Faded again.

Sam was staring at the ceiling, her face unnervingly still. Janet was crying, trying to calm herself down. "Sam?"

"Yes?" Sam replied in a monotone, without looking at her sister.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes." Sam said again. "I'm ok."

Janet doubted that. Sam was acting like a zombie or something. She **** herself to relax and try to think clearly. "Sam, how do you feel right now?"

"I don't feel anything."

"Ok, Sam, can you sit up and look at me?"

Samantha sat up and made eye contact with her sister. Her eyes were alarmingly empty. Just looking at them made Janet want to cry again. "Sam, please, talk to me. Tell me you're ok. Say something."

Sam spoke gently, with some inflection beginning to creep into her voice. "I'm ok, I think. What just happened... that was the worst thing I've ever felt. I think I'm coming back from it, though. I think I'm getting back to being me. I'm not sure. I feel very strange."

"Is it like when Jake went to sleep?"

"Sort of, but not exactly. That felt like apathy. Like my mind was slowed down and I didn't want to do anything. This feels more like numbness and emptiness." She frowned. "I feel concerned. I feel very concerned, actually. I'm worried about myself, and what we're gonna do about Jake."

Janet was relieved to hear real feeling creep back into her sister's voice. She embraced Sam. "Oh, Sam, I think you're coming back to us!"

Sam returned her embrace. "I think I am! Thank God, I think I'm back! I- oh, wait, oh no. I think- yeah, I'm definitely becoming bonded to you."

Janet's joy instantly curdled and she saw her reaction mirrored in Sam's face. "No no no, I can't lose you, I just got you back! Sam, no, this can't be happening! Try to fight it!"

To her surprise, Sam suddenly became silent again. She stopped crying and her face went blank again, though tears still streaked her face. "Ok."

Janet wasn't sure what to make of this. "Sam, are you ok? Are you still you?"

"Yes. I'm still me. It seems I can attach to and detach from you at will."

Janet was shocked. "So just now, you intentionally bonded yourself to me?"

"I didn't know what I was doing, but yes." Sam spoke evenly and without emotion. "When you told me to fight it, I was able to detach without any effort."

Hope was creeping back into Janet's heart. "So you're not **** to do this anymore? That's great news! As long as you don't attach to anyone, you'll still be you!"

"I'm not sure that's true. It seems when I'm unattached, I don't have any real emotions or will of my own. I seem to be a blank slate at the moment. I don't even think I can refuse orders."

Janet was getting emotional whiplash from all of these revelations. "So... you're no longer necessarily attached to anyone, but you'll only be able to experience emotions and desires if they're mirrored from other people?"

Sam looked at her blankly. "It would appear so."