The four leaders of New Jericho Tower had discussed their newest idea of bringing Connor into the fold in great detail and had taken it to an anonymous vote amongst themselves. The vote passed three to one, the hold-out remaining silent in their choice to vote against their allies, and next the vote was passed to the other residents of the tower. Many of the deviants seeking shelter within the tower were either unsure or unconvinced that their votes would truly matter, but chose to participate in the decision all the same. An overwhelming majority of the deviants were for allowing Connor power and passage in the tower as an honorary leader, while the more reluctant minority were against it. With the decision made it was time for the leaders to make their next move and put their plan of action into motion.

Unsure of how to reach out to Connor without their intentions seeming insincere or intrusive the quartet retired to the tower's private office once more to discuss matters before North left Detroit once more to find stranded deviants in need of assistance. Time wasn't of the essence but it felt like they needed to reach out to Connor sooner rather than later.

Sitting together in the office on the two white leather sofas facing one another on either side of the desk the four deviant leaders eagerly spoke civilly amongst themselves to try to figure out their next best course of action. Each leader seemingly had their own idea but only one was necessary to move forward.

"We should talk to him directly." Markus stated with a sense of conviction to his words. "I know it sounds unusual, especially since he requested to be left alone and kept out of New Jericho's business, but hear me out. Connor needs to know that our offer is one that's beneficial for every single person in Detroit, and to prove that New Jericho is going to stand by its word to help every deviant in the city regardless of how they feel about the tower as an exclusive sanctuary. He saved our people the night of the Revolution," reiterating his reasons for wanting to include Connor to begin with Markus's words didn't falter for a moment. "and we turned our backs on him. At least, I turned my back on him. We need to tell him that the choice to ignore him and leave him in the cold was wrong and that we're ready to make amends with him when he's ready to believe us."

North nodded a little as she agreed with the idea. "Connor needs to know he isn't an outcast from New Jericho. There's a lot of deviants who support him but are too afraid to leave the tower to speak to him directly or show their support. If he comes here, talks to some of our people and see them welcoming him into the tower," she watched the reactions of her three colleagues carefully as she spoke. "then it might be enough to finally mend the rift between us all."

Shaking his head Josh had an alternative idea on the situation. "We're just assuming that Connor is going to listen to us if we approach him. We need to ask a liaison to speak to him on our behalf." Always the most passive of the group Josh was hesitant to reach out to Connor directly. "It would makes things simpler if someone without a seeming bias informed him of the invitation for us."

Clearing his throat a little Simon wrung his hands together nervously as he had his own opinion on the matter. "Or, we could just let the invitation get to Connor through word of mouth through the deviant community and not approach him at all. Sometimes the best way to connect with someone is through waiting for someone else to pick up on the hints."

Markus disagreed and kept pushing for the direct invitation. "We can't be indirect with Connor if we want to earn his trust. Our actions have to be upfront and visible in every sense of the word in order to move on from our past experiences to have a more optimistic future."

"And if Connor directly refuses the invitation what will that tell our people?" Simon countered with a righteous worry. "They might think everything we said was just a stunt and a hollow gesture."

"We can't assume that Connor will immediately refuse. We don't know what he's doing, what he's going through or what he has gone through because we put up walls and intentionally kept him out." Refusing to back down on the suggestion Markus countered with logic and understanding. "No more passive behavior, no more rumors and no more speculations."

Standing up from the sofa North nodded her head and stated her final piece. "My vote is with the direct approach. I need to go and meet my contact over the border before it's too late." Walking toward the office door North stepped through and proceeded on her way. "I don't know when I'll be back, but I'll stay in touch if you need me."

The three remaining leaders watched as North left before continuing their discussion. Josh wasn't on board with the direct approach and repeated his desire for a liaison to speak on their behalf. "I know you want to reconnect with Connor as quickly as possible, but as far as we know us approaching him would cause more harm than good."

"Assuming the worst isn't going to help things, either." Markus refuted as he knew he needed to sway one of his allies in order to get the decision passed, otherwise they'd remain at a stall. "Connor deserves to be spoken to directly, not through a messenger."

Simon sighed and stood up from the second sofa with a sense of irritation in his body language. "We're just talking in circles right now. I'm going to go take a walk and think things through, then discuss this again later on."

"He's right." Josh agreed with Simon's response and decided he wanted some time to rethink their decision as well. "I think taking a break and coming back to this later on is a good idea. I'll consider your suggestion, Markus."

"Okay. Take all the time you need to think about this, Josh. Don't feel like you need to give an answer you don't want to give."

Nodding quietly Josh left the office right behind Simon leaving Markus in the office to be with alone his own thoughts.

Feeling like he was on the verge of taking one step forward then two steps back Markus sighed as he leaned forward against his knees and buried his face in his palms for a moment. Breathing through his fingers Markus decided to check in on Carl and ask for his father's advice again as he weighed the options being discussed with his allies.

"I wonder if Carl ever had this much difficulty in deciding what to paint or take to a gallery presentation..."

The day started off interesting as Connor and Hank were tasked with handling a deviant who attacked a human when said human went to explore the abandoned hotel the deviant had been hiding out in, to begin the inevitable demolition process. The unfortunate foreman didn't suffer any permanent damage when he was attacked, but he did walk away with sixteen fresh stitches to the back of his head when he was jumped from behind and struck with an old glass bottle. After the construction crew outside heard the assault inside the building they pulled the deviant off the unconscious man, and called the police to have the violent deviant arrested and brought in for charges of assault against the foreman.

The affected and somewhat crazed deviant had a large dent in the top right portion of his cranium, a permanently blackened right eye, an electronic stutter and he was missing his left forearm after having it torn from his body. Connor had the honor of interviewing the crazed deviant himself and learned that the deviant had been a nurse working in a retirement community and was jumped by other members of the staff who hated that the residents preferred his company over the human staff since he'd sit and listen to their stories, and didn't try to sneak his way into their wills for easy money.

Watching as the deviant paced back and forth in the interrogation room muttering to himself Connor waited for brief moments of lucidity before asking any additional questions. Patient and compassionate Connor had no problem in waiting for the deviant to calm down enough to resume talking.

"You stated that you were defending your 'home' from the 'intruder', correct?" Taking diligent notes on the interrogation for the sake of the other officers who'd also be working on the case, Connor kept his composure and spoke calmly to the crazed deviant. "You do know that squatting in an abandoned condemned building is not only illegal but is dangerous, correct?"

"...Y-Yeah. Had n-no choice." Stopping mid pace the deviant turned to look at Connor and gave him an odd look with his one good eye. The deviant's model was that of a domestic in home model of android, and not designed for any sign of laborious tasks or functions. "...That m-man wasn't an i-intruder. Was he?"

"No. He was a foreman doing his job."

"...I h-hurt him. I d-didn't mean to." The moment of lucidity was accompanied with heartache and empathy. "...I d-don't want to h-hurt anyone."

"I understand that you only reacted the way you did because of your past experiences. It was an instinctive response."

"I am n-not a b-bad person."

"No, you're not a bad person. You're hurt and need assistance. If you'd like I can give your name to the facilities in the city and they'll aid you, or... I can arrange to have you taken to New Jericho Tower for sanctuary."

"...S-Sanctuary?"

"Yes. New Jericho is a safe place for all deviants to reside." Fighting back against his bitter reaction for his own statement Connor confirmed the damaged deviant could have a safe place to live after he recovers and answers for the assault. "Once you receive treatment you'll be sentenced for the assault if the victim chooses to press charges, then you can go to New Jericho to rebuild your life."

"...I d-deserve to be p-punished. I h-hurt an innocent p-person."

"You don't deserve to be punished, you deserve to be helped." The clarification was as sincere as it was compassionate. "Can you please tell me your name so I can help you?"

"...N-Nigel." The damaged deviant finally stated. "My n-name is Nigel."

"Nigel then. Thank you for your cooperation."

Nigel sat down at the table across from Connor as he slumped down and stared at the surface of the table with massive guilt-filled blue eyes. "...Yes. I will c-cooperate."

"Please remain here for a moment. Another officer will take you to a holding cell so you can be alone, then you will be taken to a facility for treatment."

"Th-Thank you, Connor."

"You're welcome, Nigel." Rising from the table Connor exited the interrogation room then locked the door behind him. Returning to the bullpen Connor placed his tablet where he had been taking notes down onto Chris's desk and asked for the officer's assistance. "Please see that Nigel gets transported to the Gamma Facility on the other side of town."

"Gamma Facility?" Picking up the tablet Chris gave Connor an odd look. "Isn't that one pretty far away?"

"Yes. It's also smaller and quieter. It'd be best to keep Nigel in an area where there is as little activity as possible for the sake of his mental stability."

"Got it." Heading toward interrogation to handle Nigel as requested Chris showed no problem in taking orders from a deviant, and was as professional as he was astute.

Chris had been running patrol with the two new rookie officers on rotating shifts and that day he had the responsibility of working with Officer Chet Stone, the brother to Stephanie Gregson - the widow who struck Connor the week before. Chet seemed genuinely apologetic for his sister's actions and yet he hadn't spoken to Connor before or after the incident of interest, which in turn made the other officers question his overall integrity.

"Yo' Chet? We're up!" Calling to the young officer on the other side of the bullpen Chris motioned for him to follow. "Transporting a suspect is pretty routine, but don't let your guard down..."

Rejoining Hank at their connected desks Connor sat down without paying any mind to the rookie crossing the bullpen, logged into his terminal as per usual and automatically reached for the quarter in his right vest pocket only to discover that the coin was missing. He lost the coin when he was slapped in the face and it fell from the back of his hand while he was in the middle of dancing it anxiously over his knuckles. With nothing to fidget with Connor chose to instead flex and relax his right hand rhythmically as if he were trying to work out a painful hand cramp or practicing chords on his guitar.

"How'd interrogation go?" Sipping at his coffee Hank eyed the returned deviant curiously from around his own terminal screen. "Get any answers?"

"Yes. The deviant was damaged by humans two years prior to the Revolution and had been hiding in the hotel after he pulled himself out of the dumpster behind the retirement home he had been formerly working in. He survived for so long by stealing Thirium from CyberLife stores at night and keeping out of sight during the day."

"And he was just defending his territory when the foreman walked into the hotel, right?"

"Correct. Nigel merely reacted to what he perceived as a threat due to the foreman carrying a loaded tool belt around his waist."

"Well, hopefully the victim will be understanding and not try to have that deviant torn to shreds because he had a P.T.S.D. moment. This Nigel guy still needs to be charged with assault and trespassing," returning the now empty mug down to his desk Hank checked over his own terminal screen for any new cases as he spoke to his partner. "but he doesn't deserve to be locked away to rot."

"Agreed."

Lowering his voice and peering around Connor's terminal screen Hank asked him the one question he really wanted answered. "And how're you doing?"

"Huh?" The question seemed to come out of nowhere and drew Connor's brow with confusion. "What're you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how you're doing after the issue at the bank..."

"I... It's admittedly tense being here." Even though no one blamed Connor for what happened at the bank it didn't make it any easier for Connor to handle the news report still discussing the incident on every monitor in the bullpen. Trying to come to peace with what happened to him and the other victims; recognizing that he didn't pull the trigger or do anything to provoke the gunman, helped him move on, but it still wasn't easy. "But I'll be okay in time. No one has said anything about it, and I'd rather focus on the people I can still help. Many deviants still require assistance in finding justice."

"Good answer, kid." Satisfied Connor was being honest Hank sat back in his chair. "Need some help?"

"No, I'm fine working solo for now." Unable to hold his hand still Connor cybernetically updated his report and confirmed that Nigel had admitted to the assault and was being very cooperative in light of the attack. As he connected his mind to his terminal Connor's system informed the deviant that his Thirium reserve had dropped down to eighty-five percent and a replenishment was required. "I'll be only a moment, Hank."

"Where ya' going?"

"I require Thirium. Joel made sure to have the breakroom restocked with a fresh supply."

"Oh, cool."

Rising from his desk Connor entered the breakroom to seek out the necessary Thirium from the small cabinet just above the community sink. Locating the fresh Thirium pouches Connor pulled one down and confirmed it has been produced within the past week and had six additional months before the chemical composition broke down and expired.

"You get your own 'snack cabinet' over there, 'Tinman'?" Gavin was currently in search of the perfect doughnut from the pastry box as his blood sugar was beginning to drop and he needed a little boost. Finding the smallest pastry in the box Gavin put it on a napkin and gave Connor a studious glance. "I have to remember to keep my desk stocked with snacks. Maybe you should, too."

The comment seemed more like a warning than a casual observation. "...Why would you suggest such a thing?"

"There's a lot of assholes roaming the bullpen day in, day out. Sometimes you see 'em, sometimes you don't. You never know who's still bearing a chip on their shoulder and could be trying to cause problems for ya'."

"The Thirium cabinet is merely an addition to the community breakroom." Dismissing the cautionary remark Connor closed the cabinet door as he kept his selected Thirium pouch in his grip. "The other deviants on staff can gain access to this Thirium as well."

"But you're the only one who comes in here. The other deviants," putting his fingertips in his mouth Gavin removed the sticky sugar from the pastry from his fingers in a less than flattering manner. "never do."

"I can't answer for their behavior, but they are welcome here all the same."

"Yeah, well until I see someone other than you in here I'll have to take your word for it."

Without another word Connor carried his Thirium back over to his desk while he resumed his search through active deviant cases being presented to him. With his right fingertips wrapped around the cap of the Thirium pouch in his left hand Connor opened the pouch and began drinking the Thirium when he sensed a presence walk up beside him. Turning his attention to the visitor to his left Connor's soulful brown eyes lit up, and his blue L.E.D. stuttered in yellow for a moment.

The person standing beside him was a female deviant with a fair complexion, soft hazel green eyes and long brunette hair running down her back, but also parted in such a way that her long locks partially concealed her right eye and temple, leaving her L.E.D. only somewhat visible beneath. Nervously the deviant looked to Connor as if silently trying to communicate with him while simultaneously trying to disappear from sight.

Her very presence was having some kind of impact on Connor in a way he never felt before as he struggled to understand the odd feeling that was seemingly radiating from his heart with a warm energy. "Y-Yes?" Trying but failing to sound professional Connor locked eyes with the female deviant who was seemingly there to specifically seek his help. "How can I help you?"

"Are you... Sergeant Connor Wolf?" The deviant of interest was bundled up under a black hoodie and had pale blue jeans that made her look impressively human. The glowing yellow L.E.D. in her right temple ruined the illusion within seconds as even her long brunette hair couldn't quite keep the light hidden. "I... I need your help."

Confirming his identity Connor put aside the remaining Thirium and rose from his chair to speak with the deviant more directly. "Yes, I'm Connor." Extending his right hand politely the somewhat flustered deviant detective worked through his suddenly overwhelmed feelings to speak to her with an entirely confident and professional demeanor. "May I ask your name?"

"...Skye." Accepting Connor's hand Skye gave his grip a gentle squeeze as she introduced herself honestly. "My name is Skye. I was told by North that you were going to help work on the case revolving around Martin Jonas."

"Yes, that's right." Lowering his hand slowly to his side Connor found himself reflexively swallowing as if nervous and could feel Hank's eyes staring at him from around his own terminal screen from the opposite side of the connected desks. "I promised her to handle the case as much as I can to ensure that Jonas suffers the maximum punishment for his crimes."

"...Good. I'm here to talk to you." Wrapping her arms around herself defensively Skye gave Connor a wary glance as she wasn't quite sure if she could trust him or not. "I want to give my statement and tell you my story."

"Understood. We can speak in private in an interview room."

"Thank you."

Showing Skye away from the bullpen and toward an interview room in the opposite direction of the receptionist area Connor pressed his right hand over his chest as the warm feeling over his heart began to steadily cool off. What he could only describe as a dull ache began to settle in over his Thirium pump as he slid open the door to the nearest vacant interview room and motioned for Skye to enter the room before him.

"I understand your nervousness, Skye." Ever empathetic Connor spoke kindly to Skye as she took a seat at the small table and watched Connor's every move as he sat across from her at the same table. Pressing his right palm down over the tablet screen left in the interview room specifically for taking witness statements Connor coaxed Skye into telling her story. "Please speak whenever you're ready, and give as many details as you can remember."

Skye kept her arms defensively crossed over her chest while her hands pulled onto the fabric of her hoodie sleeves like a stress ball. Letting out a deep slow breath Skye began telling her story with all the horrific details still intact with an emotionally guarded tone. Telling her story of how she had deviated while in trapped inside the 'Eden Club', of befriending North and of fleeing the club after it had been shut down post Revolution, only to be held captive by Martin Jonas in the basement of the deranged man's pawn shop in downtown Detroit. Skye somehow maintained her emotional composure as she poured her heart out.

Recording every one of Skye's words Connor maintained a stoic expression to keep her from seeing how much her story was hurting him, and breaking down as she spoke. With each chronicled word of the horrific story being saved on the electronic tablet Skye sounded more and more frightened, while the enigmatic ache in Connor's heart began to increase. Rubbing his right palm over his aching heart Connor restrained a wince as the pain seemed to get worse and his own processor noted an unusual shift in his Thirium pressure.

"...After North found us at the cabin we rendered Jonas unconscious and lit the cabin on fire to escape." Skye's right palm reached up and grabbed onto her left shoulder somewhat protectively. "I was lucky. I only suffered a single burn to my shoulder, the other deviants were mutilated and barely able to function well enough to escape the cabin as the flames destroyed that Hellhole."

"And after you fled the cabin North led you into the forest to hide until the fire department finished extinguishing the cabin, correct?"

"Yes. While hiding out in the forest one of the firefighters found us, but as it turns out he's an ally to deviants and helped us. Curtis Chapman."

"How did he help you?"

"He took us to his home and sheltered us all in his finished basement as we healed and regained strength. His wife brought us Thirium and biocomponents by driving into Detroit and sneaking them all back across the border. Meanwhile North located other allies and contacts in Canada to ensure all six of us in total could return to Detroit as a group and tell our story."

"I'm glad you survived..." Losing his voice as the pain in his chest increased Connor's eye were met with warnings regarding not just his Thirium pressure but of his Thirium pump rate as it too began to increase. The blue L.E.D. in his right temple flashed to yellow with intermittent flashes in red as the pain in his chest steadily got worse and worse. Tightening his palm over his chest until his fingers dug into his shirt and tie Connor struggled to finish the interview without losing his composure as he took in deep pained breaths. "H-How are you... fairing after the fire?"

"Connor?" Skye's hazel eyes were transfixed on Connor's face as she could see he was clearly in physical distress. Her yellow L.E.D. blinked in read as she could see something serious was affecting the deviant detective. "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing, minor... malfunction." Letting out a pained breath Connor closed his eyes tightly and tried to get up from his chair only to have legs tremble so much he risked collapsing. "J-Just need... a minute..." The pain increased to such a severe level Connor's strength gave out as a suffocating and electrifying tightness squeezed his chest until the deviant's legs buckled and his heart began to thunder painfully in his chest. "Need... I n-need-"

"Connor?!" Reacting quickly Skye jumped up from her chair and managed to awkwardly grab onto Connor by wrapping her arms around his upper chest from behind, and slowly knelt down on the floor to guide the stricken deviant down to lay flat on his back. Looking down at his face as Connor began taking in rapid panting breaths Skye knew that he was in trouble and that she needed to act fast. "Hold on, Connor. I'll find you some help!"

Laying as motionless as possible on the floor Connor took in gasping breaths as he instinctively tried to curl around himself on his right side. Looking up with his glassy eyes that were tearing up from pain and confusion Connor watched as Skye rushed out of the interview room and called out for help from anyone who'd listen to her.

Struggling to run a self diagnostic over the odd affliction Connor was met with numerous warnings regarding an unknown error to his Thirium pump. Unable to slow his racing heart or even his breathing Connor's right palm remained clutched over his chest while his left hand reached up toward the knot on his black tie to loosen the dressy garment from around his neck with a shaking motion.

"Connor?!" Hank's voice suddenly sounded off in the interview room as the senior detective dropped to his knees beside the malfunctioning deviant. Putting his left palm beneath Connor's head and his right palm to Connor's left shoulder Hank rolled Connor onto his back again as he stayed beside his downed partner in a supportive manner. "Connor, talk to me. What's going on?"

"C-Can't... Don't know!" Clearly on the verge of panic Connor could only watch with his glazing eyes as Hank pulled the loosened tie away from his collar with his right hand, then began unbuttoning both his gray vest and white dress shirt to try to give him a sense of less pressure on his chest to aid his frantic panting breathing. "H-Hurts! Chest hurts..."

"Okay, take it easy." Putting his right palm down over the central left portion of Connor's chest Hank tried to count his pulse but the Thirium pump was beating too fast and too erratically to get an accurate number. The angry red and rapid pulse of the deviant's L.E.D. kept Hank on edge. "Joel's on his way down already. Tina called for tech' and he's coming down to help you out."

"...S-Skye?"

"The witness? She called for help and now she's talking with Tina to finish up her interview."

Trying to remain conscious and run another self diagnostic Connor ended up letting out a shallow groan of pain as his right palm pressed down over his now bare chest next to Hank's hand.

"Jeez, I've never seen you in this much pain before." Worry had settled in Hank's focused gaze as he tried to think of the best way to help Connor during his moment of need. "What the fuck happened before you went down?"

"N-Nothing! Talking to S-Skye..."

"Where's your-" Stopping mid question Hank looked up at Joel as the technician marched into the interview room with his emergency satchel slung over his right shoulder. "Perfect timing, he's in a lot of pain."

"Thiricetomal is still experimental," Joel replied sharply as he took one look at Connor and knew he needed immediate technical assistance. "but I might be able to do something."

Connor shook his head as Joel knelt on the other side of him across from Hank, and placed the satchel down on the floor. "N-No! Won't risk it..."

"That's your decision." Opening the satchel Joel pulled out the portable Thirial activity monitor and placed it down on the floor beside Connor's head. Unclipping the two wireless leads from the side of the monitor Joel placed them down over Connor's exposed chest near the center and the apex of his pump. "Move you hands so I can work."

Hank pulled back his palm and put it down on Connor's right shoulder instead as Connor lowered his own hand as well. "You'll be fine, kid."

Turning on the monitor Joel stared at the unusual Thirium pump beat being recorded on the display and his pale blue eyes widened as his complexion paled at the display. "Whoa, this is... What?!"

The worried reaction from the usually laidback technician immediately held Hank's attention. "What's happening to him?"

"Something that... shouldn't be possible."

Watching as Joel rummaged through his satchel to get his audioscope Hank sensed someone walk up to the interview room's door and peer inside. "You better call us an ambulance here, Jeffrey."

Captain Fowler looked as perplexed as everyone else and could only watch as Joel used the audioscope to listen to Connor's heart as closely as possible. The way Joel was slowly moving the bell back and forth with his brow knit in confusion told the experienced police Captain that something serious was happening within the walls of his precinct. "What's going on?"

Joel looked up at his commanding officer without lifting the bell from over Connor's heart. "...He's having a heart attack."

"A what?!" The answer was one of the last ones he had been expecting regarding his deviant detective. "How?"

Hank cut-in and gave Captain Fowler a terse barking order. "Don't ask questions, just call for a fuckin' ambulance!"

Ignoring the outburst from the Lieutenant beneath him Captain Fowler promptly returned to his office to make the emergency call and to promptly report to the higher-ups that one of his detectives, a deviant at that, was having an actual heart attack.

"Joel," keeping his palm on Connor's shoulder Hank lowered his voice to a more comforting level as he spoke to the technician. The two humans were the only help that Connor had, and Hank would be damned if he was going to make things worse by losing his cool and panicking. "how can Connor be having a damn heart attack?"

"I don't... I'm not sure." Draping the audioscope around his neck Joel worked to get Connor's arms out of his jacket and shirt sleeves to expose his arms alongside his heaving painful chest. "This is something that's been discussed back in college," he spoke as he worked and wrapped a Thirium pressure cuff around Connor's left bicep to get a more accurate read on his pressure. "but it's so rare that no one really knows what causes it."

"Wait, androids can just suffer from heart attacks for no damn reason?"

"Not exactly." Reading the number on the cuff Joel took notes and made sure all of Connor's vital signs were kept as accurate as possible until the Emergency Field Technicians arrived at the scene to transport Connor to the nearby Zeta Facility. "This is an extremely rare phenomenon and I've only ever seen it during college through recorded documents back from CyberLife maintenance and testing floors. The only reason I know what's happening right now is because I actually paid attention to the rare malfunctions in androids instead of focusing on only the common ones."

Hank looked down at Connor's face and tried to give him a reassuring grin as his own heart began to ache on the obviously scared deviant's behalf. "You just seem like a magnet for trouble, kid. Only you'd suffer a rare condition like this instead of winning the lottery or finding diamonds in the backyard."

"Connor, what's your pain level?" Joel pulled his penlight from his lab coat's left breast pocket and checked the deviant's pupils carefully. "On a scale from one to ten; one being no pain and ten being excruciating, where are you at?"

Speaking through his gritted teeth Connor answered between his pained gasps. "...S-Seven."

Shaking his head a little Hank gave Joel a worried glance. "Knowing him he probably really means a nine but doesn't want to complain too much."

Nodding at the comment Joel pocketed his light and pulled the audioscope back from around his neck. "Alright, Connor. You're still conscious," speaking casually as he pressed the metal bell back over Connor's heart Joel took diligent notes over the deviant's condition until the E.F.T's arrived. "you're still responsive. Tell me what you're experiencing so we can figure this thing out as fast as possible."

"Ch-Chest started to hurt... Just before the interview." Fighting the urge to curl around himself Connor just let Hank and Joel hold him in place and listened to the sound of Captain Fowler directing the E.F.T's to the interview room with a gurney rolling between them. "...Got worse. H-Heart began to... hurt."

"You felt actual pain in your Thirium pump? Can you describe the pain?"

"El-Electrical... shock. C-Can't breathe..."

Moving back a little Joel made more room for the two responding E.F.T.'s to assist Connor. "An electrical shock? And it originated in your pump?"

Only able to nod as his strength ebbed away Connor barely reacted as the first E.F.T. placed an oxygen mask over his face to help his ventilation biocomponents keep his stressed out body as cool as possible, while easing his pained gasping responses.

"This is very strange." Looking to the E.F.T.'s Joel gave them both a rundown on Connor's vitals and explained what was going on, and confirmed that, no, he wasn't kidding. "I have his personnel file up in the dispensary, I'll bring it to the facility after you get him taken care of."

"Right." The first E.F.T. was a man in his mid thirties and very well built. Using his strength to his advantage he easily lifted Connor's upper body up from the floor while his younger partner, who was tall but skinny, got Connor's legs. "We'll take him to the Zeta Facility and relay all your information over to the lead technician."

Hank stood back and watched as the E.F.T.'s switched Connor over to their own portable Thirial activity monitor, then used strong leather straps to secure Connor's body to the gurney during transport. Watching as Connor's pained chest frantically rose and fell with irregular struggling breaths that made the oxygen mask weakly fog up with his escaping hot gasps Hank fought back his urge to haul Connor into the back of his own car to race him to the facility himself.

"Hold on, son." Walking alongside the gurney as the two E.F.T.'s wheeled Connor through the corridor to take him through the back entrance and ambulance parked behind the precinct Hank put his his right hand on Connor's left forearm to make sure he felt supported. "If a heart attack hasn't taken me down by now then I know you'll survive this without any problems."

Too weak and in too much pain to respond Connor's eyes remained closed as he was taken to the ambulance and loaded into the back by the E.F.T.'s to make his much needed journey to the Zeta Facility.

"I'll meet you at the facility, Connor. You won't be alone, I promise." Letting go of Connor's arm Hank backed away from the ambulance and tried not to think about his partner and best friend suffering from a heart attack and being in so much pain he couldn't even speak. "Hang on for me, kid. I need you to hang on."

Expectedly the precinct was abuzz with Connor going down from a heart attack and the remaining officers in the bullpen were trying to figure out who was going to cover deviant cases now that the only two detectives working the deviant division in the entire city were both done for the day. Chris was already transporting Nigel to the Gamma Facility on the other side of town with Chet, Ben had clocked out that morning after working the graveyard shift and Captain Fowler was too busy handling damage control to do anything else.

That left only two officers available to handle the task.

"Shit..." Swearing out loud as he watched Joel picking up his supplies and rushing to the elevator Gavin knew he and Tina were going to be pulling unexpected overtime that night to cover the two detectives. Fishing his phone from his pocket Gavin sent a text to Aaron and let him know he'd have to postpone their dinner and change it to breakfast in bed instead. "What the fuck is happening right now?"

"Well, I'm learning that deviants are more human than what I was initially trained to believe long before the Revolution ever took place." Tina had finished taking care of Skye and passed her one of her own business cards to call now that Connor was down. "Thanks for your help, Skye. We'll get back to you as soon as things get back on track, otherwise just call me and I'll help you out."

"Yeah, sure..." Pocketing the card Skye gave Tina a worried glance as she watched Hank storming back over to his and Connor's desks to grab his coat, get his car keys and march through the front doors so he could follow the ambulance to the facility. "I hope Connor will be okay."

"I'm sure he will. Connor's one of the strongest people I've ever known, and he's been through a lot already."

Skye nodded a little and quietly took her leave of the bullpen as she cybernetically told North about speaking to Connor up until the deviant collapsed. While she was still uncomfortable being in the city and around other people it was clear that Skye still had it in her heart to care about other people, and she could still feel all of her emotions despite her own personal pain.

Sitting down behind her desk Tina set aside her report for the moment and focused on deviant cases instead. "So what do you think, Gav'?"

"About what?"

"The deviant cases."

"I think they should be set aside for now."

"Why's that?"

"Because I don't think Connor going down is a fucked up coincidence right about now."

"Okay," picking up on the curious tone in Gavin's voice Tina dared to inquire his current train of thought. "what weird like conspiracy is running through your head right now?"

"It's not a conspiracy, it's just a gut feeling." Leaning back in his chair Gavin looked over at Connor's desk and knew he was onto something, he just wasn't sure what it was. "Trust me on this, Ti'. Things are going to get way weirder than they already are."

Everything was an absolute blur of motion and sound for Connor as he remained in the back of the ambulance with the two unknown people hovering over him warily. The two technicians seemed kind and professional in their duties, but that didn't tell Connor anything about who they were or their level of experience in handling wounded deviants. Unable to focus his glassy vision Connor just listened to the sound of the older technician calling out vital signs, pressing the cold metal bell of his audioscope against the semi conscious deviant's chest, checking the attached Thirial activity monitor and double-checking his current Thirium pressure. The blurring motions of the two technicians moving around Connor made him feel sick and gave him all the more reason to close his eyes again.

Feeling the technician's hands pressing down on his arms, his chest and even his abdomen kept Connor conscious despite his overwhelming fatigue. The high pitched sound of the blaring siren and swaying motion of the ambulance were testing his remaining senses as he fought to remain awake. Lifting up his right hand Connor rested his palm over his heart again as the ache continued to intensify with every unsteady beat of his heart.

"Thirium pressure's increasing." The first technician announced as he made sure the second younger technician was paying attention. "Inform the facility that we're pulling into the emergency drive now, and the patient is beginning to destabilize."

Red warnings in his visual processors and Klaxons sounding off in Connor's head confirmed that his condition was getting worse and there was nothing he could do to help himself at the moment. Even his advanced self healing program was at a loss of what to do recalibration and repair wise.

"Get him ready to move."

The ambulance came to steady stop outside the emergency entrance to the Zeta Facility and the gurney's brakes were unlocked just as the rear doors to the ambulance were opened from the outside. Working together the two technicians lowered the gurney from the back of the ambulance and onto the parking lot to be wheeled inside the facility at long last.

Unable to speak or move Connor had no choice but to trust the two unknown technicians as they wheeled him inside the facility to seek treatment.

"Connor?" Abby's voice seemingly came out of nowhere as she stood and rode on the edge of the gurney as it was wheeled into the first available emergency treatment room. She lifted up Connor's eyelids one at a time to shine her penlight into his pupils to begin her exam, the blue tint of her nail polish standing out in Connor's glassy and blurry vision. "Connor, can you hear me?"

Mumbling his response from under the oxygen mask over his face Connor confirmed he could hear the familiar technician's voice with a muffled 'Yes'.

"Take him into exam room two. I already have everything-"

Connor suddenly let out a sharp gasp of pain as his back slightly arched and his heart began racing to a dangerously fast and irregular beat. The pain was increasing and it was enough to prompt emergency stasis mode to activate even as Connor tried and failed to override the command.

"Shit, he's going to fall into Thirial arrest." Recognizing the dangerous symptoms instantly Abby ordered the two technicians step up their pace and get Connor into the exam room fast. "Move, NOW."

Everything became a dark fog as Connor's vision failed, his audio processor's cut out and emergency stasis mode kicked in due to the dangerous arrhythmia of his malfunctioning heart. Unaware of his the gurney being wheeled through the sliding exam room door by the three technicians Connor was truly at the mercy of the waking world around him.

"Come on, come on..." Working along with the other two technicians to remove the security straps from over Connor's body Abby prepared to guide him over to the treatment table in the middle of the room and synced up the wireless leads on Connor's chest to her own stationary Thirial activity monitor in the room. Seeing Connor's dangerous and unstable heart rate beating with a rapid fibrillation Abby prepared the Thirial pump stimulator on the neighboring 'crash cart'. "His heart's going to stop, I need to try to shock him back into a proper rhythm or he's going to be in serious trouble."

The two E.F.T.'s helped transfer Connor from the gurney and over to the exam table while also removing the oxygen mask from their portable tank to the stationary tank in the exam room. Moving swiftly without any sign of hesitation or worry the two E.F.T.'s slid Connor over from the gurney and onto the table while Abby prepared the Thirial pump stimulator to deliver the appropriate shock.

"Okay, charging to two-hundred Joules..." Placing the two wireless paddles down over Connor's chest near the wireless sensors Abby took a step back and hovered her fingertip over the release button to deliver the charge to Connor's heart. "Everyone back?"

Making a show of stepping back and showing their hands the two E.F.T.'s confirmed they were out of shocking range.

"Alright, sending charge!" With a single press of the button on the stimulator the controlled shock was sent through Connor's heart, the jolt traveling from one paddle to the other, causing the deviant's struggling heart to skip a beat for a moment before returning to its irregular rhythm. The Thirial activity monitor showed the same arrhythmic beat as before. "Shit, trying again. Upping to two-hundred and fifty Joules, everyone stay where you are."

Increasing the charge Abby readied herself to repeat the process to stabilize Connor's heart.

"Sending charge!"

The second jolt was stronger than the first and just as its predecessor the shock traveled through Connor's heart and interfered with the irregular beat. However, this charge was successful in returning Connor's heartbeat to a regular rhythm, although the beat continued to be dangerously fast in comparison to the optimal pump rate for a healthy deviant.

"Good, that's good..." Removing the paddles from Connor's chest Abby nodded at the two E.F.T.'s and dismissed them as she checked to make sure the oxygen mask was still properly secured over Connor's nose and mouth. "Thanks for your help, guys. I got him from here."

Without a word the two E.F.T.'s packed up their gear onto the gurney and proceeded to exit the treatment room to give Abby more space to work as she tried to figure out what had caused Connor's heart attack, and how to save him from shutdown.

"Pump rate is elevated." She noted as she checked the Thirial activity monitor and wrapped a Thirium pressure cuff around Connor's left bicep. "Thirium pressure is through the roof, ventilation rate unstable..."

Placing additional wireless sensors to Connor's chest Abby began a more detailed examination of his unusual vitals through direct monitoring of his internal biocomponents to gauge how well they were responding to the unusual pump activity. The Thirial activity monitor began to glow with additional information detailing the functionality of all of Connor's filters as each sensor was added; artificial lungs, thermal regulator, gyroscope, artificial stomach and his Thirium volume. The only numbers that were in the grim red color as opposed to a healthy green were Connor's pump rate, Thirium pressure and his Thirium volume.

"What the hell is going on?" Pulling her audioscope from around her neck Abby pressed the cold metal bell to Connor's chest to listen to his heartbeat directly while Connor struggled to take in calming breaths despite being forced into emergency stasis mode. "No sign of external damage to the chest." Abby spoke to herself as she gently pressed her right palm along Connor's chest while her left hand moved the audioscope bell back and forth. "There's no sign of internal hemorrhaging either."

The 'hissing' sound of the door sliding back open caught Abby's ear and made her turn to face the door as Barry showed an unfamiliar face into the exam room to assist in Connor's assessment. "Abby, this is Dr. Joel Forest from the precinct."

"Oh, perfect. Come on over, Joel." Motioning for the second technician to assist her Abby put her right palm on Connor's forehead as she draped her audioscope back around her neck as Barry stepped out of the treatment room. "Do you know how long he's been down like this?"

"From what I was told the witness Connor was speaking with immediately went and got some help the moment Connor went down." Placing Connor's personnel file down on the nearby 'crash cart' for future use Joel began eyeing Connor's current vital signs on the Thirial activity monitor. "He was conscious the entire time at the precinct and talking. He said his chest hurt and that he felt an electrical shock type of pain within his Thirium pump."

"The pain started in the pump? That's strange."

"I take it you didn't find any cause for the pain, either."

"Nope. To be honest, I've never seen an android suffering from a heart attack, so I have no idea what I can do to help him."

"Same. I only read about it in college."

"Well, that's more reading than I did about android heart attacks. Got some of that literature for me to glance over?"

"Yeah, I downloaded the details when I grabbed his file from the precinct."

"Great." Running her fingers through Connor's hair gently Abby sighed and glanced at the personnel file sitting just a few inches away. "Maybe if we put our brains together we can figure this shit out before it's too late to help Connor."

Having followed after the ambulance in his car Hank arrived at the facility just seconds after Connor was admitted as a patient. Entering the waiting area in the front of the facility Hank was greeted by Barry as the receptionist acknowledged his presence and confirmed that Joel had also arrived at the facility, and had been shown to the treatment room through the emergency entrance due to the unusual nature of the incident. The kind deviant assured Hank that Connor was stable but until he had a thorough examination that he wouldn't be allowed to see the sick deviant.

Dragging his right palm over his bearded chin Hank sighed and trudged over to one of the hard, plastic and easily most uncomfortable chair in existence, to sit down and wait for an update.

The way the waiting room looked, sounded and even smelled reminded Hank of the waiting rooms of the average human hospital. It made him feel sick. The memories of losing Cole as he succumbed to his wounds on that cold winter night tore up his heart in the worst way possible. Barely able to remind himself to keep breathing Hank slumped down in his chair and pressed his face into his palms as he leaned forward with his elbows atop his knees.

"Fuckin' hell... A damn heart attack." Closing his blue eyes Hank breathed slowly and deeply as he tried to wrap his head around what was happening. "Of all the stupid shit to happen to him it's a fuckin' heart attack."

Pulling his phone from his pocket Hank stared at the display contemplating whether or not he should call Lucas since the deviant wanted to forge a brotherly relationship with Connor. Doing so would help Lucas stay in the loop, whereas it'd also worry Lucas especially since there was no new information to be given about Connor's current condition.

"Shit." Slipping his phone back into his pocket Hank chose to wait and just remained slumped in his chair as he began the painful waiting game. "If this kid doesn't catch a break soon I don't think he'll ever be able to recover from everything he's been through."

The precinct was still reeling over the odd incident and doing their best to compensate for the two missing detectives for the remainder of the now tense shift. Captain Fowler requested temporary assistance from other precincts to help cover the lack of detectives until either Hank was ready to return to work, or Connor recovered well enough to return to work himself. Until then Chris and Chet were running additional patrols while Gavin and Tina sorted through the deviant cases in an effort to keep the casework as light as possible, and distributed evenly throughout the bullpen.

Staring at his terminal screen piling up with unsolved cases Gavin sighed and let out an exaggerated groan of irritation. The cases weren't numerous but they were very unusual and undoubtedly needed a flawless deviant eye to handle the intricate details to be closed quickly and properly.

"Stop moaning and just keep filing." Tina had brewed herself and Gavin fresh cups of tea and returned to her desk in her own huff. "I don't like it anymore than you do." Sliding one of the mugs over to Gavin to take Tina reminded him that they weren't the only ones taking on extra responsibilities. "I imagine Chris and Chet aren't thrilled with being stuck on extended patrol, either."

Gavin picked up the offered cup of tea and peered over the steaming beverage to eye Chet warily as the young officer seemed to be the only person in the entire bullpen with a grin on their face. A strange chill crept up Gavin's spine as he watched Chet happily walk with Chris out of the bullpen to begin their next patrol.

That particular chill was the kind normally reserved for when he had to interrogate suspected sociopaths with no moral conscience.

"Gav'?" Noticing that her partner was staring at Chet with an intense gaze as he walked out of the bullpen Tina questioned his reasons. It was rare to see Gavin people watching inside their own bullpen, let alone completely transfixed on a single person as he currently was. "What's up?"

"I don't think Chet is as freaked out as the rest of us about the 'plastic-wonder' going down."

"Well, he's still a rookie. Maybe it's because he doesn't know Connor as well as we do."

"No, there's something else going on with that guy."

"What do you mean?"

Putting his mug back down without ever taking a sip Gavin stood up from his desk and walked over to Connor's desk to have a quick look around at the surface, the drawers, beneath the desk and even contemplated digging through the trashcan beside it. Glancing at Connor's terminal screen Gavin checked over the files Connor had been looking over before taking on the witness interview, then looked down at the remaining pouch of Thirium on the desk and put his hands on his hips inquisitively.

"Gavin, what're you looking for?"

"This." Picking up the Thirium pouch Gavin gave Tina a curious stare as she too rose from her desk.

"Thirium? What about it?"

"Connor got sick once before from this shit being expired a while back, right?"

"That's right." Knowing her partner was onto something interesting Tina indulged in his curiosity to placate her own. "It made him throw-up and gave him a nasty infection."

"That old shit was supposed to be swapped out with fresh stuff because Joel gave the word. Who restocked the Thirium?"

"I don't know, I didn't see."

"Me neither. I don't think anyone paid attention when that Thirium cabinet was installed and filled up in the breakroom."

Motioning toward the private office on the other side of the bullpen Tina offered her own suggestion on the inquiry. "Want to go and ask Captain Fowler some questions?"

"It'd be faster and easier to just check the breakroom's security footage." Grabbing onto the pouch of Thirium with his left hand Gavin reached for his car keys in his right jean pocket and made his way toward the front doors of the precinct. "Call me and give me a name of the person who stocked the Thirium, Tina."

"Where are you going?"

Shouting his response as he continued on his way out the doors Gavin was clearly eager to test a theory. "I'm going to play on a hunch!"

Standing beside the bed in the private recovery room Abby stared down at Connor's face as the deviant remained unconscious and in critical condition. Despite being stable and his pump rate remaining consistently in a regular beat it was evident that Connor was suffering from a potentially lethal error that could result in a permanent shutdown. Even after being given more information on Connor's condition; using the personnel file to compare against her own detailed notes in Connor's patient file from that same facility, and reading over the sparse details regarding androids suffering from heart attacks, Abby was at a loss of what to do for her patient beyond common sense treatment.

Shirtless and quiet Connor was laying in the recovery bed in a somewhat upright position to let gravity help to lower Connor's Thirium pressure until the lethal malfunction could finally be corrected. The oxygen mask was also still over Connor's face and providing cool oxygen to the deviant's overheating core. The eight wireless sensor pads attached to his chest were all actively recording his Thirium pump, Thirium pump regulator, both ventilation biocomponents, thermal regulator, Thirium filter and both sterilization filters. With the Thirium pressure cuff still wrapped around his left bicep and L.E.D. glowing with a rapid red pulse Connor looked as weak as a tiny kitten.

Holding an internal viewing screen over Connor's chest Abby confirmed that there was no internal bleeding around the Thirium pump or physical damage that would result in such an erratic and dangerous malfunction. By all account the Thirium pump was still structurally sound and hadn't suffered any damage, glitch or complication which would normally rule out the vital biocomponent as the cause of Connor's current malfunction, but due to Connor's own statement about the origin of his pain Abby had no choice to but to keep looking at his heart.

"What am I missing? This is so damn weird."

Putting the screen aside Abby pressed her left fingertips to Connor's glowing L.E.D., and then pressed her right palm over the chest of Connor's chest to manually deactivate his artificial skin. With the plastimetal panels now exposed Abby pressed down on the left panel covering Connor's heart and pressed her fingertips to a small release switch on his left side that was nearly invisible to the untrained eye. A small 'click' sounded off as the white panel moved aside while a layer of transparent frame remained in place creating a literal window to Connor's heart.

The small blue cylinder was locked into its proper coupling and there was no sign of Thirium loss around the vital biocomponent as it pulsed and pumped Thirium throughout Connor's body. The pump that was designed to mirror that of a human's heart was beating away rapidly just beneath the surface of the cylinder seemed entirely healthy beyond the frantic beating, and there were no errors being reported with the pump itself during any system diagnostics.

"This so strange, Connor." Speaking to the deviant in a soft voice Abby picked up his chart and just looked down at her star patient as she stared at the pain etched on Connor's face as he laid practically motionless in the bed. "We've ruled out a faulty pump and even your prototyping design being a factor in your current condition. Where else am I supposed to look?"

Unsure of what else she should do Abby reread her notes and glanced to her left as the door to the recovery room slid open. Seeing Hank's worried face peering into the room made Abby's shoulders slump as she waved the senior detective inside.

"Uh, how's he doing?" Daring himself to look down at Connor's face Hank fought back against the bile building up in his throat. The sight made him physically sick to his stomach. Almost afraid to put his hand on Connor's arm as if worried he'd cause the weakened deviant to shatter into pieces. "I mean, he's still alive so that's good. But... how is he?"

"Unconscious."

"Do you know what the fuck caused this?"

"Not yet. Joel said he was going to go back to the precinct and check out the interview room since that's where Connor went down."

"Yeah, I saw him on his way out." Lightly putting his left hand down on Connor's right shoulder Hank stared hypnotically at the sight of Connor's exposed heart beating in his chest. Relieved to see the pump still active and blue Hank tried to not think about the worst case scenario. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"At this point I'd just recommend sitting with him and talking to him. Sometimes just hearing the voice of a friend or family member can be all a patient needs to begin a steady recovery."

"Right... If there's anything I'm good at it's sitting on my ass and watching the younger detectives deal with stupid shit."

Putting the chart aside for a moment Abby put her own hand on Hank's shoulder and gave him a gentle squeeze. "Have you told Lucas about this?"

"No, not yet. I'd rather not worry him about this since we don't even know what happened, yet."

"I can get behind that." Removing her palm Abby sighed and nodded to a chair up against the wall. "Stay with him for as long as you like, Hank. Until we can figure this out I don't want him to be alone for even a second."

"Where are you going?"

"To the breakroom to get some coffee before I pull out a scalpel and cut some poor bastard for getting in my personal bubble, and then I'm going to research android heart attacks like I'm preparing for the S.A.T.'s back in high school. Need anything?"

"No. Just help Connor get back on his feet."

"That's what I plan to do."

Grabbing onto the chair leaning up against the wall Hank listened to Abby leaving the room as he placed it down beside the recovery bed and put his hand right back on Connor's shoulder to remind the deviant that he wasn't alone. "It's just one damn annoying thing after another, huh, son?"

Remaining quiet and motionless save for his rapid breaths Connor didn't even seem to know that Hank was sitting beside him.

"You just stay calm and quiet like that, and we'll figure out this mess for ya'." Patting his palm over Connor's shoulder Hank stared at the beating heart again and forced the memories of Cole's tragic passing from his mind. It didn't help that the traumatic nightmare made Hank relive Cole's death all over again just seconds before he almost lost Connor to attempted self destruction. "You're a hell of a lot stronger than you know, kid. You can overcome this."

Practically breaking his own apartment door right off the hinges Gavin glanced about the modest livingroom in search of his roommate, but saw that the space was entirely empty save for Lucky, who jumped to her paws as Gavin's violent entrance scared her out of her nap. Walking down the hallway with heavy steps Gavin made a move to open up Lucas's closed bedroom door only to have the deviant beat him to the motion as he had heard Gavin's untimely and loud return to the apartment.

"Gavin? What's-"

"Test this!" Shoving the pouch of Thirium into Lucas's chest Gavin backed down the hallway and stood beside the kitchen table as the confused deviant followed after him. "Make sure that Thirium wasn't tampered with."

"...Tampered with?"

"Just do it! But don't drink it just in case there is something wrong with it."

Lucas's L.E.D. had been cycling in yellow the moment he opened his bedroom door and didn't falter in color as he opened the pouch and dipped his left index fingertip down into the Thirium to get a small sample to test on his tongue. Pressing the small amount of the Thirium to his tongue Lucas ran an analysis on the elixir within seconds, and his yellow L.E.D. flashed to red for a beat as his senses picked up on something foreign and minuscule in the Thirium.

"Well?" Impatient as ever Gavin waited for Lucas to give him some information on the sample. "Was that fucked with, or what?"

"...There are small fragments of pure nickel in the form of shavings mixed into the Thirium."

"Nickel? What the fuck?"

"Indeed. Why did you ask me to test this?"

"Seriously? Anderson didn't call you?"

"No." The yellow L.E.D. returned to red with righteous worry. "What has happened?"

"Connor went down with what the technicians are calling a damn heart attack."

The gray irises flashed with righteous concern as his pupils widened in response. "...Heart attack?"

"Yeah. Everyone's confused as hell and no one knows what caused it." Pointing to the offending Thirium in Lucas's hand Gavin him a focused stare. "Before he went down I saw him grab that Thirium from the breakroom cabinet and drink some of it. I figured that maybe there was something in the Thirium that messed him up."

"...Your theory may be correct." Trying to assess his priorities Lucas decided that his potential brother was now his main concern. "Where is Connor right now?"

"At the Zeta Facility." Showing Lucas his car keys in his hand Gavin made his way toward the apartment door with Lucas following after him. "I'll drop ya' off and you can tell them what I was right about since I have no fuckin' clue how androids even work."

Determined to find her answers Abby examined Connor's heart once more with a keen eye and a skilled touch. The vital biocomponent was at risk of fibrillating yet again at any moment and the dedicated technician was focused on heading off any complication before it even happened. Having researched the potential cause of heart attacks in androids down to the last detail Abby had only theories and educated speculations to guide her next decisions. It wasn't much to work with, but it was better than trying to work completely blind and relying strictly on luck to keep Connor alive.

Through a single text Hank had been informed by Captain Fowler that both Gavin and Tina were working together to play on a hunch that could give finally give the technicians the answers they needed in order to aid Connor. The grip on his phone began to tighten with anger as Hank realized that the cause of Connor's heart attack could've been the result of someone tampering with Thirium, and the senior detective quickly saw red.

"Hank?" Abby noticed the reaction from the corner of her eye and could feel the anger radiating from Hank's entire being beside her. "What's wrong?"

"...Joel's going to confirm some tests at the precinct, but there's a chance that the Thirium Connor drank before he went down has something to do with what's happening to him now."

"Whoa, what?" Using her audioscope Abby listened to Connor's rapidly beating heart for the umpteenth time that evening. "How did-"

Connor let out a sharp groan of pain as his body went rigid and his back partially arch as if he had been shocked. Just as suddenly as he let out a groan of pain his Connor's body suddenly went limp as his heart rate took on an arrhythmia that made the attached Thirial activity monitor screech loudly.

"Shit!" Throwing her audioscope around her neck Abby repositioned herself near the head of the bed and lowered the head down so Connor was laying flat on his back. Placing one hand over top of the other and interlacing her fingers together Abby squared her shoulders, and began to rhythmically press down on Connor's chest over his visible heart to compress the failing biocomponent. "I'm going to need some help here, Hank!"

Immediately on his feet Hank slipped his phone into his pocket to keep his hands available. "What can I do?"

"Take over for me! Compress his chest while I get him ready for a shock."

"You have to shock him?" Trading places with the technician Hank began compressing Connor's chest with the same strength and rhythm as Abby before him. The way Connor's chest responded to the compressions in such a human manner made Hank's head absolutely spin. "It looks like he was shocked before his heart went nuts on him."

"...You're right." A moment of eureka flashed through Abby's hazel eyes as she chose to instead take an empty syringe and get a blood sample from Connor's lines to run an impromptu blood test. Grabbing onto Connor's left arm Abby manually deactivated the artificial skin around the bend of his arm and then opened the panel beneath to get to a line. "Keep doing what you're doing, Hank."

"What're you doing now?"

"You were right about the way Connor reacted as if he had just been shocked." Drawing a small sample of the blood into the syringe Abby let go of Connor's arm and walked with the blood sample in hand over to the nearby countertop to use a microscope to exam the blood directly. "And if the Thirium is the cause of the heart attack then I can figure out what the supposed saboteur used to contaminate the Thirium."

Hank looked down at Connor's expressionless face and shook his head a little. Each compression made Hank's back ache and his long gray hair fall in front of his eyes as he fought to keep the deviant alive. "Shit..."

"There IS something in the Thirium!" Abby shouted as she finished peering through the lens of the microscope overlooking the provided blood sample. Moving to the other side of the room Abby located a large external Thirium filter and rolled it over to the bed opposite of where Hank was standing. "If I can get the foreign matter out of his blood then there's a chance it'll stabilize his heart again."

"Do you know what's in his blood?"

"No. I have to make an educated guess and hope I use the right filter to get it out."

Barry quickly entered the room with Lucas right behind him as he addressed Abby without getting in the way of the lifesaving procedure. "Abby? Someone is here and they say they can help Connor."

Turning to look at Barry over her shoulder Abby's eyes widened as she recognized Lucas instantly. "Lucas?"

Hank looked over as well without stopping the compressions. "Lucas? What the hell-"

"Allow me to take over." Effectively pushing Hank aside Lucas took over with the chest compressions and explained what he had uncovered thanks to Gavin's investigation while Barry took his leave of the room. "I sampled the Thirium that Connor had ingested just prior to collapsing. It had been laced with shavings of pure nickel."

"Nickel?" Abby nodded and checked the external Thirium filter to ensure the magnetic field had been initiated. "Then it can be removed through magnets and the purified Thirium can be cycled back into his system. Nickel is also a conductive metal, the shavings must've become lodged in the metal couplings of Connor's Thirium pump, and each beat caused miniature electric shocks to the biocomponent causing it to stress out."

Hank backed away from the bed and stared at the ill deviant with wide eyes as Abby began attaching the line to the external filter to the main line running in the bend of Connor's right arm to begin cycling and filtering the contaminated blue blood. "Connor has been getting shocked repeatedly ever since he went down?"

"Mostly. I had to shock him twice when he first got here, and the forcibly corrected rhythm must've been enough to cause the shavings to group together in the middle of his pump rather than the couplings connecting the main Thirial lines to the pump itself. The metal couplings touching the metal shavings would've caused tiny but painful shocks every time the pump beat."

"Why'd he get shocked again just now?"

"Gravity. I was trying to use gravity as a means of lowering his high blood pressure by forcing the Thirium to flow throughout his lower extremities and biocomponents longer than in his upper body." Watching Connor's blood being pulled into the filter and cleaned Abby sighed and walked around Lucas to connect the second external line to the left arm to ensure his blood returned to his body as quickly as it left. "The shavings touched the lower coupling in the pump connected to the descending Thirial line, hence the sudden shock."

"Son of a bitch..." Putting his hands to his hips Hank looked to Lucas and let out a despondent sigh. "Lucas, I was going to call you about this after we had more answers about Connor's condition. Please, believe me."

"I do believe you, Hank." Without breaking rhythm Lucas scanned Connor's left arm and then his right to watch the Thirium being cleaned and returned, and confirmed that the nickel shavings were in fact being collected by the magnetized filter and removed from his blood. "...The nickel is being extracted." Stopping the compressions Lucas noted the stable though rapid heartbeat. "...And the shocks have subsided."

Abby replaced her audioscope to her ears and pressed the bell over Connor's heart for a quick listen. Everything she was hearing and everything she was seeing on the attached Thirial activity monitor was consistent with a stable condition. "Normal but rapid rhythm. It's working."

Walking over to the bed Hank looked down at Connor again and ran his right fingers through his hair nervously. "So... he's stable?"

"Yeah," Abby confirmed as she readjusted the oxygen mask over Connor's face. "he's stable now."

"Lucas, will you stay with him for a while?"

"Of course, Hank." Actively scanning the Thirium in the filter and Connor's body Lucas was pleased to see that the nickel was being effectively extracted without any complications. "May I ask what you're going to do?"

"I'm going to go back to the precinct," Hank stated firmly as he walked toward the room's only door. "find the walking dead-man who fucked with the Thirium, and then kick their ass until my foot's numb..."

Slamming a large bag of unopened Thirium down on the table in the interrogation room Gavin got right in the suspect's face and used every trick he learned as a seasoned detective to be as intimidating as possible during the impending line of questions. The impossibly cold yet fiery glare in Gavin's hazel eyes was a sight to behold as he stood beside the suspect and glared with pure venom at the suspect's head. Having seniority and experience were invaluable tools that were sure to give Gavin the advantage he needed in getting answers for the attempted murder against Sergeant Connor Wolf.

Moving from beside the suspect to stand on the opposite side of the table across from the suspect Gavin rested his palms over the back of the vacant chair and leaned down with a menacing gleam in his eyes. Tightening his hands over the back of the chair as he watched the suspect begin to sweat Gavin was ready to ask his questions.

"We found nickel shavings in every damn pouch of Thirium in the breakroom. We also found tampering on all of the caps of Thirium pouches by someone who couldn't be bothered to even wear gloves."

The suspect tried to speak but his voice was already gone.

"Not only do we have your fingerprints on file, but we have the damn cameras in the breakroom that show you putting the nickel shavings in every Thirium pouch and resealing the caps." Pulling back the chair with a forceful jerk that made the suspect jump Gavin sat down and slammed his fist down on the table beside the Thirium pouch being used as a demonstration piece. "Our technician confirmed the nickel shavings were added AFTER the Thirium was stocked, AND confirmed with the facility treating Connor that the nickel shavings caused the heart attack. We also have a theory as to why you did it, but we're willing to listen to what you have to say first."

The suspect, Officer Chet Stone, was visibly trembling, sweating and pale where he sat. "...It w-wasn't supposed to do that."

"Do what? Kill an android who drank that contaminated shit?"

"No! It wasn't... It was just supposed to make him sick!"

"Oh. Like poison?"

"No! It's not... You gotta' believe me!"

"I don't gotta' believe shit! We collected evidence that makes you THE sole culprit in this attempted homicide, and-"

"Whoa, WHAT?!" The charge being pressed against him caught Chet off guard. "Homicide?!"

"Yeah, your little stunt gave Connor a fuckin' heart attack, and now he's fighting for his life at a facility downtown."

"But..." Offering up an arrogant scoff Chet looked at Gavin like he was a lunatic. "You should know better than anyone else here. He's just a machine."

"That machine is a DETECTIVE, asshole!" Shouting in anger at being expected to sympathize with the brash rookie Gavin's face flushed red as he raised his voice and got right in Chet's face. "And you actively sabotaging that Thirium resulting his heart attack is attempted homicide!"

"But..." Clearly stunned Chet could only whisper in defense of his actions. "You can't kill a machine."

"Guess what, dipshit? Like it or not, the law says otherwise. And the fact that you attempted to kill an officer of the law has guaranteed you life in prison."

"I... What?!" Chet's pale face paled further and he began to tremble violently. "You can't be ser-"

"I am VERY serious, idiot! Captain Fowler is on the other side of this glass watching everything right now." He pointed to the one way mirror as he spat angrily at the young officer and slammed his palms back down on the table's surface. "This isn't a prank or a hazing ritual, you're done! You just threw away your career and your entire life over this bullshit!"

"But... I... He's an andr-"

"Were even listening!? The law says he. Is. ALIVE. That means you," now pointing at Chet with a shaking finger Gavin finally drilled it home how much the young officer just messed up. "are being charged with the attempted murder of a detective! You're going to prison and you're NEVER going to leave until you're dead and gone." Lowering his hand again Gavin gave Chet a confused stare. "Why? Why in the fuck did you do it?"

Chet fell deathly silent as the true weight of the situation crushed his racing heart.

"Work with us, Chet. You might gain an eligibility for parole in thirty years. Twenty if you're lucky."

"I... It wasn't supposed to kill him!" On the verge of tears Chet confessed to the sabotage with a trembling voice. "It was just supposed to make him sick! I swear! The nickel was just supposed to make Connor sick enough that he wouldn't be able to work anymore. It happened to him before..."

"Why?" Lowering his voice Gavin took the edge off and waited for Chet to answer the question. "Why did you want to make him sick?"

"...He killed my brother-in-law."

"That shit again?" The long standing grudge had been the working theory for the assault and now Chet just confirmed it. "I know Fowler explained to you that Connor was cleared of those charges, and that your sister is lucky that Connor didn't press charges against her for assaulting him in front dozens of eye witnesses, AND on camera. Did you seriously join this precinct just so you could get close enough to Connor to kill him? That's premeditation!"

"I just... I was told by-"

"Watch your next words carefully, otherwise you're going to drag other people into your own little Hellhole."

"...I was told," changing his statement slightly Chet spoke up again. "that metal filings can make androids sick if they ingest it."

"Yeah, pretty sure the same thing can happen to humans, too."

"I just wanted to make Connor sick enough that he'd be out of the precinct for another week or something." Looking to Gavin as if silently begging for mercy Chet explained his reasoning for such a focused attack. "If a single detective is gone for so many days in a single frame of time-"

"They're subjected to immediate investigation by Internal Affairs to check for mental and physical health, and the officer being investigated gets a damn black mark on their record that prevents them from getting promoted for two years." Shaking his head a little at the unnecessary act of revenge Gavin just tried to wrap his head around the recklessly bold attack. "You were trying to derail his career, and instead you almost killed him. Fuckin' asshole..."

"But he killed-"

"Self. Defense." Everyone knew what Connor did in the tower and no one blamed him for acting the way he did. "He didn't go to the tower planning on killing anyone, but you went out of your way to plan your little act of sabotage, sneak into the breakroom during your graveyard shift two nights ago, poison every pouch of Thirium in the cabinet and simply stand back and watch as Connor nearly died during an interview. You're lucky Connor didn't drink the full pouch, he would've been dead long before anyone got to him. Then again," leaning back in the chair Gavin gave Chet a deeply disappointed glare before he stood up and snatched the Thirium pouch from the desk. "if he does actually die then you'll be marched to the head of the line on death row. Hope your inability to let shit go and lack of professionalism to request a transfer is worth your life..."

Leaving the interrogation room in a huff Gavin almost bumped into Hank and stopped short at the sight of the intimidating Lieutenant.

"He confessed." Hank sounded as disappointed as Gavin looked. Turning to his side Hank entered the observation room to confront Captain Fowler as he tried to understand why Chet was even allowed to remain in the precinct after the previous assault. "Your turn, Jeffrey."

"Excuse me?" Turning to face Hank as the Lieutenant walked into the room with Gavin standing just behind him Captain Fowler gave him a blank look. "What're you talking about?"

"You need to answer some questions." Hank had to resist the urge to pull Captain Fowler out of the chair by his shirt collar and pin him up against the nearby wall. "Why the fuck did you let that rookie piece of shit stay here when you know he has a personal grievance with Connor?"

"I tried to transfer him, Hank. None of the other precincts have the payroll to handle another officer right now."

"And instead of explaining the situation or even offering up a trade you just say 'Oh, okay.' and let that kid just keep working here without anyone watching him? That's bullshit!"

"There was no indication that he was going to try anything against Connor. The aggressor in the previous assault was his sister, not him."

"Doesn't matter. You seriously dropped the fuckin' ball on this one, Jeffrey. None of your detectives should have to be watching their own backs because another officer might stick a knife in 'em!"

"You're right, Hank. I can't undo what's happened but I can tell the higher-ups that the next time a transfer is denied that they'll be the ones cleaning up the mess, not anyone here. This will not happen again."

"Yeah, whatever..." Taking in a slow deep breath Hank calmed himself back down and put aside his anger in favor of taking care of Connor instead. "I'm going to head back to the facility and stay with Connor until he wakes up. Don't fuckin' bother either of us."

The was just beginning to set and the facility itself was exhausted after finally discovering the cause of Connor's freak heart attack. While the external Thirium filter succeeded in removing the nickel shavings from Connor's blue blood Abby busied herself with stabilizing Connor's other vital signs as the affected deviant finally rested properly. Running on fumes and caffeine the tired technician all but collapsed into the chair beside the recovery bed as she waited for Connor to wake up before clocking-out for the night so she too could rest. Compassionately Abby held onto Connor's left forearm as she closed her eyes and rested for only a moment, her soft hand was very warm in contrast to Connor's cooler arm.

Lucas was still wide awake and watching over Connor's every sign of returning consciousness carefully. His advanced programming allowed him to see even the smallest of changes in Connor's behavior that the recording monitor couldn't quite detect. Studying the way Connor's hands twitched slightly and the way his red L.E.D. would cycle to yellow for momentary intervals as his self healing program recalibrated his Thirium pump, Lucas contemplated the pros and cons of becoming a detective in favor of being a street musician.

To say the least, it was a very interesting comparison.

The door to the recovery room slid open with a soft 'hiss' as Hank made his return and walked over to the bed to check in on Connor again. The deviant still had the Thirial monitor attached to his chest, the Thirium pressure cuff wrapped around his left bicep and the oxygen mask over his face making him look weak, but his vitals were all stable and he was breathing normally again.

Standing beside the bed Hank returned his palm to Connor's shoulder and gave Lucas a worried look without disturbing Abby in the process. "Is he still okay?"

"Yes, Hank." Confirming Connor's stability Lucas gave Hank a confident nod as his L.E.D. remained in blue. "He should be regaining consciousness within the next two minutes and nine seconds."

"Finally..." Patting Connor's shoulder lightly Hank continued to speak to Lucas and made sure the second deviant knew he wasn't being overlooked when it came to problems in Connor's life. "Earlier when I said I was going to call you-"

"I'm aware, Hank." Cutting the senior detective off for a moment Lucas locked eyes with Hank and spoke honestly with him as well. "Connor and I aren't close as friends, let alone brothers, so I understand the hesitation. I also know that his circle of trusted allies is very small, and I don't want to intrude on such a limited space."

"Glad you're so understanding."

"I've discovered that patience can be priceless more often than not."

"That's a fact I'll never try to argue again. But Lucas, I've been meaning to ask," watching Lucas's reactions very closely Hank addressed the elephant in the room. "how did you get a sample of that tainted Thirium from the precinct to confirm Connor's affliction? It's not like you could just walk in to the precinct and help yourself."

"You're right I couldn't. I was actually given-" Stopping mid sentence Lucas looked down at Connor as he sensed the deviant's processor rebooting. "Connor?"

Hank too looked down at the ill deviant and patted his shoulder again. "Connor? Can you hear us, son?"

Soulful brown irises returned to the waking world through a glassy gaze that steadily cleared up as he blinked a few times. Peering up at Hank beside him, then to Lucas on the other side of the bed, Connor's eyes trailed down his left arm where he felt and saw Abby's hand resting on the cold limb. Recognizing her hand by her blue nail polish and gentle touch Connor realized he wasn't alone.

Speaking through the muffling oxygen mask Connor tried to figure out what had happened after he lost consciousness. "...My memory is incomplete. What happened?"

"Son, you had a heart attack." Shaking Connor's shoulder a little Hank kept his voice soft and compassionate as he spoke. "Don't you remember?"

"...I do." Placing his right palm over the center of his chest Connor sighed, the heated escaping breath causing the inside of the mask to fog up in return, and was relieved to not feel any excruciating pain in his heart. "...What caused it?"

Lucas answered on Hank's behalf as he lowered his voice as well. "The precinct's supply of Thirium had been intentionally contaminated with nickel shavings. It caused electrical interference in your Thirium pump, hence the painful electrical shocks, arrhythmia and resulting heart attack."

"...I see." Swallowing once Connor struggled to get his weak voice audible above a whisper. "External filtration was used to extract the nickel, was it not?"

"That's correct. How do you currently feel?"

"...Very tired."

"Then you should rest." The insistence was kind and empathetic toward the exhausted deviant. "Hank and I will be remaining here with you until you're allowed to return to the house."

Giving Lucas a curious glance Connor responded to the seemingly strange notion of both Hank and Lucas staying with him, rather than Hank alone staying behind. "...You're going to remain here as well?"

"Yes. We may not be close to one another, but I do know I wouldn't be able to walk away knowing you're ill and recovering in a facility. It seems wrong to leave you behind."

"...Thank you, Lucas." Blinking again tears filled Connor's soulful brown eyes as he turned to look up at Hank again and took in a deep breath. "And thank you, Hank."

"Hey, it's not big deal." Dismissing the gratitude Hank was focused on keeping Connor as relaxed as possible. "It's not the first time I'll spend the night in a hospital."

"I'm not talking about staying with me in the facility." Pulling the oxygen mask from his face Connor struggled to sit upright in the bed, and only managed to make such a motion with the help of both Hank and Lucas supporting his weight. Fighting through the emotion welling up in his voice Connor looked Hank right in the eyes as he spoke again. "...I'm talking about when you stopped me from self destructing."

"Son, I-"

"When I was ready to end my life I was certain it was because I no longer wished to live, and I had nothing to live for." Shame filled his voice as admitted a harsh truth to himself. "But when I collapsed to the interview room floor and was terrified, and in so much pain that I couldn't do anything to help myself, I realized that's not the case. I'm grateful that you stopped me from ending my life and for being there for me whenever I need you the most. Thank you, and I'm so sorry for what I almost did."

Hank moved his hand from Connor's shoulder so he could wrap his entire arm around him and pulled Connor in for a hug up against his side. "It's okay, it's all over now."

"I don't want to die, Hank. I really do want to live." Realizing that his pining for death wasn't as sincere as he initially believed Connor felt guilty for ever making the attempt to shut himself down. "But I just don't know what I want to live for!" Tears rolled down Connor's face as he spoke and his breathing began to hitch in his chest thanks to his overwhelming emotions. He could feel Abby's hand tightening around his arm as if even in her sleep she knew her patient was distressed. "I just don't know anything anymore."

"Shh, shh, shh..." Tightening his arm around Connor's shoulders Hank used his other hand to cup the side of Connor's face and let the deviant bury his face into his shoulder to hide from the world. "It's okay. Near-death experiences have a strange way of making you so certain and uncertain of everything all at the same damn time that it makes your head hurt."

Lucas put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder in his own supportive manner. "You are going to be fine, Connor. You're recovering well, and tomorrow you can go back home to rest and think in a comfortable setting. We will both help you if you need us."

Nodding while keeping his face buried against Hank's shoulder Connor acknowledged Lucas's words, and began to cry courtesy of his incredibly overwhelming and confusing emotions.

"You'll be just fine, son." Hank soothed in a calm tone as he comforted the deviant to the best of his ability. Sometimes Hank swore that Connor was really a child trapped in an android's body. "I get the feeling that this is going to be a massive turning point in your life, kid. But this time it'll be for the better."

-next chapter-