Loco Parentis

A nurse deposits a ten-month-old boy with a new mother and father.  The parents marvel at the infant and wonder whether he is part-machine, part-monkey, or something else.

The youth asks leave to play with his friends, Ford and Jock. His mother disparages Ford, who bleeds strangely, and his father demeans the naked and hairy Jock.  The boy professes his love for Jock’s sister and storms away.  While the mother sobs, the father offers comfort.

The child returns and introduces his biological parents.  The pair thanks the foster parents for raising their son and affording them time to live and work unburdened by parenthood. The boy vows to remember his part-machine and part-ape caretakers.