The morning had started rainy and the entire day remained just as rainy even as dawn turned to noon. The hot and humid air was making everyone edgy and miserable as the merciless summer heatwave refused to leave quietly. Slumped on the couch with an absolutely heartbreaking expression on his face Connor barely reacted to Sumo pressing his nose against his right hand in search of affection. The sound of the pounding rain outside the house was holding Connor's attention as fresh tears rolled down his face. Unable to return to the precinct just yet, and unwilling to do anything out of fear of making a mistake, the deviant looked as if he were a corpse just awaiting his long overdue burial.
Entering the livingroom from the end of the hallway Hank looked at the deviant sitting on the couch and gave him a quiet sigh. He hated seeing Connor so broken down and defeated. There was very little he could do to provide any form of comfort to the hurting deviant. Being summoned to an unnecessary meeting at the precinct was only going to make things more difficult.
Walking up to the couch Hank lightly patted Connor's right shoulder to announce his presence. "I gotta' head out to the precinct now. Damn higher-ups need to have their asses kissed by the very people making them look good, so I have no idea when I'll be back."
Not saying a word Connor just stared blankly at the wall behind the television across from him.
"You have another full day to just rest and do whatever you want tomorrow. Maybe we should go up to the cabin and enjoy the quiet and isolation for a while."
The only sign of life from the deviant came from the slowly flickering red L.E.D. in Connor's right temple. The deviant wasn't even breathing since he was so still and ventilation program wasn't needed to keep him cool.
"Right. You just do what you need to do in order to feel better, no hurry." Keeping his hand in place Hank continued to speak to the deviant in a calm tone. "I'll be back as soon as I can so you're not alone."
Sumo whimpered once and gave Hank a strange look.
"You're good company, Sumo. You just suck at holding a conversation."
Letting out a small grumble Sumo pressed his chin down over Connor's thigh in a sympathetic manner.
"Uh-huh. Dog's learning how to be a smartass thanks to you, kid."
Staying quiet Connor just blinked once and then resumed his staring contest with the wall.
"It shouldn't storm, but if it does you know the drill." Backing away from the couch Hank headed toward the front door with the car keys already in his hand. As he opened the door Hank was met with a gust of warm wind that brought the fresh scent of the rain through the house. "With any luck the rain will pull the humidity out of the air so we can fuckin' breathe again. Be back later, kid."
Listening to the door shutting softly with a quiet 'click' Connor took in the scent of the rain with a curious reaction as it passed through the livingroom. Turning his head just enough to look out the front window from the couch Connor watched the drops of rain bead against the glass and roll down the pane in the same way his tears ran down his face. As the Oldsmobile backed down the driveway and turned to head down the street Connor sat more upright on the couch and watched the rain running down the window.
Despite feeling exhausted and miserable Connor made himself stand up from the couch and walk over to the window to peer outside to the summer storm.
Watching nature wash away the filth of the city from the trees, streets, sidewalks and surrounding buildings gave Connor an odd sense of feeling unclean.
As if on autopilot Connor opened the front door as well and stepped out into the warm rain. Pulling the door shut behind himself Connor looked up at the rain clouds building overhead and extended his right hand outward to begin collecting the raindrops into his opened palm. The way the rain soaked into his hair and clothing created a strange weight against his body that made it feel like he was being enveloped in a strange hug.
Stepping forward Connor walked about in the rain and away from the house and away from the precinct as he let the rain wash over his broken and dirty body. He had nowhere to go and no one to speak with. The only company he needed or wanted came in the form of the thousands of raindrops caressing his skin and his hair under a gentle cascade courtesy of nature itself.
Aggravated the moment he walked into the precinct Hank ran his hand over his gray hair to flick away the raindrops that had beaded on his locks, and gave Ben an exhausted stare as he reached his own desk. Without a word the two detectives were able to communicate how mutually irritated they were with having to waste their time with a pointless meeting through their eyes alone. After clocking-in at his desk Hank noticed Gavin typing away at his terminal, and was relieved to see the bionic hand in good use.
Nodding in silent approval at the sight Hank walked into the breakroom to get himself a cup of coffee to keep his caffeine up and the anger at bay. After stirring in a generous amount of sugar and sweetener into his coffee Hank took a sip, and glanced at Captain Fowler's office where the seasoned detective was sitting in silence behind his desk.
"If this meeting even threatens to drag Connor's name through the mud I'm burning this place down and dancin' in the ashes."
Carrying his mug with him back to his desk Hank sat down heavily, filed his usual paperwork and then waited for the meeting to be called. Glancing at the corridor leading to the interview rooms Hank saw a small group of people professionally cleaning the carpet in the tarnished interview room to try to remove Tina's blood from the fabric for sanitary reasons. Afterward it'd be replaced entirely with brand new carpeting to hide the crime scene from prying eyes or witnesses coming in off the street.
"Clean all you want, we'll always know what happened in there."
Having overheard the comment Gavin gave Hank a scoff at the idea. "What do you expect from the higher-ups? They hide when shit gets real, and then come running into the spotlight after we clean the shit up for them!"
"Not going to deny that. I guarantee this whole meeting is going to be about how we're going to make them look good after the Saxon fiasco."
"What else would it be about? It's not like they'd ever admit they fucked up or apologize. They're lucky Mrs. Chen is too busy sneaking Tina some good food and tea while she's in the hospital. That's one woman you never want to piss off, or let alone in a room of smug bastards hiding behind desks all day."
"Tina's going to be out of the hospital tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah. She'll crash at my apartment to recover."
"...Uh, how?" Taking another sip of his coffee Hank gave Gavin a doubtful glance. "I've seen your apartment. You only have two bedrooms and I know you wouldn't let her crash on your couch."
"My boyfriend lives just down the hallway. Tina will have my bedroom and I'll stay with Aaron at night. Lucas already said he'd get the place spotless and help take care of her when her mom and sister can't stay during the day, AND Tina wants to see the kittens. Who am I to tell her 'no'?"
"Only dead men walking have the nerve to tell Tina Chen 'no'."
Glad he and Hank were on the same page Gavin leaned back in his chair and smirked at the memory of Tina scaring off her last boyfriend for being too damn clingy and jealous. "Damn right."
Walking through the rain drenched streets of the city entirely alone Connor thought about his past experiences and mistakes, and of how they affected the rest of the city around him. The ache in his stomach was persistent even long after the damage had mended and his artificial skin regenerated; the scars were raw and painful even without being touched. The shattered remains of his heart beat with palpable agony that made his eyes tear up with every thump. The haunting words of anger and resentment from Skye echoed in his mind as if he were wandering an endless dark canyon of despair.
Soaked through from head to toe under the heavy rain Connor trudged along the rain puddles collecting on the uneven patches of the sidewalk under foot. Every step created a small splash that soaked Connor's bare feet and the cuffs of his jeans causing the denim fabric to cling uncomfortably to his artificial skin beneath.
From above the rain continued to fall while small rumbles of thunder created a shuddering ambience throughout the city and made the nearby traffic sound thousands of miles away. There was a gentle, warm breeze blowing through the air and it was just strong enough to make the damp rogue lock of hair that hung over Connor's left eye dance about very lightly.
Passing by the local library where Skye resided Connor stopped and stared at the building with a longing gaze for what felt like eternity. Snapping out of his daze only when another rumble of thunder loudly echoed in the clouds Connor continued on his aimless trek to nothingness through the summer rain.
"...I'll stay away from her just as she asked."
The guilt that had taken up residence inside the shattered remains of his heart was nearly unbearable and absolutely relentless.
"...It's the least I can do for her."
The mandatory meeting began right on schedule and had the three most senior officers of the precinct in attendance as the members from Internal Affairs and the highest ranked officials in City Hall brought everything to order. Captain Fowler, Lieutenant Hank Anderson and Sergeant Ben Collins all sat together on one side of the table as the other four higher ranking officers gathered on the opposite side. The way the the head of Internal Affairs was flashing a smug and insincere smile reminded Hank of the way alligators and crocodiles laid on the edge of riverbanks with their massive mouths hanging open. Being compared to a coldblooded predator was very befitting of the arrogant man.
The moment a projector was set up and pointed at the far wall of the isolated room Hank let out an audible sigh as he sank down in his seat bitterly.
"Is there a problem, Lieutenant?" The smarmy officer asked in a condescending tone.
"Yeah, there is. You're wasting our time to review the shit that we already handled and handed over to you! This is pointless and a waste of resources."
"I'm sorry you feel that way, but-"
"Fuck off, you little weasel!" In no mood to deal with anyone's excuses or attitude Hank made it clear he was in the meeting only because it was deemed mandatory. "You enjoy being able to look down at the officers still working the streets while you sit behind your desk, cowering from reporters. I'm already pissed off, don't give me a reason to throttle your wiry little neck."
Captain Fowler interjected quickly to keep Hank from saying anything he couldn't take back. "What Lieutenant Anderson meant to say was, he's exhausted after handling the high profile case and from dealing with his partner being attacked during the case. The sooner you get this over with the sooner he can get some well deserved rest. You do remember the bill that passed under Nero's first year, right? The bill mandating that every detective is required at least twelve hours of rest between shifts unless overtime is provided, and that high profile cases require forty-eight hours of rest. After everything he's been through it'd be a shame if this meeting violated one of the very rights we're all expected to uphold."
The smug grin faded away as the officer cleared his throat nervously. "Right, of course." The unimpressed gazes of his fellow officers reminded the brash officer that he was on limited time. "We'll get this meeting started."
Ben leaned close to Hank and chuckled a little without drawing any unwanted attention. "Nice one. You still got it, Hank."
It took some time but Skye was able to finally leave the facility, but only with the help of both Abby and North walking her to the autonomous cab waiting out front. Riding with Skye back to the library North held her friend's hand in a supportive manner and tried to find a way to comfort her. Unlike Skye, and a majority of the other deviants in the tower, North had no interest in children or families in general. It was difficult for her to sympathize with her friend's current pain and heartbreak. Watching as Skye huddled up in the seat beside her and stared at the floor at her feet North just squeezed her hand, and proceeded to watch the library come into view through the front windshield.
As the cab turned a corner to get the correct block North caught sight of Connor walking down the sidewalk looking absolutely broken. Staring at his somber face for as long as she could through the windows until the detective was out of sight, North knew he was hurting as much as Skye was. She knew that Skye had pushed Connor away after a fight but she didn't know the full story as to why it happened, or why Connor was the one taking care of her to begin with.
"Are you sure you want to stay here alone?" Needing to break the silence North spoke to Skye in a whisper as they neared the library. "I could stay the night with you if you want me to."
"...I need to be alone, North. I have a lot I need to do."
"You don't have to help escort the refugees after what we've been through. It's okay."
"I know. But I'm still going to help our people in my own way."
The cab came to a gentle stop in front of the library and the doors slid open automatically. North stepped out first and waited for Skye to join her after the cab's fare was paid and was requested to wait on the street. As they rushed through the rain side by side to the front doors to get inside North put her hand to Skye's back in a comforting manner. The warm and dry library was very welcome to the two rain drenched deviants as they escaped the storm.
Skye quickly accessed the hidden electronic panel in the decorative pillar to get to her loft on the second floor before anyone studying in the library could see her or North. Walking up the small staircase to get to the second floor Skye practically collapsed onto her unmade bed and pulled the quilt around herself to hide from the world. The sound of the rain pounding over the roof echoed loudly in the loft and created the perfect ambience for her dour mood.
"What're you going to do now?" North walked about the loft quietly and eyed the stacks of textbooks with pure intrigue. Each of the books seemed to have been carefully selected and read multiple times already, and many of them had bookmarks peppered throughout the pages. "You need to help yourself before you can help others."
"...I'm going to lay here and hide from the city until September." She sounded as if she had her plan thought out for months by her tone alone. "Then I'm going to go and take the bar exam to become a lawyer."
Surprised by the comment North stopped walking and stared at the lump in the bed that was her friend hiding under the quilt. "A lawyer?"
"Our people need more representation if we're going to survive in this fucked up and human controlled world. If I have to be the one to take the first step in a court of law, then so be it." Letting out a deep sigh Skye moved the quilt away from her face and gave North a stern glare. "I'll defend out people where it really matters."
"A defense attorney? Not a prosecutor?"
"There's no point in being a prosecutor when our people are being accused of crimes we've never committed. It's best to apply my skills and knowledge to where it can be the most beneficial, by proving we're innocent."
"You're sure about that? Once you're a defense attorney you'll have to face off with angry bigots and biased officials every day in court."
"I know, and I'm ready. I'm going to fight back and never stop fighting." Returning the quilt over her head Skye hid away and sniffled once. "Thank you for escorting me back here, but now I want to be alone. Please?"
"Okay. Contact me if you need anything, even if it's just for a few minutes of company."
Taking her leave of the loft and the library itself, the doors to the stairwell locking behind her, North stood in the warm rain for a moment and looked down the street where she had last seen Connor as if she were expecting to still see him in the area. Despite her awkward past with Connor and her own personal issues North was able to recognize the signs of depression and potential self destruction in his face, and wanted to help him.
Deciding the only way to help Connor without actually communicating with him would have to be through a friendly contact. As she returned to the idling cab to take her back to the mansion North contacted Abby's phone through a cybernetic link, and sat down in the back of the cab to head for home.
'Abby, this is North.' Unsure of what to say North just laid it out on the line for the technician and hoped she could help. 'I can't say anything definitive, but I think Connor might be in trouble...'
Roaming the streets during the heavy summer rainstorm Connor was feeling entirely lost and alone. Despite the warm summer rain and equally warm air Connor was beginning to feel cold, and his body was starting to tremble. Warnings popped up in his vision regarding the conflicting temperatures overwhelming his thermal regulator and warning him that he was overdue for his weekly Thirium replenishment. Dismissing each warning as he didn't care about the system updates at the moment Connor just continued walk about aimlessly through the drenched city via the rain soaked sidewalks.
Reaching Hart Plaza where the Revolution reached its peaceful conclusion over nine months ago Connor stared at the plaza where the makeshift stage had been set-up, and where the recycling camps had once stood. Life and death for his people had been decided in that very location, and he had a hand in it all. One decision had been beneficial for everyone and yet his other decisions seemed to be detrimental.
The only thing that seemed to change between the night of the Revolution and the present time was Connor himself.
Standing in the rain and staring blankly at the plaza Connor began to tremble more violently as his core temperature steadily dropped further.
An incoming call caught Connor off guard and made his eyes narrow at the information.
[...Incoming call from: Dr. Abigail "Abby" Grayson - Accept?: Y/N]
The familiar name gave Connor pause as his first thought was that it was an emergency call regarding Skye's condition. However, his knowledge of the law and the rights that androids had been given reminded him that she would never betray a patient's trust by talking about their technical condition without their consent. There was no possible way that Skye would've given Abby clearance to discuss her health with anyone.
Dismissing the call with a simple "No" command Connor closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around himself as he began to feel even colder.
Shortly after Connor dismissing the incoming call a new voicemail was logged away in Connor's memorybank with a new prompt ready for his command.
[...Voicemail Updated: 001 New Message(s) - Listen?: Y/N]
Hesitating for a moment Connor made his decision and allowed the recorded message to play inside his mind.
'Hey, Connor.' The calm and casual tone of Abby's voice was a surprising comfort for the emotionally damaged deviant. 'I was hoping you could stop by the facility so I could give you one final exam before signing off on your technical clearance so you can return to the precinct. I'll be at the facility until three this afternoon, but you can also just stop by my house and I'll give you a sign-off personally. See you soon!'
Looking up at the rainy sky above him Connor noted the time, two forty-seven in the afternoon, and decided he'd be better off meeting Abby at her house on the other side of the city than walking back to the facility. Even though he could walk quite quickly the deviant knew he wouldn't reach the facility until at least ten minutes after three o'clock, and he didn't want to delay Abby's return to her home.
Making his way out of the plaza and toward the Eastern side of the city Connor's shivering body and tight joints barely responded as he began the long walk to the house, just so he could get clearance to return to work. He had nothing better to do on that glum day beyond trying to not make any more mistakes.
As expected the meeting began to drag on at painfully sluggish pace. The officer in charge was going over the details that Hank himself had already filed in regard to the previous high profile case, and as a result he was ready to throw a punch. Even the other accompanying higher ranking officers seemed to be growing annoyed by the needless recap on the reports, and began to insist that the officer in charge of the meeting speed things up. Looking indignant the talkative officer did as he was instructed and finished off the needless report on the very details that the three detectives were already very well aware of with an arrogant huff.
With the annoying officer finally finished with his speech one of the other higher ranking officers, a woman with the same focused gaze as Captain Fowler but the more laidback body language as Ben, took over. Bringing up something that actually mattered she brought the three detectives up to speed on their more pressing investigation now at hand.
"Gentlemen, you all did fantastic work in handling the 'Shadow Blade' case, even if it did end in bloodshed under this very roof." Empathetic to the assaults against both Tina and Connor the officer showed far more respect than her colleague who had opened the meeting. "However, our more pressing case revolves around a very discreet and very deep investigation into the activity and connections of Mayor Walter Nero."
Perking up at the name Hank willingly gave the officer his full attention. "Please tell me we're going to drag his bare ass through the streets so he can be tarred and feathered."
"Nothing quite so symbolic, Lieutenant. He will be exposed but not quite so literally."
"Then what's going to happen to the smug prick?"
"The three men who came in to this precinct try to claim that they were assaulted by Saxon have begun giving us information Nero in exchange for lighter sentences."
"Don't tell me you're going to let three dangerous men walk free just to get one corrupt mayor out of office!"
"Of course not. The three men are going to go to prison and they will be charged with their crimes. They're so afraid of being attacked in prison because of their latest scars that we guaranteed that they'd be placed in a sectioned off area of a maximum security prison."
"Solitary confinement?"
"Something like that. We're not going to trade off three scumbags just to catch one slightly bigger scumbag in the process."
"Good." Leaning back in his chair Hank was relieved to know that the men Connor had attacked would rot behind bars, and not be walking anywhere in the city for the next few decades. "All right, back to the jackass in charge. How're we going to bring him down?"
Feeling unusually anxious as she waited for any reply from Connor about her message, Abby sat in her livingroom with the television on low volume as she watched the afternoon news report. The weather confirmed that the rain would last all day and then clear up by the following morning, but the heat was going to linger on for another week. Another report regarding the three hunters who were being put on trial made Abby shudder as their mugshots were put on shameful display. The hollowness of their eyes was haunting, and the way they were wearing bandanas to cover their foreheads made Abby mad. She knew what was under those coverings thanks to the information provided by Skye, and she wanted to reach through the screen to remove the bandanas so everyone in the city could see the ugly words for themselves.
Ready to turn off the television Abby stopped when there was a sudden breaking update regarding the case of the three hunters. Apparently more victims were coming forward to report being assaulted too. Aside from the eight deviants who had been assaulted in the forest an additional twenty-two women; some of them still teenage girls, all came forward and confirmed the men to be the violent criminals they had been so perfectly labeled.
"Those sons of bitches! How many women did they hurt?"
Jumping when she heard knocking on her front door Abby turned off the television and hurried to answer the door as quickly as possible. Pulling the door open Abby came face to face with Connor leaning heavily against the exterior door frame looking completely exhausted.
"Oh, shit..." Pressing her left hand to Connor's chest and her right hand to his forehead Abby instinctively fell into technician mode, and began checking the deviant over. The rapid Thirium pump beating under one hand and the burning heat radiating against the other told Abby everything she needed. "You're sick!"
"...I'm fine."
"No you're not. Get in here."
Pulling Connor through the door and out of the rain Abby closed the door behind herself with her foot, and guided Connor over to the couch to sit down. Seeing that Connor's black t-shirt and jeans were soaked through, the way he was shivering, and that the deviant was barefoot and actually bleeding from so much walking, Abby now understood why North was so worried about him.
"Oh, Connor." Brushing the deviant's rogue lock of hair out of Connor's face Abby sighed and knelt down in front of him. "You're overheating. What's your core temperature and Thirium volume?"
"...One-hundred and two degrees." Closing his eyes as he continued to shiver despite running warm Connor answered honestly. "...Seventy-seven percent."
"Stress level?"
"...Eighty-four percent."
"You're in thermal shock from the rain, from your high stress levels and from being exhausted."
"...I'll be fine."
"You will, but only after you've changed into dry clothes and have rested properly."
Standing back up Abby left the livingroom to get her supplies to assist with Connor's current condition. Always having emergency supplies at her disposal and keeping spare clothes in the hallway closet - she had learned as both an E.M.T. and now a technician that anything could happen, Abby gathered what she needed from the closet, and made her way back to where the ill deviant was sitting.
"I'll get you a towel."
Connor just stayed silent and still as Abby went into the ground floor bathroom to get a clean towel for him to use. Opening his eyes only when he felt Abby using a towel to dry off his hair Connor remained entirely rigid as if afraid even the slightest movement would cause a problem.
"You're soaked!" The towel was quickly dampening under Abby's hand as she dried off Connor's hair. "How long were you out there?"
"...Unknown."
A deviant losing track of time was a huge red flag to any technician. "You need to dry off before you get worse." Pulling on the fabric of Connor's t-shirt Abby managed to pull the rain drenched shirt off of Connor and wad it up to be cleaned later. The moment Connor's shirt was removed Abby saw that his abdominal wounds had healed, but he had very visible white scars that identified where he had been previously stabbed. "...Oh, Connor."
"...They don't hurt."
Recognizing the lie immediately Abby put the wet shirt aside and used a second towel to dry off Connor's shoulders, chest, back, arms and then very carefully dried off his abdomen to ensure that the scars weren't housing a serious problem. The scars were the result of the warped and raised plastimetal beneath the artificial skin, nothing more. "I can replace the plastimetal panels for you."
"...No. Leave them alone."
Not wanting to push Connor to do anything he wasn't comfortable with doing Abby backed off and respected his wishes. "Okay." Grabbing onto the clean and oversized blue scrub top she had pulled from the closet Abby managed to slip it over Connor's head, and was relieved when he put his arms though the sleeves without provocation. "You need to get the jeans off, too."
Blushing a pale blue Connor removed his jeans as requested and used the towel to poorly dry himself off as he was more preoccupied with keeping his boxers covered up as much as possible. When Abby handed him the oversized matching scrub bottoms Connor slipped the new pants on very awkwardly as he was suddenly aware of the soles of his feet bleeding.
"Here." Putting the first towel down on the floor at Connor's feet Abby made sure he was keeping the opened wounds as clean as possible while she got her supplies ready to treat the opened cuts. "You must've been walking for hours to tear up your artificial skin like that."
"...I didn't feel it."
"You're numb from the conflicting temperatures and low Thirium volume." Pressing the back of her right hand to Connor's forehead Abby noted that his core temperature wasn't stabilizing yet. "I'm going to clean up your cuts, bandage them up, and then I'm going to give you some Thirium to drink."
Not saying a word Connor just let Abby pour the orange tinted incrassation compound over the opened cuts on the bottoms of his feet, then slowly wrap white gauze around the bleeding appendages. Too tired and too miserable to even raise a single complaint about the cold sting of the astringent on the raw cuts, Connor remained completely silent as he watched her work.
"This is the first house call where I've had the patient show up at my house. I will admit it's more convenient for me, but still a little weird."
"...I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I asked you to stop by so I can get you your clearance to return to work, so you showing up while sick is just a time-saver for the both of us."
Falling back into silence Connor dismissed the persistent warnings regarding the low Thirium volume and high core temperature as he patiently waited for the trusted technician to finish taking care of his foolishly self inflicted wounds. His instincts for self preservation were practically nonexistent.
"Done." Putting the extra and unused gauze aside Abby picked up Connor's wet clothes and carried them into her laundry room to toss in the dryer for a while. Grabbing a bottle of fresh Thirium from her small personal stash in the kitchen, her preparedness truly respectable, Abby carried the Thirium back into livingroom and handed it over to Connor to drink. "This will help you feel better."
Accepting the Thirium with a shaking right hand Connor just held it without even making an effort to drink it.
"Please drink. Don't think I won't start a line in your arm just to force you to cooperate."
Staring at the Thirium for only a moment longer Connor opened up the bottle and took a small drink of the crucial elixir.
"At least half the bottle." Trying to reach a compromise Abby spoke sweetly to her star patient. "I'm going to get you a cool compress so you can get your temperature down and get some rest."
Not wanting to cause any problems in any way Connor forced himself to drink the rest of the Thirium despite not wanting it at all. After the bottle was empty he just sat still and didn't even react when Abby's right palm lightly pressed to his too warm left cheek, and her left hand took the empty bottle back.
"Lay down over the couch."
Being frightfully compliant Connor slowly laid down on his right side and stared blankly at the turned off television as he tried to not think about how strange the world around him had become. Truly convinced he was going to mess things up and only make the city worse Connor had no motivation to return to the precinct, or even get back up.
"This will help you stabilize." Smoothing the damp and cool washcloth over Connor's overheating forehead Abby spoke to her friend in a very patient and quiet tone. Pulling the decorative but soft afghan from the back of the couch she draped it over the deviant to ensure he didn't feel cold or exposed after his long walk through the chilling rain. "Get some rest. I'll be here when you wake up."
The way Connor's morose eyes closed and stayed closed was absolutely heartbreaking.
"I never thought I'd see the day where I'd actually prefer a more combative patient than a totally defeated one..."
Taking her leave of the livingroom Abby silently walked up the staircase and into her bedroom on the second floor as she sent Hank a text message to let him know what was going on. She knew that if anyone could snap Connor out of his depression it'd be Hank.
Practically throwing the door to the private meeting room open Hank breathed a sigh of relief and promptly clocked-out at his terminal after marching back into the bullpen. Ready to go home and tell Connor the good news about the mayor getting his ass in the line of fire, Hank made his way out of the precinct and jogged through the rain to get to the car in the parking garage next door. The moment he sat down behind the wheel Hank's phone buzzed in his pocket and the senior detective was prepared to cuss out Captain Fowler for bothering him yet again.
Checking his phone's display Hank's stomach dropped when he saw a text from Abby instead of his commanding officer.
"Shit."
Dropping the phone into the passenger seat beside him Hank turned over the engine and pulled the car out of the garage and onto the rainy street to head out to Abby's house.
"I'm sorry I left you alone, kid."
Staring at the empty street ahead of him through the windshield being repeatedly cleared by the wiper blades Hank knew he had a tough challenge waiting for him in the future.
"You'll be okay though... I won't let you down."
Patiently watching Connor as he slept deeply on the couch Abby managed to check his pulse, his Thirium pressure and core temperature without waking him up in the process. Now that the overwhelemed deviant was properly resting, had ingested his weekly Thirium and was returning to a normal core temperature Abby was becoming less worried. Staying close by and watching his every subtle movement with infallible attention to the details Abby sighed, and promptly typed up the clearance form for Connor's return to the precinct on her laptop, and pressed 'send'.
It was a difficult decision as Abby knew that Connor wasn't entirely stable on an emotional level. The way that the deviant dedicated himself to helping others and never once asked for anything in return pulled at Abby's heartstrings, and she knew he'd feel even worse if he was kept cooped up inside the house all day instead of being able to work.
"I wish I knew what happened between you and Skye, but... In a way I'm glad I don't." Even as a technician there were just some wounds that she couldn't help heal. "Whatever happened between you two needs to be worked out between you two without an audience watching."
A very soft knock on the door made Abby rise up from the kitchen table and away from her laptop to greet her second visitor. Already knowing that it was Hank on the other side of the door she pulled it open and motioned with her arm for him to come inside. "Thanks for coming."
"Thanks for helping him." Seeing Connor asleep on the couch and not moving reminded Hank of how he had to babysit rookie officers who pushed themselves too hard to get their cases closed, or whenever Cole had been sick with a cold every winter. That type of dedication was as admirable as it was exhausting. "How long has he been asleep?"
"About twenty minutes."
"I think that's longer than he slept all last night."
"That bad, huh?"
"Yeah. Heartbreak is an absolute bitch."
"Tell me about it." Giving Hank a nod to join her in the kitchen Abby proceeded to brew up a fresh pot of coffee and turned to face Hank as the senior detective joined her in the small space. "No seriously, tell me about it."
"Look, I know you want to help him but I'm not going to divulge his heartache behind his back."
"I wasn't talking about him." Pouring two cops of steaming warm coffee into identical white mugs Abby handed the first mug over to Hank, and then slid the small white container of sugar over to him from across the countertop. "I was talking about you."
"Me?"
"I highly doubt that someone who is as ludicrously patient as you is a stranger to heartache and love loss."
"There's no denying that. And thanks." Picking up the full mug Hank opened the container of sugar and used the spoon already stored inside to put a small amount into the otherwise bitter drink. "I'm... Well, I'm a divorcee and a widower. Not to mention I lost my... firstborn."
"I'm sorry." Mentally kicking herself the moment Hank mentioned his late son Abby attempted to salvage the discussion. "I didn't mean to bring up a sore subject."
"I know, you're just curious."
Holding her own mug between both of her hands anxiously Abby dared herself to speak up again. "...Can I ask about your wives?"
"First wife was my high school sweetheart. Shortly after high school graduation and just before I got accepted into the police academy, we went with a big group of friends to hang out in Vegas for the weekend, and..." Smirking at the mischievous memory Hank had no problem with exposing one of his oldest secrets prior to becoming a cop. "One of my friends looked an awful lot like his older brother. An I.D. may have been 'borrowed' that particular weekend."
"You bought some booze, hung out at the casinos and then..." Following Hank's story closely Abby knew that it had a very interesting plot. "What?"
"I don't remember much after the first bottle of tequila was finished off, but Sunday morning I woke up with my girlfriend passed out across my chest and we had matching wedding bands on our fingers."
"Shut up." Amused at the story Abby took a thoughtful sip of her coffee and gave Hank a sly smirk over the edge of her mug. "You, a respectable police Lieutenant with a 'take no shit' attitude, got married during a drunken escapade?"
"Hey, it was the aughts! It was a different time, just before everything got super strict, conservative and paranoid. Way more fun back then..."
"What happened after you two woke up and then sobered up?"
"Well, I puked while she cried, then I laughed so hard I started to cry and made myself puke again... Then she found the nearest courthouse to get the marriage annulled while yelling at me the entire time. I kept the marriage certificate as a souvenir and she's still pissed off to this day."
"How long did you stay together?"
"We were together all through our senior year of high school, and about two more months after the Vegas stunt before she decided to leave the city to escape the 'embarrassment' of being a young adult who couldn't handle her liquor. She went to New York, became a graphic artist and remarried to a pretty good guy seven years later. She had four beautiful kids, too."
"And you? How'd your love-life change after that?"
"I stayed a bachelor for... too long. Eventually, I met the woman I was meant to be with and we met when she was assigned to be my partner."
Abby's eyes widened right alongside her grin. "You married your own partner?"
"Yeah. We couldn't help falling for each other and it was just meant to be. We hooked up, got married in secret and few years later she gave birth to-" Not wanting to delve too deeply into his painful past Hank hesitated on his own son's name, then forced himself to say it. "Cole. We had a son named Cole."
"Sounds like you managed to find love despite the 'scandalous' setback of your own youth and impulsive decisions."
Chuckling once Hank gave Abby an approving nod. "That's one way to say it."
"...What happened to your second wife?"
"Uh..." That story was not humorous in the slightest. "About a year and half after our son was born she was... It was during a routine patrol and she was alone."
"I see. Wounded in the line of duty is too damn common."
"Amen to that." Sipping his coffee again Hank sighed and looked back at Connor still asleep on the couch. "Aside from your crazy ex-boyfriend stalking ya', how about you? Any true romance in the air?"
"Not really. A few flings here and there, a handful of not-so-serious relationships and only two actually serious relationships. Never married and I've never been engaged."
"Have you been dating at all since that fucked up incident last winter?"
"One or two coffee dates, again, nothing serious. The guys just weren't my type."
"No chemistry?"
"Is that the polite way of saying they bored the shit out of me?"
Chuckling again Hank finished his coffee and placed the now empty mug in the kitchen sink to rinse it out. "Yeah, that counts as a lack of chemistry."
"I thought that Gavin guy at your precinct was pretty cute, then I heard he's in a committed relationship and all the attraction," motioning with her hand to create a 'poof' effect Abby shrugged her shoulders casually and took another sip of her coffee. "disappeared."
"That, or your standards raised up and you saw he wasn't worth it."
"Who knows? I just take being single one day at a time."
"As a widower talking to a confirmed bachelorette," speaking with Abby as a friend rather than a technician Hank sought her advice. "what do you think I should do with Connor?"
"You know him way better than I do." Peering at the sleeping deviant on the couch Abby put her coffee down beside her laptop and then crossed her arms over her chest. "And to give you my honest opinion, you doing what you're doing right now is the best thing for him."
"And what I am doing, exactly?"
Giving Hank a knowing smile Abby spelled it out for him without the slightest doubt in her voice. "Being his friend, his mentor and a father figure."
"Is that how you see me? As his father?"
"Don't even try to deny it. I saw the way you nearly lost your mind when he was hurt after falling from the roof of my old apartment building. And I saw the way you kept calm to keep him calm during his treatment. Then you did it again every other time he's been hurt or sick." Not one to be fooled so easily Abby wasn't about to let Hank off the hook just yet. "You're a protector, through and through. Connor's vulnerable and you're going to protect him. Keep doing that and he'll fine given enough time."
"Sounds a hell of a lot easier said than done."
"I get the feeling you can handle it."
"I hope you're right."
"Why don't you get him back home to sleep in his own bed? The more he rests in a comfortable environment the better off he'll be."
"Yeah, you're right." Heading into the livingroom Hank lightly pressed the back of his right hand to the side of Connor's neck for an instinctive fever check. There was no denying that he had taken on a paternal role in Connor's young life. "He doesn't feel warm anymore."
"Good. You pick him up, and I'll get his clothes and an umbrella to keep him dry while you get him out to the car."
"Thanks, Abby." Patting Connor's semi damp hair lightly Hank stared at the deviant's blank face and gave him a sympathetic stare. "We'll figure this out, son. Emotions are complicated to deal with no matter who you are, or where you come from."
-next chapter-