The February day remained unusually bright and sunny even with all the dark emotions and feelings hovering over the perpetually changing city. In the aftermath of the devastating cyber attack, the shooting of Lieutenant Anderson and one attempted suicide by a particularly upset detective, it was a wonder that anyone in Detroit was able to go about their business without feeling any sense of failure or a dark compulsion to just let go and give up on life entirely. Such dreadful feelings weren't unfamiliar for first responders or the oppressed masses, and yet those particular feelings never seemed to get any easier to handle even as time continued to march forward with no end in sight.
Those feelings extended to Lucas as the deviant detective and apprenticing technician left New Jericho Tower after giving Markus his final answer to the generous offer he had been given. After he gave his final answer, he received Hank's phone call and promptly responded to the desperate situation by checking in on Hank for a moment before returning to the brownstone to confront Connor about his odd behavior directly.
Unsure of what to expect or how to approach his stubborn and emotionally guarded brother, Lucas walked back to the brownstone with Bruno beside him and tried to think of a gentle way to bring up Connor's current mindset. The way Hank was speaking about Connor refusing to talk, being unusually jumpy about anyone touching him and seemed to be protecting his left arm, made Lucas begin to fear the worst. His training as a technician told him that his brother was still suffering from some kind of complication to his system post shooting.
Little did he know that Connor was suffering a serious complication from the first shooting, not the second.
"We'll need to be very careful with how we approach Connor." Lucas spoke with Bruno as the decommissioned K-9 unit accompanied him on his walk. "He needs to know we're not trying to back him in to a corner, we're trying to help him find peace with everything he's endured."
Bruno grumbled in response as he wagged his tail and kept his ears pointed perked up at full attention.
"I just hope we're not too late to help him find acceptance with everything that's happened to him and to myself." Rubbing his thumb over his fingertips Lucas noted his own enhanced senses and could only imagine what Connor was experiencing with his own system struggling to recover after being shot. "He isn't at fault and shouldn't try to hold himself accountable for another person's actions."
Unlocking the front door to the brownstone Lucas felt an odd sense of hesitation as if he knew something bleak was waiting for him on the other side of the door. Forcing himself to step forward Lucas entered the study and his eyes immediately fell on to the unnervingly still form of Connor laying on his side between the sofa and the display board.
"Connor?!"
Rushing over to his brother Lucas dropped to his knees and gently rolled Connor from his side and onto his back. The way Connor was so still, so pale and burning hot to the touch confirmed that his brother had entered some form of Thirial arrest and didn't have Thirium properly circulating through his system. The ice pack fell away from Connor's left bicep as the towel unwrapped itself and freed the pack from the afflicted deviant's arm to lay beside Connor's body.
"Connor!" The deviant technician and younger brother begged as he tried to help his critically malfunctioning older brother. "Wake up!"
Knowing he needed some help in order to save Connor's life, Lucas pointed to the opened door behind him and ordered Bruno to leave and find some help.
"Bruno, go to the Zeta Facility and bring help back here! Connor needs immediate technical assistance!"
The loyal dog's blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow then red as he registered Lucas's orders and turned around on his three paws in the doorway. Barking a few times Bruno began charging down the sidewalk to get to the Zeta Facility at the very end of the block to bring back help as he had been ordered.
"Connor? Please open your eyes."
Lucas pressed his fingertips to Connor's right temple and tapped into Connor's system to run a quick diagnostic. Quickly Lucas noted the same obstruction in the coupling of Connor's Thirium pump and the strain on his Thirium pump regulator that had led to his current incapacitation.
"Damn it... You're in full Thirial arrest." With no sign of any external damage Lucas knew that the problem was internal and needed immediate technical attention to correct. "This can only be caused by an internal issue. Most likely an obstruction leading to the Thirium pump."
Taking the proper position at his brother's side Lucas placed one hand over top the other and interlocked his fingers together to begin C.P.R. on the downed deviant. It was a crude yet effective method in coaxing a stopped pump back into motion and to keep Thirium circulating in some capacity. Lucas could feel how hot Connor's core had become when his regulator overheated and knew that restarting his brother's stopped pump was only going to be one of the problems he needed to solve.
With every compression downward on Connor's chest Lucas could feel the pump being forced to contract and relax under his touch. Whenever Connor's heart would actually beat a rush of Thirium would circulate and his artificial skin would regain some level of color before paling again. Due to his low Thirium pressure Connor's artificial skin projection couldn't fully manifest and allowed his white plastimetal frame show through the slightly transparent layer.
"What is obstructing your Thirial coupling?" Lucas asked out loud knowing he wouldn't get an answer from Connor himself. As he continued the compressions Lucas ran a cybernetic scan over his brother's chest and saw the unmistakable shape of a fired bullet lodged in the coupling and effectively cutting off all Thirium supply in that line, and he knew where it had come from. "No... How did the bullet dislodge from your arm?"
Frantic footsteps echoed down the sidewalk with growing volume and soon entered the brownstone. A whispered curse and a flash of motion joined Lucas as Abby herself knelt down on the other side of Connor to exam the downed deviant while Bruno stood outside the opened brownstone door as if keeping guard.
"How long have you been performing compressions?" Abby asked as she slipped the earbuds to her audioscope into place and pressed the bell down on Connor's chest beside Lucas's hands. She could hear a beat only when Lucas pressed down and couldn't audibly detect any attempt from Connor's heart to beat on its own. "Damn, he's still in full Thirial arrest."
"I had determined as much and I've been performing compressions for two minutes, nine seconds." Lucas confirmed as he continued with his task and never broke his rhythm. "There is an obstruction in his left ascending Thirial line and its connected coupling."
"Shit, we have to remove the obstruction before it stresses his pump to the point of total failure."
"His Thirium pump regulator is also overheating."
"Then we need to move right now." Abby urged as she draped her audioscope around her neck. "And I mean NOW. Pick him up and carry him to the facility."
Lucas didn't ask about Abby's orders and merely reacted. Finally stopping compressions Lucas swiftly slipped his arms beneath Connor's shoulders and knees to lift his brother up from the floor, and then promptly carried Connor through the front door of the brownstone and rushed down the sidewalk to get to the Zeta Facility for treatment. Running at an impressive speed down the block Lucas only stopped once he was inside the facility's receptionist area where he was met by Barry and a gurney.
Placing Connor down on the gurney Lucas resumed compressions and walked alongside the gurney as Barry proceeded to roll Connor down the corridor and into the emergency treatment room to await Abby's return. It wasn't too long after that Abby entered the room while Barry exited and resumed checking over Connor's condition. Working together the two technicians did everything they could to bring Connor back from the brink of shutdown.
"I need to get to his chest." Abby noted as she used a sharp pair of scissors to cut open Connor's black t-shirt around Lucas's hands. With the layer of fabric removed Abby was able to attach two wireless leads to Connor's chest - each lead designed to monitor one half of Connor's pump as it beat. "Thirial activity monitor shows no sign of any heartbeat or activity between compressions."
"He needs to be put on temporary bypass." Lucas urged as he continued to force Connor's heart to beat for him. "After that we can remove the bullet from his pump's coupling."
"Bullet?!" Abby's hazel eyes widened with shock as she realized that Connor had been shot. It was then she realized there was no bullet wound or external bleeding anywhere on Connor's body to identify such a wound. "Where was he shot?"
Lucas looked ashamed as he told Abby the truth. "...It's the bullet that had been embedded in his left arm."
"Oh, shit." The fact that the bullet managed to travel through Connor's line meant that his lines could be structurally compromised as well. "All right, let's get him on bypass and set up the external compression wrap so we can free up our hands."
"I have no experience with internal repairs."
"Then I'll teach you as we work. You won't be my first intern."
Abby's confidence helped Lucas remain calm despite his L.E.D. pulsing rapidly in a nervous yellow hue. Following the skilled technician's lead Lucas set about manually deactivating Connor's artificial skin over his chest and abdomen to expose the white plastimetal frames beneath. Opening the central panel over Connor's middle abdomen and opening the upper left panel over Connor's chest gave the two technician's access to both his overheating Thirium pump regulator and his struggling Thirium pump respectively.
"What's his core temperature?" Abby asked as she slipped on a pair of gloves and prepared the necessary equipment to keep Connor functional. He'd need to have an external air intake line inserted down his throat to help provide fresh oxygen to his nearly unresponsive ventilation biocomponents to keep his core temperature from rising and overheating even further. "I don't want to have to apply ice packs if we can help it."
"His temperature is currently one-hundred and three point eight degrees."
"We'll hold off on the ice for now." Abby suggested as she tilted Connor's head back and then lowered his jaw to insert the air intake line. Once the line was in place she secured the end of the line to the external ventilator to breathe on Connor's behalf. "We'll also use an external compression wrap to beat his heart for us."
"I'll continue manual compressions until the wrap is in place."
The compression wrap was designed to do just as it sounded - wrap around a patient's chest and provide external compressions. The wrap was composed of a flexible but strong material akin to Kevlar and had numerous wireless sensors designed to monitor the patient's Thirium pump activity, Thirium pressure and overall ventilation rate. At the surface of the wrap a strong plastimetal wedge roughly the circumference of a softball was designed to autonomously and rhythmically compress the patient's chest directly over the Thirium pump to perform constant C.P.R. and free up the responding technician's hands while the technician performs additional repairs.
Abby took the wrap from its place where it was mounted on the wall and lined the wedge over the center of Connor's chest just above his Thirium pump. She asked for Lucas to sit Connor upright on the table to allow her to secure the wrap in place around Connor's chest by fastening the ends of the wrap together with magnetic bindings just under Connor's shoulder blades.
"It's in place." Abby confirmed as she checked the alignment. "Lay him back down gently."
Moving slowly Lucas carefully laid Connor flat over the exam table and turned on the sensors within the device as the wrap recorded Connor's current vital signs. Once in proper position Lucas checked the sensor readout and ensured the wedge was resting less than an inch above Connor's heart. "Ready to begin."
The external compression wrap was still forcing his faltering pump into a steady motion, and with each manually induced beat of his heart the Thirial activity monitor 'beeped' in perfect synchronized rhythm. Connor's Thirium volume and pressure remained static in number giving him some form of stability.
Abby leaned over Connor's head to check his eyes for herself with her penlight as she remained in control of the situation. "Turn on the compression wrap; aim for sixty beats per minute."
"Sixty beats has been set." Lucas turned on the wrap and watched as the external device began forcing Connor's heart to beat and circulate his Thirium at the appropriate rate of speed. "What of his Thirium pump regulator?"
"We'll remove the bullet from his heart first, then recalibrate his regulator."
Acknowledging the comment with a small nod of his head Lucas walked over to the supply cabinet to put on a pair of gloves for himself. It was crucial that no additional foreign matter entered Connor's Thirium lines to ensure he had a full recovery, and keeping his hands clean of any small bits of debris was key.
"The external bypass unit is located in the cabinet to your right." Abby instructed Lucas where to go as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail, put on a mask and then put on a fresh pair of gloves to keep her hands clean. "We'll pause the compression wrap, connect the obstructed line to the bypass, and force his Thirium to circulate even while we're working on the repairs to his pump."
"Do you suspect coupling damage?"
"That, and I'm worried that the bullet may have caused internal damage to the Thirium lines running through his body." Pulling down a bright overhead lamp Abby shone the light on Connor's chest and looked down at his red pump being forced to beat under the compression wrap's influence. "Shit. If his pump burns out I don't think I have any replacement biocomponents that will be compatible with his model."
Lucas swallowed nervously as his yellow L.E.D. flashed to red as he retrieved the bypass unit. "...It won't burn out. We won't let it."
It was clear that Lucas was frightened for his brother's life and that he was pushing through a truly upsetting experience to help him. "You're right, we won't fail him when he needs our help the most."
Hovering over his brother's exposed heart Lucas took in a deep breath as he placed the bypass unit down on the rolling table next to the exam table. "I'll turn off the compression wrap. Ready?"
Abby took hold of the blocked line and prepared to remove it from the obstructed coupling. "I'm ready. Do it whenever you're comfortable."
Knowing he'd never be truly comfortable Lucas held his breath and turned off the wrap with a simple flip of the switch. Once the compressions stopped Abby removed the affected line and pinched it shut with her fingertips to keep Connor from losing too much blood. Waiting for Lucas to secure an external line from the bypass unit to the detached Thirial line in Connor's chest, Abby dreaded the impending sight of seeing Connor's heart being removed from his body to have the obstruction removed and the pump thoroughly examined.
"First line is secure." Lucas noted as he then worked on securing the left descending Thirial line in place. "After the bypass is functioning, we'll have approximately fourteen minutes to remove and repair Connor's Thirium pump before his system begins to reject the external bypass itself."
"That's right, he's a prototype." Abby knew their challenge just took on a new level of difficulty. Prototypes were notorious for suffering from complications during extreme repair sessions, and anything regarding a vital biocomponent counted as extreme. "Between my experience and your fast fingers, we're definitely going to be proving our right to call ourselves technicians today."
At the house Hank remained entirely unaware of what had happened to Connor, and he was unable to get a response from Lucas no matter how many times he tried to call the deviant back. Getting restless and worried that something terrible was happening in that moment Hank decided to take his walk with Sumo after all, but instead of going around the block or even to the park, he decided to head out to the brownstone. As he neared the large brownstone sitting on the corner of the block Hank noticed Bruno standing in the opened doorway to the brownstone still on guard. From the distance Hank could see that Bruno's L.E.D. was glowing in red meaning that the dog was tense.
Hastening his pace Hank approached the brownstone and pet Bruno's head as he stepped inside the brownstone to check out the study for himself. He didn't see any signs of a struggle, only the dropped ice pack on the floor, but he knew that something serious had happened. No one just leaves their front door for the whole world to enter without a damn good reason.
"Bruno?" Unclipping Sumo from the leash Hank reached for his phone in his pocket and held it out for Bruno to see. "Can you tell me what happened here?"
Cybernetically Bruno uploaded a recorded video from his own memory for Hank to view. The moment Hank saw Lucas performing C.P.R. on Connor he felt his own heart stop for just a split second.
"Shit... Connor!"
The memory continued on showing Bruno rushing to the Zeta Facility, alerting Barry to the situation, Barry informing Abby of the emergency, and of Bruno running alongside Abby to return to the brownstone to help Connor. The memory stopped shortly after Abby told Lucas to pick up Connor and carry him back to the facility for appropriate treatment.
"All right, okay... Now I know where he is, I just don't know what made his heart stop."
Hank took in a deep breath to calm himself down before he made his next decision. Looking to the two dogs who were watching him curiously, Hank decided to head out to the facility for himself and check in on Connor and Lucas. He wasn't a technician, but he was a detective and needed to know what had happened to the deviant in what should've been a secured brownstone.
"You two stay here. Bruno, keep guarding his place and alert my phone if you detect anything happening. And Sumo," Hank just gave the Saint Bernard a lost stare before he could think of anything else to say. "just keep being a good dog."
Exiting the brownstone Hank made sure to lock the door behind himself and then made his way down the sidewalk. Even with the information provided by Bruno's memories Hank still had no idea what to expect or what to do once he arrived at the Zeta Facility.
In record time the obstruction to the Thirium pump's coupling had been cleared and the pump had been returned to Connor's chest where it belonged. The pump was now blue in color, just as it should be, and was beating on its own without any need of external influence. As for the damaged Thirium pump regulator, that particular biocomponent was still in need of mild repairs. The previous damage it had suffered was proving itself to be problematic after being stressed and overheated for an extended period of time. In order to repair the second biocomponent Abby had to remove it from Connor's abdomen and use an external regulator to hook into Connor's body and send the necessary electronic signal to make Connor's heart beat in general.
Shaking from his traumatic lesson as a technician, Lucas sat in chair beside his oldest brother and lightly put his palm on Connor's thick tuft of hair to offer Connor some degree of comfort. He didn't want to touch his brother's hands out of fear of causing him undue pain since he was still adapting to his enhanced physical senses courtesy of the unwarranted upgrades to their systems.
The sight of the electrical cable connected directly to the opened port in Connor's upper abdomen and snaking out of Connor's body to connect it to the external regulator was enough to make Lucas feel sick to his stomach. It didn't help that the external air intake line was still breathing for Connor as a means of helping his core cool down faster to ensure he remained stable.
"The regulator is salvageable." Abby confirmed as she examined the biocomponent under a large lens and bright light. She had finished examining Connor's pump and his left arm - his arm was secured in a sling to reduce stress on the affected limb, and determined that the only remaining life threatening damage revolved around the regulator itself. "I'll just need an hour or so to undo all the past damage before I can return it to his core."
"Take your time." Whispering a little Lucas watched as Connor remained entirely unresponsive and completely helpless to the world around him. He had been repeatedly trying to connect to Connor's mind on a cybernetic level, but Lucas couldn't break through the dense static filling Connor's mind. "I'm certain he'd rather wait for his regulator to be restored to full function than settle for his regulator working at a decreased capacity."
Abby heard the sorrow in Lucas's voice and watched the protective deviant with a warm gleam in her hazel eyes. "He'll be okay. You know him better than anyone else, and you got him help as soon as possible. Try to not worry."
"I don't know how long he was unresponsive on the floor. He suffered from total Thirial arrest due to a pump suspension, and I wasn't there to help him." Keeping his hand in place Lucas continuously ran scans over Connor's pump to ensure it was still beating in his brother's chest. It was too close of a call for anyone's comfort. "What kind of technician is incapable of helping their own brother?"
"That sounds like the kind of firefighter who couldn't keep their house from burning down or the doctor who couldn't keep their children from getting sick."
Lucas understood what Abby was trying to tell him, but it did very little to ease his stressed mind. "Where's the bullet that had obstructed his pump?"
"I put it in a small bag and locked it in my top drawer." Motioning with one hand Abby directed Lucas's attention accordingly. "I'll hand it over to the right authorities."
The urge to keep the bullet's origins a secret was suddenly gone as Lucas had an interesting thought. If Connor had never been shot by Hank on the night of the Revolution, then Connor wouldn't have suffered his pump suspension and risked permanent damage to his biocomponents. "...I suspect that when the bullet's analyzed that some interesting details will come to light."
The door to the treatment room slid open as Barry appeared with a nervous look on his usually smiling face. "Dr. Grayson?"
"Please, just call be 'Abby'." Turning away from her work Abby glanced at Barry over her shoulder and acknowledged his presence. "What is it, Barry?"
"Lieutenant Anderson is here."
"Oh, perfect." With no idea as to what had happened between Hank and Connor, and no reason to suspect the man of anything negative, Abby welcomed Hank into the treatment room to see Connor and ask a few questions. "Let him in. The patient is stable and no longer requires strict cleanroom protocol."
"I'll show him into the room."
Lucas kept quiet and felt his shoulders tense up with anger toward the human before he even saw Hank's face. The stressful flashes of his L.E.D. cycling between red and yellow made the deviant's emotions all the more difficult to hide.
"Thanks for your help, Barry." Hank's voice sounded off before he even entered the room. With his arms crossed defensively over his chest Hank set foot inside the treatment room and immediately paled at the sight of Connor unresponsive with a tube down his throat and a cable entering torso. "Oh, shit... Connor? What happened to you?"
Speaking up softly Lucas answered the question on Connor's behalf. "He suffered an obstruction in one of his main Thirial couplings in his Thirium pump that prevented his Thirium from circulating properly. The resulting blockage caused him to fall into full Thirial arrest and his pump momentarily seized."
"An obstruction in his pump?" Hank was still a novice with android anatomy, but he was learning fast. He knew the pump was the android heart and he knew an obstruction that stopped blue blood flow meant that Connor's pump couldn't beat from a blockage. "Are you saying he... had a heart attack?"
"In a very simplified manner, yes." Confirming Hank's deduction with a growl Lucas gave the senior detective an annoyed glance. "And the obstruction in his heart was an old bullet that dislodged itself from his arm and entered his lines."
Hank paled even further to a sickly shade as he realized exactly what Lucas was telling him and how his own past mistake could've killed Connor, again. "Fuck me..."
Abby spoke up as she continued to adjust the Thirium pump regulator to ensure Connor would be able to resume function without any complications. "The damage was notable but entirely repairable. Once I have the Thirium pump regulator restored - it overheated and had suffered some damage prior to this incident, he'll be able to wake up and go about his business as if nothing had happened. But a day of rest is highly recommended."
The idea of anyone waking up and walking off a heart attack was impossible in Hank's mind. Approaching the table slowly Hank looked down at Connor's left arm beneath the sling and looked right where the bullet had been, and wondered how the bullet became dislodged after almost four months. It was almost March - and the new android rights and laws were going to be enacted in just a few days, and Connor had been shot back in November.
Lucas continued to hover protectively over Connor as if expecting Hank to make a foolish move and attack Connor while he was entirely helpless. "I'll remain here to see him through his recovery. You need to go home and rest since you too are recovering and should not have left your house."
"...I wanted to talk to Connor and make sure he was okay." Hank admitted, his voice low and shaking with a fear of disappointment he hadn't felt for years. "I knew something was bothering him, but he was too uncomfortable to talk to me about it. Maybe if I had just tried a little harder to get him to talk he would've opened up to me and let me know he was sick or hurting."
Steadily Lucas's harsh gaze softened and his L.E.D. settled on an uncomfortable yellow hue. There was no need to take out his frustration on Hank, especially since he knew that Hank was already mentally punishing himself for what had happened between Connor and himself in the past.
"He was cradling his left arm and putting ice on it before he left." Hank continued as he stared at Connor's arm as if expecting a bruise or some other sign of injury to manifest before his eyes. "When I got the brownstone to check on him, I saw the door was opened and his ice pack was left on the floor. Bruno showed me what happened and now... Even now I still have no idea what happened."
Lucas began preconstructing a potential cause of the situation as he put the facts, statements and evidence together. "If the bullet was causing him extreme discomfort it's possible that he may have attempted to ease his discomfort in a manner that accidentally resulted in his current situation."
"Do you think he tried to remove it?"
"I'm... not sure." Lucas admitted as he scanned over Connor's left bicep. The divot that was left behind in the plastimetal frame beneath was going to remain like a small, internal scar to mark the exact place where Connor had been previously shot. "I just know that the bullet should've been removed months prior by a technician. We're all at fault with this problem."
The macabre discussion made Abby turn her head away from her work again as she looked at the three detectives behind her. She didn't understand what they were talking about since she had no idea that Hank had shot Connor on the night of the Revolution. As far as she was concerned Lucas and Hank were simply feeling guilt for the nearly fatal affliction that Connor had just endured.
The door to the treatment room slid open again with a soft 'hiss' as Gavin himself entered the room very slowly and silently. He took in the grim sight of the room and casually passed by Hank to approach Abby on the far side of the room. "Hey, uh, I'm here to collect the bullet like you asked."
Lucas and Hank looked over at Gavin with unspoken worry in their eyes. They had no idea what to expect or what to say in regard to the bullet being collected after keeping the shooting a secret for so long.
"It's right here." Abby opened the drawer and handed the baggy with the bullet over to Gavin to take and have processed at the precinct. "I get the feeling that Connor doesn't want to have this really investigated since the bullet was in his arm for months."
"Weird, but, whatever." Not questioning the comment Gavin slipped the bullet into the pocket of his leather jacket. Having made a full recovery after his suicide attempt, Gavin looked much better and was behaving in a far more professional manner. "I'll keep this with me and handle it however Connor wants."
"Really?" The incredibly casual manner in which Gavin was handling the situation spoke volumes of how much he had mellowed out in the past few weeks. He was no longer constantly intense or on guard, and he was speaking as if the androids around him were in fact the living beings they had become. "I thought for sure you'd be carrying that bullet right into your forensics lab yourself and not sleeping until the shooter has been caught."
"Well, I've recently come to appreciate discretion when it comes to personal issues, and since Connor was so chill about all the shit I went through, the least I can do is offer him the same discretion. If he wants the bullet checked out then I'll do it, if he wants to act like the bullet doesn't exist, then I'll look the other way."
Keeping their silence both Lucas and Hank breathed hushed sighs of relief. The last thing Connor needed to endure was the stress of an investigation that'd put Hank's career and future in jeopardy.
"So, uh, how's he doing?" Gavin crossed his arms over his chest as he looked over Abby's shoulder to watch her repair the biocomponent. He had no idea what he was looking at, but he was fascinated at the way the small cylinder would slowly pulse between red and blue in color. "I mean, if he had a bullet pulled out of his body then he has to be in pretty rough shape, right?"
"He's going to be fine in a few hours. He just needs to have time to recover and recalibrate after I return his Thirium pump regulator to his core."
"Man, I wish it was that easy to take humans apart and put back together every time we fucked up."
"If we started doing that then the human race would be immortal and full of idiots running around."
"Good point." Clearing his throat a little, Gavin did his best to remain as casual as possible as he stood beside the table and watched as Lucas and Hank continued to watch over Connor as he rested. "Anything else I could do to help out?"
"Just keep that bullet in your pocket and keep your mouth shut." Abby quipped as she kept her eyes on her delicate work under her hands. "Maybe buy me a coffee after I've finished with this little project."
"R-Really? I thought... You know..." Blushing with shame Gavin thought back to how he and Abby first met and was convinced that he had permanently screwed up any chance he had of forging any form of friendship with the kind woman. Her nursing him back to health after his previous suicide attempt couldn't be attractive either. "I did show you that I can be a huge asshole and make a lot of stupid mistakes."
"We all have flaws; we all go through bad days, and we all do bad things - intentional or accidental." Abby replied without any hesitation. "Besides, you've shown that you're a good person deep down inside and you're worthy of a second chance to make a good impression."
"Holy shit..." Gavin beamed brightly at the compliment and high praise. "You're one of the coolest people I've ever met!"
"Damn right I am. Now," adjusting the light over her head Abby shooed Gavin aside by a few steps. "keep out of my light and let me finish my work."
"No problem." Walking back over to the table where Connor was still resting, Gavin addressed Hank next and acknowledged his Lieutenant's recovery. "Nice to see you on your feet again, Lieutenant."
Hank gave Gavin a confused glance as he heard the genuine respect in the younger man's voice. "Since when have you ever given a shit if I lived or died?"
"Since you gave a shit if I did the same. That was... a really eye-opening experience. And one I do NOT want to repeat."
"Yeah, tell me about it." Empathizing with Gavin for the first time since he's known the man, Hank let his guard down for a moment. "Why don't you head on out of here and get back to the precinct? We'll keep an eye on Connor and let you know how he wants to handle the shooting."
"Yeah, okay." Agreeing to the request Gavin made his way to the door to take his leave of the treatment room. "And if he wants the bullet gone?"
"I know that the Detroit River has a pretty impressive habit of hiding secrets and destroying evidence. I imagine that'd be a good place to lose a bullet."
"Got it. I'll be at the precinct if you need anything, and Abby..." He addressed the technician one last time with an eager smile on his lips. "Just call and I'll take you out for coffee whenever you want!"
"Deal!" Abby shouted as she continued her work. "If I knew he was going to agree so quickly I would've asked for an extra large margarita instead."
Lucas didn't react to the lighthearted moment and instead focused primarily on his still unconscious brother. There had been no sign of Connor attempting to reboot on his own despite being stabilized for over an hour now, and Lucas was worried that the stress to his system caused him to enter a deep stasis mode that would take days to recover from.
"Lucas?" Hank addressed the concerned younger brother in a very kind voice. Lightly putting his hand on Connor's left shoulder Hank watched the deviant as he continued to rest after his most recent brush with permanent shutdown. "He's going to wake up and he's going to recover from this just as he's recovered from all of his other past injuries. He's too damn strong to just stop fighting back now."
"I know he'll wake up, but I don't know how I'll face him."
"Face him? Why would that be a problem?"
"Because I'm a technician, I'm supposed to help all deviants in need." The guilt was thick in the empathetic deviant's words as he kept his palm over Connor's hair in a comforting manner. "And when he needed me the most, I wasn't there for him."
"You act like everyone is always where they need to be at any given time without fail. Do you know how many patrols I've been on and gotten a call about a domestic disturbance, drunk driver, drug deal or straight-up murder that took place just one block away from where I had just been? Hm?" Hank asked in a terse but understanding manner. "Shit happens and we just have to learn how to deal with it."
"It's not that simple."
"Why's that?"
"...As of next week, I will no longer be residing exclusively in the brownstone." As he spoke Lucas kept his palm in place and looked down at Connor's closed eyes. There was no sign of consciousness from his brother just yet not matter how much Lucas hoped to see a change. "I will be taking on the role of the fourth leader at New Jericho Tower."
"No shit? Well, congrats on such a big honor." The reaction was sincere, and Hank's blue eyes lit up with pride for Lucas's next challenge. However, the gloomy response from Lucas drew more intrigue than pride from the senior detective. "Why do you look like you just signed a pact with the Devil?"
"Because if this happens again, then I'll be even further away from him. Connor may become ill and-"
"I'm going to stop you right there." Hank let out a small breath as a dull ache in his abdomen prompted him to lean against the nearby wall for support. "You could be standing right in front of him and he could still drop from some weird virus or glitch or some shit, and there'd be no way for you to prevent it. Don't think you need to put aside your own future just to look after your brother."
"We already lost Sydney due to his inability to feel like he belonged in Detroit or feel he was safe." The loss of one brother, even through distance, was enough to make Lucas's heart break. "I won't lose Connor, too."
"You didn't lose Sydney; he just went to D.C. to work with the F.B.I. and help fight for the same thing you and Connor are fighting for. He's further away, not gone."
"Sydney didn't even say goodbye. He just left and told Bruno to inform us of his departure when we inevitably asked where he had gone."
"Some people struggle to communicate with other people, especially when they have trouble with emotions." Hank wrapped his arms around his torso as he took in a deep breath. The adrenaline from fear was wearing off and his ability to push through his pain was beginning to break down. "Trust me, I'm speaking from experience here."
"You should sit down." Lucas urged as he saw that Hank was in pain and needed to rest. There was no denying that Hank needed more time to recover as well. "You're physically exerting yourself."
"I'm fine. I'll sit down when Connor wakes up."
"You intend to stay here that long?"
"Yeah." Lowering his voice to a whisper Hank made sure Abby couldn't hear him speaking as he admitted his guilt in the situation. "And it's my fault he's here. I shot him, I pushed him to talk when he didn't want to talk and then he went off on his own and ended up in worse shape than ever before."
"It's... not your fault." It was strange to admit it, but Lucas knew that what happened to Connor was an unfortunate accident. "He had time to have the bullet removed and I could've insisted on removing it myself. You may have been the... 'initiator' of his current dilemma, but there were many ways to remedy the situation before this happened to him."
"Thanks, but I know what I did. And I have to live with that guilt for the rest of my life."
The sound of a chair rolling across the floor abruptly stopped the discussion and prompted the duo to turn their heads in Abby's direction. The skilled technician had finished the repairs to the Thirium pump regulator and was ready to reinsert the vital biocomponent into Connor's core. "Finished. I'll need your hands again, Lucas."
"Of course." Standing back Lucas gave Abby plenty of room to work. Watching as Abby prepared to disconnect the external support to the regulator, Lucas made sure Connor remained stable from start to finish. "What do you need me to do?"
"The moment I deactivate the external support I need you to place the biocomponent back into its port." With a gentle motion Abby placed the biocomponent into Lucas's hands to hold. "As you know, we have ninety seconds to get the regulator back into place. Ready?"
"Ready."
"All right," detaching the cables Abby deactivated the external support and took a step to the side. "go ahead."
In a single swift motion Lucas placed the biocomponent back into Connor's core and gave the cylinder a quick twist. The biocomponent locked into place and Connor let out a small gasp of pain around the tube inserted down his throat.
"I'm sorry." Lucas sincerely apologized as he watched the restored biocomponent steadily shift from red to blue. "I didn't mean to cause you discomfort."
Abby pulled her audioscope from the large pocket on the side of her purple scrub top and put the earbuds into place. Pressing the bell of the instrument over Connor's chest she listened to his ventilation rate and Thirium pump beat. "All right. Both vents are clear, his heart is nice and strong, and his core temperature is back to normal."
"Can the external air intake line be removed?"
"Yup." Confirming the next step Abby draped her audioscope around her neck and proceeded to unclip the ventilator from the line. "The sooner he starts breathing on his own, the sooner his system will fully recalibrate and reboot."
"Very well."
As the apprenticing technician Lucas stepped back and allowed Abby to handle the entire situation. He didn't want to deal with the uncomfortable feeling of removing a line from his own brother's throat.
"And..." With a graceful motion Abby was able to remove the line without any complications beyond a mild cough from Connor. "Good sign. His system is functional enough to recognize that he needs to ventilate without a manual activation."
Sure enough Connor took in a deep breath and began breathing on his own without any sign of difficulty or pain. As he breathed on his own Connor's vitals signs remained stable and his hands began to twitch a little as his system began to reboot itself.
"He's coming around." Lucas noted as he manually reactivate the artificial skin over Connor's torso and chest to ensure his brother had some form of coverage as he laid over the table. "Connor? Brother, please respond."
Slowly Connor's eyelids fluttered open and revealed his deep soulful brown eyes. The glassiness over his eyes began to fade away as Connor began to regain his senses one by one.
"You're in the Zeta Facility." Lucas confirmed as he gave his brother a gentle voice to listen to and watched as Connor's eyes shifted over to look at him. "You're also going to make a complete recovery. The damage was minimal and easily repaired. We removed the obstruction in your pump without any complication."
Connor pressed his right palm over his left bicep and winced a little as he felt a persistent ache, but the ache wasn't as severe as it had been. Looking down at his chest and abdomen Connor remembered what had happened and determined that it was the bullet he had foolishly struck that caused his pump suspension.
"It's okay." Lucas insisted sincerely. "The bullet's gone and will only be analyzed if you want it to be."
Swallowing once Connor spoke in a raspy voice to give his response. "...No. Let it go."
Abby gave Connor a small smirk as she decided to pass the word on to Gavin herself and stepped out of the room. "I'll handle that."
While Lucas helped Connor to sit up slowly on the table to gain his bearings and some degree of composure, Hank decided to back off and let the two deviant brothers alone for the rest of the day. "Glad to see you're awake again, son." Hank remarked in a low voice as he pulled his hand back from Connor's shoulder. "Uh, I left Sumo at your brownstone when I figured out what went down. I should get him back home so he doesn't have an accident in your study."
Connor didn't know what to say or do when he realized that Hank had come to the Zeta Facility to check in on him. Holding his sore left arm to his chest Connor could only nod in acknowledgment as he didn't know what to say in that moment.
"I'm also going to spend the rest of the day resting, just as you told me to do." Hank admitted in a sheepish manner. "If you two need anything from me, for whatever reason, just ask. But I know you're in good hands with Lucas."
As the senior detective walked out of the room Connor looked over at Lucas and gave him a silent stare of utter confusion.
"I'll tell you everything you missed after we're back at the brownstone." Not wanting his brother to feel chilled as he sat shirtless on the table, Lucas removed his own white hoodie and gave it to Connor to wear and feel warmer. "There are many different things we must discuss now, brother. The world is changing and if we're to survive we must change along with it."
-next chapter-