(Eddie has deeply mixed feelings about adults. He's at the age where they still had that Authority over him and yet he knows enough to realize that not every adult meant well for kids.

But this guy is talking in one of those nice voices that Eddie knew not all adults had. The kind of nice voice the cops on tv had. He clutches his aspirator hard.)

Yeah, Eddie. (He swallows around that little ball of iron-clad fear that had notched itself at the back of his throat.) It's um- it's nice to meet you, Shiro. I can hear you all right.

(Not tinny at all like when he uses his mom's house phone. He could see him in color too. Pristine color.)

Yes. They fixed my arm. It was broken-.

(It didn't matter anymore, not really, but he couldn't get over that almost more than he couldn't get over the whole space-time jump thing.)

Is this- are there other people here? Are there a lot of kids? (He should probably ask that. Just in case.)