From the accidental creation of Devin and Izzy's robot son, Atom, emerged a unique boy. This time, with more assistance, they crafted a being that resembled a human but possessed robotic components within. The boy had striking brown hair and captivating turquoise eyes.
Initially, they aimed to create a boy similar to Atom. However, upon programming and activation, he exhibited distinct characteristics. Initially possessing yellow and grey hair, it later transformed into brown hair and turquoise eyes, setting him apart from Atom. Devin and Izzy were taken aback by this.
A perplexed Izzy addressed Devin, "What is our move?" Devin remained silent, contemplating how a situation had spiraled out of control. Sam interjected mockingly, "I told you it was a bad idea from the get-go. Just get rid of it!" An angry Izzy retorted, "No way, Sam. He's already here, and we will keep him." Devin held the android close, emphasizing his determination.
In the face of conflicting opinions and an escalating situation, Devin's decision to keep the android revealed his unwavering resolve. He believed that the creation held potential and that discarding it would be a colossal mistake. Izzy, torn between her initial skepticism and growing affection, stood by Devin's side, recognizing the significance of their actions. Sam, however, remained unconvinced, reinforcing his stance against the android's presence. As the trio confronted the consequences of their choices, the fate of the android hung in the balance, shaping the course of their uncertain future.
As Devin busied himself finding clothes for the child, Izzy pondered, "What should we call him? He is completely different from Atom; he needs a name that is him." Devin suggested, "How about Vinny?" A smile spread across his face. Izzy agreed, returning the smile, "I like it."
As Devin dressed Atom in some clothes, two realizations dawned on him. First, Vinny's clothing style was markedly different from his robotic son's. Second, he missed Atom deeply. Just then, his thoughts were interrupted by the boy. "Mother," Vinny said, tilting his head. "Yes, Izzy and I are your parents. I am technically your father, unless Izzy prefers to be the father."
"You can be the father, and I'll be the mother," Izzy said. "I know you've wished to be the father of some children."
"Father?" Vinny echoed, still trying to process everything.
"Yes, Vinny, and I'm your mother," Izzy clarified.
Before this, neither of them knew that the child had gained a soul, which yearned for a family. Finally, the soul had one. Vinny looked at Izzy, whose eyes beamed with joy, and then at Devin, who smiled at him despite a hint of sadness. This revelation eased Vinny's fear, assuring him that there was nothing to be apprehensive about.
With a solemn gaze, Vinny looked at his parents and uttered, "Mother, Father." In unison, they responded, "Yes." "I am real," Vinny declared, his gaze fixed upon them. Izzy, beaming, replied, as he left the room. "What do you mean, baby? Of course, you are." However, Vinny's tone shifted as he spoke again, his voice tinged with an eerie quality. "Father, I have a soul, just like you and Mother," he said.
In a moment of confusion, Devin asked, "How do you know what a soul is, Vinny?" With a monotonous voice, Vinny replied, "I can see your soul, father." Sensing a growing fear within him, Devin anxiously stated, "You were not programmed to see souls." Acknowledging his father's concern, Vinny attempted to stand while uttering, "I know, father."
Devin attempted to contain his fear and show concern for his son's safety, saying, "Hold on, Vinny. Don't stand up. I'll have Izzy come and help you so you don't get hurt." Standing shakily on his own, Vinny inquired, "Mother's name is Izzy. What is your name, Father?" Devin shouted, "Izzy!" and Izzy ran up the stairs, almost tripping as he hurried.
"My name is Devin," Devin said as Izzy gently took hold of Vinny, raising him up. In a playful moment, Izzy giggled, "I suppose it's time we teach him to walk." Vinny, eager to gain independence, looked at his mother and said, "I want to learn how to walk on my own." Devin, understanding their son's desire, responded, "We just want to provide you with a safe environment to learn." Izzy then attempted to take Vinny downstairs, but he remained captivated by the computer.
With a chuckle, Izzy said, "I completely forgot to take off the wires." He tried to unhook him, but Vinny winced in pain when he moved the wires. "This can't be how come we cant remove the cords," Devin said, becoming increasingly agitated. Izzy, trying to maintain composure, replied, "Calm down, Devin. We'll figure it out."
As Michael Devin's other son, Micky, walked by, Devin called out, "Micky, come here and bring Charlie." "No problem, Mom," Michael replied, rushing to fetch his brother, who was already on the way. "Mom needs us," Michael informed Charlie. "I know," Charlie promptly responded. The two entered the room together. Charlie looked at the numerous cords connected to the massive computer on the floor and asked, "Is this what you're upset about?"
"Yes, that right there in Izzy's arms is an android we made to try to replace your brother Atom. It did not turn out right but long story short we can't unhook him" Devin said. "So does this android have a name or is it junk?" Charlie asked Michael hit him in the arm. Charlie was digging in his medical bag.
Charlie spread out some items he believed he needed, as he apologized to Devin. He explained that he could sense Devin's impending tears, which, combined with Izzy's emotional state, indicated that the person in question wasn't worthless. Devin, perplexed, asked how Charlie had known he was upset. Charlie simply responded that he could sense when Devin was on the verge of tears.
"Okay, Mickey, turn off his pain sensor, and I'll take out the cords. Mom and Izzy, hold him steady," Charlie instructed. Michael walked over to the computer and clicked on the program. Vinny went limp in Izzy's arms. "This could take a while," Charlie said as he began to pull out the cords. "If the healing process does not happen quickly, Vinny will need bandages, and his pain sensor will need to remain off until he is fully healed," Charlie explained.
The group worked together to remove the cords from Vinny's body. Charlie carefully pulled out each cord, while Michael monitored the computer program and Izzy and Mom held Vinny steady. The process was slow and meticulous, and it took several minutes to complete. Once the cords were removed, Charlie examined Vinny's wounds and determined that they would need to be bandaged. He also explained that Vinny's pain sensor would need to remain off until he was fully healed.
During Vinny's weeks-long recovery, Charlie provided dedicated care. Every night, he would read to Vinny, ensuring his well-being. Charlie's attentiveness extended to constantly monitoring the programming to guarantee Vinny's proper functioning.
Upon Vinny's complete recovery, something seemed amiss. Charlie, attempting to run a diagnostic program on Vinny, received an error message indicating that Vinny was no longer connected. Further investigation revealed that the cord connecting Vinny's neck had become disconnected.
Initially, Charlie believed that Vinny's cord had fallen off, and he tried to reconnect it. However, he quickly realized there was no port at the back of Vinny's neck. Vinny's voice, sounding more human than before, inquired, "Big brother, what are you looking for?" Charlie responded with a nervous smile and a dismissive answer, "There was a...nevermind, Vin."
Expressing his eagerness to explore the house, Vinny spoke, "Can I get up? I want to look around." "Yes, but give me a minute. I need to speak with Mom," Charlie replied, preparing to leave. Intrigued, Vinny asked, "Your mother is my father, right, big brother?"
In confirmation, Charlie uttered, "Yes, that's correct, Vin," as he navigated the hallway. He proceeded to his mother's bedroom, but she was nowhere to be found. Charlie extended his search outside, as these were her customary locations. Serendipitously, one of his sisters crossed his path. With a query, Charlie inquired, "Hey, Kira, have you seen Mom anywhere?"
Kira responded "No, I haven't but ask carrot he might know. I thought I heard them talking earlier" then proceeded to skip gleefully towards her room. It should be noted that Carrot is the nickname affectionately given to Garret, a result of his distinctive orange hair. Charlie approached Garret's room, his knuckles rapping against the wooden door. He paused, waiting for a response, but silence greeted him. The lack of acknowledgment hinted that Garret was not present in the room.
As Michael emerged from his room, Charlie, who was starting down the stairs, said, "I guess they went to the store." Michael responded, "Hey Charlie, you're looking for Garrett? He and Mom went out." Realizing this, Charlie decided to check on Vinny and headed back to his room. In the meantime, Vinny sat on the bed next to the window, gazing outside.
With a forlorn expression, Vinny inquired, "Big brother, when can I go outside?" In an attempt to console him, Charlie responded, "Soon, when mom comes home.'' As they continued their conversation, a car door's sound broke the silence. Vinny turned to face the window, asking, "Is that father?" Charlie, now closer to the window, inquired, "Can you see him?"
As Vinny observed Devin approaching the house, he promptly sprang off the bed and charged down the stairs. Unfortunately, his descent was abruptly cut short as he tumbled down the remaining steps, landing squarely on his rear end. Meanwhile, Devin had reached the door, and Vinny swiftly slid up to him upon his arrival. "Vinny are you okay honey?" Devin asked concerned.
With a broad grin, Vinny stood up, but Charlie wasn't amused. "Vinny, you can't just pop out of bed and zoom downstairs like a jack-in-the-box. You scared me!" he scolded. "I'm fine, father, big brother," Vinny replied, jogging in place. "Someone's hyper," Devin observed. He then turned to Garret and asked, "Garret, would you please help me put these things away?" Devin handed Garret the groceries.
"Yes mom" garret said with a sigh taking the groceries to the kitchen. "He wants to go play outside I said to wait till you got home. what is wrong with garret?" Charlie said then asked. Devin was gonna answer but a bunch of louds sounds came from the kitchen. Before the two could even go in there to check it out. Sam ran into the kitchen.
Sam, visibly enraged, slammed his hand across the counter and screamed, "What in brim are you doing, Carrot?" To make matters worse, Sam had just struck Garret across the face. Devin, fearing the situation would escalate, rushed into the kitchen. He quickly pulled Garret behind him, shielding him from any potential harm. "Tell me why you hit him," Devin demanded, his anger evident.
In the midst of a heated argument between Sam and Devin, where Sam said Garret was disrespecting Sam in his own home, Charlie stepped in from the kitchen. "Stay here, Vinny," Charlie said to Vinny, who was also present. As Sam continued to yell at Devin, Charlie shouted over Sam, telling him to stop. Sam, frustrated, retorted with a growl, "Control your kids." Charlie, almost challenging his father, responded, "Maybe you should control your temper."
When Sam encounters a situation he dislikes, he hastily exits the house, a behavior that has become habitual. Devin, holding Garret's hands gently, spoke softly, "Please take Vinny outside to play; I need to speak with Garret." Devin tried to catch Garret's gaze, but Vinny remained in his spot, still waiting.
Outside stood Charlie and Vinny, an amusing sight to behold. Vinny's expression held a mixture of surprise and curiosity as he took in the unfamiliar surroundings. "Vinny, did you hear any of that?" Charlie inquired. "Nope, I covered my ears when the noise got too loud," Vinny replied, his attention now focused on a leaf lying on the ground. He crouched down near the ground, engrossed in observing the leaf.
In a hushed voice, Charlie crouched down next to Vinny, who was engrossed in observing some bugs in the grass. "Vinny, I'm so sorry," Charlie began. "Our father is not a good man. He yells at Devin, our mom, your dad, and all of us. He treats us terribly and often leaves home, sometimes coming back drunk. I wish this wasn't our reality. You're too innocent to be dealing with this. I've had to deal with this my entire life."
"It's okay, big brother," Vinny said, his eyes following a caterpillar. "I don't think so, Vin," Charlie said, his head bowed low and tears streaming down his face. "Charlie?" Devin asked in a concerned tone.
Charlie quickly stood up, wiping his eyes with his arm. "Yes, mom," he replied.
"We're heading to the store with Vinny," Devin informed him. Emerging from the house, Devin was accompanied by Garret and a pair of young boys' shoes. "Vinny, would you mind wearing these?" Devin asked, extending the shoes to him. Vinny, uncertain of what to do, merely glanced at the shoes. "Let me help you," Charlie offered, bending down to assist Vinny in putting on his shoes.
With Charlie's assistance, Vinny slipped his feet into the shoes, and the group set off towards the store. As they walked, Devin chatted with Garret, discussing their plans for the day. Vinny trailed behind, struggling to keep up with the older boys' long strides. Charlie noticed Vinny's difficulty and slowed down to walk beside him, engaging him in conversation to make the journey more enjoyable.
"What is this place?" Vinny asked Charlie, constantly pausing to examine various items. "It's a store," Charlie replied. From the clothing section, Devin called out, "Charlie, bring Vinny over here, please." The two boys approached Devin. "Pick something you like," Devin instructed Vinny. Vinny selected a variety of clothing items. After that, they continued their journey through the store. Vinny discovered a toy he particularly desired.
Devin noticed this and bought it while he wasn't looking.