Chapter Forty-One – No Comment
"No! Let me go back! Let me go back!" John screamed and choked, struggling in Lin's hold as the android forced him away from the smoking doorway. The Asian was as gentle as he could be. John's fists pounded on his chest, shoulders trying to knock Lin's arms away. The android looked sombre as he stared at John. The blonde screamed and cried and struggled, onlookers taking picture and videos. A small news crew had even rolled up. John finally lost his fight as the doorway collapsed, the teen falling to his knees at the same time. Lin fell with him.
"John…look at me…" He urged softly as he cupped the human's face. His glittering eyes were dimmer than he'd ever seen them. It hurt the android to see it. He slowly eased John into his arms and stood. Paramedics were hesitant to approach before, but now that John had quieted a woman hurried over and urged Lin towards the ambulance. Lin allowed them to take his human inside, giving him oxygen and checking him over. John had been stupidly lucky. So had Lin. The AP500 lay aside, deactivated by the human officer. It was damaged anyway.
"Sir, are you…" The paramedic began, drawing back as she took in the stands of blue on Lin's shirt. Lin followed her gaze, smiling softly before nodding towards the shop.
"Android repairs…" Lin murmured, tilting his head to show the nurse his clearly human temple. The woman relaxed a little at that. "I'm fine…I was lucky." He added as he looked back at the shop, his chest pinching. It was like something was crushing his thirium pump and heating his power core. This wasn't an accident. He already had his suspicions as he eyed the crowd, recognising the teens from a few days ago. They looked shellshocked. Horrified. Whatever they'd done, they probably hadn't realised the amount of fuel and thirium stored in the stockroom.
"John! John!" Takigawa concerned voice called over the noise. He pushed through the holo-tape surrounding the scene and hurried over to the ambulance. He laid a relieved hand on Lin's shoulder as he arrived. He looked inside and breathed again. He'd heard the call on the radio. It had sounded serious, and when he'd arrived to see the flames he really wasn't sure what to expect. Accusations were already flying around the crowd. Many people were accusing androids of the attack. In a sick way it made sense. Furious androids destroying any shop where their kind were exploited. They wouldn't say that if they knew John though.
"Detective…I'd like to take John away from here…" Lin said quietly as they both looked at the hunched over human. His skin was smeared with black and blue, his clothes and hands stained with thirium from the GT300. His eyes were vacant, like a ghost. Really John should go to hospital, he looks like hell…The older man thought, knowing it must have been a shock for that to happen, to suddenly lose everything. "Please." The Asian murmured, something in his chocolate eye making the detective cave.
"Alright…I'll bring my car round." Takigawa agreed, flashing his badge at the paramedic and asking if John was stable. The medic clearly wasn't keen on letting John go, but after making up a quick excuse about the perpetrators being close by they relented. John was mostly in shock. His breathing was back to normal after some oxygen and he hadn't gotten any serious injuries. "I'll take him straight to the medical bay at the station." The detective assured.
"John…Come with me…" Lin said softly as he took John's shaking hands and urged him up. The blonde stumbled down from the ambulance, a small strangled sound sticking in his throat as he felt Lin's arms crush him against his chest. The tall man slowly led him across the snowy grass towards the electric tape, more flashes blinding the blonde as he was photographed. He paused with a small whimper as they reached the deactivated AP500. Lin paused as John slowly slid down to his knees beside the blue stained model, its glassy brown eyes staring up at them vacantly.
"I'm sorry…" John whispered as he reached down and eased the android's eyelids down. The fake flesh obeyed John's gentle pressure and he drew back. The android looked like it was sleeping peacefully on a bed of snow. John shook as fresh tears spilled, silently allowing himself to be pulled to his feet. Lin tucked the human into his side and walked through the tape, where people quickly crowded around them. The blonde flinched as questions were hurled at him from all directions, unable to really follow any of them. He picked up a few. Who did this? Was there anyone else inside? Are you crying over an android? Will you close your doors permanently? He pushed himself further into Lin's side.
"That's enough! Don't you think the kid's been through enough tonight?" Takigawa's stern voice shouted as he pushed through the crowd and put a guiding hand on Lin's shoulder. "You should be ashamed of yourselves, you pack of vultures!" He added scathingly as Lin urged John towards the plain black car. Charlie was holding the door for them and closed it once Lin and John were safely sitting inside. The crowd tried to press Takigawa for details, but the man was stubborn. No comment. No comment. No comment.
