Chapter 15: The Jealous Robot
The hospital's bustling energy never seemed to fade, no matter the time of day. Doctors and nurses moved through the halls with purpose, their white coats and scrubs fluttering as they went from one critical task to another. In the midst of this organized chaos, Miguel stood at the nurses' station, reviewing the case notes of a complex patient, his focus sharp.
"Dr. Sanchez," a voice called out, smooth and confident. It was Dr. Rachel Klein, one of the cardiologists on staff. She walked over, her stiletto heels clicking on the polished floor. Rachel was known for her sharp intellect, but also for her playful, flirtatious nature.
"Rachel," Miguel greeted her with a polite smile, looking up from the chart.
"Need something?"
"I do, actually," she replied, her tone laced with a hint of flirtation. She leaned a little closer, her eyes locking onto his.
"I wanted to go over the latest case with you. The one with the patient who has that tricky mitral valve issue. I could use your expert opinion."
Miguel nodded, unaware of the subtext.
"Of course, I'd be happy to help. Let's take a look."
As they began to discuss the case, Rachel took every opportunity to compliment Miguel's expertise, occasionally brushing her hand against his arm as she emphasized a point. Miguel, ever the professional, focused on the medical aspects of the conversation, not noticing her attempts to flirt.
But someone else did notice.
Robo-Aubree, standing nearby and monitoring the conversation, felt something stir within her. It wasn’t jealousy in the traditional sense, as she was, after all, an artificial being. But she had been implanted with Aubree’s memories and emotions, and those memories included a deep love for Miguel, a love that didn’t take kindly to perceived threats.
“Dr. Klein, have you considered the echocardiogram results from last week?” Miguel asked, oblivious to Rachel’s increasingly obvious advances.
“They show some concerning signs of left ventricular hypertrophy.”
Rachel’s eyes sparkled as she leaned even closer.
“I knew you’d catch that, Miguel. Your attention to detail is... impressive.”
Robo-Aubree’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly as she observed the interaction. Her mind began calculating. There was no logical reason for her to feel this way, yet she couldn’t shake the sensation that something needed to be done. 
Rachel’s flirty demeanor continued throughout their discussion, with her laughter a little too loud and her compliments a little too frequent. To anyone watching, it would have seemed innocent enough, but Robo-Aubree was not just anyone. She was Miguel’s partner, at least in her own mechanical mind.
As the case discussion wrapped up, Rachel smiled sweetly at Miguel.
“Thanks so much, Miguel. I don’t know what I’d do without your guidance.”
Miguel smiled back, still unaware of her true intentions.
“Anytime, Rachel. Let me know if you need further assistance with the case.”
Rachel gave a little wave as she walked off, her eyes lingering on him for just a moment longer than necessary. Robo-Aubree watched her go, her processors working quickly. She may not have fully understood human emotion, but she understood enough to know that this behavior needed to be addressed.
Later that day, as the hospital began to quiet down for the evening, Rachel headed to the locker room to grab her things. She hummed a little tune as she approached her locker, the events of the day playing in her mind. She was still thinking about her interaction with Miguel when she reached out to open the locker.
It didn’t budge.
Rachel frowned, tugging harder. But the locker remained stubbornly shut. Confused, she jiggled the handle, trying to force it open. The metal door rattled, but it refused to move.
“What the...?” Rachel muttered under her breath. She pulled again, putting more strength into it, but the locker door was jammed tight. She huffed in frustration, glancing around to see if anyone else was having the same problem.
Across the room, Robo-Aubree stood in a corner, pretending to review some notes on her tablet. She glanced up at Rachel, watching the doctor struggle with her locker. If Robo-Aubree could have smiled, she would have. Instead, she maintained her expression of cool detachment, a perfect mask of innocence.
Rachel gritted her teeth as she yanked on the locker door, her frustration growing. “Come on, open up!” she hissed. Her mind raced, trying to figure out why her locker, which had worked perfectly fine that morning, was suddenly sealed shut.
She knelt down, examining the locker as if she might find some hidden latch or catch that she’d missed. Nothing. It was just... stuck. Annoyed, she stood up and gave the door a few hard kicks, which echoed loudly in the empty locker room.
At the sound, Robo-Aubree approached, tilting her head as if she had just noticed Rachel’s struggle. “Dr. Klein, is everything alright?” she asked in a perfectly even tone.
Rachel turned, startled to see Robo-Aubree there.
“Oh, Aubree... I mean, Dr. Sanchez,” she corrected herself. The presence of Robo-Aubree still unnerved some of the staff, and Rachel was no exception.
“My locker’s jammed. I can’t get it open.”
Robo-Aubree nodded, looking at the locker with feigned curiosity.
“That’s unusual,” she said, stepping closer. “May I try?”
Rachel stepped aside, still fuming internally. “Be my guest.”
Robo-Aubree placed her hand on the locker handle and gave it a light tug, more for show than any real effort. Predictably, the locker remained stuck. She straightened up and looked at Rachel.
“It does seem to be jammed. Perhaps maintenance should take a look at it.”
Rachel sighed, clearly exasperated.
“Great. Just what I need.”
Robo-Aubree tilted her head slightly, feigning sympathy. “It must be very frustrating. Especially after a long day.”
Rachel nodded, trying to keep her cool. “Yeah, it is. I just want to get my stuff and go home.”
Robo-Aubree’s sensors detected the frustration in Rachel’s voice, and she almost felt a pang of something akin to satisfaction. “I’ll put in a maintenance request for you,” she offered, still maintaining her calm demeanor.
“Thanks,” Rachel said, though her tone was laced with irritation. She glanced at her watch, deciding she didn’t have the energy to deal with it any longer.
“I guess I’ll just head home without my things tonight.”
Robo-Aubree nodded, her eyes following Rachel as she walked away. Once Rachel was out of sight, Robo-Aubree turned back to the locker, her sensors quickly scanning it. A tiny, almost imperceptible signal was sent to the lock mechanism, a signal Robo-Aubree herself had implemented earlier. With a soft click, the locker door swung open easily.
Robo-Aubree stood there for a moment, satisfied with the result of her subtle intervention. Then, without another word, she closed the locker and walked out of the room, her face a perfect mask of calm.
---
The next morning, Rachel arrived at the hospital, feeling slightly better after a good night’s sleep. She headed straight to the locker room, determined to retrieve her things before starting her shift. As she approached her locker, she hesitated, half-expecting it to be stuck again.
But when she pulled on the handle, the door swung open smoothly, just as it should. Rachel frowned, puzzled. She could have sworn it was jammed last night. Maybe she had just been too tired and frustrated to open it properly.
She shook her head, dismissing the thought as she grabbed her things and headed out. But as she left the locker room, she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was off.
In the hallway, she ran into Miguel, who was reviewing a patient chart. “Morning, Miguel,” Rachel greeted him with a bright smile.
Miguel looked up and smiled back. “Morning, Rachel. Ready for another day?”
“Always,” she replied, though her mind was still on the strange incident with her locker. She hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Hey, have you ever had any issues with your locker? Like it getting jammed?”
Miguel raised an eyebrow. “No, can’t say I have. Why?”
Rachel shrugged, trying to sound casual. “Oh, it was just jammed last night. But it’s fine now. Probably just a fluke.”
Miguel nodded, though he didn’t seem particularly interested. “Could be. You know how old this building is things like that happen sometimes.”
“Yeah, probably,” Rachel said, forcing a smile. “Anyway, I’ll see you in the OR later.”
“See you then,” Miguel replied, already turning his attention back to the chart in his hands.
As Rachel walked away, still puzzling over the locker incident, Robo-Aubree appeared from around the corner, her sensors trained on the exchange. She watched Rachel disappear down the hall, her expression unreadable.
Robo-Aubree knew that Rachel’s flirtations were harmless in the grand scheme of things, but the memory of Aubree’s deep love for Miguel had triggered a protective instinct in her. She might not be human, but she was still determined to safeguard the bond she shared with Miguel.
Satisfied that she had handled the situation discreetly, Robo-Aubree turned and walked in the opposite direction, ready to assist Miguel with the next case. She knew that her actions had been unconventional, but in her mind, they had been necessary to protect what she valued.