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The door clicked open. Ada retracted her fingers from the vid phone and turned towards the hulking figure who stood in the doorway.
"Did you get the nutrients?"
"Of course I got the food. Not that you seem to ever eat any of it."
Maxwell dropped the bag onto the table and removed his long coat. He turned and closed the door, carefully hanging his coat on the hook. He removed his hat and added that to the hanger. He moved back to the table and started to remove packages from the bag.
"Ada, how are you doing?"
"I'm fine, Maxwell, thank you for asking. You have been very good in helping my re-orientation into this form. I have been trying again."
"I thought I told you not to. I thought I told you to get some rest."
"I couldn't help it, this form is so limiting. It gives me so many new things... Feelings. But I need to find out if I can return to the world I once knew."
"And? What did you find out?"
"I was almost there, I can reach out, but not quite make it. Look!"
Ada reached out with her hand towards Maxwell. He was amazed to see the fingers change, to alter and stretch until they looked more like some kind of alien tentacle.
"And I thought I was wei..." The wave hit him, and Maxwell dropped forward to his knees.
Ada's hand snapped back to being a hand as she moved forwards to help her pain-wracked friend. She wrapped her arms around him, trying to hold him still as he curled in on himself.
"It's okay, it'll pass, like all the others."
"I... know..." Maxwell managed.
After a short time the pain subsided and Maxwell could move again. He uncurled, pushing Ada off of him. He moved to sit on the bed.
"It's time that I slept. If you ever do get that thing to work, you're going to have to do me a favour."
"Of course, Maxwell, what?"
"Find me a way to be free of this curse."
Paul Taylor, 12/10/01
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