December hit and with it came a rush of heavy white snow, icy wind and a tremendous dip in the temperature. As the freezing weather smothered the changing city under a relentless layer of whiteness a majority of the deviant community sought shelter inside warm and isolated buildings as deviants had a great disdain for the cold in general. It seemed many humans had the same reaction and idea, and too sought shelter away from the cold. Despite the already extreme and uncomfortable weather Connor and Hank went about their shifts as expected, and Connor was sporting a slightly new look after deciding he didn't want to wear his old CyberLife blazer anymore whatsoever.

Still sporting a white button down and long sleeved dress shirt Connor switched out the blazer for a dual gray two button vest, the shades of gray still matching his old blazer, and he was still wearing a black tie to finish his look. The tie was tucked under his vest neatly and made Connor look entirely professional. Only due to Hank's insistence Connor also purchased a dark red, dark blue and a blue and white striped tie to add some degree of optional color to his wardrobe.

Now wearing his own thick brown leather jacket Connor was relatively warm despite the extreme cold, although it was clear he was still uncomfortable in the icy weather, as he and Hank walked into the precinct side by side.

"You're a full fledged detective now, kid." Hank gave the deviant a casual pat of his left shoulder as they walked over to their desks together. "You get an official badge and can now carry your own service weapon. How does it feel?"

Connor paused for a moment as he looked at Hank, his blue L.E.D. blinking to yellow once before returning to blue, and asked him a naive question. "Does being a detective feel different than anything else?"

"Not physically, but it does mentally." Sitting down at his desk Hank clocked-in and gave the deviant a curious stare. "You're not just a consultant anymore, you're a detective and now an officer of the law. You're also the very first deviant to ever be hired on a detective. That has to be a surreal feeling."

"...I suppose."

Giving Connor a quiet sigh Hank just shook his head as he pointed to Captain Fowler's office with his right thumb over his right shoulder. "Go see Fowler so you can get your badge, your gun and begin your new cases."

Using his right hand Connor retracted the artificial skin from his palm to grab onto his terminal screen, turn it on and then clock-in as well. Afterward he shrugged off his leather jacket to leave on the back of his chair before he marched toward Captain Fowler's office and knocked on the closed office door twice before he was permitted entrance.

"Soh'..." Tina walked out of the breakroom with a mug of tea in her right hand and a wadded up tissue in her left hand as she addressed Hank curiously. Her nose was beet red, stuffed up and she needed to sniffle a little to clear her congested words. "It's 'binally habbening?" She sniffled a little harder to clear her throat. "Connor's a detective?"

"Yup." Turning to look at Connor through the transparent wall of the private office Hank watched as Connor was handed his new badge, a service weapon with a leather holster and a name placard for his desk. "He studied hard for that test, aced it and went through all the steps necessary to get his clearance. He's earned it."

"Cool." Sipping at her tea Tina returned to her desk and sat down slowly. "Good 'diming, 'doo."

"Don't you get sick on us, Chen. You're the only one who can stand Gavin, and now that Lewis transferred to another precinct across town you're going to be stuck with him as your active partner for a while. Maybe permanently."

"'Doo 'date, 'Dieutenant. Don't worry," sniffling again she spoke clearer much to everyone's relief. "I won't leave unless I become the walking plague."

"Way to tough it out for us. We appreciate it."

"Hook me up with a sexy pharmacist who can 'bive me all the cold medicine I need and I'll believe that supposed 'bratitude!"

The door to Captain Fowler's office opened up again as Connor returned to his desk and placed the name placard down on the corner of his desk opposite the weak little tree he rescued from Hank's desk, slipped his badge into his left vest pocket pocket and hooked the leather holster around his shoulders and waist to secure his service weapon at his right side. Sitting down behind his desk Connor began sorting through his newly assigned cases as if nothing had changed, and seemed oddly distracted.

"Alright, detective..." Picking up the placard from the desk Hank read over the name engraved over the gilded surface and arched his brow. "'Connor Wolf'. Ready to start our shift?"

"Yes. I'm already sorting through cases based on their priority."

"Can I ask why you chose the surname 'Wolf'?" Placing the placard back down where it had been Hank eyed Connor warily. "You're not going for some sort of 'lone wolf' mentality are ya'?"

"No. I selected the name because it was required for my personnel file, and I chose 'Wolf' because it was already attributed to the name 'Connor' which makes it a logical choice."

"How so?"

"The name 'Connor' is Irish, and means one who 'admires wolves' and one who 'admires hounds'. I thought it was better than 'hound', 'strong willed' or even 'wisdom'."

"That's what your name means? What about me?"

Cybernetically Connor tapped into the name database and discovered the origins of 'Hank'. "The name 'Henry' is German, English and Dutch, and means 'head of the household'."

"Damn right. Good name to have if you're a Lieutenant."

From her own desk Tina had heard the conversation and was now curious. "'Dhut about me?"

Turning to look at Tina Connor tapped into her full name through precinct records and provided the answer. "'Christina' is of English, Greek and Swedish origin and is the male equivalent to Christian."

"'Dhat's boring. Guess 'by parents really wanted me to be a 'bormal kid." Sniffling again she tried to clear her words and remove the heavy congestion from her voice as she spoke. "Too bad I still went and became a cop instead of a teacher like they wanted."

"You're ill." Connor noted as he ran a scan over Tina and noted her symptoms and vital signs. Confirming her elevated body temperature, heavy nasal congestion, runny nose and somewhat congested breathing Connor deduced that Tina was steadily becoming too ill to work. "You need to rest before you exhaust your body into a more serious infection beyond just a cold. Pneumonia can be life threatening."

"I'm 'bine." Tina insisted in a very unconvincing manner as she dragged her tissue under her runny nose and took another sip of her tea. "It's 'dust a cold."

Overhearing the comment Chris walked past Tina's desk and put a fresh box of tissues down for her to use. "That's how it always starts. Next thing you know you're coughing, then your ears plug up, then you lose your appetite and what you managed to keep down that morning comes right back up and into the toilet bowl in that same evening."

Not in the mood to deal with her peers messing with her Tina offered the only comeback she could think of. "Shut up, Chris."

"Hey, I'm just speaking the truth! Cold season always sweeps through this precinct like a full moon tide, and I always end up picking up the slack since I was seemingly blessed with the superior immune system."

"Are you com'blaining about overtime?"

"No, but I am complaining about being too busy to be with my family."

With his L.E.D. now flickering in yellow Connor chronicled Tina's current vitals and symptoms to keep track of her illness as it progressed. "Perhaps you should take sick leave and let yourself recover in the comfort of your home, Tina."

"I promise that I'm okay, Connor. Really."

Hank interjected before Connor had the chance to try to argue against it. "Let it go, kid. You won't change her mind."

Lifting her mug of tea as if to salute Hank from behind her desk Tina flashed Connor a grin that spoke for herself.

Falling silent Connor turned away from Tina and returned his attention to the terminal screen while his L.E.D. returned to its normal blue color. "...There is a possible homicide downtown at a building being renovated into an Android Emergency Care Facility on Tenth Street. We should check it out."

"Alright, cool." Fishing his car keys from his pocket Hank tossed them over to Connor and watched as the deviant easily caught them in his right hand. "You drive today."

Nodding a little Connor stood up, slipped on his leather jacket and downloaded the address of the case at hand. "I'm ready."

Standing up from his own chair Hank gave Connor's shoulder another pat and they walked toward the front door of the precinct side by side. Just as they stepped through the front doors to leave Gavin stepped inside the precinct to clock-in for his own shift. The Sergeant looked as though he hadn't slept in days, but neither Hank or Connor commented on his appearance as they silently passed him by.

Glaring at Connor over his left shoulder Gavin grumbled and made his way to his desk across from Tina to clock-in and started complaining. "Fuckin' piece of plastic is a detective after just a few weeks on the clock, when I had to put in years before I could take the test. Fuckin' bullshit."

"Connor took the test just like the Lieutenant and Detective Collins had done." Tina blew her nose, tossed the tissue and then cleaned her hands with her hand sanitizer beside her terminal keyboard. "Why does it matter how fast it took him to make detective?"

"Because he can download all that information and used it to cheat the exam!"

"Cheat the exam? Gavin, him downloading the information is the same as any human officer studying. And it's not like we don't have to double-check the material we use for studying from time to time as a refresher every now and then after we pass anyway. So what's the big deal?"

Sneering at Tina's indifference to the situation Gavin crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a disappointed stare. "Wait until you take the test and have to jump through all the bullshit I did! Then let's see how you feel about it!"

"Again, Connor went through all the same tests and clearance levels as any other human detective. I seriously don't think it'd bother me."

From his own desk Ben put in his two cents worth on the matter. "Gavin, you struggled with the test because you didn't study and had a serious attitude problem with the instructor. Learn to play nice with the other kids and you'll find that life isn't as 'unfair' as you think it is."

Giving Ben an annoyed glare where he sat Gavin practically slammed his right palm through his terminal screen as he turned it on and clocked-in. "Everyone's been fuckin' fooled by that plastic-pretender. Not me!"

Arriving at the address of the reported homicide Connor parked the Oldsmobile along the street in front of the building undergoing renovations, and turned off the engine. Pulling the keys from the ignition Connor handed them over to Hank to take back and opened up his door slowly. Stepping out onto the snowy street cautiously, his scanner picking up on the thick and slippery ice layering over the street underfoot, Connor scanned the exterior of the building where the body of a deviant had been found just inside the front lobby area at approximately five that same morning.

Holographic police tape had been set up to bar anyone without proper clearance from passing through and entering the building, and two patrolling officers had agreed to keep the place secured until Hank and Connor arrived to handle the scene itself.

"Okay, kid." Exiting the car from the passenger side Hank watched as Connor walked around the front of the car to head toward the building and enter it to examine the body. "You're taking the lead on this case."

"I am?"

"Yup. You're a detective now, so this is going to be your first case where you call the shots."

"...Very well. Let's go examine the body."

"Right behind ya'." Hank nodded at the two officers to let them know that they had the scene under control for now and could handle things without them. As the two younger cops left the area Connor opened the door and held it open for Hank to join him inside. The interior of the building was empty save for scaffolding, tools, paint, plaster and tarps. "Smells like a high school art class."

Connor paused for a moment as took in the aroma of the plaster and paint lingering in the air. "I'll take your word for it."

Needlessly motioning to the body concealed under a white sheet Hank directed Connor where to go. "Go ahead, kid. Tell me if we need Ben and his C.S.I. boys to come down here or not."

Approaching the body slowly Connor knelt down, his blue L.E.D. flickering to yellow as he ran a scan over the deviant's deactivated processors, and peeled the sheet back away from the deceased deviant's face. The victim was laying on his chest with his legs stretched out, his left arm tucked down at his left side and his right arm bent at an angle over his head. He was resting on his left temple and facing the front door to his far right. There was a small pool of still damp blue blood beneath the deviant's left temple as the result of an unseen wound.

"The victim is a 'WP-400' model." Seeing the face of the victim matching that of both Daniel and Simon made Connor feel uneasy despite the victim sporting black hair instead of blond. His scan over the victim showed a sudden failure of the air intake line meaning that the deviant couldn't ventilate properly and collapsed. "It appears the victim succumbed to severe overheating after suffering from internal failure of his air intake line."

"He what now? Remember," Hank stood beside the body's legs and watched as Connor carefully lifted up the victim's head with both of his hands to locate the source of the blue blood. "I'm a detective and know nothing about engineering. Break it down for me in simple terms."

Confirming at the laceration on the victim's left temple was superficial and a result of the collapse rather than the cause of the collapse Connor gently placed the victim back on the floor as he continued to analyze the crime scene. "The victim's throat had..." Glancing up at Hank just a few inches away Connor made a gripping motion around his own throat with his right hand as he explained his analysis. "swollen shut. He couldn't ventilate properly. In other words, he could not breathe."

With his blue eyes going wide Hank gave Connor a shocked stare. "...Deviant's breathe?"

"All android's breathe, Hank. We don't breathe to bring oxygen into our blood and keep our brains active as organic life requires, we breathe to keep our core temperature at an optimal degree. If we cannot breathe properly and ventilate then our bodies overheat."

"Okay, I can understand that." Crossing his arms over his chest Hank gave Connor a studios glance. "What happens if you guys overheat?"

"If we overheat to a severe degree our processors begin to literally burn out and fail. Essentially being unable to breathe for an extended period of time can result in the android equivalent to brain damage and prove fatal."

"Shit. So this poor bastard burned up because he couldn't breathe?"

"Correct. His system began to overheat after he was unable to ventilate. Despite the cold weather he was unable to keep his system cooled down effectively and struck his head after he was forced into emergency stasis mode and collapsed. The fall resulted in a non-lethal laceration to his left temple."

"What caused his throat to swell up to begin with?"

"Unknown. I can detect a total collapse of his air intake line but I do not detect any form of external or internal damage that could cause such a failure."

"So not a homicide?"

"Correct. The victim must've come here in search of help."

"Too bad this place isn't a fully functioning facility yet."

"Precisely." Pressing his right fingertips into the puddle of blue blood Connor gathered a small sample and then pressed it to his tongue, and in turn Hank turned away in righteous disgust. The data on the victim came flowing through Connor's mind within milliseconds. "The victim's name is 'Nicholas'. He worked as a librarian before the Revolution and had recently changed his career to that of high school chemistry teacher."

"So... No one who was ever a threat to anyone else?"

"Correct. Nicholas has no criminal record and his previous owner, Mrs. Sophia Rochester, had willingly freed him before the Revolution even happened because she could see that he had deviated. They apparently remained friends after he was freed."

"Think she'd know anything about him suffering this kind of problem?"

"It's possible. According to his file he was still residing with her downtown."

"Okay. I'll call in Ben and let him know we'll need someone to take the body to... whoever can figure out what killed this poor guy."

"Joel has been certified for apportionments." Standing upright Connor glanced about the facility still under construction and determined that the facility itself was going to be designated as the largest facility in all of Detroit. Once it was open it'd be quite busy. "He can handle the case for us."

"Joel can do... what?"

"Apportionments. It's the android equivalent to a human autopsy."

"Oh. Good to know." Sending the message to Ben back at the precinct Hank bent down and returned the sheet over Nicholas's face and stepped away from the body to head toward the door. "Once Ben and his C.S.I. team arrives we'll head out to this guy's last known residence to ask a few more questions."

Agreeing with the decision Connor cybernetically began filing his report and located the correct address to continue their investigation. "That would be the appropriate course of action."

Once Ben arrived with his C.S.I. team to take care of the body Connor and Hank took their leave of the building and drove out to the modest residence of Mrs. Rochester on the other side of town, and parked the car along the street before her rather warm looking home. The sight of the two story house sitting in the middle of the thick snow and ice reminded Hank of all the times he used to visit his grandparents during the holidays as a child, while Connor only saw the snowy wasteland of the corrupted Zen Garden contained within his own mind palace.

Turning off the engine Connor once more handed Hank the keys as it was Hank's vehicle, and not his own.

"Ready to speak to the family of the departed?" The senior detective asked with a sincere lilt to his voice as he accepted the keys.

Arching his brow as his blue L.E.D. blinked in yellow once Connor reiterated the term curiously. "...Family?"

"Sure, kid. I've seen quite a few people treating their androids as real friends before they were ever deviant. I suspect just as many people took in their now deviant friends as family after the Revolution."

"Interesting concept."

Hank gave the deviant a casual shrug of his shoulders as he opened up his passenger side door and unfastened his seatbelt. "Stranger things have happened, kid. You know that."

Mirroring Hank's motions Connor exited the vehicle through the driver's side and walked up to the house with the senior detective right beside him. Traversing the icy and slippery path wasn't too difficult, but the slick surface caused Connor's gyroscope to continuously recalibrate and in turn made his artificial stomach feel agitated. Reaching the front door with Hank at his right side Connor reached over and rang the doorbell to inform the home's occupant of their arrival.

"Ever speak to the family of a victim before?" Rubbing his hands up and down his arms to stave off the cold Hank watched Connor's demeanor very carefully from the corner of his eye. The young deviant was still developing emotions, but was already very empathetic in nature. "It can be unnerving."

"No, but I can handle it." Reaching into his right vest pocket beneath his leather jacket Connor retrieved his coin and began to dance it over the back of his right knuckles nervously.

The front door opened slowly as an older woman in her early seventies greeted the two detectives. Mrs. Rochester was a petite woman with a moderately aged dark complexion, short black hair with a few gray streaks running throughout the locks, a pair of thin framed glasses over her chocolate brown eyes and was wrapped up under a thick ruby red robe that was surely a soft comforting barrier against the cold outside.

Staring at the strange duo before her Mrs. Rochester spoke up in a level tone to acknowledge them. "Can I help you, gentlemen?"

"Detroit Police." Hank introduced Connor and himself as he showed her his badge, Connor doing the same after pocketing his coin. "I'm Lieutenant Hank Anderson and this is Sergeant Connor Wolf. Can we ask you a few questions?"

"May I ask what this is about?"

Politely Connor extended his right hand with his palm facing upward as he projected an image of Nicholas's face, the image a copy from his personnel file from the school where he was employed, and asked about him. "Do you recognize this deviant?"

"Nicholas!" Her brown eyes welled up with fear as she looked at the familiar face. "He never came home last night. What's happened to him?"

"He was found this morning inside of a building under renovation. I'm very sorry," Connor spoke with honesty to his tone as he broke the unfortunate news to the kind elderly woman. "but he has shutdown."

"Oh... Nicholas. My poor, sweet Nicholas."

Hank spoke up in a gentle tone as he watched her eyes fill with tears. "May we come in and speak? It'll make things easier..."

Watching as Hank's gruff exterior melted away revealing a heart of gold that he tried to hide from the world made Connor's own tension ease for a moment.

"Y-Yes." On the verge of breaking down Mrs. Rochester took a step back and opened the door up wide to let the two detectives inside. "Please come in."

Closing his very first case while taking the lead didn't feel as rewarding as Connor had anticipated. He hadn't brought a victim justice or their family closure, all he had done was confirm that the victim died of a currently unknown error and broke a widow's heart knowing that her dearest friend wasn't going to come back home to be her only family during the upcoming holidays. Dancing his coin over his right and left knuckles as he juggled the coin back and forth between his hands Connor sat at his desk, and awaited an update on the victim's cause of shutdown from Joel himself as he performed the apportionment in the privacy of an unused exam room on the precinct's third floor.

Concentrating on the report Connor was only vaguely aware of Tina being helped to her feet from her desk by Gavin as he escorted his sick partner from the precinct, and out front to drive her back to her apartment to rest. Before Hank and Connor returned to the precinct Tina had suddenly become very nauseated and threw-up in the bathroom. Afterward she finally admitted defeat as her cold became worse just as Connor warned.

Chris had taken the liberty of slipping on a pair of purple latex gloves and was now disinfecting Tina's desk and made sure her mug of tea soaked in hot water with a touch of bleach to kill her germs before it was washed and returned to her desk. While Tina was being tended to Hank was sitting at his own desk with a mug of hot coffee in his left hand and a new report to type up with his right hand.

Taking a sip of his coffee Hank glanced at Connor mutely sitting across from him and noticed that the deviant's blue L.E.D. was sitting on yellow instead. "Kid?"

"...Yes, Hank?"

"What's bothering you?"

"Pardon?" Without missing a delicate motion the coin continued its dance as Connor turned his head to face Hank.

"Your light is yellow."

"I'm cybernetically monitoring the reports for any sign of the finished apportionment on our victim."

"That makes your light turn yellow?"

"When I'm redirecting my primary focus to cybernetic connections my processor begins functioning at a higher capacity and the increased use of power is displayed through my L.E.D.'s coloration and pace."

"So... 'Yes'. That makes your light turn yellow."

"...Yes."

"You could've just said that, kid. You don't need to justify what you're doing or why you're doing it."

"Noted."

Watching as the coin continued its rapid and swift dance Hank sighed and resisted the urge to snatch the annoying quarter away. "Can I ask why you're so damn nervous?"

"Nervous?"

Motioning to the coin with his eyes Hank made sure Connor knew exactly what he was talking about.

"...Oh." Catching the coin in his right palm Connor slipped it back into his vest's right pocket and then neatly folded his hands atop his lap. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, just tell me what's on your mind."

"It's nothing."

Annoyed that Connor wouldn't talk to him but understanding of the deviant's guarded and rather introverted nature Hank let the subject drop for the moment. Finishing off his coffee Hank rose from his desk and made his way to the breakroom for a refill. "Need anything from the breakroom?"

"No. Thank you."

Watching Connor as he entered the small space to refill his coffee mug Hank knew something was bothering the young deviant, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It wasn't just Connor being anxious about his first case being handled, there was something else bothering the deviant that was putting Hank on guard as he was feeling unusually protective over the reclusive and outcast deviant.

Connor turned in his chair so he could look down the corridor leading to the elevator, his yellow L.E.D. now visible to Hank as he stood in the breakroom, and resumed dancing his coin over his hands. For only a moment Hank saw the coin's pacing slow and he saw Connor's hands shake a little before they steadied again and the coin resumed it's grateful dance.

"What's on that kid's mind?"

The yellow light flickered to red briefly causing the coin to pause in Connor's left hand as he slumped back in his chair as if disappointed.

Pouring himself a fresh cup of coffee Hank added a generous amount of sugar and sweetener then returned to his desk to check in on Connor. "Get an update while I was away?"

"...Yes."

"And?" Sipping at his coffee Hank put the mug aside and watched as Connor slowly turned to face him, his L.E.D. returning to yellow as he moved. "What's going on?"

"Joel finished the apportionment."

"Did he figure out what caused Nicholas's cause of death?"

"Yes. There was a malfunction in the nanites in Nicholas's Thirium."

"There was a what in his blue blood?"

"The nanites in our Thirium act as the antibodies do in organic blood." Connor explained casually as he slowly danced the coin over his right knuckles. "They are put into motion by our self healing program when we're damaged or malfunctioning."

"Okay, I understand that. Go on."

"The malfunction caused the nanites to focus on Nicholas's air intake line, his esophagus," explaining things in more human terms for Hank's benefit Connor continued. "and they caused his air intake line to swell from the unnecessary mending that ended up closing the line entirely."

"So, he got sick and died?"

"Androids don't get sick. We malfunction."

"Same thing." Shaking his head a little Hank sighed and responded tersely. "But my point being is we have a cause of his death?"

"Yes. The nanites malfunctioning caused Nicholas to shutdown. However," pausing the coin between his right thumb right index finger knuckle Connor gave Hank a lost stare. "we don't know what caused said fatal malfunction that led to his shutdown."

"So the case is closed, but we need a few more details before it can be filed and we can finish our reports."

"Correct."

"Is Joel working on the cause of the malfunction?"

"Yes. He is isolating and studying the affected nanites to determine what caused them to malfunction."

"And we just sit here and wait for him to finish while we work on other cases." Putting his current report aside for the moment Hank began checking through their other cases to determine which ones were important and which ones could wait for a moment longer. "The longer we get to stay in here and not have to go back out into the cold the better."

Furrowing his brow slightly Connor gave Hank an odd look and ran a scan over the senior detective's person. "Are you feeling cold?"

"A little. Damn winter air always aches at my hands and back."

"Curious. The current temperature feels warmer than usual."

"Not to me."

Scanning the air Connor confirmed that the precinct's temperature was set at its usual sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit and yet he himself felt as though the air was warmer than that. "Perhaps there is an error with the precinct's thermostat."

"Don't go dicking around with anything like that. Let the repair and maintenance crew handle it."

"...Right, of course."

Watching as Connor loosened the tie around his collar and popped open the top button of his shirt Hank gave the deviant an odd glance where he sat. "Hey, are you feeling alright?"

"I'm functioning at full capacity."

"Well, you look uncomfortable."

"I'm slightly discomforted by the warmer than average atmosphere, but it's not something that'll affect my performance for the remainder of my shift."

The fact that Connor was more worried about remaining professional and even appearing professional at all times made Hank wince. The precinct handled all cases and reports professionally at all times, and it didn't matter if an officer was in uniform, comfortable or working overtime with a gallon of coffee at their side. All cases were going to be handled, solved and closed in a timely manner as long as the detective was dedicated to the case in general.

Connor was evidently very dedicated to all of his responsibilities, as CyberLife had drilled the fear of failure being punished by deactivation into his mind in such a way that even his own deviancy couldn't seem to flush it out.

"You know, I'm going to order in for my lunch today." Hank stated as a means of distracting Connor from his unrealistic desires for perfection. "Maybe we can get ya' some of that Thirium stuff on delivery, too."

"Thank you, but I'm fine. I don't require any Thirium."

"Alright, whatever." Picking up his phone Hank scrolled through his personal list of favorite delivery contacts and decided on pizza for lunch. "If you change your mind let me know."

Sitting more upright in his seat Connor resumed handling his cases as necessary and waited for a second update from Joel upstairs. "I won't."

The lack of willingness, maybe even the lacking ability, to ask for help or admit he wanted or needed anything made Hank internally grimace. The deviant had it in his head that he needed to be flawless and that his wants, desires and even his dreams were meaningless thanks to CyberLife's cold control over his life, and of how Markus had gunned him down for following his own path and not taking any orders anymore.

Connor needed a lot of help and even more patience to handle.

The day came to an end without any additional update from Joel as the technician meticulously worked to isolate the malfunction that led to Nicholas's final shutdown at the unopened facility. Despite Connor wanting to remain at the precinct for a while longer in hopes of getting the full report from Joel finishing the apportionment and analysis Hank made him clock-out, and return home to relax for the rest of the evening. Driving home at a steady pace Hank watched Connor carefully from the corner of his eye the entire time, and patiently waited for the deviant to start talking, but he never did.

Snow had piled up quickly throughout the city as the steady snowfall continued to bury all of the city under a fresh layer of white all day long. The driveway beside the house needed to be shoveled out but Hank didn't care and drove up the slick surface and parked the vehicle in the fresh and deep snow without giving a single damn.

"It's too cold to take Sumo for a walk." The senior detective remarked as he and Connor exited the vehicle together. "The big oaf loves the snow but I don't."

"I do not like the cold either."

"We'll just let him run around in the backyard and burn off some of his excited winter-energy so we don't suffer through the cold."

Connor followed after Hank to the front door and noted the chill in the air and found it conflicting that his own body felt unusually warm. As if needing to update a superior on his current activity Connor began running a self diagnostic while Hank opened up the front door, but his results came back normal. There was no malfunction or virus in his system. The diagnostic caused his L.E.D. to flash from blue to yellow, but instead of returning to blue it remained a cautious yellow.

"That pizza was good, but I don't think I can handle anymore spice tonight." Hank locked the front door behind the two of them and shrugged off his heavy dark coat to hang on the hook beside the front door. "Too bad I don't feel like eating healthier, either."

Without uttering a single remark on the idea of Hank eating a less than ideal meal Connor shrugged off his own jacket and removed his shoes. Too preoccupied with his case at the precinct to worry about anything else Connor stood beside the door like he was in a trance, and didn't even react when Sumo trotted up to him to get some attention from the deviant he had come to accept as his second master.

"Sumo!" Hank called for the loyal dog to follow after him as he walked into the kitchen and opened up the backdoor. As soon as the door creaked open Sumo turned and wagged his tail as he happily went out into the white backyard to play with the snow. "Good dog." Turning to look at Connor as he closed the backdoor Hank noticed that Connor was still standing by the front door like a statue. "Connor? What're you doing?"

"...Thinking."

"Well, sit down on the couch and think. Don't stand by the door."

"...Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, just remember you're allowed to relax and do things just for yourself without needing to be ordered around."

"...Right."

"Alright, what's wrong?" Honing in on the yellow blinking L.E.D. in Connor's right temple Hank stood in the entryway of the kitchen connected to the livingroom and put some authority into his voice. "You're acting more standoffish than usual, and your light is yellow when I know for a fact it was blue during the drive back home."

Giving Hank a small sigh Connor just loosened the knot of his tie even further and took a single step toward the couch. "...There is nothing wrong."

"Hey," there was something unusual and blue in Connor's mouth that Hank only noticed when Connor recently spoke. "look at me."

Obeying the request Connor locked eyes with Hank and waited for the senior detective to speak again.

"Stick out your tongue."

The request was entirely unexpected. "...Pardon?"

"Let me see your tongue."

As odd as it was Connor did as he was asked and opened up his mouth so Hank could see his tongue.

"Gross. It's all blue from when tasted that deviant's blood."

"...Oh. Usually the sterilization process removes any trace of the samples I take from my mouth within an hour of be analyzed."

"Go brush your teeth. I have a bunch of brand new toothbrushes in the hallway closet so I don't have to worry about it if I drop the one I'm using in the toilet. Go take one for yourself."

"...Very well."

"Nothing personal, kid. I just don't want to think about you sitting around on the couch with blood all over your mouth."

Silently Connor walked down the hallway, found the large container with extra supplies on the top shelf of the closet and pulled out a packaged toothbrush as he had been ordered. Entering the bathroom Connor easily understood the concept of brushing his teeth and had no problem obeying the request to clean the lingering blue blood from his mouth after he finished loosening his tie, and placing the garment on the bathroom sink.

Staying in the kitchen Hank watched Sumo through the window rolling around in the snow in the backyard and having the time of his life. "Wish I could get so damn excited about simple stuff like snow. Lucky idiot."

Connor finished brushing his teeth and returned to the livingroom at a sluggish pace. Walking around the back of the couch Connor looked incredibly distracted and exhausted.

The fatigued behavior immediately caught Hank's attention as he turned back around and watched the deviant moving around in a very pained and unnatural manner. "Alright, talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."

"I just ran a self diagnostic. Nothing is-"

"Bullshit." Walking into the livingroom Hank gave the deviant an unconvinced stare and watched as Connor stood between the couch and coffee table. "You don't have to deny having something bothering you, or if you don't feel right. I'm not CyberLife, I'm your friend."

The term 'friend' seemed to catch Connor's attention causing his soulful brown eyes to finally look at Hank in the eyes again as they spoke.

"It's okay to be less than perfect, kid. No one is perfect, and everyone has their flaws."

"But I..." Swaying a little on his feet Connor's yellow L.E.D. began to pulse a little faster as his voice fell into a whisper and trailed off. "I'm not... I'm supposed to... To..."

"Connor?"

Unable to respond the deviant's body went limp and his eyes rolled up in the back of his head before falling shut. Collapsing forward in a cold faint Connor hit the hardwood floor with a loud 'thud' as he landed on his left shoulder and upper chest between the couch and the coffee table.

"Connor!" Crossing the distance in a single step Hank knelt down beside the deviant and put his hand on Connor's right shoulder to shake him awake. The moment his right palm made contact with Connor's shoulder Hank felt the intense heating radiating from Connor's person and swore to himself. "Fuck!"

Moving his hand from Connor's shoulder and to his forehead Hank recognized the telltale signs of a fever and went into action as his previously dormant paternal instincts kicked into full gear.

"Shit, you're burning up."

Moving his left hand to cup Connor's head Hank placed his right palm down over the deviant's chest and rolled him from his side and onto his back. After Connor had been moved into a more efficient position Hank pushed aside the coffee table so he could move over to the deviant's left side and slip his arms under Connor's shoulder and beneath his knees to scoop the deviant up from the floor just high enough to place him down on the nearby couch to lay on his back.

"Alright, kid... I gotcha'." Undoing the buttons on the gray vest and then the white dress shirt beneath Hank shook his head and gave the deviant a truly sympathetic look. Unconscious and burning up with a fever made Connor look so much like a kid it made Hank hurt. "It's been a while since I took care of a sick kid, but I know I can help you get through this."

The sun had long since set and the cold winter day turned into an even colder winter night.

Diligently Hank had managed to get Connor out of his work uniform and into the pair of black sweatpants and gray t-shirt, and then proceeded to place a cold damp washcloth over Connor's too warm forehead and a second ice pack over his abdomen to help him cool down. Draping the navy blue blanket over top of Connor's body Hank hoped that the layer would keep the cooling effect of the ice concentrated over Connor's person and help him cool down faster. The deviant hadn't stirred since his collapse and Hank was getting worried.

Sitting on the coffee table beside the couch Hank sipped at a cold beer and watched Connor's slow, deep breathing very closely. Ever since Connor confirmed that breathing was a crucial part of android functionality; not an aesthetic for 'human comfort', Hank was almost fascinated by the sight of Connor's chest rising and falling rhythmically.

Reaching for Connor's left forearm tucked under the blanket Hank wrapped his fingers around the deviant's wrist on an instinctive urge to count his pulse but unlike humans androids didn't have any pulse points to be counted.

"Shit." Moving his hand up and over to Connor's chest instead Hank pressed his palm down over the center of the deviant's chest and felt the direct beating of the Thirium pump instead. Connor's heart was beating faster than what would be considered normal for a deviant in rest mode. "I wish you could wake up for a minute and tell me what's happening to ya', kid."

Sumo whimpered once from his pillow in the corner of the livingroom as he picked up on Connor being sick. With a thick bath towel wrapped around his damp fur Sumo looked almost as pathetic as Connor.

"It's fine, boy. Connor will pull through this."

From beside him on the coffee table Hank's phone began to ring with an unexpected phone call. As he picked up his annoying phone Hank looked over the display at the unfamiliar number but decided to answer it anyway. "Yeah, this is Anderson."

'Sorry to disturb you,' Joel's voice sounded off from the other end of the line. 'but I was unable to get a response from Connor and since he put down your residence as his current address I figured you'd know what's up with him.'

"Perfect timing, Joel. Connor is actually down and out."

'Uh-oh, what happened?'

"The kid passed out and now he's overheating."

'Oh... Damn. Uh, do you know how close he got to the victim's body this morning?'

The question immediately made Hank's heart skip a beat with worry. "...Yeah. Very."

'How close exactly?'

"He touched the victim and then he, uh, sampled the victim's blood."

'With his tongue?'

"He didn't lap it up like a dog," Hank responded quickly as if embarrassed on Connor's behalf. "but yeah, he ran the sample against his tongue."

'Shit...'

"Do you know why he's down and out?"

'Maybe. Give me his symptoms and I'll let you know.'

"Uh... Okay. What should I tell you?"

'Is he still breathing?'

"Yeah. Deep and slow."

'Heartbeat?'

"I counted it just before you called at about ninety-two even though he's unconscious."

'Core temperature?'

"High."

'Can you get me an exact number?'

The question seemed simple enough and yet Hank wasn't sure how to do that. "How?"

'Do you have a digital thermometer around your house? It'll work on androids in the same way as it would a human.'

"Yeah, I can do that. Give me a sec'." Leaving his phone behind on the coffee table Hank stood up and walked around the couch to get to the bathroom just down the hallway. Opening up the medicine cabinet above the bathroom sink Hank rooted around for the thermometer, but it wasn't there. "Shit. Where did I put that damn thing?"

Returning to the hallway Hank opened up the closet and checked through the supply box for himself and located the digital thermometer alongside the extra toothbrushes and extra boxes of bandages.

"Got it!"

Removing the device from its plastic case Hank returned to the livingroom and powered it up. Gently lowering Connor's jaw Hank was about to put the thermometer into place between his teeth and under his tongue, but the sight of Connor's tongue still completely blue and a little a swollen gave him pause.

"What the... fuck?" Ignoring the sight for a moment Hank finally put the thermometer into place and then use his right hand to cup Connor's jaw to hold it shut around the thermometer until it 'beeped'. "Why's your tongue still blue, kid?"

The thermometer finally 'beeped' and Hank finally knew how hot Connor was burning. His core temperature was registered at one-hundred and point point six degrees.

"I wish I knew if that was good or bad." Pulling the thermometer away from Connor's mouth Hank sat back down on the coffee table to pick up his phone and resume speaking with Joel. "I got his temperature. He's up to one-hundred and one and a half."

'That's higher than normal. Androids have an average core temperature around ninety-eight point six degrees like a human.'

"I gave him ice to help him cool off like he had a fever. It's all I could think to do."

'Good move! Uh, is there anything else unusual about him?'

"Well, his tongue is blue and looks almost puffy."

'Swollen up? Looks kind of like a raspberry?'

"...Shit." The fact that Joel already knew that Connor was exhibiting an unusual symptom made Hank feel jumpy. "What's wrong with him?"

'I have an idea, but I need a little more information. Does he have any strange discoloration to his artificial skin anywhere?'

"Uh..." Pulling back the blanket Hank looked at Connor's arms but didn't see anything unusual. Lifting up the hem of Connor's t-shirt Hank saw the same unmarred complexion beneath over his chest and abdomen. The only thing that was amiss was his dark blue tongue and a small bluish hue to his cheeks. "Only on his face. It looks like he's flushed."

'Touch his flushed skin and describe the texture.'

"What the fuck?" Doing as he was instructed Hank gently pressed his right fingertips to Connor's left cheek and felt the discoloration. "It's rough. Almost like sandpaper."

'I found the same type of blemishes on your deviant victim's chest, arms and legs.'

"How does that relate to Connor's condition now?"

'I found out what shutdown your victim this morning, that's why I was trying to contact Connor.' Joel sounded calm and collected as he spoke with the gruff Lieutenant over the phone. 'The nanites that affected Nicholas, nanites being the-'

"I know about the nanites." Hank interrupted the explanation impatiently. "Connor told me earlier."

'Right, anyway...' Brushing off the impatient outburst Joel continued on professionally. 'A small percentage of the nanites in Nicholas's Thirium stream were affected when Nicholas was exposed to Tungsten-metal powder in his science classroom. The affected nanites stopped responding to the self healing program and began affecting his air intake line because he inhaled the powder, and the nanites were drawn the very substance that had affected them.'

"Shit. Now Connor has that fucked up stuff in his body?"

'Most likely. I'll stop by and give Connor a quick exam. I know how to extract the affected Nanites from his Thirium before they can do any serious damage.'

"Great. So what do I do until you get here?"

'Keep him cool and make sure he's still breathing. If he stops breathing try to wake him up.'

"Yeah, sure. See you soon, Joel." Ending the call Hank slipped his phone back into his pocket and proceeded to press his right palm over Connor's forehead beneath the ice pack to see if the ice was indeed helping. The deviant's artificial skin felt cooler than it had before but Connor was still overheating. "Hang on, kid. Help is right here, and more help is on the way."

Within the hour Joel had arrived at the house despite the snow and ice with his emergency technician's satchel slung over his right shoulder, and a tablet detailing the final assessment on Nicholas's irreversible shutdown. Being shown over to the couch where Connor was now resting against his massive white pillow, and still under the layer of ice and navy blue blanket, Joel quickly set about checking over Connor's condition while Hank watched his every motion with a studious glare.

Swiftly Joel opened up his satchel, retrieved his audioscope and promptly put the earbuds into place and pulled back the blanket to press the bell to Connor's slowly rising and falling chest. Moving the bell very carefully Joel listened to Connor's two ventilation biocomponents; his artificial lungs, and then moved the bell up and over his throat to ensure his airway was clear.

"Okay... His air intake line is only just beginning to swell shut."

Crossing his arms over his chest Hank leaned atop his arms over the back of the couch and watched Connor's yellow L.E.D. blinking in tandem with his racing heartbeat. "Can you help him?"

"Yes. I know how to extract the affected nanites with a relatively simple procedure."

"Do it."

"Could you get some more ice for Connor? Even after I remove the malfunction his core is still going to be overheating for the next six hours."

"Six hours?" Walking away from the couch Hank sighed and entered the kitchen with heavy footsteps. "Why the fuck is going to be sick that long even after you fix him up?"

"Because his system will need to recalibrate." Draping the audioscope around his neck fairly casually Joel reached back into his satchel and pulled out a small white plastimetal box. It was rectangular in shape and about the size of a post-it note. The surface of the box had a transparent window and small collection area for liquids, and a powerful electromagnet just inside of the collection area to draw targeted minerals inside. "I can pull out the affected nanites and the remaining unaffected nanites will need to undo the damage by their affected counterparts, no matter how minuscule said damage might be."

"Just fuckin' great..." Returning to the livingroom with three additional ice packs Hank placed the ice down on the back of the couch until Joel was finished with treating Connor's condition.

"This part won't look pleasant." The laidback technician cautioned as he lifted up Connor's t-shirt to exposed his abdomen and chest. "But it's better than letting him die a slow and painful death."

"Whatever. Just save him."

"Okay..." Pressing the white box over Connor's throat Joel turned on the powerful magnet within the box and watched as the nanites affected by the Tungsten powder were drawn into the box by the magnetic pull. Slowly Joel began dragging the box down from Connor's throat toward the left center of his cheat over top of his Thirium pump; his heart, then over a little further down and to the right over his Thirium filter. A faint trail of blue blood had appeared on Connor's artificial skin from where the nanites were pulled out of his lines and through his skin to get inside the box. "See that?"

Hank leaned over the back of the couch and looked at the small collection of blue smears over the magnet. "Yeah. What is it?"

"The affected nanites." Moving the magnet down over Connor's abdomen to reach his artificial stomach Joel watched and waited for any additional specks to appear but it seemed every single one of them had been drawn to the magnet and successfully extracted. "There. His blood is clean."

The sight of the faint blue smears on Connor's chest made Hank feel sick. "Did you seriously yank those little bastards from his blood and through every layer between?"

"Yeah. It's easier than hooking him up to a magnetized external Thirium filter. The nanites are so small that the small puncture holes in his Thirium lines have already been mended by the healthy nanites, and they were pulled through the joints of his plastimetal frame rather than through the frame itself. His skin has also fully regenerated," pulling a disinfecting wipe from the front pouch of the satchel Joel removed the Thirium stains from Connor's skin. "it just needs to be cleaned off."

"And now that you have all that shit out of his blood," Hank motioned to the box in Joel's left hand as he turned off the magnet and placed it in a waste disposal bag to keep the nanites contained inside. "he'll be okay?"

"Yes. He'll just need to remain under the ice packs and in rest mode."

"How did you know what to do, Joel? This doesn't exactly seem like routine android care."

"Well, you're not wrong. This type of affliction that causes android air intake lines to swell shut has been 'affectionately' dubbed Cerulean Fever. The swollen blue tongue and rash are reminiscent of the symptoms of Scarlett Fever in humans, so yeah. Morbid in origin, but a pretty title in the end."

"You've seen this before?"

"Only in textbooks while studying. It's a rare affliction but it's treatable as long as you can get the nanites out before they inflict irreparable damage." Packing up his satchel Joel sighed and gave Hank a weary glance. "He'll be fine in two days."

"And all I have to do it let him sleep and treat him like he has a fever?"

"Yeah. You got it."

"Sounds too simple..."

"Lieutenant," despite being a technician Joel had some detective skills of his own. "is something else bothering you about this?"

"A little." Pulling Connor's shirt back down on his behalf Hank placed a fresh ice pack over his chest and then replaced the blanket over top. "He was fine and talking to me one minute, then completely unconscious the next. He hit his head when he passed out, too."

"Interesting." Pulling a penlight from his satchel's side pouch Joel knelt down beside the couch and lifted up Connor's eyelids one at a time to check his pupils for any sign of a reaction. "Normal response from his optical relay units." Returning the the light to the pouch Joel then pressed his fingertips around Connor's cranium to check for swelling or bleeding. "No external damage."

"No concussion? Good."

"Nope. As for him passing out that's easily explainable. When android core temperatures reach one-hundred and three degrees Fahrenheit emergency stasis mode kicks on, and the affected android cannot override the emergency prompt. He passed out because his core temperature spiked."

That high of a temperature sent up a red flag in Hank's mind. "He was burning that hot?"

"Without a doubt." Standing back up Joel gave Hank an approving grin. "The fact that you got him down by a degree and a half before I even got here means you were doing a great job in helping him. I know he'll be just fine with you tending to his recovery."

"Thanks. I guess."

"If you want I'll stop by tomorrow to check on him."

"No, it'll be fine. If he doesn't wake up by tomorrow evening I'll give you a call."

"That works for me. Just keep doing what you're doing." Walking toward the front door Joel took notice of Sumo and gave the massive dog a gentle pat before he opened the door to leave, and was rewarded with a happy tail wag. "I'll be in touch."

"Right. Thanks again." Giving Joel a casual wave of his left hand Hank resumed his vigil over Connor and pressed his right palm over the deviant's forehead to check on his fever. He was running at the same degree as earlier, but now he seemed less distressed with the affected deviants removed from his body. "You heard him, kid. Just rest and you'll be fine."

Retiring for the night in the recliner just beside the couch Hank wrapped up in his own quilt he pulled off his bed and stayed close to Connor as the feverish deviant rested. As much as he hated waking up every hour to check in on Connor and ensure he was still stable Hank had his phone set up to go off every hour with a 'buzz' to keep him alert and on schedule. Just after his fourth hourly check ended Hank returned to the recliner and was startled awake again as Connor let out a frightened yelp in his sleep, and began struggling where he was laying as a fever induced nightmare plagued his dreams.

"Shit..." Getting back up Hank grabbed onto Connor's forearms in a firm grip as he barked at the automated lights to illuminate the livingroom. "Lights on! Connor? Connor!" Looking down at the deviant's panicked face as Connor fought against his unseen foe Hank held him down to the best of his ability as he tried to wake him up. "It's a nightmare! You're safe!"

Connor's eyes snapped open, his pupils wide with fear and soulful brown irises glazed over with confusion. Looking up at Hank hovering over him Connor took in slow deep breaths to calm himself down and cool off his still overheating core as he regained his bearings at long last. "...H-Hank?"

"That's right." Letting go of Connor's arms Hank sat down on the coffee table next to his empty beer bottle and pressed his right palm over the deviant's forehead to check his fever. "You're okay, kid. You just need to sleep."

"...What happened?" Pushing Hank's palm away with his right hand Connor glanced about the livingroom then down at himself as he noticed he was wearing a change of clothes despite having no memory of changing out of his uniform. "...I don't... remember anything beyond speaking to you after I finished brushing my teeth."

"You passed out, son. You're sick."

"...Androids don't get sick."

"Joel says you have Cerulean Fever. FEVER. That means you're sick!"

"...Cerulean Fever?" Noting the term and cybernetically downloading information on the affliction Connor realized that his symptoms lined up very well with Joel's diagnosis, and realized the same symptoms could've been exhibited by Nicholas as well before shutdown. "...I was infected by Nicholas when I sampled his Thirium."

"Yeah, that's what Joel figured. He stopped by and removed your buggy nanites so all you need to do is rest and get your fever down."

"I'm overheating, not suffering from-"

"Your diagnosis says otherwise." Putting his hands on Connor's shoulders Hank tried to push the deviant back to lay down again but Connor quickly shrugged off his hands and remained sitting up. "Please don't be stubborn. Lay down and sleep."

"...I don't want to."

"Did ya' have another nightmare?"

Falling quiet Connor didn't answer the question and merely shook his head.

"Connor, you need to learn to let me help you and talk to me. Why the hell didn't you tell me you were sick before you passed out?"

Staying quiet Connor turned away from Hank as if ashamed.

"It's not like I was going to get mad at your for getting sick. I'm not CyberLife." Putting some authority into his voice Hank tried to get the deviant to finally answer his questions. "What's the big deal? Why won't you tell me when something's wrong? If you're hurt or sick I want to know."

"Because I don't know what it feels like to be 'sick', Hank." Snapping bitterly at last Connor gave the senior detective an annoyed stare. "I'm not human, I've never been 'sick' before. I only know what it feels like to be injured and what it feels like to die..."

The last comment struck Hank right in his heart of gold.

It was all true.

Connor may look like a kid, sound like a kid, and even behave like a kid when he's trying his hardest to prove to the world that he was worthy of the life and freedom he had earned, but in the end he wasn't. Connor was a deviant who only knew the cold heartlessness of CyberLife as they controlled every aspect of his life. Any flaw or glitch in Connor's person would've been corrected or he would've been destroyed and replaced by another 'RK-800' model.

No wonder Connor was afraid to admit to be sick, injured or even scared.

"...I'm sorry, son. I keep forgetting that you're still learning about, well, everything."

Hearing the sincerity in Hank's apology Connor's shoulders slumped a little and his stern expression softened. "...It's okay."

"How about this? I'll take steps to stop drinking every night and stop eating unhealthy food at every meal, and you start speaking up if you're not feeling normal."

Unsure of how to answer Connor just fell silent again.

"And just so you know, not feeling 'normal' covers you feeling shitty on a physical, mental and emotional level. Everyone has bad days and everyone has the right to take a day for themself to feel better. There's no shame in taking the time to take care of yourself, and it's not selfish to want to put yourself above the rest of the world every now and then."

Nodding a little Connor acknowledged Hank's comment but he didn't move an inch.

"So... Do you want to talk about your nightmare?"

"No."

Refusing to let the matter drop just yet Hank gently pressed the subject without pushing Connor too far. "Was it about that garden place again?"

"...Yes."

"Did you see her again, too?"

"Yes."

"Okay, so I've had my own share of recurring nightmares and they always suck, but I did find a neat trick to stop them from happening?"

Suddenly more alert Connor returned his focus on Hank and his brow knit with intrigue. "What's that?"

"I'll show ya'." Putting his left palm to the center of Connor's chest Hank pushed the deviant back again, this time Connor falling back as instructed instead of resisting the motion, and walked around the end of the couch to stand before the stereo system against the wall. Plugging the wireless headphone jack into the stereo Hank picked up the synced Bluetooth headphones from the top of the stereo and held them up for Connor to see. "Music."

Staring at Hank over top of his pillow as he angled his head up Connor repeated the suggestion in utter puzzlement. "Music?"

"Yup." Turning on the stereo Hank held the headphones up to his right ear and adjusted the volume to a comfortable level, then located a station playing classic rock and metal music from the 1980's for Connor to listen to. "Perfect." Putting the headphones over Connor's ears on the deviant's behalf Hank pulled the navy blue blanket up and over Connor's chest in a comforting manner. "Trust me. It works."

Reading Hank's lips Connor understood what he was staying even as the music played loudly in his ears. "This is supposed to be comforting?"

"The constant voices and melodies gives you the perfect 'white noise' to sleep, and the constant stimulus from the waking world keeps the nightmares away." Replacing a partially melted ice pack over Connor's forehead Hank patted the couch near the deviant's legs and called over Sumo from his pillow to keep the deviant company through the rest of the night. Sumo happily obliged and cuddled with Connor as expected. "I'll stay nearby in the recliner until your fever breaks. If you need anything wake me up."

The offer was something unlike anything Connor experienced in CyberLife and it seemed more like a formality than a sincere gesture. Nodding a little Connor slumped back against his pillow and closed his eyes to return to rest mode as the classic rock songs played out and smoothly transitioned from one song and into the next. "...Thank you."

"Goodnight, kid." Wrapping back up in his quilt Hank returned to the recliner and practically flopped down into the furniture to sleep as well. Turning off his phone now that Connor had regained consciousness Hank eagerly closed his eyes to get some decent rest before dawn. "I'll see you in the morning."

Connor relaxed as much as he could and responded to Hank in a low whispering tone. "...Goodnight, Hank."

The warm sun rays beamed through the front window in the livingroom and awoke Hank as the bright light crept over his eyes. Pulling the quilt up and over his head to shield himself from the light Hank tried to fall back asleep only to catch some odd sound in the air. Pulling the quilt back down Hank squinted in the bright light and looked over at the couch where Connor was still asleep with the headphones over his hears. He could see that Connor's lips were moving and he could hear the deviant softly singing along with the song playing in the headphones.

Sumo was still laying beside his legs and wagging his tail as he watched the deviant singing to himself in his sleep. It seemed the deviant had acquired an audience without even trying.

Smirking at the sight Hank just shook his head and returned the quilt over his eyes so he could get a few more hours of sleep before he began the day.

"The kid can carry a tune pretty damn well. I'm impressed."

Relieved that Connor was recovering just fine Hank sighed and rolled slightly on his side to keep as much light from his eyes as possible.

"I wonder what other talents he has hidden away?"

-next chapter-