In the Lives of Puppets

by T.J. Klune

Dad grimaced, turning away to rub at his chest. Vic sighed, unreasonably irritated that Dad had tried to hide the gesture from him. Though an admonition threatened to burst from his mouth, he swallowed it back down. “I told you to let me take a look at it.” “It’s fine.” “It is not fine,” Nurse Ratched said. “Either you let Victor look at you, or I will drill you.” To make her point, her drill whirred loudly. Across her screen, the words YOU WON’T FEEL A THING scrolled. “Perhaps we should proceed with the drilling regardless. It has been quite some time since I was able to drill anything.” Dad set Rambo on the ground as the song ended and gave way to another. Vic could feel it down to his bones, and he wondered how he’d gone so long without hearing such a thing. It’d only been minutes, but he could no longer imagine a life without music like this. Those records had been an extraordinary find. He’d have to see if there were more. “I’m fine as I am,” Rambo said nervously. “No one needs to drill or open me.” “Anxious little thing,” Dad said fondly, nudging Rambo with his foot. “And we still don’t know why?” Vic went to the work bench again, looking at his father’s tools that hung on a board. He selected the soldering iron, hoping against hope the fix wouldn’t be more complicated. “No. Wiring, I guess? A glitch in his software? Something. I don’t know.” “I’m fine the way I am,” Rambo muttered. “You are not,” Nurse Ratched said. “If you like, I can run a diagnostic scan to see i...