Member-only story
Glitches
The wave of the future just got more dystopian.
Angeline fidgeted as she sat in the doctor’s office. The sensation of the hospital gown against her skin irritated her, but every single move made it worse.
Beside her sat her mother, whose eyes were obscured by the screen in front of her. Angeline watched as her mother swiped right over and over again, obviously not satisfied with the content being fed straight into her brain.
“You’d think they’d do something about these visits,” her mother said. “Weren’t we supposed to get rid of real doctors a few years ago?”
“An android wouldn’t be able to help,” Angeline murmured, clutching her belly wherein lay the ache. “This is human pain. A robot wouldn’t understand.”
Her mother sighed but made no argument, instead swiping through her screen so fast that Angeline was certain her mother wasn’t deciphering any of it.
A few minutes later, Dr. Ramboni walked in. The doctor gave Angeline a smile that might have reassured her if the pain in her stomach didn’t choose that moment to spike.
As Angeline curled in on herself, a moan slipped out of her mouth.
“Easy, easy,” Dr. Ramboni said, using her hands to guide Angeline back onto the examination bed. “How long have you been having these…
