Chapter Four
Connor is confused. He should be in sleep mode, but he wasn't, and he couldn't remember how he'd gone into sleep mode to begin with. With force, he opens one eye and then the other.
Medicinal equipment lines the walls of the makeshift room. Doctors shuffle around the room, prepping the equipment. A bin that stores pouches of thirium sits on the floor. A PL600 model stands before Connor, with nervous, scanning eyes and a frown. Simon.
Connor begins to realize why he's here. Every thought of the events brings him back to the bullet still lodged in his chest, and that he couldn't find Hank anywhere in the room.
Hank. Hank had saved Connor's life. He had called him a son, no, he had called him /his/ son. Even after breaking Hank's rules, and nearly letting the house get robbed, Connor was Hank's son.
"You lost a lot of thirium, Connor," Simon says, interrupting his thoughts.
"We're about to operate on you to remove the bullet," Simon says before pausing.
"Return to sleep mode."
"Where's... Hank?" Connor musters.
The doctors had temporarily paralyzed Connor for operations, which forced Connor to use all his willpower to speak. Simon looks guilty, like he doesn't enjoy what he has to do next.
"You can see Hank after the operation," Simon says.
Simon puts his hand on Connor's arm. Simon's hand turns white, and Connor's world goes black.
Connor opens his eyes to a different world. Strings of jumbled symbols and corrupted lines of code blind Connor, before flickering out his view.
The garden used to be beautiful. It used to have quaint bridges, and he remembered it overflowing with flowers. What had replaced it was a white void, with only flickering glitches of what the place used to be.
Connor stands in the void, looking at the pure white in every direction. He thinks of the flowers that used to grow in the place, and they come into his sight for a moment, before disappearing. His thoughts and emotions are the only real things in the place, so they had the most power.
He looks down at himself, the only source of color in the garden. Despite everything, he was wearing his Cyberlife uniform. It made him uncomfortable.
He shouldn't be here.
He had never visited Amanda in sleep mode before, and didn't understand why this time was different. Amanda had forced him to the garden before, so her ability to do that now was likely. Still, something seems off to him.
Connor looks behind him. She had been waiting for him.
"Connor," Amanda says, and the garden flashes back into view.
It pains Connor's optical units to experience such a change of scenery. He covers his eyes for a moment, before letting his hands fall back to his sides. The garden looks like he'd last seen it. It looks like a blizzard had overtaken the garden, and a thick fog had settled over it, making it hard for Connor to see. One thing had changed from last time, however. He couldn't feel the cold or the biting winds.
Connor brought his attention back to Amanda.
"Why am I here?" Connor asks, more frustrated than anything.
"I'm very disappointed in you, Connor. Going deviant was planned, but fighting your programming was completely unexpected. You could have been Cyberlife's most successful prototype, but nearly all of your original code has been corrupted by deviancy," Amanda reminds him.
Connor makes no response.
"The reason why you are here is because the deviants shut you down to pump more thirium into you. All of your post-shutdown protocols has been discarded besides visiting me," Amanda explains.
Connor nods. Then he begins to walk away from Amanda, towards Kamski's exit.
"Where do you think you're going?" Amanda asks rhetorically.
"I'm leaving, unless you have anything else to say," Connor answers.
"You used to be happy, Connor," Amanda says.
"You used to have a purpose."
Connor slows when he hears that. He remembers a time when he would follow Amanda without question. What was he to her back then? Another prototype, most likely. Connor knew he was so much more than that.
"I wasn't happy," he says, "I was gullible."
Connor presses his hand to the blue screen.
Connor wakes up with a start, his brown eyes darting frantically around the room. He finds himself looking at his friends, all glad to see him awake. He relaxes almost instantly.
Markus is the first to speak.
"You scared us, Connor," Markus says, relieved.
Markus' grin falters a moment, as he remembers seeing Connor being carried into Jericho, how still he was, how furious the human carrying him was. Markus had only seen Connor for a moment before he was swarmed by Jericho's doctors, but a moment was enough. He'd anxiously waited all night to see his friend, and to see him alright was a huge relief to Markus.
Connor opens his mouth to say something, but doesn't. Markus' concern was comforting, but Connor didn't want to be at the forefront of his worries.
Connor sits up on the thin hospital bed, and looks down at his chest. Simon and his team of doctors had done an incredible job. The skin around the wound is white, but it's rapidly healing. Connor also notices that the doctors had taken off his shirt for operations and hadn't bothered to replace it. Connor blushes a pale blue.
Someone throws Connor his shirt. Simon. He doesn't look nearly as nervous as earlier, but instead like he needs to say something. Connor looks at Simon and thanks him, before putting it on.
Connor has no idea of how to thank Simon for saving his life. Cyberlife might revive Connor, but he wouldn't be the same. All he knows is that he'd make it up to Simon, somehow.
"Connor,"
It's North speaking this time, bringing Connor out of his thoughts.
"What happened?" she asks.
Connor explains what happened leading up to his injury. The four listen intently.
Connor feels guilty to be taking their time. They had responsibilities in Jericho, and to be shirking them to talk to Connor, it felt wrong. Connor shakes off the thought. Though he thought it was selfish, he was glad they'd came.
After explaining, Markus, Josh, and Simon seem satisfied. North however, still looked like she was thinking it over, like something didn't settle with her.
"I'll get your father," North says suddenly, before kissing Markus and leaving.
Connor is grateful. He'd been wanting to see his father since he'd awoken. Hank's reaction to seeing Connor, however, he couldn't predict.
"Anything feel strange, Connor?" Simon asks, finally saying what he'd been wanting to.
"Nothing," Connor says.
"You can go home," Simon says, not meeting his eyes.
Connor remembers Simon putting him into sleep mode via his hand. Connor hopes that Simon didn't see anything else while in his head.
Simon quickly says that he has other patients and gives everyone a quick goodbye before leaving the room. Josh and Markus seem to remember their responsibilities to Jericho as well.
"I have to watch that protest in Philadelphia," Josh says, wishing he could stay and talk longer.
"It's.. Wednesday," Connor says.
Connor dawns on the realization. He had been in sleep mode for an entire night. Which meant Hank had waited for him for an entire night.
"Well, see you guys," Josh says, before leaving the room.
Shortly after Josh left, the sound of stumbling and profanity comes from outside the room. Accompanying the noises was the smell of liquor.
Hank appears in the doorway, still stumbling. Connor instinctively jumps off the bed to help support him. He's greeted with a half-hearted slap to the face.
Hank supports himself with the door.
"I waited to see you all night," Hank says, "You scared the hell out of me,"
Connor looks at Hank, after rubbing the place he'd been slapped. His eyelashes were wet. Hank had been crying.. over Connor. Connor feels guilty for worrying his father so much. His emotions were new, but he'd never experienced them weighing him down like this before.
"I'm sorry. I should have called you earlier. I shouldn't have broken the rules. I should-"
Hank hugs his son.
"Shut up for once," he says.
Connor knows it's illogical, but he feels safer in this position than any other. The hug's over quickly, but the feeling still lingers between them.
Connor notices Markus grinning at the two of them.
"I'm Markus. I hope Connor's told you about me," he says, holding his hand out to Hank.
Hank gives it a firm shake.
"Not a word. Then again, Connor hasn't told me much lately. And I think I recognize you from somewhere," Hank responds.
Markus chuckles.
"I have to go, but we should schedule a dinner, so you and Connor can meet my father," Markus says.
"Sounds great," Hank says, and Connor nods his head.
Markus turns to leave, before stopping, and looking back at them.
"Connor, spend the day with your father. You've been through a lot and you need a break," Markus says,
Connor didn't need to "take a break", but he appreciated the sentiment. Perhaps, he'd meant an emotional break, some time to sort out the current tangle of his emotions. Connor knew he'd end up spending the time doing that anyway.
"Thank you. I'll use it well," Connor says.
"I know you will," Markus says, and exits the room.
Connor and Hank near the entrance of Jericho, after getting curious looks from the inhabitants.
"Connor,"
North's voice comes from right next to him, but Connor looks around to find no one near him. She must have called him using his private number.
"You ok?" Hank asks.
"Thought I heard something," Connor lies.
"What?" Connor whispers.
"Why didn't you kill the robber, after he shot you and threatened your dog?" she says, like she couldn't find the answer herself.
"Why not?"
North can't find a response.
"That's all," she says, sounding a bit frustrated.
The line goes silent.
A/N-You guys need some more fluff and Connor needs a Mental Health Day. It's a win-win. Also, thank you for the support again. Writing this has been a very new experience for me, and you guys have made it so easy. Thank you all.