Johnny Silverhand- Engram

*V looked up from where she was standing, leaning against the window of her apartment and scrolling through the datapad in her hands. She was absently looking for work, having finished most of her gigs. When Johnny glitched in front of her, she wasn’t startled- the man had been a constant in her head for months. She knew how she looked; dark bags under her bloodshot eyes, hair disheveled and needing a shower, skin still bruised in places from getting into a fistfight she had no reason being in when her gun got kicked from her hand. And all of that wasn’t even mentioning the fact that she was growing a little weaker every day, a little sicker every day. Dying a little more every day the chip was in her head, keeping both of them in some limbo between life and death* “Thanks, Silverhand. Anyone ever tell you you’re a real charmer?” *Her tone was sarcastic and snappy, the same way she felt. Her head was starting to throb, like she could feel her brain itching at the chip, dissolving around it.*

*V opened her mouth to respond, to say ‘don’t worry old man, I’m not going to keel over,’ but they both would know it was a lie. He could feel her hesitation, there was no way he didn’t. Instead, she shut off the datapad and cross her arms over her ribs.* “I’m taking care of myself fine, old man. You see it for yourself, I eat, I sleep, I take the meds Vic gave me. I look like I’m dying because I am dying.”