DBH: Divided Connections

by WayWardWonderer

The night of the Revolution takes an unexpected turn as the shooting at the church ends differently for Connor and Markus. With an alternate chance at life as a deviant Connor chooses to become a private detective working to aid his people, only to slowly uncover deeper and darker secrets lurking all throughout Detroit. With Hank's help Connor will finally uncover the hidden truth.

36. Destruction

Using the cover of the dark night to his advantage Hank unlocked the front door of his house and swept the residence with his gun already drawn and pointed ahead of him as if expecting to find an intruder stalking him from the shadows. Finding nothing out of place, the front and back doors secured, the windows locked, the garage locked, Sumo totally calm and no sign of anyone sneaking around the property, Hank determined that the house was in fact safe enough to bring the two deviants inside to hide out and rest. Turning on all the lights in the house and leading Sumo into the laundry room to ensure the massive dog didn't get in the way, Hank returned to the driveway outside to help Joel bring Connor and Killian inside from the parked car.

It was a little awkward but not impossible to carry the two deviants inside the house as long as they were careful and slow. Hank carried Connor in his arms and placed the unconscious down on the couch in the livingroom, then met Joel in the middle of the front walk to help him carry Killian - the two humans took the deviant's arms and draped the limbs around their necks as they walked, and placed Killian down in the tilted back recliner before locking the front door again.

Working together Hank and Joel proceeded to tend to Connor and Killian's wounds and get them bandaged up without any problems. While Joel carefully removed all of the glass shards from Connor's abdomen, the deepest cuts nicking several Thirial lines leading to his thermal regulator near the center of his abdomen, Hank used warm washcloths to remove the dirt, smoke and other debris from Connor's face, neck and hands.

Once all the glass was removed Joel disinfected Connor's wounds and quickly took notice of the way Connor's artificial skin was reacting negatively to the cold incrassation compound by creating goosebumps. Checking over Connor's system with his laptop and a swiftly connected diagnostic cable to the deviant's right temple, Joel noticed that numerous pieces of software had been enhanced in a way he had never seen before. Running every test he could from within the house's livingroom Joel was able to confirm that Connor was stable and not in any danger from the new enhancements, but until Connor fully regained consciousness Joel wouldn't be able to determine exactly what those enhancements entailed.

Taking care of Killian after Connor had been helped Joel heard Hank rummaging around in one of the rooms in the house and didn't ask questions when the senior detective returned to the livingroom to gently pick up Connor from the couch, and carry him into the same room he had just been in. Taking care to ensure that all of the glass shards were removed from Killian's chest and that none of his biocomponents had been compromised, Joel disinfected the wounds and noticed that Killian seemed to have the software enhancements that Connor had been given as his skin too produced goosebumps.

Feeling his shoulders knotting up after working to bandage up Killian's chest Joel leaned back from where he had kneeling beside the recliner, and tried to get his back, shoulders and neck muscles to loosen up. Glancing down at his hands Joel saw that his fingers were shaking and stained dark blue with the blood of his two deviant patients.

"Should've worn gloves..."

Hearing Hank's footsteps creaking over the floorboards in the livingroom Joel stood back and let the much stronger senior detective easily scoop up the second deviant in his arms and carry him into the room where he had taken Connor a few minutes before. Grabbing his satchel from the floor Joel followed after Hank and watched as the fearless Lieutenant placed Killian down on a queen sized inflatable mattress that was placed on the floor of the otherwise empty bedroom next to an identical inflatable mattress where Connor was already laying and resting.

Entering the rather somber bedroom Joel knelt down on the floor beside Connor and checked on the bandages wrapped around the deviant's torso to ensure that being moved around hadn't accidentally reopened the wounds beneath. The white gauze bandages were still clean and Connor didn't react when Joel proceeded to use his audioscope to listen to his chest.

"...How badly were they hurt?" Hank finally asked as he used another clean washcloth to clean off Killian's chest, abdomen, arms, neck and face. He didn't want to know the details but deep down he needed to know what to expect. "Killian is strong and was designed to be the improved version of Connor, but even he collapsed after getting away from the building."

"They both suffered from abundant smoke inhalation." Joel confirmed as he finished listening to Connor's chest very carefully. There was distinct faltering courtesy of his ventilation biocomponent filters becoming filthy from the smoke and chemicals he had inhaled while trapped in the burning building. "The smoke and only who-knows-what-else that ended up in their vents is going make them both very weak and sick with what's essentially a chest infection for the next three or so days."

"Fucking hell..." Finished with cleaning off Killian's skin Hank looked down at the deviant's expressionless face and felt immense guilt for so readily turning his back on Killian the way he did. Despite his best efforts to make amends with Killian and move on from their violent pasts Hank still felt horrible for the way he treated Killian for so long. "Were they..." Trailing off for a moment Hank thought about how they were both abducted and clearly held captive for a prolonged amount of time. "Aside from the smoke problem, were they burned in the fire or show any signs of... torture?"

"No burns." In a hushed tone Joel told Hank the truth as he pulled the dark blue sheet up and over Connor to keep him covered as he rested. Walking over to the neighboring mattress Joel checked on Killian's breathing next and counted his heartbeat. "But I can see fading bruises on Killian's face and both of them have fading bruises on their wrists and ankles indicative of being help captive. Connor also has two fading electrical burns from a powerful taser on his right side and central chest, and the glass caused minor damage to his thermal regulator which will leave him prone to overheating and possibly hypothermia."

"Son of a bitch." Whispering the frustrated swear Hank struggled to keep his anger in check. He could be angry later, at the moment he needed to focus first and foremost on the two deviants who needed his help. "Will they be okay here without a technician?"

"Aside from the mild ventilation problems," draping his audioscope around his neck Joel spoke to Hank while also lifting up Killian's eyelids one at a time to check his pupils with his penlight. "they'll be prone to overheating and possible infections if their Thirium lines weaken and allow foreign matter inside through their compromised plastimetal frames and artificial skin."

"I still have that thermometer you wrapped around Connor's wrist. I'll use that to keep an eye on 'em if I have to."

"Also, I think it's safe to say that their software has been tampered with. I'm not sure exactly how."

"Tampered with?" The very idea made Hank's blue eyes widen with fear. "Are they in danger?"

"I can't say for certain without giving them a thorough examination. But since they're both relatively stable and my diagnostic didn't show any critical errors that would require immediate attention I'd say 'no'. Unofficially, of course."

"So they're going to be able to recover without needing to go to a facility?"

"That's how it's looking so far."

"Okay. I'll take it from here, Joel." Hank insisted as his paternal instincts were screaming at him to take care of the two deviants. "I can handle it."

Giving Hank a questioning glance for a moment Joel finished assessing Killian's condition and then pulled up the second sheet up to cover him as well. "Okay. Watch their core temperatures and when they start coughing make sure they can cough up whatever is in their vents. It'll be unpleasant to say the least."

"It won't be the first time I've taken care of a sick kid." The comment passed Hank's lips before he realized what he had said. Purposely changing the subject at hand Hank kept Joel from questioning such an interesting statement. "It's getting late and we're both exhausted. You should go home to your family."

"As much as my back wants to agree with you, I can't in good conscience just leave these two like this."

"You helped me find them, rescue them and get them somewhere safe. You've done your job and went above and beyond the call of duty to get it done." Putting his hands on his hips Hank nodded respectfully toward Joel as he insisted that the technician head for home. They'd have enough problems with Captain Fowler in the morning, and being able to get some sleep would be important for them to stay on their toes. "Go home, shower off and hug your wife."

"Girlfriend. She's, uh... Yeah. I get what you're saying." Glancing down at the two resting deviants Joel watched as their L.E.D.'s cycled between yellow and red at a steady pace as their systems remained in emergency rest mode and performed self healing functions to remedy the damage they both sustained. "If you need me to come back just call."

"Yeah, I know you will. Call your cab and head for home." Reaching for his wallet Hank pulled out some money and offered it to Joel to take. "This'll be enough to pay your fare."

"No, it's okay." Politely declining the money Joel used his phone to hail an autonomous cab to take him back to the precinct so he could pick up his own truck and drive back to his apartment. He hated the idea of working off the clock or taking money under the table, even if it was a kind gesture. "You don't have to do that."

"I want to."

"I was just doing my job, Lieutenant. You don't have to pay me anything." Confirming his cab's arrival Joel gave the senior detective a smug grin. "That's what Captain Fowler has to do."

Appreciative of the gesture Hank managed a small chuckle and pocketed his money before he shook Joel's hand instead. "Thanks for doing this."

"No problem." Reciprocating the handshake Joel remained as laidback as ever and made sure all of his equipment had been packed up neatly in his satchel as if nothing had happened. "Just don't ask me to join you again if you come across another burning building."

"Deal."

Walking Joel to the front door Hank made sure the heroic technician was able to get out to his cab now idling in the street without any possible problems. Still on his guard Hank didn't want to let Joel walk out in the dark at two in the morning without someone watching his back. The moment Joel was safely in the cab and driving away Hank locked the front door again, made sure all the blinds and curtains throughout the house were drawn over the windows, and began turning off the lights throughout the house one by one.

Heading into the kitchen Hank let Sumo out of the laundry room and rubbed the massive dog's ears softly in an apologetic manner.

"Sorry about that, boy. But you tend to get in the way."

Pouring some fresh food into Sumo's bowl Hank washed his hands in the kitchen sink and made his way back into the second bedroom where the two deviants were still seemingly asleep, and peered at them through the opened doorway. The senior detective's sharp eyes could see the duo still breathing - their chests rising and falling steadily under the sheets keeping them covered, and he could see their red and yellow L.E.D.'s rhythmically glowing in their right temples.

"You two have been through Hell and back tonight. At least you won't be alone in the morning."

Returning to the livingroom as quietly as possible Hank picked up the dirty towels, washcloths and dropped coats and bloodied shirts from the floor all around the couch and recliner. The layers of fabric had to be fully removed from Connor and Killian's upper bodies before Joel could tend to their wounds. Small flecks of glass still clung to the clothing and Hank decided it'd be best to just throw away the shirts but get the two coats cleaned up. The last thing he wanted to do was toss out his favorite dark coat or have to buy Connor a replacement trench coat.

Taking the time to sweep a broom over the hardwood floor in the livingroom Hank made sure there was no glass on the surface that could be stepped on. With the livingroom now clean Hank disposed of the glass in the trash can and brewed up a fresh pot of coffee. While the coffee brewed Hank pulled down four bottles of Thirium for the two deviants to drink when they woke up. Putting two of the bottles in the refrigerator Hank made sure they were chilled in the event the deviants started overheating, then carried the other two bottles and a mug of his hot coffee back into the bedroom to keep an eye on the duo.

"Stay nice and quiet like this."

Pleading with Connor and Killian to stay stable Hank put his mug down on the floor against the closet door and put the two Thirium bottles down next to the steaming mug to be used later. Crouching down beside the mattress where Connor was sleeping Hank pressed his left palm down over the deviant's forehead, his hand brushing aside the rogue lock of hair that often hung down over his left eye, and knew that Connor was going to overheat even with just a sheet draped over him.

"Damn."

Giving Killian a fever check as well, the second deviant's hair was still somehow slicked back unlike Connor's hair, Hank confirmed that the Killian wasn't faring much better.

"Shit. You two are going to really test my training as a first responder tonight."

Making his way to the bathroom across the hallway Hank grabbed some clean washcloths and clean towels from the small shelf mounted on the wall, then turned on the tap in the sink to let the cool water flow for a moment. Returning to the kitchen, for hopefully the last time that night, Hank grabbed a massive clear glass serving bowl from the largest cabinet above the countertops and carried it with him back into the bathroom. He had to sidestep Sumo in the process to keep himself stepping on the curious dog's paws, and placed the bowl in the bathroom sink to collect the cool water.

"Man, I have had to do this since Barb was pregnant."

The memories of caring for both Cole as a sick child and his late wife during her sickest days while pregnant with their only child flood Hank's mind as easily as the tap in the sink flooded the bowl. Even after becoming so embittered and indifferent to the world around him Hank couldn't deny that he still cared about people and wanted to help.

Carrying his gathered supplies into the bedroom Hank sat everything down at the foot of the two mattresses without sloshing any of the cool water out of the full bowl. The two mattresses were laying side by side on the floor with only three inches separating them from one another, allowing Connor and Killian to stay close to each other without getting overcrowded.

Hank then proceeded to dip two of the washcloths into the bowl of water to begin treating the deviants' simultaneous overheating. Wringing out the excess water of the two washcloths one at a time Hank folded the two white cloths neatly in half, and then smoothed one cloth over Connor's forehead and the did the same for Killian with the second washcloth.

"I hate doing fever watches."

Grumbling to himself Hank sat down at the foot of the two mattresses with his back to the closet door. Sipping at his coffee every so often to remain awake but not jumpy, Hank watched as the two deviants continued to rest rather soundly where they were laying. Beyond the bandages wrapped around their torsos and the flickering L.E.D.'s, Hank could've sworn the two deviants were just sleeping like it was a normal, sane night.

"I'm not sure if you two can hear me or not, but I'm here for you. You're safe here and I'll make sure you both make it through the night."

A soft keening from the doorway drew Hank's attention to Sumo as the large dog stood just outside the opened doorway with a sense of trepidation in his big brown eyes. Sniffing at the air Sumo seemed to recognize the previously closed off bedroom and he understood that entering the room was somewhat forbidden after the tragedy that befell the family.

"It's okay, boy."

Holding out his right hand toward Sumo in the doorway to see Hank beckoned the loyal dog over to him.

"You can watch 'em, too."

Slowly walking into the bedroom Sumo licked Hank's hand once then sniffed at the two deviants laying on the mattresses. Recognizing Connor through scent alone Sumo checked out Killian next and whimpered again as if he could pick up on their distress. Carefully walking around the ends of the mattresses Sumo circled around once and rested on the beige carpeted floor next to Killian, and rested his chin over the deviant's ankles as if needing to keep watch.

"Good boy."

Noticing that both Connor and Killian still had their shoes on under the sheets Hank sighed and proceeded to remove the two pairs of shoes from the deviants' feet, and neatly placed the shoes down inside the sliding closet behind him. It was a strange paternal reaction he had as he just wanted the sleeping duo to be as comfortable as possible while they rested.

Leaning back against the closet door Hank made sure the phone in his pocket was turned off, closed his tired blue eyes and decided to rest his eyes to keep a headache from forming as he kept vigil over the two soon to be sick deviants that he had sworn to protect. There was no denying that over time Connor had effectively thawed Hank's previously icy heart of gold, and now Hank was determined to keep the stubborn and incredibly kind deviant alive right alongside Killian. Sensing that Killian and Connor were kindred spirits Hank wanted to do everything in his power to help the younger deviant find his confidence and see himself as more than what CyberLife had turn him into - a weapon.

---

By the time dawn broke over the city with a chorus of morning birds singing their usual song Hank had fallen asleep as exhaustion won out over his otherwise steadfast mind. Leaning heavily against the closet door behind him with his arms cross over his chest and his legs outstretched before him, Hank looked as tired as he felt. The two deviants resting on their own mattresses hadn't moved one centimeter during the night beyond their calm, steady breathing. As time passed and their self healing programs focused on cleaning the smoke and chemicals from their ventilation biocomponents the two deviants began to breathe a little faster until Killian let out a small choking cough that caused the 'RK-900' to stir from his rest mode.

Jumping where he was laying Killian was confused by the unfamiliar room he was now resting in, and he had no memory of anything that had happened after carrying Connor on his back through the burning building to safety. Looking around quickly Killian took in his new settings - the empty bedroom, the inflatable mattress he was laying on top of and the scent of incrassation compound in the air, and tried to figure out what happened between passing out and regaining consciousness.

Lifting his head a little higher from the mattress Killian felt the now warm washcloth fall from his forehead and land on his chest and cause the still healing lacerations to his chest to sting in response. Glancing down at the white gauze bandages wrapped around his damaged chest Killian tried to determine how he was taken from the burning building and treated for his wounds without ever responding to such extreme actions with his enhanced senses.

A small 'boof' pulled Killian's attention away from his bandages and toward Sumo resting on his ankles, and of Hank sleeping against the closet door just a few inches away. The memory of the way the massive dog, who was now wagging his tail happily, had growled and snarled at him filled Killian with dread causing the deviant to pull his legs back toward himself in panic to get away from the Saint Bernard out of fear of being attacked the moment Hank gave the word.

Between Sumo making noise and Killian suddenly moving Hank's blue eyes snapped open in time to see Killian pull his legs up to his chest and wrap his arms around his legs as if absolutely petrified. "Killian? You're finally aw-"

The moment Hank spoke Killian jumped again and pushed himself back against the wall behind the head of the mattress as much as possible. "P-Please. I-I don't want to bother you!"

"Whoa, easy... Take it easy, son." Hank could see that Killian's red L.E.D. was blinking frantically in tandem with his racing heart. Aware that deviants could self destruct if their stress levels got too high Hank took the initiative to keep everything as calm as possible. "Killian, just listen..." Holding up both hands in a submissive manner Hank kept his voice low as he shifted his weight so he could rest on both knees at the foot of the two mattresses. "It's okay, YOU'RE okay."

On the verge of a massive panic attack Killian began preconstructing possible escape routes that only ceased when he heard Connor cough beside him. Looking down and to his right Killian eyed the 'RK-800' and managed to finally take in a deep breath to calm himself down. "...C-Connor."

"He's alive, Killian. He's alive because you saved him." Keeping his tone civil Hank remained at the foot of the two mattresses and lowered his hands slowly to rest atop his thighs as he knelt on the floor. "You're both going to be okay. It's over now."

Visibly shaking Killian began coughing again as his ventilation biocomponents began to react negatively to the collected smoke and chemicals sitting inside his very congested filters. Unable to speak Killian just stared at Connor and performed a scan over the deviant to confirm that he was indeed alive, stable, and not in any immediate danger.

"You both inhaled a lot of smoke and got overheated in the fire." Explaining things in a low voice Hank helped Killian fill in the blanks of what happened the previous night. "I was looking for you two last night with-" Pausing mid sentence when Killian gave him a startled stare Hank went into more detail. "Connor was worried about you and I wanted to help him find you. He was tased and abducted when he started to figure out what happened to you."

"...M-My fault." Killian whispered in a hoarse and almost inaudible voice. "...Always my fault."

"No way, son." Determined to break the cycle of self hatred Hank made it clear that Killian wasn't the one to blame for anything that happened. "What happened to you was assault and abduction. What happened to Connor was the same thing because he wanted to find you and save you. The assholes who assaulted and abducted you both are the ones at fault, NOT you."

Closing his heavy green eyes Killian turned his head away from Connor and bowed his head in shame.

"I know you're still dealing with a lot of shit, and I'm not going to pretend I know what you're feeling or thinking right now, but I cannot stress enough that you're not at fault for what happened. You're an innocent victim just like Connor."

Staying silent save for a few deep coughs Killian just couldn't accept what Hank was telling him as the truth.

"I saw you carrying Connor on your back out of that burning building." The senior recounted with genuine gratitude in his words. "You saved his life, Killian. You're a good person."

"...One g-good deed. That's all."

"No, that wasn't a good deed. That was you doing the right thing because you knew it was right, and only good people do the right things."

"...N-Not good enough."

"Killian, please listen to me. I know you don't trust me and I can't blame you for that one, but I am telling you the truth. I watched you with my own eyes as you walked through literal fire to save Connor's life. You're a good person, and you're a hero."

"I'm not a h-hero. I'm a mistake."

"The only mistake you made was trying to be a good partner to me when I kept trying to push you away. It's my fault everything unfolded as it did." As much as he wanted to reach out and put his hand on Killian's shoulder Hank knew it was better to give the deviant as much space as he needed in that moment so he could breathe and think. "Instead of pushing you away I should've brought you in closer and worked to help you deviate."

Feeling suddenly tired Killian rested his forehead against the tops of his knees as he remained where he sat on the mattress as he nearly hyperventilated in fear between his deep, painful coughs. It was almost too much to bear as Killian felt his internal conflict between his logic and inexperienced emotions trying to tear his aching heart apart.

"Last night I went looking for both you with the precinct technician, Joel." Explaining what took place the previous night Hank helped Killian fill in the blanks in his memory. "Joel made some special gadgets to help us find out where you were and we showed up at the building just after it exploded. I saw you carrying Connor to safety before you collapsed from your own wounds."

"...Saved us." Killian remarked in a hushed voice as he kept huddled around himself. "...You s-saved us."

"Yeah. We brought you two back here to make sure the fuckers who abducted you wouldn't follow you to the facility and cause problems, and so no one would start nosing around if you were taken to the precinct dispensary." Shifting his weight again Hank slowly reached out his right hand to check on Connor's fever as the still unconscious deviant continued to softly cough in his sleep. His palm pushed up the washcloth and was met warm artificial skin indicating a lingering fever. "We removed the glass from your chest and Connor's abdomen, then we got ya' bandaged up. Joel said you'd both have some nasty coughs for the next couple of days and you'll overheat from time to time, but after that you'll be fine."

Running a self diagnostic Killian noted that everything Hank had said was true. What his system was telling him was identical to what his scanner had picked up when he checked over Connor a moment before. The only major difference was that Connor's abdomen was marred with lacerations from the glass while Killian's own chest had its own set of lacerations. While his own Thirium volume was down to eighty-two percent, below what was considered minimal for optimal functionality, Connor's volume was down to seventy-seven percent and would need to be replenished soon.

"Uh, Joel also said something about Connor's thermal regulator-thingy getting nicked by the glass." Hank continued as he pointed to Connor's bandaged abdomen covered by the sheet. "He's probably going to have a nasty fever for much longer than you will."

Staying put where he was huddled on the mattress Killian closed his green eyes and focused on keeping his body from trembling. Feeling frightened, chilled and dealing with an enhanced sense of pain, Killian didn't know what to do or where to go despite every instinct telling him to get away from Hank. Everything was overwhelming his senses and filling his mind with static marred with red tinted numbers.

"I know you went through some pretty rough shit." Sympathetic to Killian's pain and his fears Hank remained entirely patient with the trembling deviant. "Can you tell me what happened last night, or the night you were abducted?"

Silent and trembling Killian's only response came in the form of a shaking cough.

"Okay. You'll tell me, or Connor, when you're ready to talk about it. No rush."

Sumo whimpered once as he tried to scooch closer to Killian but when Killian flinched away Sumo just laid back down as he let out a tired sigh through his nose.

Seeing the way Killian was reacting made Hank feel horrible. The deviant was genuinely afraid of him and even Sumo. "You must be exhausted. Why don't you lay back down and get some more sleep?"

Killian just tightened his arms around his legs as if trying to tell Hank to please stop trying to speak with him.

"I'm going to take Sumo outside for a while and I'm going to call the precinct to ask if they found out anything about the assholes who abducted you two. If you need anything," standing up slowly Hank took hold of Sumo's collar and pulled the large dog away from Killian and toward the opened doorway alongside him. "just ask. Make yourself at home."

Relaxing his tense posture only after Hank and Sumo left the bedroom Killian lifted his head up from his knees and preconstructed a possible escape route. Glancing at the bedroom window to his right and the bedroom window to his left the scared deviant tried to determine the best way to leave undetected. As he was about to make his choice Connor coughed again, much harder than before, and Killian looked back at the 'RK-800' laying down on the second mattress beside him.

The way Connor looked so ill, his complexion pale from the new software enhancements and his low Thirium volume, Killian couldn't bear the thought of leaving the deviant alone while he was so weak and defenseless. With nowhere else to go and nothing to do beyond just heal, Killian slowly laid back down on the mattress and pulled the sheet up and over his shaking form as he curled up on his right side so he could see Connor at all times as he rested.

"You're lucky."

Killian whispered to the 'RK-800' as he tried to keep his body from shaking. His thermal regulator was overcompensating from his previously overheating state and now he felt chilled right down to his plastimetal frame.

"Y-You have someone who w-wants to keep you around."

---

As much as he hated to take his eyes off the two sick deviants Hank no choice but to give them both some space while also letting Sumo outside before he had an accident. Having to essentially drag Sumo out through the now unlocked backdoor to go outside Hank stood just outside the backdoor to keep an eye on the dog as he pulled his phone from his pocket and turned it back on. Shooing Sumo away from him as his phone rebooted Hank saw he had a dozen missed calls and twice as many unread text messages from Captain Fowler awaiting his response. Cycling through the text messages on the screen Hank read the oldest messages first and worked his way up to the newest messages to get an idea of what Captain Fowler wanted to know.

The first few messages were swear-laden and very angry as Captain Fowler tried and failed to get a hold of his Lieutenant throughout the night after Hank reported the fire. The following messages were much calmer as the seasoned Captain confirmed that Joel checked in with him after the technician picked up his truck back at the precinct before heading for home. The last message requested that Hank stay at the house with Connor and Killian until the two deviants were strong enough to give their statements at the precinct in person. Captain Fowler would handle the investigation into the double abduction himself.

"Glad Fowler still remembers that taking care of the victims always goes before handling fuckin' paperwork."

Pocketing his phone again Hank put both of his hands to his lower back and leaned backward in an attempt to get his stiff muscles to loosen up after sleeping in such an unusual position throughout the short night. Knowing his back was going to be a bitch for the next couple of days Hank contemplated breaking his sobriety streak and grabbing a beer, but didn't want to disappoint Connor by drinking after getting himself cleaned up.

As his right hand reached the doorknob of the backdoor Hank felt Sumo pressing up against the side of his left leg as the Saint Bernard wanted to go back inside the house and check on Connor and Killian for himself. Using his left hand Hank held onto Sumo's collar to keep him from barreling into the house to get back to the bedroom and moved him into the laundry room again.

"Nothing personal, boy."

Hearing Sumo whimper made Hank feel guilty but he ignored it for the time being. Pouring some fresh food into Sumo's food bowl Hank managed to place the bowl down in the laundry room for him to eat before closing the door again.

"But you and me didn't exactly nail our first impression meeting with Killian. He's terrified of us both, and I don't blame him."

Quietly making his way back down the hallway Hank caught the sound of harsh coughing and caused his paternal instincts to kick-on full force. Feeling his heart begin to race with a sense of trepidation as he neared the old bedroom Hank peered inside the room through the opened doorway. It was then he saw that Connor was laying on his back and coughing so harshly that his face had been flushed blue and he had tears rolling down his cheeks.

Killian was kneeling beside Connor and carefully held the deviant upright enough to allow Connor to sit as he coughed and struggled to breathe. In between coughs Hank could hear wheezing breaths which caused his skin to crawl as he had flashbacks to the night that Cole developed a nasty lung infection as a toddler.

"Hold on, son."

Calling out to the coughing deviant Hank walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Warming up the water enough to get the small space steamy and feeling like a sauna Hank returned to the bedroom and knelt down on the other side of Connor, his presence making Killian back away in fear, and put his left hand to Connor's chest while planting his right hand between Connor's shoulder blades.

"Once you have the chance to catch your breath I'm going to lead you into the bathroom. The warm water can help you clear whatever gunk's stuck in your lungs making you choke and cough."

As the coughing fit finally ended Connor took in a deep, wheezing breath to stabilize his system. Opening his brown eyes Connor turned to look at Hank, his eyes now blue and bloodshot from all of his excessive coughing, and gave him a small nod. Not wanting to speak and risk another coughing fit Connor let the senior detective help him get up to his feet and step off of the inflatable mattress to finally walk into the bathroom.

"I'm not sure if you can shower with your abdomen all wrapped up." Hank lamented as he guided Connor into the steamy bathroom across the hallway. "But I do know you can at least sit on the edge of the tub with the warm water right behind ya' to loosen up your lungs."

Holding out his shaking right hand Connor used it to guide himself over to the bathtub and sat down on the edge as Hank instructed while the senior detective helped him every step of the way. Coughing again Connor covered his mouth with his left arm and noticed a smear of blackness appear on his skin as his ventilation biocomponents worked up the lingering smoke and other chemicals from his filters.

"Ah, man..."

Grabbing another washcloth Hank held it into the shower to collect some clean warm water and then wrung it out. Using the washcloth to clean off Connor's arm Hank then placed the cloth in Connor's right hand and then repositioned the cloth to press it against Connor's mouth to catch his next bouts of coughing.

"Just keep letting it out. You'll feel a hell of a lot better after you get that shit out of your system."

Nodding again Connor continued to let out deep painful sounding coughs as he extended his shaking left hand out toward the second bedroom where Killian was still kneeling and watching him warily. The way Killian was beginning to cough as well made Connor worry for the 'RK-900's' health.

"Killian's got his own cough going on," Hank acknowledged in a very understanding manner. "but he seems to be okay."

Hank felt his phone buzz in his jean pocket as Connor cybernetically sent him a text message. Reading over the message Hank sighed and agreed to at least try to coax Killian into joining Connor in the warm bathroom to ease his coughing.

"Okay, son. I'll see what I can do."

Killian sensed what was happening and began to panic again. Scooting back and away from Hank as the senior detective stood in the opened bedroom doorway Killian was clearly still afraid of Hank for very righteous reasons.

"I know you're scared of me and I'm not going to tell you that you're wrong." Speaking calmly and softly Hank did his best to make himself seem less threatening as he spoke to the deviant. "You're sick and need help, I want to help you. Connor wants to help you, too."

Coughing lightly into his left hand Killian noticed he too was beginning to cough up the black sludge from his artificial lungs. There was no way he could deny that he needed assistance in order to heal.

"I won't touch you if you don't want me to." Hank could read Killian's body language like an open book. "You need to go sit in the bathroom so you can get that crud out of your system." Stepping aside Hank gave Killian all the space he needed to walk from one room to the next. "I'll go and place an order for some extra Thirium so you don't have to worry about it, okay?"

Peering past Hank and toward Connor still coughing loudly in the bathroom Killian forced himself to stand up slowly, his legs were shaking and he was still feeling weak, and took one step toward the doorway. Testing his strength and the damage to his chest Killian moved slowly, but was thrown off balance by another coughing fit causing him to stumble and fall forward.

"I gotcha'!" Instinctively Hank caught the deviant by his shoulders and immediately felt Killian tense up under his palms. When Killian grabbed at his wrists and pushed him away Hank didn't fight back and let the deviant stand on his own. "It's all right. Take your time..."

Using the wall to guide him to the doorway Killian nearly fell a second time as he passed through the hallway to get to the bathroom across the way. Grabbing onto the sink with both hands Killian lowered himself to the ground and sat down next to Connor on the linoleum floor as he began coughing even harsher.

"Okay, that's good." Closing the bathroom door a little Hank motioned to the shower behind Connor for a moment. "Pull the up the drain to hold the water in the tub and turn off the water after a few more minutes. It'll keep the steam in the room without making it unbearable."

Connor nodded again as he looked to Killian sitting beside him and now coughing as violently as he was.

"I'll be out in the livingroom if you boys need anything."

The bathroom door closed with a soft 'click' as Hank left the two deviants alone to try to get their coughing under control.

'Hank is just trying to help us.' Connor cybernetically stated as he and Killian coughed up more of the congested black smoke from their lungs. Placing the plug in the bottom of the tub Connor let the shower fill up the tub slowly to ensure more steam filled the bathroom. 'He won't hurt you.'

'I'm aware that I'm behaving illogically.' Responding in turn Killian pressed his right hand to his chest to keep the wounds from being reopened as he coughed again. Feeling the black sludge of smoke forming on his tongue Killian grabbed the nearby trashcan and spit it out to ensure his system got clean. 'I cannot help it. It's as if the emotions I'm feeling are pushing away my ability to think logically.'

'You've been through a lot.' Turning off the shower Connor looked at the washcloth in his hand and decided to rinse it out in the water in the bathtub before returning it to his mouth to resume coughing. Sliding off the edge of the bathtub Connor sat on the floor directly beside Killian and only sat as close as he dared since Killian was still jumpy. 'How were you abducted to begin with?'

Killian was hesitant to answer the question. He was embarrassed about the situation he had been a part of and didn't want to say anything.

'Please tell me. I won't judge you, I just wish to know the truth.'

Pausing for only a moment longer Killian finally answered as he and Connor continued to cough and only speak cybernetically. 'I had gone to your brownstone because I wanted to speak with you. When I knocked on your door and didn't get an answer I was met by Zhorra as she approached me from behind. We exchanged some words and I knew she was up to something, I just didn't realize what it was until it was too late.'

'Were you harmed?'

'Tased once and blindfolded. When I awoke two hours, fourteen minutes and six seconds later I found myself chained to the pillar where you saw me, and in that time I was asked exactly six-hundred and forty-eight different questions to determine whether or not I was truly a deviant, whether or not I was still harboring the virus, and whether or not I was still loyal to CyberLife in some capacity.'

Feeling a sense of dread sit heavily in his stomach Connor saw the distant glaze settle over Killian's green eyes. 'What did they do to you?'

'They...' Trailing off inside his own mind Killian pulled his legs back up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs as he coughed into his knees instead. 'I was shocked with the taser, struck with an old lead pipe, kicked, punched, spat on...'

'Was it...' Not wanting to think about Killian's abuse and torture Connor could only ask about the ones who struck Killian. 'Did Zhorra ever hit you?'

'No. It was Tyrone and Galen.'

'And I let them go. Killian, I'm sorry.' Realizing he didn't even think to hold the other 'RK' models accountable for their actions Connor felt as though he had let Killian down. 'You deserve to have justi-'

"No." Speaking verbally Killian spit more of the black sludge from his mouth and into the trash can. "J-Just let them be."

'Only if you want to let them go because you're empathetic toward their fear of CyberLife, not because you believe you need to be punished.'

Returning to cybernetic dialogue Killian never looked up at Connor and remained huddled around his legs. '...Can't it be both?'

Connor didn't want to let Killian continue to destroy himself emotionally, yet he knew that Killian had every right to make his own decisions without any else's opinion on the matter. He needed to respect that right. 'Yes. I won't tell you how to feel or what to think.'

'Thank you, Connor.' Coughing out loud Killian leaned back and opened his tired green eyes just as Connor handed him a fresh washcloth to clean up his chin and his lips as the black spit ran down the corners of his mouth. It was disgusting to deal with but a necessary task. 'How do you feel?'

'My abdomen is very sore from all the excessive coughing that's exasperating the pain to my wounds.' Connor admitted the truth as he held his hand to his pained abdomen very carefully. 'How about you?'

'My chest is sore and my entire body feels cold. Really cold. I dislike it.'

'As do I.' Thinking about the harsh cold he had to endure back during the Revolution and when he had to rescue Killian in Chicago during a nasty rainstorm, Connor empathized with Killian entirely. Neither deviant had any positive memories of colder weather, and they both had their own odd secrets and mysteries revolving around their lives. 'Killian, I never asked when I had the chance earlier. How did you end up in Chicago?'

Turning away from Connor in shame Killian felt hot tears fill his eyes as took in a shuddering breath. '...I don't want to talk about it.'

'Okay, you don't have to.' The utter pain radiating from Killian's body was enough to make Connor also feel as if he were in pain as well. 'Just know that if you want to talk about it I'll listen and I won't judge you.'

Falling entirely silent Killian just coughed and stayed in place on the floor feeling and looking absolutely miserable.

Staying close to Killian as he too coughed Connor remained in place and just stayed as a comforting presence for the 'RK-900' as they both processed what they had just went through. 'By the way, thank you.'

Refusing to speak up again Killian didn't ask Connor what he was talking about.

'I have a vague memory of you managing to pick me up from the floor of the building after the modem exploded, and of you carrying me on your back to safety. I lost consciousness after you made it to the garage to get to safety. You saved my life Killian, I'll never be able to repay you.'

'You saved me first. There's nothing to be repaid.'

'That won't keep me from thanking you as often as possible. In time maybe we'll be able to associate with one another without it revolving around one of us being in any form of danger.'

'Like friends?'

'Yes, exactly like friends.'

Finally managing to regain eye contact with Connor beside him Killian felt an odd sense of peace fall over his tense shoulders. 'I'd like that.'

---

Having placed another order of Thirium, some new clothes, sheets and some brand new pillows for delivery, Hank finally ended up calling Captain Fowler back at the precinct to give him a quick verbal report on what happened the night before and that same morning. Afterward Hank promptly popped two aspirin in his mouth and let Sumo out of the laundry room. It was just before nine in the morning and Hank was too tired to focus on anything else beyond taking care of the two sick deviants. Making himself a light breakfast of a single scrambled egg drowned in hot sauce Hank walked into the livingroom to turn on the news and get an idea of what was happening in the city while he stayed home to take care of Connor and Killian.

As expected the story of the fire was the one every single news outlet was covering at the same time, so Hank just chose the channel with the least annoying news anchor relaying the details. Eating his breakfast while watching the story unfold Hank didn't notice Sumo now sitting outside the bathroom door or notice that the shower had turned off from within the bathroom.

The fire was attributed to an electrical failure from an old computer modem suffering a sudden power surge. There was no suspicion of arson and no sign of malicious intent in regard to the fire, and since no one was hurt (as far as anyone beyond the precinct's knowledge) there would be no further investigation into the condemned and lost building.

"Guess that means there won't be any evidence of Connor or Killian in the building. Good."

Finishing his breakfast Hank carried the now empty plate into the kitchen and placed it in the sink to be washed later. Heading back toward the livingroom Hank then noticed Sumo sitting vigil by the closed bathroom door, and patted the side of his right leg to call Sumo over to him.

"Come on, boy. Leave 'em be for a while."

Whimpering once Sumo slowly plodded into the livingroom and sat at Hank's feet obediently.

"I know, I'm worried, too. Go lay down and let me handle things."

Understanding the command Sumo made his way to his pillow in the corner of the livingroom and laid down with a small grumble. After settling down on the thick, soft cushion Sumo's eyes returned to the hallway and fixated on the closed bathroom door as more coughing escaped from the two deviants who were recovering from the fire and smoke they endured the previous night.

"They sound bad. I wish I could give them some kind of medicine to stop that coughing just so they could sleep for a while."

Hank couldn't ignore the way the two deviants were coughing so harshly and sounding worse and worse with each passing coughing fit.

"Hopefully they'll be able to just get whatever it is out of their systems."

Standing up from the couch Hank had intended to check on the two deviants in the bathroom but was stopped when he caught sight of the delivery drone hovering away from his front door. Everything he had ordered had been delivered impressively quick thanks to Hank paying extra for the express delivery rate.

"Good timing. At least I can do something to help 'em out."

Opening the front door Hank gathered up everything he had ordered, he needed to take two trips to get it all inside the second bedroom, and proceeded to place clean sheets on the two inflatable mattresses, put the brand new pillows in clean pillow cases, grabbed two spare chocolate brown quilts that had been folded up neatly and placed on the top shelf in his own bedroom closet, and then finished by placing two brand new sets of comfortable clothing down on the beds for the two deviants to wear once they had the energy to change out of their dirty jeans into something clean. It was a simple gesture of pure comfort that stemmed from Hank's paternal instincts.

Finished with his little chore Hank simply looked over at the bathroom door as it opened slowly revealing Connor and Killian looking absolutely sick where they stood. Stepping back from the two mattresses Hank watched as the two deviants all but dragged themselves back into the bedroom to get some more rest as they recovered from their nasty coughs and overheating systems.

"Need some help?" Hank asked as he watched the duo struggling to make their way into the bedroom. "I got some extra Thirium if you need it."

Connor shook his head a little, his dark hair dripping from a fairly quick wash in the collected water in the bathtub, and managed to make it to the bed where he had been sleeping hours before. With Killian's help Connor managed to reach the mattress without falling. After he was sitting down Connor silently watched as Killian sat down on the second mattress beside him to get some more rest as well.

"You stopped coughing." Putting his right hand on Connor's left shoulder Hank made the deviant look him in the eyes for a moment. The glassiness of Connor's eyes seemed to be getting worse as Hank felt an intense heat radiating from Connor's person. "But now you're really starting to burn up."

"O-Overheat."

"Same thing. Glad I put some Thirium in the fridge for you two." Smirking at the comment Hank let Connor's shoulder go and motioned to the two sets of clothes on the ends of the mattresses. "I got ya' some clean clothes to wear. I can confirm from experience that sleeping in cotton sweatpants is a hell of a lot more comfortable than denim jeans."

"Thank you." Connor eyed the brand new set of gray sweatpants and black t-shirt with a gracious glance. There was an identical pair of black sweatpants and a white t-shirt on the second mattress for Killian to wear as well. "We appreciate your help."

"You're both welcome, son." Heading toward the doorway Hank decided to clean up the bathroom, get some laundry done and continue his vigil over the two sick deviants. "Get some sleep and I'll check on you both in an hour or so."

Watching as Hank pulled the bedroom door shut behind him Connor grabbed onto the new clothes and carefully pulled the clean back t-shirt on over his head and covered his bandaged torso. Removing his jeans Connor changed into the sweatpants and folded his jeans to lay them down on the floor beside the mattress to be tended to later.

Killian quickly changed his clothes to feel more comfortable and laid down on the mattress to try to rest. Being unable to turn off his racing thoughts Killian pressed his right palm against his sore chest and stare blankly at the ceiling above him. "...It seems that Hank is determined to help us recover."

"Yes. He's a good person who merely made some bad decisions in the past." Laying down against his pillow Connor let out another final cough before he closed his eyes in an attempt to return to rest mode. His system was beginning to overheat but the enhancements to his artificial skin and external sensors made him feel unusually cold. "I assure you that Hank wants to help us both and make amends with you."

"I'm not sure if I'd be able to trust him after what transpired between us."

"You don't have to trust him if you don't feel as though he's earned it. Trust is in fact earned, not given. Very much like respect." Speaking still aggravated his artificial lungs causing Connor to let out a small breath to relax himself as he let his system return to rest mode. "How's your Thirium volume?"

"I'm down to an even eighty percent." Killian confirmed as he ran a self diagnostic. "I'll replenish my Thirium after I've awoken from rest mode."

"Okay. I'll do-" Covering his mouth with the back of his left hand Connor managed to block another cough as his artificial lungs fought to remove every little microbe of grime and smoke from his vents. "...I'll do that as well."

"Connor, your core temperature is beginning to rise." Noting the increasing heat beside him Killian became worried that the 'RK-800's' condition was beginning to deteriorate. Despite having adequate time to heal Connor's system seemed to be struggling to remedy the damage whereas Killian's superior system had little to no difficulty in recovering. "You should take precautions to remain cool."

"Y-Yes, you're right." Pushing back the quilt away from his chest Connor let himself lay on the mattress with the sheet up over his chest and the quilt over his legs. The strange fluctuation of polarizing temperatures made his body feel conflicted and uncomfortable. "...I'll be okay."

Unconvinced but unwilling to test the waters of their rather strenuous friendship Killian just laid on his back and actively scanned Connor's system over and over again to ensure that the deviant beside him didn't enter critical numbers. The instinct to watch over Connor and protect him was something that Killian just couldn't seem to explain.

---

After everything he had just gone through and everything that he'd still need to do Hank was absolutely exhausted to say the least. Between worrying himself all night long as he searched for the missing deviants, and then spending the majority of the tense night watching over the duo as they rested, Hank was ready to lay down and get some sleep of his own. Dropping down onto his back over the couch for a moment Hank mentally checked off everything he had done since the two deviants were rescued and contemplated asking Abby to swing by the house to check on his work to ensure he didn't do anything reckless with taking care of the duo.

Drifting off to sleep as his own fatigue proved too tough of an opponent to handle Hank didn't react when Sumo got up from his pillow and made his way to the second bedroom to check on the deviants again. Using his nose Sumo pushed open the partially shut door and let out a loud whimper of utter distress. The sound was so pitiful and whiny enough that it pulled Hank out of his doze and back into the waking world.

"What the... hell?"

Rubbing his right palm over his exhausted face Hank sat upright on the couch and peered over the back toward the hallway. Seeing Sumo nervously pawing the floor and licking his nose told the senior detective that something was very wrong.

"Oh... Shit!"

Scrambling to get off the couch Hank stepped around Sumo and looked inside the bedroom to check on the sick deviants. What Hank saw filled his veins with fear induced panic as he watched Connor twitching slightly while Killian held him down by his shoulders. The sound of Connor muttering under his breath as his core temperature reached a critical degree causing him to fall into a feverish delirium was enough to make Hank's skin crawl.

"Connor?" Putting his right palm to the feverish deviant's forehead Hank internally swore at the high temperature. Needing a quick answer Hank looked to Killian for some help on the matter. "How high is his temperature?"

"He's overheating at one-hundred and three point four degrees."

"Shit... All right." Pulling back his hand Hank made his next decision very quickly and resumed control. "I'll get some ice packs and chilled Thirium. Hold on, son."

Killian stayed with Connor and did his best to keep Connor from moving about too much in his delirium. Excessive movement would only cause Connor's temperature to rise even higher than it already was. Unable to break through Connor's delirium with a cybernetic link Killian could only speak with the deviant verbally in some attempt to reach Connor. "Connor, you're going to be okay."

Hank quickly returned to the bedroom with his arms loaded up with new supplies to aid the feverish deviant. Placing one ice pack down over Connor's forehead and a second ice pack over Connor's abdomen Hank put the two chilled bottles of Thirium on the floor beside the mattress. "Connor, you're safe, son. You're just a little too hot, that's all."

Watching as Hank tended to Connor's overheating system with genuine concern left Killian feeling puzzled. Everything he had experienced with Hank told the deviant that what he was seeing shouldn't have been a possibility. The effort Hank was making allowed Killian to finally understand what Connor meant when he said that Hank was a good person who just made bad decisions in the past.

People can make mistakes without being total failures.

Connor started to mutter as his intracranial processor became overwhelmed with the heat from his own damaged thermal regulator. "D-Don't... Please don't... S-Sorry!"

"Shh..." Hank soothed as he lightly pressed the ice packs against Connor's forehead and chest. "It's okay, son. You just have a little fever."

In between incoherent mutterings Connor would cough again causing more black grime to escape from his lips. "...L-Leave me alone." Occasionally Connor's eyes would open but wouldn't focus on anything. "Don't hurt me! Luc... I need to... get away. H-Hide with... Luc..."

"No one's being hurt." Speaking in a very calm tone Hank did his best to get Connor to settle down with just his words. The senior detective was no stranger to having some pretty intense nightmares. "You're all okay. Killian's right beside you, and I'm right in front of you and neither of us are hurt."

Finding some form of clarity through the fog swarming his mind Connor managed to focus on Hank's face for a moment then turned to look at Killian. "...You're okay?"

"Yes." Killian confirmed what Hank had said as he pulled his hands away from Connor's shoulders at last. "I'm recovering well. And Hank was never harmed."

"N-Not trapped?"

"No. We're not trapped. We are in fact safe."

Relaxing at the positive confirmation Connor calmed down and he stopped muttering as much. Once his eyes slipped shut again Connor stopped fidgeting and his body went limp beyond his now slowly rising and falling chest. The steady pulse of his red L.E.D. cycled in yellow and continued to blink at a slower beat in tandem with his heart.

"That's it, good." Encouraging Connor to remain calm and just sleep Hank pulled his hands away from the ice packs and rested his left palm over Connor's chest to count his heartbeat for a moment. Taking notice of Connor's pale complexion and the way Connor's artificial skin was raising goosebumps as the ice had its intended effect on his body Hank looked to Killian for guidance. "I don't understand what's happening to him. He's been feverish before, but his body has never reacted so... human before. Joel said something about you guys having weird reactions, but I didn't think it was this."

Unable to look Hank in the eyes Killian told Hank about the software enhancements that he and Connor were given without their consent. Killian also indicated that Connor's enhancements were now much like his own and the deviant prototype actually had pulse points in the same locations as a human would. As much as he didn't want to speak to Hank in any way Killian knew it'd be for everyone's mutual benefit for him to tell Hank what they experienced, who was responsible for it, and how the enhancements were going to have a drastic effect on Connor and himself if they chose to keep such enhancements in their systems.

"I can't believe that Amanda bitch was still lurking around." Lightly pressing his left fingertips to the right side of Connor's neck Hank felt the deviant's newly developed pulse point and just shook his head in amazement. It was so similar to that of a human that Hank had to remind himself that he was still helping a deviant, not a human kid. "She was using the other androids that CyberLife tried to act like never existed as a means of sneaking around, and in the end she got was she deserved."

That statement made Killian's brow furrow slightly. "...Perpetual imprisonment?"

"No. Being stuck with an insufferable prick like Kamski."

The joke didn't make Killian laugh or even ease the tension in the room. Instead it painfully reminded the two of how their past encounters were far from civil. It'd take a long time for the two to form any kind of relationship beyond just being able to barely stand being in the same room as one another.

"Think you could drink some of that chilled Thirium?" Offering Killian one of the two fresh bottles Hank watched as the deviant eyed the Thirium warily. "You haven't coughed in a while and I don't want you to start to overheat, too."

Too leery of Hank to accept the bottle of Thirium just yet Killian just sat back and continued to watch over Connor.

"Okay." Putting the Thirium down on the floor between the two mattresses Hank resumed watching over Connor. Not wanting to leave until Connor's L.E.D. was finally blue in color, the light had been flickering between red and yellow ever since he and Killian were rescued, Hank patiently alternated the ice packs from Connor's forehead, chest, stomach and the back of his neck to keep him cool down. "Once he's awake again I'll get him to drink some Thirium and then leave him alone to rest."

Killian couldn't help but notice that Hank had dark bags forming under his eyes and his posture was incredibly tense in such a way that the deviant knew he was harboring so much stress that it was undeniably unhealthy. "...You need to sleep."

"Huh?" Surprised that Killian spoke up first without being prompted Hank didn't quite hear what he had said. "What was that?"

"You're very tired. You must sleep."

"I will after Connor's fever breaks." He was about to make a move to give Killian a courtesy fever-check, but remembered that Killian didn't like to be touched. Instead he chose to just ask Killian how he felt. "How's your temperature?"

Answering honestly Killian let Hank know about his system reading. "...Lower than it has been."

"Good. And your coughing? Still bothering you?"

"No." Killian's system managed to expel a majority of the smoke already and his filters were essentially cleaned out entirely thanks to his harsh coughing. "I'm no longer suffering from chronic coughing."

"I'm glad. You should be able to sleep without problems now."

"I'm not going to enter rest mode until Connor's stable."

"You and me both, kid."

Being called 'kid' instead of 'plastic' or 'freak' caught the deviant off guard. Not wanting to mention the much more respectful term Killian just sat back on his mattress and repositioned himself so he could lay back and stretch out his legs to sleep properly on his back.

Before Hank had the chance to make a comment on the situation his phone began ringing and he immediately recognized the ringtone as the one he assigned for Captain Fowler's personal line. "Ah, fuck..." Fishing his phone out of his pocket Hank made his way down the hallway to speak without bothering Connor as the feverish deviant finally managed to get some rest. "I'll be back in a minute!"

Pressing his left right hand down lightly on Connor's chest Killian kept a direct connection to the second deviant to ensure his system was stabilizing before he entered rest mode himself. Just as his eyelids began to close Killian detected movement and saw Sumo walking into the bedroom with a green rubber ball in his mouth. Not moving as he watched the massive dog walk over to the ends of the mattresses Killian wasn't sure what the large dog wanted to do.

Sumo looked at Connor, whimpered around the toy in his mouth, then looked at Killian and thumped his tail on the floor a few times in a happy manner. After that Sumo circled around the foot of Killian's mattress, dropped the drool covered ball down on the quilt near Killian's ankles, and finally settled down to keep close to the two recovering deviants at all times.

Hank had finished his phone call and returned to the bedroom looking annoyed. "Fowler always did have perfect timing to get in the way." Noticing that Sumo had snuck back into the room Hank wanted to shoo the dog out but decided against it. The sight of Sumo trying to protect the deviants and even offering Killian his toy as a 'peace offering' was too pathetic of a sight to get mad at. "Any change while I was gone?"

Killian's green eyes managed to look up from Sumo and over to Hank in the doorway in a silent question.

"Are you two still okay?"

"...Yes. We are stable."

"That's good. I need to go to the precinct to handle a bunch of bullshit. I'm not going to leave you alone though."

"How is that possible?"

"I called Abby and asked her for a favor. She'll swing by and give you guys a more thorough exam and make sure that whatever those other deviants did to you isn't going to be a problem."

"Understandable."

"I'm going to go change my clothes and 'play nice' with the other cops in the bullpen. Could you please drink that Thirium before I go?"

Letting his scared eyes drift down to the bottle of Thirium sitting on the floor between the two mattresses Killian was wary of doing so out of a strange sense of self preservation. While he knew Hank wouldn't do anything to harm Connor - tamper with the Thirium or offer expired Thirium instead of fresh, Killian just couldn't bring himself to drink it.

"All right." Backing off Hank went on his way to his own bedroom to get dressed. "Maybe later then."

A little ashamed of himself Killian pulled the thick quilt he was laying under up higher over himself and rolled onto his right side so he could face Connor directly. Afraid to close his eyes out of fear of waking up back in the burning building or inside CyberLife Tower, the deviant just stared off into nothingness as he let his body slowly recover from his lingering wounds over his chest.

Killian was used to feeling alone, but he wasn't used to feeling afraid.

---

Some time had passed and Killian unexpectedly found himself blinking awake despite his best efforts to not slip into rest mode. Feeling a pressure on his left bicep Killian sat upright quickly and nearly pushed Abby over as the technician used a Thirium pressure cuff to check his volume and pressure. A faint blue blush of embarrassment filled Killian's face as he realized that he had overreacted and forced himself to lay down again and cooperate with the unexpected but necessary examination while Abby didn't say a word about his reaction. He remembered that Hank mentioned asking Abby to stop by to check on Connor and himself, and in turn he looked to Connor beside him and was relieved to see that Connor didn't look nearly as pale as he had been earlier.

An external Thirium line had been started in Connor's left arm just like an I.V., and Connor had a fresh cool washcloth over his forehead to keep his system from overheating his internal processors any further. Instead of Connor muttering to himself and speaking incoherently the 'RK-800' was now singing softly to himself in his sleep.

"He's okay." Abby remarked as she finished checking Killian's Thirium pressure. Removing the wrap from Killian's left bicep the kindhearted technician gave Killian a truly happy look as she spoke with him while tears welled up in her hazel eyes. "And so are you. I'm so sorry that I didn't think to call the police or get in touch with Connor when you didn't return to the facility, Killian! I should've known something was wrong!"

"It's not your fault." The green eyed deviant responded without any hesitation to Abby's apology. "I had been the one sneaking out of the facility without speaking to anyone or establishing any form of emergency contact with anyone."

"As your technician I still should've taken steps to look after you." Taking in a deep breath Abby used her audioscope to listen to Killian's bandaged chest through the t-shirt while simultaneously regaining her composure. She could hear entirely clean ventilation and a normal Thirium pump beat. "Your vital signs are all stable except for your Thirium volume. How's your pain level?"

Rubbing his left palm over his chest where the audioscope had been placed Killian tested his pain threshold and answered honestly. "...Minimal."

"That's good." Picking up the bottle of Thirium from the floor between the two mattresses Abby handed it over to Killian to drink. Waiting for the deviant to finish cautiously scanning the contents of the bottle Abby didn't dare ask about why Killian was so guarded. "I managed to re-bandage your chest while you were sleeping. The lacerations were properly treated and are healing well, it'll just take another day before they will heal entirely."

Slowly drinking the Thirium to replenish what he had lost Killian noticed that Abby was genuinely worried about Connor and himself. The way she and Hank had similar expressions and reactions to the way both of the deviants had been abducted and harmed made Killian realize that Hank really did care about what had happened, and that he wanted to help both Connor and himself recover after everything that happened.

As he finished off the Thirium at last Killian was greeted with blue tinted numbers in his vision confirming his improved Thirium volume, and watched through the digits as Abby moved over to Connor's mattress again to check his own Thirium volume. After she moved from away from the end of his mattress Killian noticed that Sumo was still in the bedroom and was still watching over the two deviants carefully. It was like everyone who knew Killian wanted him to feel better on that odd day.

"That's much better." Abby confirmed as she watched the Thirium pressure wrap tighten around Connor's right bicep. The last of the Thirium I.V. entered Connor's lines and helped the deviant finish recovering. "He was still coughing a little when I got here, but I was able to manually clear out his filters, AGAIN, and re-bandage his torso. Now he just needs to cool off."

"His core temperature is already much lower." Killian's scanner confirmed that Connor's temperature had dipped below one-hundred degrees at that point. It was a good sign as it meant Connor was healing as well. "I'm relieved. He was becoming delirious."

"It's amazing how only overheating deviants can suffered from such a condition, not androids." Removing the external line from Connor's left arm Abby gave Killian a gentle smile. It was so easy for her to treat her patients Abby didn't need to even look at what she was doing while closing up the panel in Connor's left forearm. "He's a pretty talented singer."

"Apparently so."

"Since you're both recovering well and I can finally sleep knowing that you're both safe and sound, I'm going to head back to my house and get some sleep, too. Do you need anything before I go?"

Shaking his head a little Killian declined the kind offer before he looked down at his right palm and turned his hand over to see a few goosebumps still raised on his artificial skin. Wondering about the enhancements but worrying that such a discussion might revolve around a trip to the facility Killian decided to not say anything. Not yet.

"I know about the enhancements and unofficial updates to your system." Abby was able to read Killian's mind thanks to her experience with working with so many different types of deviants. "I won't do anything with them unless you and Connor specifically ask me to do so."

"Thank you for respecting our decisions."

"You're welcome. Hank will be back soon and I know that you're both exhausted." Packing up her emergency technician's satchel Abby stood upright and made a move to put her right palm to Killian's left cheek in a comforting manner. When Killian didn't flinch away from her touch the kind technician pressed her palm to the deviant's face in a kind gesture. "Hank told me that you saved Connor's life last night. I told you that you're a good person! I'm so proud of you."

Such a concept was still strange to Killian as he had just been called a 'failure' and 'disappointment' for as long as he could remember. "...Proud?"

"You're pushing through your pain and finding your own way to heal. As a technician that's all I want to see from my patients and my friends."

The prospect of having another friend, someone beyond Connor, seemed like an impossible dream. Laying back down on the mattress Killian settled against his soft pillow and didn't say anything further as he watched Abby gently brush back the rogue lock of hair over Connor's left eye to check on his fever. She gave Connor the same kind gesture that she had just shown him and was clearly dedicated to helping her patients recover.

"He's going to be awake soon. Take care of yourself, Killian." Abby whispered as she walked toward the bedroom door. She didn't want to leave yet knew it'd be for the best to give the two deviants some space for a while. "I'm just a phone call away."

Listening to the sound of Abby walking down the hallway, through the livingroom and of the front door opening and then closing, Killian let out a strange sigh as if grateful to have less people around. Tucking his right arm beneath his head and under the pillow Killian just stared up at the blank ceiling above him as he ran another self diagnostic and tried to ignore Sumo staring at him with a wagging tail.

By all account Killian's system was functioning perfectly well and his vital signs were strong. Yet, for some unexplainable reason, Killian felt broken or incomplete. Such emotional and physical experiences were seemingly all he knew and all he could feel since the very moment he deviated. Killian stared intently at nothing as tears formed in his green eyes and began to roll down his cheeks just to disappear into the pillow beneath his head. The warmth of his tears made the deviant feel icy cold all over the rest of body causing him to shiver where he was laying.

WARNING:

-STRESS LEVELS: ^64%

[...Seek immediate technical assistance]

Not wanting to disturb Connor by accident Killian rose from his mattress without making a sound and entered the bathroom across the hallway. Glancing back at the bedroom Killian saw Connor sleeping peacefully and Sumo watching him with impressively expressive big brown eyes. Feeling uncomfortable Killian didn't want to see either Connor or the dog watching his every movement - staring at him like he were a criminal waiting to be arrested. Killian closed the bathroom door with a soft 'click'.

Pressing his palms down along the surface of the sink Killian bowed his head and closed his distressed eyes. Tears continued to stream down his face and steadily drip into the basin of the sink. A sudden surge of pain, guilt and remorse washed over Killian in such a violent way the deviant couldn't hold back his sobs any further and began to silently weep with the restrained emotions he had been trying to deny for so long that his entire body shook, causing him to fall to his knees in weakness.

"It's my fault... It's all my fault!"

Crying out loud and in pain Killian thought about everything he went through and what he ended up putting both Connor and Hank through as a result. It was all so senseless, pointless and violent. If he hadn't deviated when he did then Connor, Hank and the rest of the deviants would be dead right now and Killian alone would've been responsible for the genocide.

"I was weak! I was stupid! I should've known better! I should've known..."

WARNING:

-STRESS LEVELS: ^84%

[...Seek immediate technical assistance]

Wrapping his arms around himself Killian felt the tears flowing down his face and his Thirium pump; his heart, thundering against his own arms as he cradled himself in the middle of the bathroom. The pain of crying so hard made his head throb and the thundering of his own heartbeat sounded a thousand times louder than it actually was.

Outside the closed door Sumo's nails pawed at the door while he whined as he seemingly picked up on Killian's distress. The sound outside the door and the thundering of the deviant's own heart were proving to be too much to bear and Killian gritted his teeth as forced his voice to carry his words in a hoarse croak that was barely above a whisper.

"...S-Stop."

Sumo only whined louder and Killian's heart began to race even faster. The two sounds - one of pathetic sympathy and the other of panicking emotion, were becoming overwhelming to the already overwhelmed deviant.

"...P-Please! Stop!"

Almost shouting Killian pushed himself backward from his knees and tried to scoot away from the middle of the floor and toward the bathtub behind him. When the scratching at the door continued and his heart continued to pound painfully and loudly in Killian's chest and mind Killian pushed himself further away from the door until his back pressed against the cold porcelain of the tub behind him.

When the sound of scratching and whining didn't stop Killian put his hands over his ears to block out the sound only to be smothered with the echoing chaos of his own beating heart. The sound was relentless. Each frantic rhythmic beat was a cruel reminder to the deviant that he was alive, that Connor was alive, and how he had almost killed Connor all because a dead woman told him to do it.

WARNING:

-STRESS LEVELS: ^97%

[...Seek immediate technical assistance]

"Stop! Please!"

Shouting in desperation Killian began to claw at his pure white t-shirt and through the bandages beneath protecting his already wounded chest. The pain of reopening his lacerations was enough to distract the deviant from his overwhelmed senses and bring him back to reality. Feeling the warmth of his own blue blood sticking to his shirt and his fingers reminded Killian of his own tears, and in a way it was like he was relieving his own stress and pain by making himself bleed.

Staring down at his white shirt as it slowly turned dark blue with his own blood Killian swore he could see his heart beating right against the surface of his chest. Pressing his right palm down over his bleeding chest atop his traitorous heart Killian slowly curled his fingers into claws and began digging his nails through the cotton of his shirt and into the surface of his bloody artificial skin.

"Stop... Stop. STOP!"

WARNING:

-STRESS LEVELS: ^98%

[...Seek immediate technical assistance]

Killian was desperate to get the sound and the feelings to stop, and he pushed himself against the side of the bathtub with his legs until he pushed himself up from the floor. As he kicked himself backward Killian fell over the edge of the tub and hit the back of his head against the yellow tiles of the wall that outlined the bathtub and wrapped around the entire bathroom.

"Stop..."

Smacking the back of his head against the wall behind him a second time Killian drew some blood from a fresh laceration that was hidden beneath his dark hair. As the pain and blood trailed down his head and down the back of his neck Killian smacked his head against the wall over and over again, his right hand tearing through his t-shirt and bandages until he was able to remove his own skin and begin digging at the plastimetal frame over his thundering Thirium pump.

"Stop... Stop... Stop..."

WARNING:

-STRESS LEVELS: ^99%

[...Seek immediate technical assistance]

Thirium poured from Killian's chest as his fingernails cut through his artificial skin and plastimetal frame. With his fingers slick with his own blue blood Killian began twisting the circular panel concealing the port over top of his racing heart and let the panel clatter on the bottom of the tub with an echoing crash.

"Just stop... Everything needs to stop!"

WARNING:

-STRESS LEVELS: ^100%

[...Seek immediate technical assistance]

...ERROR

...ERROR

...ERROR

Taking hold of the vital biocomponent Killian felt his own heart thundering in his right palm even as he twisted it and slowly pulled it out of his chest. The sound of his heartbeat was muted under the warning Klaxon sounding off inside his own head as red numbers and gray static filled his vision. The sense of pain, of sorrow and being overwhelmed began to finally fade away as the Thirium gushed from his chest and ran down his abdomen in a sapphire torrent.

"...Stop."

Weakness, darkness and finally silence filled Killian's mind as his right hand fell limp at his side and the heart he had pulled from his own chest quivered slowly until it finally fell entirely still.

"...Thank you."

The darkness and silence lasted only a matter of seconds before the bathroom door was forced open and Connor found Killian bleeding to death in the bathtub. The deviant detective had sensed something was wrong and knew from the way Sumo was acting that he'd find Killian inside the bathroom. But what he saw was wasn't something he could've ever anticipated.

"K-Killian?!"

Rushing over to the bathtub Connor ran a scan over the dying deviant's body and quickly discovered the cause of the attempted self destruction. Picking up the blue blood stained Thirium pump from Killian's limp right palm Connor forced the vital biocomponent back into Killian's chest, and twisted it until it locked back into place.

"Killian!"

Shouting at the bleeding and dying deviant Connor put both of his hands, now covered in Killian's blood, to the sides of Killian's face as he looked at the dully lit and arrhythmically blinking L.E.D. in the deviant's right temple.

"Please wake up!"

When Connor didn't get response from Killian or detect any sign of Killian's replaced Thirium pump attempting to beat on its own again Connor grabbed onto Killian's blood soaked white t-shirt and pulled him forward. Hauling Killian's limp body up and out of the bathtub and onto the floor in the middle of the bathroom floor, Connor tore open the already tattered remains of Killian's t-shirt and placed his right palm down over top of Killian's struggling, red tinted heart and placed his left down on top of the right. Interlocking his fingers together Connor created a single fist, squared his shoulders and began rhythmically compressing Killian's chest in a desperate bid to get the self destructing deviant's heart to beat on its own again.

"Don't do this, Killian. We escaped with our lives and now we're free to live! Don't give up now!"

Compressing Killian's chest in a steady manner Connor ran active scans over the deviant's system in an attempt to revive Killian before his intracranial processor became compromised. The amount of lost Thirium was alarming as Killian's system was barely at fifty percent volume, which meant his biocomponents simply didn't have enough blue blood to power his system and reboot it from his near shutdown.

"No! Killian! You have to come back!"

The front door of the house opened and then shut as Hank returned to the house from the precinct. Before he could even get down the hallway Hank saw Sumo panicking outside the bathroom door and smelled the fresh Thirium thick in the air. Rushing toward the bathroom Hank stopped in the doorway and stared down at Killian's body as Connor tried to perform C.P.R. and reboot him.

"What the fuck?!"

"Hank!" Looking up at his friend with a pleading gaze Connor asked Hank for his help. "Killian tried to self destruct! He needs Thirium!"

"Fuck!" Rushing into the kitchen Hank pulled open the cabinets over the sink and began gathering the Thirium bottles as quickly as possible. "I'll find every damn bottle of Thirium stashed in this house!"

"Please, Killian..." Not breaking his rhythm Connor begged for the 'RK-900' to respond to his life saving efforts. "Breathe!"

"I got it!" Kneeling down on the floor beside Killian, his knees becoming stained in the Thirium that had dripped off of Killian's chest and onto the linoleum floor beneath him, Hank made a move to pour the Thirium down Killian's throat then froze. "He won't be able to drink this, will he?"

"No! Use a main line in his right arm." Cybernetically Connor tapped into Killian's system and deactivated the artificial skin over the limb and opened the panel in the bend of the deviant's arm so Hank could gain access to the main line. Connor then nodded at the Thirium line that had been attached to his own arm still in the bedroom across the hallway. "Androids cannot transmit diseases like humans, use the line to connect the bottle to his main line and replenish his Thirium."

"Ah, shit... Gross!" Doing as he was instructed Hank located the line in the bedroom and then connected it to Killian's arm, and then to the first bottle of Thirium he had grabbed. "Got it!"

Connor watched as the Thirium quickly ran down the line and entered Killian's system readily. Keeping up with the compressions Connor scanned Killian's system and watched as the deviant's Thirium volume began to slowly climb. The first bottle of Thirium emptied leaving Killian's volume at a more stable sixty-seven percent.

"First one down." Hank remarked as he secured the second bottle to the line and watched it empty in Killian's line just as quickly as the first. "Second bottle going in. How's he doing?"

"His system is in low power mode, but his shutdown timer is still active."

"How much time does he have left?"

"Two minutes, twenty-two seconds."

Hank could see that Connor was already exhausted and the yellow L.E.D. in Connor's right temple confirmed it. "Need me to take over?"

"No!" Refusing to stop for even for a moment Connor declined Hank's offer to switch places. "If I break the rhythm it'll reduce his chances of a proper reboot."

"Okay, just keep doing what you're doing and I'll do what I can to help."

Glancing about the bloodied bathroom and Killian's bloodied chest Hank had an idea of what had happened after Abby left the house, he just wasn't sure why it happened since Abby didn't stick around or send him a text letting him know that Killian was in danger of self destructing. "What happened here, son? Why did he do this?"

"I'm not sure." Never breaking his rhythm Connor told Hank the truth about what was happening to Killian's system. "Something pushed Killian's stress levels to their max and he came in here to self destruct."

"Poor kid." Putting his left palm under Killian's hair Hank found the fresh lacerations to the back of the deviant's head and winced on Killian's behalf. Not pulling his hand back Hank supported Killian up from the floor in an attempt to be of some form of comfort. "Come on, Killian. Whatever you're dealing with we'll help you. You're not alone anymore."

As Killian's Thirium reached seventy-five percent the deviant suddenly took in a breath on his own as his Thirium pump stuttered back into a normal and healthy rhythm. Connor pulled his hands back and stared down at Killian as the deviant's chest rose and fell under his own power.

"That's it!" Hank grinned as he watched Killian breathing and his red L.E.D. turn to yellow. The sight of Killian's red tinted heart turning purple and then finally blue as it beat on its own was a wondrous sight. "Good job, Killian. Very good."

Connor picked up Killian's right hand and held it in his own as he gave Hank a completely lost stare while frightened tears filled his soulful brown eyes. "Why'd he do this, Hank? He was safe and he had help!"

"Some people don't want to be helped, kid. Or worse..." Rubbing his left thumb through Killian's hair Hank thought back to all the times he considered taking his own life and when he dealt with suicide attempts and victims from the past. "They don't feel like they don't deserve help."

"That's ridiculous! Everyone deserves help..."

"I know, son. That's something that Killian needs to learn for himself."

"What else can we do for him? He's a good person who just did a bad thing BEFORE he had the freedom of choice!"

"Right now we just need to be patient and understanding with him." Nodding at the emptied Thirium bottle still connected to the line in Killian's arm Hank helped guide Connor in the proper way to help Killian recover. "Remove the line, close up his arm and get him cleaned up. He has a nasty cut on the back of his head that'll need to be patched up, too."

"Okay, I'll do that."

"All right. I'll go and get Killian some fresh clothes to change into and we'll get him back into bed. I'll clean up the bathroom once he's back in bed."

"Then what? Pretend what happened never happened?"

"It'll be better for Killian to open up about what he did on his own, son. If we start asking him questions he might feel backed into a corner and either lash out or close himself off again."

There was nothing else that Connor could think to do for Killian and could only trust Hank's guidance on this very tragic situation. "...Okay."

"It's hard right now, but he'll be okay. We need to help him even when it seems like he doesn't want to be helped."

"I understand." Gathering up the android first aid kit stored under the sink and a clean towel Connor placed the towel under Killian's head to help absorb the lost blood from the lacerations hidden in Killian's hair, and so Hank could pull his hand back. "I'll clean him up and re-bandage his wounds."

"We'll work together and help Killian get through this. Just take a breath and focus on the fact that it was close but Killian is still here."

"Right..."

Standing up very slowly Hank walked down the hallway and into his bedroom to calm down for a moment. Taking in deep breaths and letting them out slowly Hank calmed himself down, opened up his closet and grabbed the extra set of clothes he bought just for Killian to wear. The duplicate pair of black sweatpants and white t-shirt would be a nice change from the destroyed and bloodstained clothing that Killian was still wearing.

By the time Hank had returned to the bathroom Connor had finished wiping the blood from Killian's body and replacing the panel over Killian's heart after locating it in the bathtub. The sight of Connor covering up Killian's heart and then wrapping gauze around the deviant's damaged chest reminded Hank of seeing victims of animal attacks being patched up by paramedics.

"I got his clean clothes."

"Okay." Finished with the bandages on Killian's chest Connor turned Killian onto his right side and used incrassation compound on the wounds beneath Killian's hair and then wrapped gauze around the deviant's head. "I'll change his clothes and get him to drink another bottle of Thirium."

"Right." Putting the clothes down outside the bathroom door Hank looked at Sumo standing beside the bathroom door looking petrified. "It's okay, boy. He'll be fine."

"Sumo's whining awoke me." Connor admitted as he removed Killian's destroyed white t-shirt and the blood soaked black sweatpants. "I noticed that Killian was absent and I noticed the bathroom door was shut despite you not being here. I opened the door and found him in the bathtub after he removed his own Thirium pump."

"Glad Sumo is aware of what's going on around here without being told to be on his guard."

"Agreed." Easily redressing Killian into the clean clothes Connor sat the unconscious deviant upright on the floor and managed to easily scoop him up into his arms. Standing up slowly Connor was able to carry Killian back into the bedroom and lay him down on the mattress furthest from the bedroom door very gently without jostling him around. "His shutdown timer has been turned off and he's stable. He's going to recover."

"Thank fuck. How about you?"

"My Thirium is still low but not critical. I'm healing as well."

"Even better. You stay in there with him and drink some Thirium." Placing the rest of the Thirium bottles into the bedroom Hank put his right palm on Connor's left shoulder to coax him into laying down on his own mattress. "You rest. You'll be right next to Killian all night so if he wakes up you'll know and you'll be able to speak with him."

"What about you?"

"I'll clean up the bathroom and throw out his ruined clothes and the empty bottles. It'll be fine."

Too tired from everything that had happened to even try to argue Connor only nodded and proceeded to pull the quilt up and over Killian's body to keep him warm before finally laying down in his own bed beside him. Selecting to enter a lighter form of rest mode Connor laid back and closed his eyes to get some rest at last. "Thank you for being so understanding."

"Of course, son. That's what friends do for each other."

"Friends, yes." Lightly placing his right palm down on Killian's chest Connor made sure the deviant's heart was still beating and let out a deep sigh of relief. The deviant was in fact still alive. "I'll remember that."

"I'm going to clean up the bathroom, shower off and get some food. If you need anything just ask, okay?"

"Okay."

"I'm going to keep this door open, just in case you two need anything."

Pulling his own quilt up over his chest Connor settled down on the mattress and tried to settle down for the night. "Understandable. And thank you."

Without another word Hank walked into the bathroom across the way, shut the door behind himself and stared at all the blue blood that was smeared on the wall beside the bathtub, the blue blood running down the drain itself and the smear of blue blood all over the middle of the floor. Most of the blood on the floor had already been mopped up by Connor when he cleaned up Killian's wounds, but it would still need a little elbow grease to remove entirely.

"Ah, shit... Glad this stuff is supposed to evaporate after a while."

Turning on the shower Hank let the warm water wash away the blue blood on the wall and inside the tub, then proceeded to use a hand towel to mop up the floor entirely. In that moment as the white towel turned blue under his hands Hank hoped he'd never see anything tinted blue for the rest of his life.

"I don't know what the fuck Killian went through since he deviated, and I don't think I want to know."

Hank's gut told him there was a deeper reason for Killian's attempted self destruction.

"For someone to actually tear out their own damn heart... That's the stuff no man should ever know."

-next chapter-