Kaz wanted to go home. He hated the doctor's office, as any young kid would, but he hated it for a different reason. His mom was dying, and no one would tell him why. He could hear it in their voices when they tried to shoo him away, could see it in the way their hearts beat when they thought about it. Being a freak tended to have its perks, apparently. But they were few and far between, and being the son of a monster didn't help him as he sat in the corner of the doctor's office, fiddling absently with one of those odd contraptions with wires going through beads like funny roller coasters.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, his mom walked over to him with an armful of paperwork in the crook of her arm. "Come on hon, mommy's gotta go home and do homework," she said, a tired smile plastered across her face as she leaned down next to him. He looked back at her, nodding as he got to his feet. His mom held out her hand and he grabbed onto it, staring down at the fibers of the carpeted floor while they walked. He was forced to look up as they walked out the door into the bright sunlight of the outdoors, pushing his glasses up further on his nose.

They walked over to the car, a small red Volkswagen that glistened in the early morning sunlight. Kaz walked around, sliding into the passenger seat as his mom got into the car. She set the packet of paperwork on top of the dash and Kaz reached over to set it in his lap. The last thing he wanted was it to go flying during a turn and hit him in the face, or spill its contents all over the floor. He may want to see what was inside, but he wouldn't open it. He'd rather his mom tell him what was in it than him finding out on accident. His mom put the keys in the ignition and the car hummed to life. Kaz watched as electricity shot through the wires of the car, tracing the lines of it as they began to drive.

Kaz didn't like driving either. He could see too much of the power that thrummed through the circuitry, could feel it connecting to him like some kind of livewire parasite. It reminded him of his dad, and how different he really was. He didn't just dislike it. He hated it. It made him angry, really. So he scowled out the window, pretending he couldn't see the exact wire that operated the button to roll the window down, ignoring the bundle of circuitry just in front of his feet. His mom glanced over at him, noticing his minor agitation but saying nothing. They both knew it was an unavoidable side effect of his existence. Idly, Kaz wondered if all the bad things happening to his mom were his fault too.