Alois inhaled slowly, trying to push away the lingering dread he had in the pit of his stomach. He explained that they should have been away on a holiday, perhaps the trip to Paris they had always wanted to do. It hurt that they had to lie. That Sam would remember his dream holiday and Alois would never. He wished they could have done the trip before Sam got ill. Tears formed in his eyes when he thought too hard on it.

He sat through all the necessary paperwork, drawing strength from Jaz. She was his rock and inspired him to be brave. Soon they would have their Sam back, even if it was just an expensive copy. He was exhausted when everything was done. It would take 24 hours to create Sam's body and upload his personality and memories. This gave him enough time to go home and clean up. He declined an offer from Jaz to go to a cafe for a cup of coffee. He was driven home in silence, though she stuck around to help him clean. She then cooked him dinner. He hadn't eaten in days, so the cooked food was appreciated.

When she left that night, Alois went to his bed and stared at the empty place where Sam had slept. He picked up all his clothes and neatly folded them, putting them away before retiring for the night. It had been a long day and he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.