switched by Desconhecido(a) Page B

person.” Scattered? Yes. Scared? Yes. Picky? Not so much.
    Walt nodded and put the sponges into the sterilizer before punching in an order on the commlink. Then two glasses were taken from a cupboard, filled to exactly the three-quarter mark. “Here you go. You should wash your hands before drinking.”
    “Okay. Here in the sink?” So many rules. Too many. It was making him itchy.
    Walt nodded. “Yes. Good. Coby sometimes makes things a mess and tells me to ignore it. If you asked I would try. You have his body. I could pretend it was him.”
    “No. I’m not Jacob. I’d rather you just let me be me. I’ll try not to make any messes.” He went to wash his hands, making sure to use soap.
    “Okay.” Walt watched him from beneath his eyelashes, trying not to be obvious about it, Bastian assumed.
    He washed as well as he could, then smiled over at Walt. “This okay?”
    Walt nodded. “Yes. Yes. Drink. The food will be here soon.”
    He took the glass and drank deep, eyes going wide. “Oh! This is good ! What kind of juice is this?”
    Walt beamed. “Organic ganafruit. Without pulp. Pulp is nasty. Leaves those little bits all over the glass.”
    “It’s very good. Thank you.” He finished his juice, draining the glass dry. “I’ll have to get some for Augie.”
    “Tell me about your Augie.”
    “Oh. Oh, he’s very tall and wide and gentle, but firm. He loves me.” Sebastian’s smile turned tremulous. “He helps me.”
    Walt suddenly was hugging him. “Like Coby helps me.”
    “Yes.” He wrapped his arms around Walt, holding tight.
    Walt shook a little, sniffed. “I’m sorry. I miss you. Him. Coby.”
    “Yeah. Yeah. I miss my Augie, my big bed, my hair.”
    Walt looked up at him, hand sliding over his head. “You have hair. I do not. You do .”
    “My body? Has hair down to my behind. Very long.” He found a smile for Walt, a real one.
    Walt’s eyes went wide and then he shook his hair. “Coby would hate that.”
    “I hope Gus doesn’t let him cut mine. It’s important to me.” Very.
    Walt bit his lip but only nodded.
    “Can... Can I touch your head? It looks so smooth .”
    Walt nodded. “Would you mind washing... No. Go ahead.” He was given a watery smile.
    “I can wash my hands again, if you want. Friends, right?”
    “No, Coby wouldn’t. And they’re his hands.” Walt tilted his head, offering over the bald pate.
    Sebastian reached out, touching so carefully, so gently. “Oh.... Walt. It’s soft!”
    “Coby puts cream on it. Every night.” A soft tremor went through Walt. “Maybe... maybe you could do it tonight?”
    “Yes. Yes, I could do that. Does it help you sleep?”
    “Coby helps me sleep.”
    He nodded. “Augie helps me sleep, too.”
    A buzzer sounded, making Walt jump. “Food, that is your food.”
    “Aren’t you going to eat, too?” He followed Walt to the main room, at a loss as to what to do.
    “Oh, no. I take nutrition capsules. Well, Coby makes me eat food, but when he’s not here, I take nutrition capsules.” Walt started to rub his fingernails along his hand again. “Are you going to make me eat?”
    “Do you want me to?” He twined their fingers together again.
    “I don’t know.” Walt looked up at him, holding onto his hands tightly.
    “Well, you can share with me. That’s sort of half and half.”
    Walt frowned a moment and then nodded. “Yes, that would work.” He was given a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here, Sebastian. If it cannot be my Master, I’m glad it is you.”
    “Yes. I promise that we’ll be friends even after all this is fixed.”
    Walt smiled at him and gave him another hug before going to let the food in.
    There was another production of cleaning a place for each of them at the table and their plates, the food containers wiped down with alcohol swabs. But finally the food was on their plates, the lion’s share on his, and he and Walt were seated.
    “This all smells very good.” He settled, smiled, started