aubree asked, her voice a gentle echo of the one he had cherished for so long.
Miguel swallowed hard, his throat tight as he tore his eyes away from Aubree’s still form. "Yeah… Yeah, I’m ready," he said, though he didn’t feel ready at all. The truth was, he was terrified of what lay ahead, of what this new version of Aubree might mean for them, and of what he was leaving behind.
He took one last lingering look at the woman he had married, the woman who had fought alongside him in the operating room, who had been his partner in life and in love.
"I’ll come back for you," he whispered, as much a promise to himself as it was to her.
"I swear it."
Robo-Aubree reached out and gently took his hand, her touch cool and firm, yet somehow reassuring.
"We’ll come back," she said, echoing his vow. "But we need to do this first. We need to get back to our lives, to make sure no one suspects anything."
Miguel nodded, steeling himself for the journey ahead. They had made their decision, and now they had to see it through. Together, they turned and left the room, leaving behind the fragile hope that Aubree might one day wake up.
---
The journey back to their country was surreal, a blend of the familiar and the strange. Miguel had traveled this route countless times, but never with a companion like this. Robo-Aubree sat beside him on the plane, her gaze fixed out the window, watching the clouds drift by. Her silence was both comforting and unsettling, a reminder that she wasn’t truly Aubree, even if she carried the essence of the woman he loved.
As they disembarked and made their way through the airport, Miguel couldn’t help but feel a gnawing anxiety. Would people notice? Would they see through the perfect mimicry? He glanced at Robo-Aubree, who walked with the same grace and confidence that Aubree had always exuded. To any outsider, she was the same woman who had left the country weeks ago, the same woman who had built a career and a life alongside him.
But Miguel knew better. Beneath the surface, everything had changed.
As they exited the airport, a familiar voice called out to them.
"Miguel! Aubree!"
It was Dr. Elena Ramirez, one of their closest colleagues and a dear friend. She rushed toward them, a wide smile on her face, arms outstretched in greeting.
"It’s so good to see you both! We’ve missed you around here!"
Miguel’s heart raced, but he forced a smile, slipping into the role he knew he had to play. "Elena, it’s great to see you too. It feels like we’ve been gone forever."
Elena hugged Miguel tightly before turning to Robo-Aubree, enveloping her in a warm embrace.
"Aubree, you look amazing! I was so worried when I heard what happened on the island. But you look like you’re doing just fine."
Robo-Aubree returned the hug with equal warmth, her smile flawless.
"I’m doing much better now, Elena. It was a scary experience, but Miguel took such good care of me. I don’t know what I would’ve done without him."
Miguel’s chest tightened at the ease with which Robo-Aubree played the part, her words and actions so perfectly aligned with what Aubree herself would have said. It was both a comfort and a curse, this illusion of normalcy.
As they walked to the car, Elena chatted excitedly about the goings on at the hospital, filling them in on all the latest news.
"We’ve had quite a few interesting cases while you were gone," she said, her tone light.
"But nothing we couldn’t handle. Still, it wasn’t the same without the two of you. The whole team’s been looking forward to your return."
"We’re glad to be back," Robo-Aubree said, her voice as natural as if she truly meant it. "It’s time to get back to work, to help people. That’s what we do best, right, Miguel?"
Miguel forced a smile, nodding in agreement. "Yeah… that’s what we do."
---
Back at the hospital, their return was met with a flurry of greetings and well-wishes from their colleagues. The atmosphere was almost celebratory, as if their mere presence had lifted the spirits of everyone around them. Miguel went through the motions, shaking hands, exchanging pleasantries, all while feeling like he was walking through a dream one where reality and illusion blurred together in a disorienting mix.
Robo-Aubree was the star of the show, her presence captivating everyone around her. She laughed, she joked, she reassured their colleagues that she was fine, that the events on the island were behind her. Miguel watched in awe as she seamlessly slipped into the role of Dr. Aubree Martinez, as if nothing had changed.
But something had changed everything had changed. As the day wore on, Miguel found himself retreating into his thoughts, questioning the decision he had made, the path they were now on. Could he really pretend that everything was normal? Could he look his colleagues in the eye, day after day, knowing the truth?
Later that evening, after the hospital had quieted down and most of their colleagues had gone home, Miguel and Robo-Aubree found themselves alone in his office. The day had been exhausting, the weight of the charade pressing down on him like a suffocating blanket.
Robo-Aubree sat across from him, her eyes studying him with a concern that was unnervingly human.
"Miguel, are you okay? You’ve been quiet all day."
Miguel sighed, rubbing his temples as he leaned back in his chair.
"I’m just… tired. This is all so overwhelming. Being back here, pretending like nothing’s wrong… it’s harder than I thought it would be."
Robo-Aubree reached across the desk, her hand resting on top of his.
"You’re not alone in this, Miguel. I’m here with you. We’re in this together."
Miguel looked at her, his heart aching with the conflicting emotions that tore at him. She was right he wasn’t alone. But he also wasn’t with Aubree, not really. The woman sitting in front of him was a brilliant piece of technology, a lifelike replica, but she wasn’t his wife.
"I know," he said softly. "I know you’re here. It’s just… hard. Every time I look at you, I see her, and it reminds me of what I’ve lost."
Robo-Aubree’s expression softened, her voice filled with empathy.
"Miguel, I understand. This is a lot to take in. But we can’t give up. We need to stay focused, to keep moving forward. There’s still so much we need to do so many people we can help."
Miguel nodded, though his heart wasn’t entirely in it.
"You’re right," he said, his voice resigned. "We need to focus on the mission. But it doesn’t change the fact that I miss her… the real her."
Robo-Aubree leaned in closer, her gaze intent.
"Miguel, I may not be exactly the same as her, but I’m still a part of her. I still carry her memories, her thoughts, her love for you. And I’m here to help you through this, in whatever way I can."
Miguel’s chest tightened, his emotions swirling in a confusing mix of love and loss. He wanted to believe her, to find comfort in the idea that a part of Aubree still existed in this robotic form. But the reality was, this was a shadow of the life they had once shared.
"Thank you," he said finally, his voice heavy with emotion.
"I don’t know what I’d do without you."
Robo-Aubree smiled, her expression warm and understanding.
"You’ll never have to find out, Miguel. I’m here for you, always."
---
As the days turned into weeks, Miguel and Robo-Aubree settled back into their roles at the hospital. To the outside world, nothing had changed. They were the same dedicated doctors, the same inseparable couple, as they had always been. But beneath the surface, Miguel was grappling with a growing sense of unease.
Every interaction with Robo-Aubree was a reminder of the delicate balance he was trying to maintain. On one hand, she was a remarkable creation, capable of emulating Aubree’s behavior with astonishing accuracy. She could laugh, she could comfort, she could even share in the camaraderie with their colleagues. But on the other hand, she wasn’t human. She wasn’t the woman he had married, the woman he had built a life with.