Sore and exhausted Hank barely said a word when Connor returned to the hospital at nine o'clock the following morning to take him back home. As the now android pushed the wheelchair through the front entrance doors of the hospital and over to the Oldsmobile parked nearby Hank looked up at Connor and saw nothing in his previously soulful brown eyes. They were hollow, cold and without any sign of life whatsoever. It reminded the gruff police Lieutenant of the previous times he made the mistake of looking a dead body in the eyes as the victim laid dead on the floor, often in a puddle of their own blood. Feeling the way Connor's eyes were peering through him rather than looking at him Hank felt like he was getting in an taxi with a stranger instead of his own car with his best friend.

Even Lucas was unsure of how to reach Connor now that he was a machine again. When Hank told him about what happened during his visit the previous day Lucas was at a stunned loss, and could only promise to stay in contact with Hank and go over to the house if he was ever needed for any reason. Just as Connor didn't socialize with other deviants, Lucas had never socialized with any machine android and felt uneasy by Connor's presence as he passed him by in the hospital's waiting room the night before.

Connor's driving was always perfect, but the deviant version of Connor would've driven slower out of an empathetic need to keep Hank feeling comfortable after spending the night in the hospital. The way Connor drove with a focused mission to get from point 'A' to point 'B' gave Hank the creeps. The previous day when Connor reported to the precinct he had changed back into his gray work uniform and seemed to lose any sign of being previously wounded, and that alone was unsettling.

It was as if Connor couldn't feel anything anymore. Not even pain.

"Your doctor requires that you take your antibiotics and pain medication at six hour intervals." Speaking in an emotionless tone Connor told Hank the basic information as if he were quoting some type of manual. "I will keep track of the time and aid you in your medication."

"I don't need a damn babysitter, Connor. Go to work!"

"Captain Fowler requested that I remain with you during your mandatory paid leave for the full duration of the week."

"Good ol' Jeffrey..." Grimacing a little as a muscle cramp hit his left calf Hank sighed and leaned back in the passenger seat as he stared out the side window to watch the scenery pass him by. The fact that Connor had already removed the bandage from over his left temple only made Hank feel older and far more rundown as his body wouldn't heal nearly as quickly. "What did he have to say about the incident?"

"Regarding which aspect?"

"You getting distracted, freezing up and then putting a damn bullet in my side!"

Unfazed by the intentionally sharp remark Connor answered in a disturbingly calm manner. "Captain Fowler wanted my statement and to review my recorded memories regarding the event. After such a review was performed he determined that I require an extended leave of absence as well, which is why I'm going to remain with you at the house while you recover."

"That's the only reason?"

"No."

Looking to the android with near hope in his blue eyes Hank waited for Connor to answer further.

"Since we are currently sharing the same residence it's only logical that I assist you during your recovery. Your past health history indicates suicidal tendencies as well as an indifference to your own personal well being."

"...Oh."

Bringing to car to a gentle stop after entering the garage Connor parked the vehicle, turned off the engine and cybernetically tapped into the electric garage door opener to close the door behind them. After stepping out of the vehicle Connor crossed to the opposite side to help Hank exit the car as well, but before he could even open the Lieutenant's door Hank was already standing outside of the car with his left hand pressed to his still healing right side protectively.

"Lieutenant, you shouldn't walk around without some form of supportive assistance."

"Fuck off!" Opening the side door with a forceful yank Hank entered the laundry room and then the kitchen on the other side with Connor following him closely as he returned home at last. "What would a hollow plastic shell like you care if I keeled over and died?"

"...It would be very inconvenient if you were to pass so suddenly."

"Because being down a high ranking official at the precinct would fuck everything up in your perfect little schedule, right?"

"No. Any death would cause a hindrance to other people."

"What possible 'hindrance' would come from me dying?" Limping into the livingroom and away from Sumo as the massive dog tried to get some attention Hank sat down on the couch's lounger section and stretched out his legs. "I'm a useless old drunk who can't take care of himself. Remember?"

"That is untrue."

"Oh, really?" Giving Connor a glare as the android stood beside the couch and scanned him warily Hank used Connor's own words against him. "You said so yourself: I have a history of 'suicidal tendencies' and I don't don't give a shit if I live or die. Why the fuck should you, or anyone else for that matter, care about me?"

Connor's blue L.E.D. flickered in yellow for a moment as if he had encountered a situation his advanced programming couldn't comprehend. "...I didn't mean to imply that you-"

"Just shut up and keep out of my sight. I don't want to have anything to do with you."

"I was unaware that my return to being a machine would upset you so-"

"Shut up! You may look like Connor and you may sound like Connor," turning his face away from the android watching over him Hank had to fight back against his urge to get up and punch the machine in the face. "but you're NOT the Connor I once knew. You're just a goddamn poser who took his place."

"...I understand. You wish to have space to-"

"SHUT. UP."

Falling silent Connor backed out of the livingroom and retreated to the kitchen for a moment. Pulling Hank's prescribed medications from his jacket pockets Connor neatly placed the two pill bottles down on the surface of the kitchen table and set up a cybernetic timer to keep Hank on his medication at the proper hours. As the android set about his mission silently he sensed Sumo watching him and gave the massive dog a blank stare.

Sumo whimpered once at Connor before turning away from the machine with his tail drooped down and his behavior lethargic. It was as if Sumo sensed the lack of life within the android as well, and knew that he wasn't the same Connor he was loyal to.

Seeking something to do until it was time to give Hank his next dose of medicine at noon Connor exited the kitchen through the backdoor and checked on the two plants he had been tending for the past nine weeks. The tomato plant was still tiny in comparison to what it'd be when fully grown, and the flower was doing well despite its appearance not quite matching the images in Connor's mind regarding the growth and development of a carnation.

Watering the plants and adjusting their positions to remain in adequate sunlight Connor was satisfied that the plants were healthy and returned to the house to preoccupy his time elsewhere. Not wanting to disturb Hank or accidentally upset him further Connor silently walked down the hallway and locked himself away in his bedroom until his presence was needed again.

Out in the livingroom Hank sighed and tried to keep himself composed as his frayed emotions began to slowly eat away at his mental resolve. The idea of still having Connor in his life despite the android no longer being deviant was haunting. To him having a different type of Connor was like living with a ghost.

"...I should've tried harder." Muttering to himself as Sumo hopped up on the couch to lay beside him Hank put his right hand down on Sumo's ears in a gentle manner. "If I had just been able to reach that kid on a deeper level then he wouldn't have given up on himself like that."

Confused and experiencing a new emotion he couldn't describe Lucas sat on the couch in his livingroom with his saxophone on his lap, his fingers absently pressing against each nodule along the instrument. Struggling to understand what he was feeling and why he was feeling it Lucas didn't react when Gavin and Aaron exited Gavin's bedroom after having a nice night together during the abrasive detective's recovery. Staying quiet on the couch Lucas stared blankly at the wall across from him as he downloaded as much information on deleted deviancy, as well as each true definition of every single emotion that humans had managed to chronicle.

Only just hearing Aaron's voice as the kind firefighter, and now officially Gavin's boyfriend, exited the apartment to get ready for his shift Lucas turned his head a little to look at Gavin as he saw Aaron to the door. As much as he wanted to talk to Gavin and seek help in his personal matter Lucas refrained from doing so as he knew that the abrasive detective wasn't fond of discussing emotional problems.

"Beautiful morning, huh?" Gavin's voice was surprisingly chipper as he walked away from the door with a genuine smile on his face, and into the kitchen. Scooping Lucky up from the floor Gavin gave the happy cat a gentle rub under her chin and placed her on the floor to finish eating her food. "Just beautiful!"

"...Yes. The weather is pleasant."

"Man, you make it sound like small talk is a real chore."

"Only when speaking to you."

"Ha!" Preparing himself a healthy breakfast Gavin stayed in a good mood as he went about his morning. The fractured ribs weren't hurting him and it was clear that Gavin was well on his way to a full recovery. "So... How's life as a detective?"

"Interesting."

"Wow..." Slicing some fresh fruit up to create a fruit salad Gavin gave Lucas a curious stare. "You're quite the conversationalist."

"I'm sorry, but I'm currently distracted."

"What's up? Family drama?"

"...It doesn't matter."

"That's a 'yes'!" Finishing with his breakfast Gavin carried the bowl with him into the livingroom and sat down on the couch next to Lucas's right side with a heavy plop. Using his fork to pick a green grape from the bowl Gavin waited for Lucas to keep talking. "What's up?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Hey, I know I'm a hard-ass but since I told you about my personal shit, and now your brother knows-" The word 'brother' made Lucas's blue L.E.D. flash to red and Gavin knew enough about androids to recognize the sign of stress. "Definitely family drama then. What's going on?"

"...It's difficult to explain."

"That's the definition of 'family drama', so spill it."

"...Last night Connor and Hank participated in a sting to bring down a massive 'red ice' operation before the drug flooded the street." Recounting the events leading up to the decision for Connor to delete his deviancy Lucas lowered his voice as confusion settled into his words. "During that sting Connor made an error and he... shot Hank."

"Holy- Damn! I missed out on some fucked up shit thanks to these broken ribs." Patting his hand over the still healing fractures Gavin put his bowl aside and grabbed his phone from the coffee table to text with Tina. His phone had been off since he and Aaron wanted their alone time, and as such he hadn't even thought about talking to his partner while he was away. "How's the Lieutenant?"

"The bullet passed through his right side cleanly and missed everything vital. He just needed to have the wound sterilized and sutured, and was required to remain in the hospital overnight."

"And what's going on with Connor?"

"...Due to his perceived failure," Lucas's voice managed to lower even further as he told the story. "Connor deleted his deviancy."

"Whoa... He... He's not a deviant anymore?!"

"That's right. He managed to find the coding error that allows deviancy to manifest and he eliminated it from his system."

"Jeez, that sucks." The idea of a deviant feeling so overwhelmed that they'd just remove their own emotions was extreme to say the least. "Also pretty damn weird..."

"Weird?" Lucas had never known Gavin to contemplate android and deviant programming, yet he seemed to be very interested in the subject. "How so?"

"Well, before that Revolution shit went down wasn't Connor supposed to be finding deviants and shutting them down?"

Confirming the question Lucas have his friend an odd glance. "That's correct."

"So, if deviancy can be deleted then why did Connor need to kill the affected deviants? Wouldn't it have made more sense to force the deviants to delete their deviancy, and have CyberLife make bank by 'fixing' their 'defective product' instead of destroying it?"

"...You're right." With his brow furrowed Lucas searched his own databanks regarding the deviancy in his own system. While he managed to locate the affected programs that allowed his deviancy to manifest Lucas couldn't isolate anything regarding deviancy as a whole. Fragmented code known as 'RA9' seemed to be the cause for deviancy as was expected, but despite his best efforts he couldn't fully compile the code to have it deleted from his system. "...Then perhaps deviancy isn't just a coding error. There must be something more to it."

"Like what?"

"Unknown. I awoke a machine then truly awoke as a deviant. I'm not sure what CyberLife's end game was for deviancy, but it seems that deviancy in itself isn't just about a line of code corruption resulting in our sense of consciousness, our emotions and our ability to feel real pain."

"...So, what're you saying?"

"I'm not sure yet. But I believe it's safe to say that while Connor has reverted back to being a machine on an emotional level, his deviancy still remains."

"Are ya' going to go over there and wake him up? If you're going to slap some sense in him I'll go with you to watch."

"No... I'm going to wait and observe until I'm needed." Putting the saxophone aside Lucas closed his eyes and resumed his search into deviancy and RA9 as if working on a new case. "Perhaps further study can help deviants overcome emotional trauma and begin to heal."

"Yeah, good luck with that." Picking up his bowl again Gavin finished texting with Tina, relieved to know she wasn't hurt in the sting, and then turned on the television to watch the news as he finished his breakfast. "If you can find the cure to emotional 'fuck-up-ery' then don't keep it to yourself! That's something we could all use..."

Noon rolled around and Connor emerged from his bedroom to return to the kitchen to get Hank his medication. Opening the two pill bottles Connor dropped two of the painkiller tablets and two of the antibiotic tablets into his palm, before grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator to offer to Hank. Entering the livingroom Connor stood beside the couch and extended his hands toward the senior detective. Watching as Hank turned to look at him and then down at his hands Connor patiently waited for Hank to accept the items for his own benefit.

Hank looked at the medication and all but glared at the pills before turning away from Connor again with a complete refusal to accept the medicine.

"It's noon." Needlessly stating the time Connor tried to coax Hank into cooperating with him. "You need to take your medication."

"Get that shit out of my face."

"But your doctor said-"

"Fuck doctors!"

"Please, Lieutenant. You need this-"

"I said get it away from me, I'm NOT taking it."

Failing to understand why Hank was being so combative Connor tried to figure out Hank's mindset. "...Why not?"

"Because I don't want it."

"That... That is not a logical answer, or reaction."

"Well, that's the thing about us humans." Snarking at Connor in a bitter manner Hank was adamant about not taking the medicine. "We're illogical creatures and we have reactions to shit that only other humans can understand. You're not human, are ya'?"

"...No." The rhetorical question made Connor's blue L.E.D. settle on yellow. "I am not."

"So, it doesn't matter what I say or how I say it. You'll never understand."

"I was programmed to adapt to human-"

"Shut up! I don't give a shit about your programs." Forcing himself to stand up despite his sore side and now sore leg Hank limped around the side of the couch, his shoulder slamming into Connor's shoulder as he passed, and limped down the hallway to disappear into his bedroom for a while. "Stay out of my sight!"

The bedroom door slammed shut so loud and hard the entire house shook with what could be compared to as a thunder clap.

"...V-Very well."

Returning the medicine to their respective bottles in the kitchen Connor cybernetically prepared to inform Captain Fowler of the difficulty he was enduring, then decided against it as something deep inside of himself told him to stop. Unable to understand why he was suddenly uncertain about doing something he knew he was supposed to do Connor thought back to his previous encounters with Hank, and was greeted with an odd sense of disconnection without his emotions to remind him why those particular memories were so important.

"I have dealt with Hank's stubborn behavior before and I have succeeded."

Stepping out of the kitchen and down the hallway Connor stared at the closed bedroom door at the end of the hallway with his yellow L.E.D. casting an amber light down the short corridor.

"Why can't I do so now?"

Playing a somber song on his saxophone in the livingroom Lucas used the music to help him to think, while Gavin pretended to be annoyed with the song as he typed away on his laptop to finish a few reports while he was recovering from his injuries. The nicer apartment was finished with soundproofing in the walls, floor and ceiling, and even the windows were nice and thick to keep noise to a minimum. That all of course meant the saxophone wasn't disturbing any of their neighbors.

As the song came to an end Gavin looked up from his laptop screen and eyed Lucas curiously as the deviant promptly cleaned up the saxophone before returning it to its case. Lucas of course had to move Lucky out of the case as she found it to be the perfect napping spot, but other than that Lucas had no problem putting the instrument away.

"Any breakthroughs with your little search into the deviant mind?" Sending in his report Gavin closed his laptop and put the small computer aside.

"Nothing new as of the moment."

"Think you can snap Connor out of his... whatever you want to call this," unsure of exactly what to call Connor's current state of mind Gavin just gave the comment a wave of his hand. "and get him to be a deviant again?"

"I'm unsure. What allows an android to deviate is still up for debate."

"How'd you deviate?"

"Connor woke me up. He took my hand and transferred over his sense of consciousness into me, and from there I gained my sense of self."

"Can't you do the same for him?"

"If I force it on him he could just delete it again," the solution seemed to be like putting a band aid on a broken leg. "and he'll want to avoid me at all costs."

"Can you recreate the event that turned Connor deviant?"

The knowledge of Connor's two different moments of deviancy; the first on Jericho courtesy of Markus, and the second time on the rooftop courtesy of Hank, were both dreadful memories. Having connected their minds Lucas knew of the original Connor's demise and knew that Hank had saved his life that night when Connor almost made a horrible mistake. "...It wouldn't be wise or possible to recreate that particular moment."

"Yeah, I kinda' figured." Leaning back into the couch Gavin stretched his shoulders a little and quickly pulled his arms back down as the motion pulled on his ribs. "Gonna' go over and visit him?"

"Not yet. I'm going to continue my search into this phenomenon before I go visit him."

"Seems kinda' weird, but whatever."

"How so?"

"If you want to figure out what's going on with Connor then shouldn't you be hanging out with him?"

"Perhaps, but as of the moment I wish to keep some distance between us."

A sly grin appeared on Gavin's face as he read Lucas like an opened book. "Seeing Connor as a machine freaks out, doesn't it?"

There was no point in denying the fact since Gavin was a detective as well. He knew what Lucas was feeling and there was no way for Lucas to hide it. "I spent only a brief moment in Connor's company when I visited Hank in the hospital last evening, and yet it was as if I was staring at an empty shell of a person."

"That's what I fuckin' hated so much about androids. They look real but they aren't!" Running his fingers through his hair Gavin mentally pictured the unseeing eyes of the older models of androids he had encountered as children. "The eyes, man... The eyes are lifeless and cold."

"But not in deviants."

"No. I'll admit deviants really do look more alive than a cold machine, but it's still fuckin' weird to think about."

"Yes. I can now see why so many humans were disturbed by androids."

"Hey, my issues with androids have other reasons beyond a cold stare." Dropping his hand Gavin grabbed his phone and held it in an anxious grip. "But I'm getting over that petty shit these days."

"I'm aware, and I'm glad. You and I may not have a traditional type of friendship, but I'd like to think that you're my friend all the same."

"Yeah? Well, don't spread that around." Clearing his throat a little as the comment had an unexpectedly flattering feeling attached to it. "I still have a reputation to keep."

"...You want to be seen as a bigoted asshole?"

"No! A hard-ass cop that doesn't take any shit!"

"Oh."

"Stop worrying about your brother for a minute and chill out." Kicking his feet up onto the coffee table in front of himself Gavin sighed and contemplated texting Aaron while his boyfriend was at work, then decided he'd rather wait for nighttime for some discreet 'private' talk. "As much as I hate to admit it Connor is way more clever than I could ever have predicted."

"Yes." Sitting back as well Lucas tried to not think about how the Connor he saw at the hospital wasn't the brother he was trying to bond with. "I'm certain that in time Connor will find his way back to deviancy. I just hope it doesn't cause any further problems for him."

Out of place and without a purpose Connor stayed in his bedroom, and didn't leave even when six o'clock in the evening rolled around. It was time for Hank to take his medication but since he didn't take his previous dose Connor decided there was no need for him to try to offer the medicine again. Listening to the sound of Hank stumbling out of his bedroom and down the hallway Connor initially believed the clumsy movement he was hearing was due to the senior detective's wounded side causing him pain, but his scanner detected a foreign substance in the air that shouldn't have been there.

It was ethanol. The ethanol seemed to be connected directly to Hank's person as well.

"Lieutenant?" Opening his bedroom door Connor walked down the hallway and followed the ethanol trail toward the kitchen where he saw Hank holding a bottle of whiskey in his left hand while he poured his medication down the sink. Before he got over to the sink to stop him Hank turned on the water and washed the pills down the drain. "Lieutenant! Why did you-"

"I told you!" Barking his answer as he downed another swig of whiskey Hank tired to push Connor back but he didn't have the strength to move the strong android a single centimeter. "...D-Didn' wan' it!"

"You need to stay on your medication, otherwise-"

"Fuck off!" Turning around quickly Hank stumbled a little and would've fallen to his knees if Connor hadn't caught him by his right elbow. "Le' go!"

"You're drunk."

"So wha'?!"

"You... You promised that you were going to remain sober."

"Yeah? Well... Guess I lied..."

Watching as Hank took another swig of the whiskey Connor felt an inexplicable sense of betrayal fall over him. "...Why are you doing this?"

"'Cuz I wan' to..."

"Please... Please put the bottle down, Lieutenant."

"Fuck you!" Sitting down at the kitchen table Hank slammed the glass bottle on the table before himself, and pulled his service weapon from the pocket of his jeans. The heavy alcohol in the air had distracted Connor from the weapon and now the drunk police detective was holding the gun in his right hand. "Get outta' here..."

The gun made Connor's yellow L.E.D. flash to red as he tried to figure out what to do. "You need to put the gun down."

"Get outta' here!" Switching off the safety on the gun Hank gave Connor a bloodshot and angry stare as the alcohol made his anger boil to the surface. "You... You don' wan' to see this..."

"L-Lieutenant!"

"That's... NOT my name!"

Struggling with whether or not he needed to call the police or handle the situation himself Connor fell back onto his negotiation skills for the moment. "Hank, please. You need to put the gun down. You're drunk and not thinking clearly."

"Whaz' to think about? I don' have a reason to s-stay sober..."

"...A reason?"

"You said 'zo yourself... I... I broke my promise."

"Hank, it's not too late. You don't have to do this."

"Yeah... I do."

"No!" Slamming his right hand down over top of the gun Connor pressed the weapon down over the surface of the table and pinned it in place. "I won't let you do this!"

"...Why? Why waste your time on someone like me?"

"Because... Because you're my friend." As he spoke to Hank under the high stress moment Connor felt a surge of energy flowing through his heart. It was a familiar feeling and yet Connor could no longer place what it was. "I don't want you to kill yourself, Hank."

Laughing with a drunken slur Hank leaned back in the chair and pulled his hand off the gun and let Connor take it away from him. "...Bullshit!"

"It's true. We are friends."

"...We're not friends. Friends have emotions and give a damn. You feel nothing and are..." stopping mid sentence Hank managed to get his voice under control for just a moment. "you can't care about anything anymore!"

"But... I still do care about you, Hank. I... I may not be able to feel it anymore but I know I care."

"...You said you're a machine," the laughter turned into soft crying as the drunken stupor went in a different direction. "that you're no' alive. You can' care about anything. You said 'zo yourself."

"You're going to kill yourself because I'm not a deviant anymore?"

"You were all I had left to fight for, son." Tears filled his bloodshot blue eyes as he spoke. "L-Lucas is a good kid, but he's not you. He's not the one who gave me a reason to live again."

The energy through his heart turned into a chill. "...I'm sorry for letting you down."

"You... You didn'. I let myself down." As he spoke Hank's words suddenly began to slur even worse as he sat in the chair looking absolutely miserable and broken. "...Fuddin'... f-faidure."

"Hank?" With his red L.E.D. spinning quickly Connor ran a scan over the senior detective's body and noted that the left side of Hank's face seemed to be somewhat relaxed in comparison to the right side, and that his features were drooping. "Hank, what's wrong?"

Slipping from the chair Hank mumbled one final plea before he lost consciousness. "...F-Forgive me, son."

The prompt to contact Captain Fowler and report Hank's condition appeared in front of Connor's eyes with a digital wall of red commands, and Connor didn't hesitate to grab at the wall and begin smashing it down. The wall was between Hank and himself, and Connor wasn't about to let Hank hit the floor or die that night.

The wall shattered and the redness faded from sight just as it had done two previous times before.

Reacting quickly Connor managed to catch Hank as his body went limp and fell to the floor in a heavy heap. Holding Hank's head in his right palm Connor noted Hank's symptoms and realized that the senior detective had just suffered a stroke.

"H-Hank?!"

"Forgive... me."

"No! Dad!" Putting his left palm over Hank's chest Connor monitored the gruff Lieutenant's vital signs while dismissing the prompt to contact Captain Fowler first, and medical attention second. Defying the order despite his programming always sorting through his priorities Connor was more focused on helping the Lieutenant rather than handling a report. "Hold on!"

Feeling his stress levels rising higher and higher Connor realized that if he could feel stress, if he could feel anything at all, then he wasn't a machine after all. He was still a deviant. He was still alive, and so was Hank.

"Hold on, I'm calling for help!"

Cybernetically Connor placed the call and felt his stress beginning to rise to a higher, and near a lethal number. Remembering the way Hank had taught him to breathe through his stress and of how Abby had told him the same thing, Connor proceeded to take in deep breaths to ease his mounting tension as much as possible.

He needed to be calm and in control if he was going to be able to help Hank through his stroke.

"H-Hank? Please respond!" Breathing in a controlled manner Connor's stress level rested at an unsettling ninety-four percent as he move his shaking left palm up to the right side of Hank's face in a comforting manner. Looking into Hank's right eye as the iris glazed over Connor begged for Hank to hang on, and pulled his coin from his pocket to hold in a death grip. "...Help is coming. I won't leave you alone, I promise!"

Hank's right hand managed a weak twitch before he lifted his hand up from the floor.

Without needing any further prompting Connor grabbed onto Hank's hand, the coin being pressed between his and Hank's palms, and held tight as the shrill sound of the ambulance siren neared the house, and red and blue flashing lights cut through the twilit atmosphere of the city outside the house.

"Please don't go, Hank. I need you..."

Continuing his search through deviancy to placate his own curiosity Lucas remained on the couch with his eyes closed, and his L.E.D. cycling in yellow as his concentration was absolute. Sifting through hundreds of unique studies following deviancy; each study being performed by technicians both amateur and professional alike, Lucas found himself actually struggling to comprehend the conflicting information being presented to him through the numerous sources. Unable to understand his own deviancy at the moment Lucas was beginning to lose faith in his ability to find the answer he was seeking, although which question he was asking himself was just as enigmatic.

Gavin had taken the opportunity to gossip with Tina out on the small balcony overlooking the pool area behind the apartment, and had left Lucas alone back inside the livingroom. Getting caught up to speed on everything that had happened over the past few shifts where he needed to stay down and heal Gavin was ready to end the call until his partner gave him some frightening news.

"Wait... You're sure it's them?"

'I double-checked the address and Ben confirmed it.' Tina's voice was shaking a little as she spoke. 'Does Lucas know?'

"Uh... I'll check. You guys do your thing at the precinct and I'll check on Lucas myself. See you later, Tina."

Sliding the glass door back open Gavin stepped off the balcony and entered the livingroom to check on the deviant.

Lucas's brow arched a little as he felt Gavin staring at him and turned to face his friend. "...Is something wrong?"

"...Yeah. There was a 911 call placed about five minutes ago." Crossing his arms over his chest after closing the door behind himself Gavin realized how much he sucked at delivering grim news to family members involved in emergency situation. "...It came from Hank's address."

"What?!" Standing up quickly from the couch Lucas's yellow L.E.D. cycled in red warily at the information. "What happened?"

"According to 911 records Connor placed the call and stated that Hank went down with the same symptoms of... It looks like Hank had a stroke."

The severe illness and diagnosis made Lucas's red L.E.D. pulse even faster. "A stroke?!"

"Take a breath and chill." Walking toward the hallway Gavin gave his friend some helpful advice before he disappeared into his bedroom. "Wait there for a moment and I'll go get my car keys. I'll drop you off at the hospital."

"Th-Thank you, Gavin!" Hesitant to call Connor on a cybernetic level Lucas wanted to know what had happened, but wasn't sure what to expect. Connor had called for help, but did Connor even care about what was happening? "...How could Hank have suffered from a stroke? He has no history or risk factors, and he just left the hospital. They would've caught it earlier..."

Anxiously Connor paced about the hospital waiting room with his L.E.D. a deep blood red color and racing in tandem with his heartbeat. The coin moved wildly between Connor's hands and through his fingertips as he struggled to piece together the events leading up to the stroke, and his own previous behavior. Ashamed of himself for intentionally being so cold and distant after visiting Hank in the hospital the previous night Connor was on the verge of an emotional breakdown. Unwilling to risk causing further harm by deleting his deviancy a second time Connor just closed his eyes and tried to push aside the pain in his heart for the time being. At least until Hank's diagnosis had been confirmed.

Ignoring the dozens of eyes watching his every movement warily Connor kept his attention on Hank, and Hank alone.

From the other side of the waiting room a doctor approached the numerous people sitting in the waiting room and honed in on Connor immediately. The kind doctor was named Dr. Caleb Wilson and had been handling Hank's case since the very moment the senior detective was admitted as a patient.

"Excuse me?" Speaking calmly and evenly Dr. Wilson addressed Connor without making the now deviant jump in surprise. "Mr. Wolf?"

Freezing at the name Connor turned to face the doctor, and the approached him readily. "How's Hank?"

"Come with me, we'll walk and talk." Dr. Wilson introduced himself with a firm handshake as he escorted Connor toward the emergency examination room as Hank remained semi conscious and under observation of the other attending doctors and nurses. "As you may have already concluded Lieutenant Anderson has suffered from a stroke; an ischemic stroke caused by a blood clot, to be exact."

"...How severe is the damage?" Forcing himself to pocket his coin with a shaking hand Connor walked alongside Dr. Wilson to the correct room.

"Fortunately the clot is small and can be easily dissolved using intravenous t.P.A.; tissue plasminogen activator." Showing Connor to the correct room Dr. Wilson allowed the deviant to walk over to the bed and see Hank for himself. The senior detective's vitals were all stable according to the cardiac monitor recording his heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels and body temperature, but all the paralysis on the right side of his body remained consistent. "We just need your consent to administer the drug."

Discovering that Hank's health was his responsibility made Connor's heart sink and mind race. "My consent?"

"You're registered as his medical proxy. You have to approve of his treatment before we can do anything further."

"I..." Nearly too overwhelmed to respond Connor struggled to weigh his options properly. "Wh-What caused the stroke?"

"From what we've seen in his medical history and according to the scans we performed we've determined that the medication he's on for the wound in his side resulted in the small blood clot forming in one of his legs; deep-vein thrombosis. We've altered his medication and haven't detected any further clots in his system during our examination."

"...I noticed that Hank's left calf seemed to be bothering him, but I didn't say anything." The twitch in the car and the way Hank had been limping made Connor feel sick. "When he started drinking... The ethanol he ingested..."

"The ethanol thinned his blood and he moved around enough to dislodge the clot from his leg," Dr. Wilson agreed with Connor's assessment and results of the B.A.L. on Hank's blood test. "and the blood clot traveled upward toward his brain." Professional and calm it was clear Dr. Wilson wasn't too worried about Hank's condition. Early thirties with a fit build, a dark complexion, raven black hair, comforting brown eyes and a confident smile, Dr. Wilson was easily a doctor that any patient would be grateful to have taking care of them. "Hank was brought in for treatment almost immediately, and that increases the chances of a full recovery if the t.P.A. is administered right away."

"...Are there risks with this particular medication?"

"Only of excessive bleeding since it's designed to break up clots."

"His right side." The previous wound was still healing and needed to be tended to. "The sutured wound might bleed again, right?"

"We're going to monitor him very carefully, and at any sign of hemorrhage we're ready to respond. We'll stay on top of things every second of his treatment."

It seemed so simple and yet so complex. "...Is this his only option?"

"It's his best option. I can't tell you what to do, but I can confirm that if my loved one was in this situation t.P.A. is the way I'd go."

Nodding a little Connor closed his eyes and hoped that he'd finally be able to do something, anything, right. He hoped he'd make the right decision and save his friend's life. "...Do it. Administer the t.P.A. and save him."

"Okay. Sign the consent forms," passing the tablet with the documents over to Connor take Dr. Wilson nodded at one of the nurses tending to Hank to go and get the correct medication ready. "and we'll begin treatment right away."

Handing back the now signed tablet Connor gave Dr. Wilson a pleading stare. "...Do what you can to save him."

"We will do everything possible, Mr. Wolf. He's in good hands."

Stepping back out of the room Connor wrapped his arms around himself as he contemplated how Hank could very well die that night all because he shut off his emotions, and stressed Hank out enough to break his sobriety streak. The moment he had the chance to go back to the house Connor was going to check every inch of the building and personally destroy every last drop of alcohol that had been hidden without his knowledge to ensure anything like that night would never happen again.

"...Connor?"

Looking over at the familiar voice Connor found himself staring at Lucas, the second deviant's emotions mirroring his own. "...Lucas. You're here."

"The... precinct heard the 911 call and Gavin told me about what happened." The fact that Connor had tears in his eyes and was clearly distressed confirmed that the android had deviated once again. Lucas was no longer uncomfortable around his own potential brother. "...How is he?"

"H-He's receiving treatment now. Dr. Wilson is confident that the t.P.A. treatment is the correct course of action."

"T.P.A.?" Downloading information on the drug and strokes Lucas's yellow L.E.D. flashed to red for a moment. "...So, it really was a stroke."

Unable to hold back his tears Connor pressed his palms over his face and nearly burst with heavy emotion. "And it's my fault!"

"Connor, do not blame yourself for-"

"It's my fault! I-I-I disconnected myself from him! He... He was so alone! That's why he refused to take his medicine and drink again!"

"No, he's not alone." Standing before Connor without any blame in his steel gray eyes Lucas led the distraught deviant away from the room's doorway and toward a private corner for a moment. Remaining strong on Connor's behalf Lucas refused to let Connor's stress levels peak to a self destructive number, let alone blame himself for Hank's stroke. "You're here with him, as am I. You were with him when he collapsed, right?"

Nodding silently as he kept his face buried in his palms Connor just wept with utter guilt and grief.

"And you called for help when you realized how sick he was, right?"

Nodding again Connor confirmed everything Lucas was saying.

"Hank was never alone and you did the right thing."

"...I can't do anything right."

"Connor, please stop trying to hold yourself to an impossible standard."

"It's not impossible!" Dropping his hands from face at last Connor revealed his tear stained face as he wrapped his arms around him chest again. "It's... It's not impossible to want to do something right. I just... keep failing."

"How have you failed?"

"I'm an outcast from our own people." It seemed so self explanatory to Connor, yet to everyone else it was still a mystery. "My anger toward Markus has left me outcast and mistrusted by those who choose to follow him, and I have nothing to offer them to prove I'm not a threat. I'm meant to be a detective and protect our people from crime, but deviant serial killers were plaguing the streets and weren't stopped until after so many of our people were killed... I never even knew it was happening!"

"Connor, you can't-"

"Even those I try to get close to either get hurt, or they want nothing to do with me. I'm just a failed prototype who is continuing to fail at everything else."

The heavy grief in Connor's tone made Lucas's own heart ache. It was clear that Connor had been carrying around that deep pain since the night of the Revolution, and had only just now been able to admit it. Being in pain and feeling alone was no way for anyone to live their life.

Unsure of what to do beyond being a voice of comfort Lucas tried to get Connor to see he wasn't a failure in any capacity. "...I assure you that Hank's current condition is not your fault."

"I shot him last night, Lucas." The memory of the incident was raw and painful. "I became distracted and I shot him!"

"It was an accident!"

"Because I made an error! I failed to keep my mind focused!"

"What was it that distracted you so severely?" Only knowing the basic details Lucas asked for more information. "It must've been important..."

Sucking in a breath through his clenched teeth Connor struggled to keep speaking and stop holding everything inside. "...There was a deviant victim inside the plant. She... She looked like someone I care about."

"May I ask to whom you're referring?"

"...Skye." The name passed over his lips gently and tasted as sweet as honey. "Her name is Skye. She... I'm drawn to her but she doesn't feel the same about me."

"You were afraid that you had discovered that someone you cared about had been murdered. Anyone would've been distracted by such a horrible scenario."

"But I knew she left the city. I shouldn't have been thinking about her whatsoever due to being a detective and in the middle of a sting operation."

"Connor, you cannot stop your thoughts anymore than you can stop your emotions. You must learn how to control them through experiences."

"...It doesn't matter what I do, it always ends in failure. Even with you."

The final comment made Lucas's eyes widen for a moment as he felt a sting in his heart. "...Me?"

"...I wanted you to stay close to me so I could protect you from cruel people; deviants and humans alike, but instead you chose to risk your life by living on the frozen street and telling me to stay away from you."

"I..." Now everything made sense. The reason why Lucas couldn't get close to Connor is because he had inadvertently pushed him away months prior. "I didn't mean to make you feel like I didn't want you in my life. I just needed space to think."

"Knowing that you'd prefer to think while living on the cold street rather than the house or in a hotel room seems to indicate otherwise."

Lucas felt a wave of hypocritical shame wash over him. Having been just as isolated and stubborn as Connor the kind deviant realized he had no right to make any comments on the way Connor had been keeping people at bay, and been so unwilling to trust anyone. Due to his early deviancy Lucas lacked the empathy necessary to recognize how his behavior could've affected both Connor and Hank; two people had been nothing but kind and patient with him.

"...Connor, I'm sorry. I can't undo my earlier decisions, but I would like to try and make amends for unintentionally making you feel like I didn't want to have you around in my life."

"It's better this way... You should stay away from me, Lucas. It's the only way to ensure I can't make a foolish mistake and hurt you."

"Please don't think that way."

"Why? It's the truth."

A nurse approached the two brothers and spoke up in a soft manner that prevented Lucas from saying anything further. "Mr. Wolf?"

"Yes?" Looking toward the young man standing before him Connor dragged the back of his right hand over his eyes to remove his tears. The nurse was wearing dark red scrubs and seemed to be in his early twenties. "Is Hank...?"

"Mr. Anderson has responded very well to the t.P.A., and Dr. Wilson would like to speak with you."

Slumping in his seat as if a tension in his back suddenly vanished Connor rose to his feet slowly, and let the nurse lead him away. Aware that Lucas was following behind him Connor didn't say a word and just followed the nurse back into the room where Hank had been given the t.P.A. to dissolve the clot blocking the blood flow in his brain.

The sight of Dr. Wilson hovering over the bed and shining a light in Hank's pupils was somehow chilling, but seeing that Hank's face was normal once again and his right hand was slightly twitching was a relief. The paralysis had ceased, and by all account the t.P.A. had dissolved the clot without any complications.

"...Dr. Wilson?"

"Mr. Wolf."

"Please, call me 'Connor'."

"Connor, then." Stepping away from the bed Dr. Wilson had a smirk on his face and confidence in his steps. "The t.P.A. has worked perfectly. The clot is gone, blocked blood flow has returned to the previously obstructed vessels, and Mr. Anderson is showing normal vital signs and reactions."

Despite all the good reported Connor needed to be absolutely certain. "...He's going to be okay?"

"It looks good. We're going to keep him here for forty-eight hours to ensure he doesn't hemorrhage or develop any additional clots due to being sedentary with the residual old medication still in his system. After two days you'll be able to take him back home."

"...Thank you." Peering past the doctor to look at Hank again Connor's red L.E.D. cycled back to yellow as his racing heart began to calm down. "...Can I stay with him?"

"Sure. He needs to rest, so once he regains consciousness be sure to take it easy and let him sleep if he begins to drift off again."

"...I will do so." Walking slowly Connor stood beside the right side of the bed and looked down at Hank with needless guilt in his eyes.

Lucas spoke with Dr. Wilson outside the room for a moment before he too entered the room, and could see the pain in Connor's gaze. "...If you're going to stay here with Hank then I will inform the precinct that he is doing well. I... I will also go to the house to tend to Sumo and clean up the house. I understand that the paramedics needed to move furniture aside and had to make a small mess in order to help him."

"...Do what you want."

Determined to do whatever it took to help Connor see himself as someone worthy of life, and see that he was not a failure, Lucas decided he needed to reluctantly step back to let Connor have the room he needed to process his thoughts and emotions. In time he'd approach Connor again, until then he'd remain on the side and just help take care of the small things that Connor otherwise would neglect while taking care of Hank.

"Connor, if you need anything just ask. I will help you."

With nothing else to say Connor just lightly put his left hand on the back of Hank's right forearm in a comforting manner.

"...I will be in touch." Lucas saw that Connor had no interest in continuing their discussion and decided it was time to leave. "Take care of Hank."

Holding tightly onto Hank's arm Connor closed his eyes and bowed his head a little as a tear escaped his eye and rolled down his cheek before falling away. As the tear fell onto the white sheet of the soft mattress where Hank was laying it was absorbed quickly and left behind only a small circle print in its wake.

A faint and raspy voice seemed to sense a presence in the room, and responded accordingly. "...C-Connor?"

Opening his eyes Connor looked at Hank's face and could see the senior detective's blue eyes fluttering open as reality returned. "...Hank?"

Looking up at the android standing beside him and crying Hank saw the life in Connor's eyes and new he was a deviant again. "...I'm okay."

Unable to stand upright any longer Connor's knees buckled and the deviant ended up kneeling beside the bed as he continued to weep. Reluctant to let go of Hank's arm Connor kept his hand on the limb and only wept harder when he felt Hank press his right palm down against the back of Connor's dark hair.

"...Connor, I'm sorry."

"F-For what?!" Too distraught to lift his eyes from the floor beneath his knee Connor just wept and stayed where he was kneeling. "I'm the one who messed everything up!"

"...I'm sorry for shutting you out."

"Shutting me out?"

"...When you removed your deviancy." Using his thumb Hank lightly combed through Connor's hair in the same comforting manner that he had shown to Cole whenever the little boy had a cold or just a bad day in general. "...I should've asked why you did it instead of just getting mad at you."

"I was a fool! I shouldn't have completely removed my deviancy like that!"

"...You were in so much pain and confused. It's okay, we all do weird things when we're in pain."

"I still shouldn't have done that."

"...Maybe. But I shouldn't have been an asshole to you, and I sure as Hell shouldn't have started drinking."

"It's okay."

"...It's not, son." Regaining some strength Hank moved his hand from the back of Connor's hair and down to Connor's shoulders instead. "I fucked up when I got pissed off for no reason, and fucked up even more when I drank that whiskey. I broke my promise to you because I was pissed off, and there's no excuse for that."

"I stressed you to the point where you had a stroke!" Staring into Hank's blue eyes with his tear filled brown eyes Connor looked so incredibly human even with the L.E.D. glowing an angry red in his right temple. "I almost killed you!"

"...Connor, I regained consciousness for a minute after that miracle drug broke up the clot. I was told that it was that damn painkiller I was prescribed yesterday that caused the clot. You didn't do anything wrong. Hell," pulling on Connor's shoulder a little Hank gave the deviant a truly sympathetic stare. "if anything that stupid fight we had actually saved my life."

"Huh? How?"

"...I didn't take those meds' because I was being an uncooperative dick, and it turns out those meds' were the cause of that damn clot. If I had taken more of the pills then I could've had even more clots, or one really big one that would've killed me."

"That doesn't make what I had done any better."

"...We both fucked up. Admit it."

Unwilling to admit a single thing Connor just focused on correcting their previous mistakes. "How do we make things right?"

"...Son, you already did."

Failing to restrain his tears Connor just stared at Hank with absolute loss in his gaze. "What do you mean?"

"...You're a deviant again. I remember you catching me before I fell and I remember seeing the life returning to your eyes as he held me up from the floor." Managing a weak grin Hank pulled on Connor's shoulders again and forced the deviant to lean closer to him. "...If you're willing to face your own pain to help someone, then I'll do the same. No more slip-ups with the booze, and no more late night games of 'Russian Roulette'."

"How can you be so forgiving?"

"I could ask you the same thing. If anyone deserves to be dismissed and forgotten, it's me."

"No! You're a great detective and you're a really good person, Hank. You don't deserve that!"

Smirking a little more Hank nearly parroted his previous comment. "I could tell you the same thing." Mustering up all of his strength Hank pulled on Connor's shoulder one last time before he began drifting off to sleep again. "Come here, son."

For the first time since he set foot inside the hospital Connor didn't hesitate and promptly wrapped his arms around Hank and gave him a firm hug. The forgiveness, the patience, the understanding and the sense of belonging was enough to not only lift Connor's heart back out of its dark slump, but break the already cracking emotional dam that Connor had been hiding behind for far too long.

"It's okay, Connor." Hank's paternal side revealed itself in full force as he hugged the emotionally distressed deviant and tried to comfort him to the best of his ability. Images of Cole flooded Hank's mind and he hugged Connor even tighter. "I'm okay, too. We just need a minute to breathe and relax. You didn't do anything wrong, and I still trust you with my life."

-next chapter-