Memories
Hancock looked on quietly as Jennifer lay unconscious inside the pod. So far, she looked peaceful, not distressed in any way, almost as if she were just sleeping, as he had seen many times before. Still, there was no way to know what exactly was going on, or what would happen to her when it was over. Dr. Amari had stressed to them that this was something that had never been done before, and there was no way to know what would happen. That terrified him. If he lost her… If somehow her mind was damaged, if she didn't wake up, or if the Jennifer that came out of that machine was not his Jennifer, he didn't know what he would do. He cast a glance at the synth detective, Nick Valentine, sitting in the other memory pod, to whom Dr. Amari had hooked up to the machine by way of peeling back his synthetic scalp and plugging the implant directly into his brain. Hancock didn't have anything against him per say, he just couldn't figure out why Valentine had been so eager to help Jennifer. Sure, she had rescued him from imprisonment by Skinny Malone, but this was a drastic thing to do for someone who was still pretty much a stranger, even one who did rescue you. But, Hancock couldn't blame him. Jennifer had that way about her, like she was something special. And, she was. He knew from the first time she walked into Goodneighbor that she was unlike anyone he had ever met. He couldn't have known then just how right he was. He then cast a quick glance at Doctor Amari before looking back at Jennifer again. She was still out peacefully until, all of a sudden, she began to look as if she was in some sort of distress. Her expression was pained, and her hands were clenched into fists.
"What's going on?" Hancock said, shooting Dr. Amari a glare.
"Calm down, Mayor Hancock. Her vitals are fine. She's just experiencing a traumatic memory, not traumatic for Kellogg, something that was traumatic for her." Dr. Amari explained. She looked at him as if she knew exactly what he was thinking.
"If we pull her out of there now, she won't get the answer she's looking for." she said.
"Damn." he muttered, turning his attention back to Jennifer again. He knew Dr. Amari was right. But, that didn't make him feel any better. He cared more about Jennifer than he did anything or anyone else. She accepted him, loved him even, for who he was, and, with her, for once in his life, he felt like he belonged. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her, and he couldn't stand to see her in pain, physically or emotionally.
"Got it." Dr. Amari said, "I'm going to pull her out now." She pressed a button on the control panel and walked over to the pod to look for any change. She then turned to look at Hancock.
"It may be a few minutes before she wakes up." she said. She then walked over to the other pod and began to unplug Nick. As soon as she did, the detective's yellow eyes flickered, and he immediately returned to himself.
"Mr. Valentine, how are you feeling?" Dr. Amari asked.
"A bit of a headache, doc, but, other than that, I feel fine." Nick answered.
"Good. There may be some faint pneumonic impressions left over, but, everything seems to be fine." Dr. Amari said. Nick cast a glance at Jennifer, unconscious in the pod, then at Hancock. He then turned to look at Dr. Amari.
"I'll, uh… I'll be waiting up in the lobby. Tell Pike when she wakes up, will ya?" he said.
"Alright." Dr. Amari said, nodding. Hancock watched Nick walk out of the room.
"Mayor Hancock. She's waking up." Dr. Amari said, gesturing towards Jennifer, who was, indeed beginning to stir.
"She may be slightly disoriented." Amari said. Hancock took a step closer as her eyes fluttered open.
"Jennifer." Hancock said. She blinked up at him as if waking from a deep sleep.
"Hancock." she said quietly.
"Yeah, Jenny. It's me." he said, smiling at her.
"John." she said as if trying to reaffirm that he was indeed standing in front of her. She finally sat upright, moving herself forward slightly in the seat.
"Jenny. How're ya' feelin'?" he asked. She looked at him for a moment before blinking again. This time, he could see that her eyes were glistening slightly, as if tears were forming. Before he could react, she was on her feet, throwing her arms around him. He could think of nothing else to do to help her but wrap his arms tightly around her in an attempt to comfort her.
"John" she said, "I'm back, right? This is real?"
"Yeah, Jen. You're back. This is real. Everything's gonna be alright." he reassured her. He ran a hand through her red hair, which was now coming loose from it's usual ponytail. He could feel her body relax in his arms and her breathing slowing to a normal rate. Finally, she removed her arms from around him. He waited a moment longer to be sure that she was alright, then he did the same. As they each took a step back, she was just wiping the last of the tears from her cheeks, and she managed a tired smile.
"I'm alright, John. Thank you." she said.
"For?" he asked, slightly confused. He hadn't done anything worth being thanked, at least, not to his knowledge he hadn't.
"For being here." she said, smiling.
"Jennifer, with you is where I belong." he said, smiling back at her.
