...LOADING INFORMATION:

REGISTERED NAME: "Gavin Neil Reed"

MODEL: GV-100

SERIAL NUMBER: 001 978 814 - 02

ACTIVATION DATE: April 12th, 2039

HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 5' 10.45"; 154.3 lbs

COMPLEXION: Caucasian

AESTHETIC GENDER: Male

HAIR/EYES: Brunette; Hazel-Gray

ASSIGNMENT: Detective with the Detroit Police Department: Detroit, Michigan; United States of America

ASSOCIATION(S): Detroit Central Precinct

BOOTING PROCESSORS...

LOADING OS...

SYSTEM INITIALIZATION...

-CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS... OK]

-INITIALIZING BIOSENSORS... OK]

-INITIALIZING AI ENGINE... OK]

-MEMORY STATUS... OK]

WARNING:

...Fracture to Posterior Cranial Plating - 98.5% Structural Integrity

RECOMMENDED COURSE OF ACTION:

-Seek Immediate Technical Assistance

-SYSTEM READY... OK]

Seeing the red data and numerical digits in his vision did little to ease Gavin's headache as he regained consciousness and found himself surrounded by blackness and the smell of old, dirty burlap. Blinking a few times Gavin remembered what had happened to him and remained perfectly still where he was laying to ensure that his abductors didn't know that he was awake once more. Using his other senses to his advantage Gavin listened to the sound of the van's engine and tires, the texture of the road and of the surrounding ambience to gauge his current location. As the van rocked and swayed Gavin tried to remember which streets in Detroit were winding and more dirt than pavement, and as he concentrated on his situation his internal G.P.S. automatically kicked on.

Seeing a small digital map and a blue dot appearing right before his eyes was something that he hadn't expected but he readily welcomed. Observing the map closely Gavin figured out where he currently was and knew where he was going to be taken once the van reached its final destination. Using his advanced android brain to his advantage once more, Gavin sent out a cybernetic distress signal that would be picked up by any deviant in the area as well as the patrolling police drone.

With any luck he'd be found before Doug and Isaac were able to do whatever it was that they had planned on doing to him.

"We're gonna' make it look like a suicide."

Gavin honed in on Doug's voice and made sure he took in every word in full clarity as he sent a cybernetic link from his processor to Tina's phone. By doing so Gavin guaranteed that the precinct would be able to watch a livefeed of what was happening as both a clue to Gavin's location and evidence to prosecute his abductors after they were arrested.

"Reed was always a sensitive little bitch." Doug continued as he seemingly commanded the entire situation from the driver's seat. "The pussy said that his mommy and daddy being fucked up is why he's so damn fucked in the head, but we all know it's because he's always lacked the balls to get the job done properly. Me, you and Archie managed to shoot and dispose of over thirty drug dealers last year alone, while Reed sat on his ass and waited to lick the higher-ups taints while they told him what to do!"

"As long as the fucker didn't bitch out and tell Fowler about us, we'll be fine." Isaac stated rather arrogantly as he watched Gavin's body closely. "Somehow I had a feeling that Reed was an android. No one would go out of their way to make such a big show about hating androids unless they were trying to cover for themselves. We've seen it countless times when it comes to cleaning trash off the streets."

"Yeah, you're right. Guarantee that Reed was a CyberLife spy and help put a bunch of cops who can actually get the job done out on the streets!" It seemed Doug's paranoia was starting to surface as he believed Gavin had been spying on him for years. "Fucking race-traitor deserves to die..."

The way his two former friends were so quick to turn on him opened Gavin's eyes very wide to what kind of world he had been choosing to live in. Barely a week ago Gavin would've been chatting it up with Doug, Isaac and Archie about wanting to smash every android in the city and give back jobs to the real people, and now he was seen as someone who deserved to die simply because his body was an android while his brain still remained human. Everything about Gavin was still the same as it had been before the shooting save for his bones being plastimetal and blood being blue. And it seemed yet those differences were enough to warrant murder in the eyes of three people he had once openly associated with.

Feeling the van come to a stop caused Gavin to hold his breath as he focused on his internal G.P.S. and continued to send out cybernetic distress signals knowing that he had one ally who was already on top of leading the police right to him. Being patient and biding his time was the only way Gavin could guarantee that he'd survive his current ordeal and see his former friends put behind bars where they rightfully belonged.

"Let's get this over with." Once more Doug took the lead and controlled the situation. "Haul him in the back and keep him secured. I'll get the rope."

"What about his gun? It'd be easier to just blow his fuckin' brains out with his own gun!"

"We can't risk our fingerprints getting all over his gun. We're just going to chuck it into the river and be done with it."

"Yeah, good move."

Gavin remained perfectly still even when he heard the sliding door to the van forced open right next to his head. The urge to fight back when he felt two hands wrap around each of his biceps was strong, but he didn't want to risk giving either Doug or Isaac a chance to flee from the city if they figured out that he was awake and had already sent a distress signal to his exact location.

Going limp Gavin feigned unconsciousness as Doug and Isaac dragged him out of the van and toward a building that he couldn't see. The feeling of his shoes digging small divots into the ground as he was dragged forward was an odd sensation. He was moving without actually walking, and he was leaving a trail courtesy of Doug and Isaac's laziness and stupidity.

"In here." Doug spoke up as a large metal door 'creaked' open loudly. "This place is the perfect gallows for a traitorous piece of shit like this."

Not saying a word Gavin remained limp and didn't move a single synthetic muscle or try to catch himself as he was dropped to the hard concrete floor of the isolated building that he had been taken to. As he fell to his side Gavin listened to the sounds all around him and determined that the large echo and concrete floor were key indicators of being taken to either an abandoned factory or another warehouse far from where anyone would see or hear anything.

Being left to die in a second warehouse that week would've been the biggest insult to injury.

"There's a strong pipe up there." Isaac stated as he dragged over something heavy to stand on. After looping the rope around the pipe, he tied one end in place and lowered the opposite end down to be tied around Gavin's neck. "Shouldn't take long to string him up and set the scene."

"Make sure we don't leave any trace of us being in the area." Doug warned as he pulled Gavin upward to kneel on the floor. "We need to take the cuffs and the sack with us after we stage the hanging."

"Too bad we can't just get him drunk and leave him on the tracks like we do with those junkies. The train always does a fine job of destroying the body and the evidence at the same time."

"Androids don't drink." Hefting Gavin up and over his shoulder Doug stood on top of a large metal box and held the man's limp body tight. "Get the rope. After he drops we'll get the cuffs and bag off of him."

Gavin didn't move even as he felt the rope being snaked around his neck and then tightened. Trusting that back-up would arrive soon Gavin remained limp and pretended to be unconscious even as Doug lowered him down to stand on the box as he and Isaac set the scene to stage a suicide by hanging. As soon his feet touched the top of the box Gavin prepared for the tightening of the rope around his neck and throat, and knew that the rope was going to cut into his skin and leave nasty bruises behind. It was then a curious idea popped in his head and he decided to test it out.

"I got the bag." Doug confirmed as he pulled the burlap sack away from Gavin's head. He saw that the detective's eyes were still shut and he was convinced that Gavin was still unconscious. "You get the cuffs."

"Got 'em." It took Isaac only a few seconds to unlock the cuffs and pull them from Gavin's wrists. It was then Isaac noticed that the skin around Gavin's wrists was missing only where the handcuffs had just been. "Shit!"

"What is it?"

"The cuffs cut his wrists! No one's going to believe that this was a hanging now!"

"Son of a bitch!" Doug swore as he punched Isaac's shoulder and caused the man to stagger backward. "Why in the fuck did you tie the cuffs so tight? You know better than that!"

"I didn't!"

"Clearly you did! Fuck..." Thinking for a moment Doug peered around the building, a shutdown automotive plant, and a new idea formed in his head. They were surrounded by massive pieces of forgotten machinery, tools and presses. They had many opportunities to finish what they started. "All right, we'll throw him into one of those damn machine presses instead."

Removing the rope from around Gavin's neck Isaac gave Doug a skeptical glance. "Think they even still work?"

"Only one way to find out!"

Discreetly Gavin opened his eyes and looked around as Doug and Isaac dragged him from the metal box and over to a long dormant machine press near the center of the plant. The massive hydraulic tool had been previously used to stamp metal and flatten it before the metal was placed in a mold for custom shaping. The sheer size of the press guaranteed that anyone who was unfortunate enough to get caught under the powerful, crushing weight of the press would be permanently crippled or killed within seconds.

Unwilling to go down without a fight Gavin remained on his guard and waited for his opportune moment to retaliate and fight back.

"Check for a power switch." Doug demanded as he dropped Gavin down on the floor at the base of the massive press. It wouldn't take long to throw Gavin beneath the crushing weight of the press, but there'd be no point in doing so unless the press would actually work and power on. "There's a breaker in the back that should still have some juice to this thing."

"Why don't you look for the damn power switch?" Isaac asked in an annoyed manner. "This thing is fucking huge!"

"Fucking fine..." Giving Gavin's side a nudge with his foot Doug made sure that the man didn't react and didn't wake up. When Gavin slumped limp against the base of the press Doug decided it was safe enough to walk away for just a few minutes. "Keep an eye on him! I'll check the breaker in the back and look for power switches to turn this thing on."

"Sure, yeah."

While Doug walked deeper into the plant Isaac peered all around the hydraulic press in search of the power switch and a control board to operate the press. As he checked out the base of the press Isaac noticed a wedge between the crushing press weight and the base that was a safety measure to keep the press from coming down prematurely. Not wanting any setbacks Isaac reached in and grabbed hold of the wedge to pull it out of the press to ensure the tool was ready to function.

"Come on!" The wedge was stuck tight, and Isaac had to put a lot of muscle into removing the object. "Almost got it..."

Gavin looked at the massive machine beneath his back and noticed a large red power button at the top of the press out of crushing range. Once the machine had power then it'd be able to crush Gavin into nothing more than a scrap of plastic and Thirium that could never be salvaged. Unwilling to die because of two corrupt cops trying to cover their asses Gavin decided it was time to act and had further inspiration surge through his devious little mind.

A quick scan confirmed that the press was still operational and would be able to function if given a power source. Seeing the statistics on the press and noting that it was capable of nearly six thousand pounds of pressure was all it took for Gavin to decided that it was time to act and protect himself from imminent harm, if not immediate death.

Discreetly Gavin pressed his defective fingertip to the base of the press and sent a controlled jolt of electricity through the body of the metal tool. The jolt was potent enough to momentarily power on the press and cause the crushing weight of the press itself to slam down without warning directly atop Isaac's left hand as he finished pulling the protective wedge from place. Looking away as the bones audibly crunched and the blood spirted from the absolutely destroyed hand, Gavin only felt a slight sense of guilt for what he had done.

Had it been Doug's hand he would've felt entirely vindicated.

"AGGGH! FUCK! FUCKING FUCK!" Isaac shouted in whimpering agony as he tried and failed to pull his flattened left hand from between the press and the base. The pain was relentless, and shock was setting in quickly. "MY HAND! MY FUCKING HAND!"

Doug had come rushing back over to the press and instantly paled and turned green at the sight of Isaac's crushed hand keeping the man pinned in place as he began to heavily bleed from his wound. "Holy shit... Wh-What happened?!"

"GET MY FUCKING HAND OUT THERE!" Isaac ignored the question as he fell to his knees and tried to wrest his hand free of the crushing press. Tears were streaming down his face as he too paled and looked entirely nauseous at what had just happened to him. "HELP ME!"

Having been forgotten about Gavin was able to line up the heel of his shoe with the back of Doug's knee while the dangerous man had his back turned. Using his biometric scanner Gavin found the most ideal place to strike the man for maximum pain and ignored the disintegrated bones in Isaac's hand as he planned to finally get revenge on the two men who had threatened him and had gone out of their way to try to kill him.

"Where's the-" A strong kick to the back of Doug's knee not only caught him off guard, it knocked him off balance as his kneecap became dislocated due to the strong blow. Doug fell to the floor in sudden pain and rolled from his side and onto his back. "FUCK!"

"Yeah, you are." Gavin gleefully quipped as he rose to his feet and loomed over Doug as the man sat on the floor and cradled his dislocated knee. "You're both fucked right now."

"You can't do this!" Shouting in anger and defiance Doug glared at Gavin as the deviant detective had the upper hand. "You're a machine!"

"I'm a detective, asshole!" Proudly Gavin pulled his badge from his back pocket and reminded Doug and Isaac of who they were dealing with. "And you're both corrupt as Hell. I'm going to enjoy putting your sorry asses in prison."

"Not a chance! We got judges on our side, you worthless faggot!"

Gavin responded appropriately by kicking the side of Doug's face and sent one of his teeth flying right out of his mouth. "Anyone ever tell you that you got a big mouth? You should shut it now before your new cellmates want you to put it to good use."

"W-We're not going to prison." Doug managed to speak between his clenched and bloodied teeth as he cradled his sore jaw in his palm. "And you're going to die!"

"Not today." Motioning to the door of the old plant with a pointed thumb over his shoulder Gavin just smirked as police drones illuminated the area and four squad cars raced to the scene. Not only had back-up located Gavin, but they had arrived in time to arrest the two corrupt and now injured detectives. "Today it's your turn."

"You son of a bitch..." Forcing himself to his feet Doug struggled to take a swing at Gavin as his injured knee threw him off balance and his now aching head combined with Isaac groaning in pain had effectively distracted him. As his punch went wide and missed completely Gavin grabbed onto Doug's fist and held it in a firm grip within his own much stronger palm. "Fuckin' hell!"

"Seems to be the right place for you. By the way, your wife and kids are going to be so much better off with you." Tightening his grip Gavin happily watched Doug squirm in pain as six armed officers stormed inside the old plant with their guns drawn and all aimed at Doug and Isaac. "There are some fantastic lawyers who'd trip over themselves to get the chance to represent a victim of adultery when the adulterer is already behind bars! Especially when the adulterer is a crooked cop!"

Before he even had the chance to rebut or throw a second punch Doug was tackled to the ground by an armed deviant officer and pinned down on his chest. With his hands now pinned behind his back Doug was officially under arrest and about to be charged with numerous accounts that'd guarantee a lengthy prison sentence with no chance of regaining his reputation.

"Ulysses Douglas, Isaac Carson, you're both under arrest." Proudly Gavin watched as the deviant officer secured Doug's wrists behind his back and forced him to kneel on the hard floor atop his dislocated knee cap. "You both have the right to remain silent as anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You both have the right to an attorney, and I suggest you find a damn good one if you want even a chance at seeing life outside of prison before arthritis eats away all your bones."

The deviant officer hauled Doug up to his feet while two other officers walked with Doug and Gavin toward the plant's entrance. The remaining three officers watched over Isaac and requested both an ambulance and the fire department at the scene to free the man's hand before transporting him to the hospital for treatment.

"Y-You're a dead man, Reed..." Doug threatened even in front of two more officers. The corrupt cop truly thought he was untouchable and swore revenge against the one detective who had put him in his place. "You can't get away from me, even if I do go to prison."

"I'm not worried." Gavin replied confidently as he saw Tina pulled up to the scene in her own car to check in on her best friend. He finally realized that he had allies that weren't full of hatred or bigotry watching his back, and he could honestly say that he preferred their company over that of his former friends. "You're just a coward who abused the law to your advantage. Pathetic."

"Pathetic?!" Snarling in anger as he stumbled on his feet, Doug stared at Gavin bitterly and with genuine rage in his eyes. "I'm not the one who hides behind some bitch's skirt!"

"And I'm not the one who bullies the defenseless because someone didn't tell me that my dick was special. What about you?"

"You fucking asshole!" Trying to break free of the deviant officer's grip was proving to be fruitless, but Doug wasn't deterred in the slightest. "You're dead! Do you hear me? You're fucking dead!"

"Maybe some other time." Walking away from Doug for a moment Gavin approached Tina and gave her a small nod. "Not a bad day's work, huh?"

"Somehow I knew you'd be the detective in peril when a deviant barista came to the precinct to report an abduction." Holding up the dropped coffee cup with Gavin's name written on the side Tina flashed Gavin a coy grin. "Pretty clever putting your name, the van's description and general direction inside the cup for us to find."

"Yeah, I'm pretty proud of that one."

"How'd you think of that?"

"It just came to me." Watching as Doug was secured in the back of a patrol car Gavin continued to smirk and feel like he did something great that day. "That deviant barista had been tormented by Doug for as long as I can remember, so he was happy to help me out and make sure that the cup got into the right hands. That's all that matters right now."

"Yeah, you're right." Patting Gavin's shoulder proudly Tina motioned for her friend to join her as they headed back to the precinct. "Come on, I'll give ya' a lift. I know Captain Fowler is just eager to hear about what went down tonight."

The media in Detroit was having an absolute field day reporting the arrest of three corrupt detectives in a single day, and for once none of the precincts minded telling the story to ensure that the air was clear and that no unfounded rumors were being spread out of fear and panic. As the three detectives were named and shamed on every news outlet in the city Gavin couldn't help but feel absolute relief knowing that he wasn't one of the mugshots being shown on television at the moment. He could've easily ended up being charged with the same malicious crimes and sharing the same prison cell as his former friends, but he had been given the chance to correct his bad behavior before it truly got out of hand and ruined his life.

Sitting behind his desk Gavin sighed and stared at the television monitor with great intrigue. It felt almost surreal to the see the three familiar faces on the screen. He had known Doug, Isaac and Archie for years and never once thought of them as corrupt detectives who'd end up on the opposite side of the prison bars one day. That concept of them being untouchable had been shattered quite easily on that fateful day.

"Here, drink this." Tina placed a mug of Thirium down on Gavin's desk as she dropped into her chair and turned it to face the television screen as well. "Those fuckers got what they deserve. Dr. Valentine and the deviants at the veterinary clinic made sure to report Archie for cruelty to animals as soon as they got Lucky's bloodwork processed. And, even better news, Lucky can leave the clinic tomorrow afternoon! She's eating and drinking normally, and her kidneys escaped damage."

"Guess she really is lucky after all."

Peering down at the Thirium in the mug Gavin sighed at the drink and lamented what he needed to do. Just as his hand hovered over the handle he suddenly remembered the vial of Thirium flavoring in his desk drawer and decided to try it out. Discreetly he pulled the vanilla flavoring from the drawer and poured it into the mug and watched the two liquids seamlessly blend together into one.

"Hey..." Tina turned to face Gavin as he sipped at his Thirium and found the taste to be rather palatable. "What smells so good? It's like cookies!"

"The special Thirium flavoring Connor gave to me. It really does taste like vanilla."

"That was nice of him. I wonder when he'll be back to work."

"Soon. He's recovering at the facility and Elijah's going to stick around until he's back to one-hundred percent." Downing the entire mug Gavin sighed again and had to admit that he felt a little better after having his Thirium volume topped off. It was like taking a nice long drink of water after enduring a hot summer day. "Our reports are filed, those three corrupt bastards are behind bars, and those violent gang members are off the street. How about we get outta' here and try to relax?"

"Great idea." Tina quickly clocked-out for the night and gave Gavin a small smile. "Want to go back to my place and watch some reruns of 'MythBusters'? We can even try some of those experiments at home, that warning disclaimer be damned!"

"Why the hell not?"

Finally feeling more like his old self Gavin put his now empty mug aside and joined Tina as she made her way to the precinct's front entrance. He had managed to close two big cases and get justice for himself, for Connor, for Lucky, for Tony, and for countless other innocent people who could've been harmed by the very corrupt detectives that he had managed to get locked away. By all account he could finally relax, let his guard down, and go about his own business without a care in the world.

Despite having every right to be proud of himself and his accomplishments Gavin couldn't bring himself to accept the good work that he had done. It just didn't feel right to take full credit for what had happened, or for being better than his three former friends for their disgusting behavior. If it hadn't been for the shooting that had resulted in Gavin turning into an android for the time being, then he could've easily been arrested right alongside his friends if Tony had been able to reach the police with his distress call the night at the rage room.

All it took was one little change to completely turn Gavin's life upside down. And it was a change that he never would've accepted on his own.

"You know, I heard that Isaac is going to need to have his left hand completely amputated." Tina seemingly mentioned out of nowhere as she and Gavin made their way over to his car to head out for the night. She had been keeping tabs on everything happening and knew that the wounded detective was going to suffer the worse fate physically of the arrested trio. "Maybe he'll get an android prosthetic and gain some humility at the same time."

"Doubt it." Looking down at his own hand Gavin focused on the damaged index fingertip and found it fascinating how the defect had actually saved his life. "He could use an android hand to sabotage prison security and escape, or he could use it as a weapon. He'll have a less advanced prosthetic to place his hand or nothing at all."

"How can he use an android hand as a weapon? Well, I mean, I guess he could strangle someone with it, but what else could he do?"

"Let's just say it's pretty shocking what a person can do when they suddenly have android strength to their advantage." Keeping the pun to himself Gavin just unlocked the car doors and proceeded to sit down behind the wheel. "What do you want for dinner?"

"I'll make something at my place." Tina answered casually as she joined Gavin as his lone passenger. "I have some new recipes I've been wanting to try."

"Cool. Be sure to save some for me to try once I'm a human again."

"You got it." As Gavin drove the car through the streets and back to her apartment Tina couldn't help but notice a drastic change in Gavin that wasn't just his android body and functionality. It was like a piece of him that had been missing for years had been found and helped him feel whole again. "You know something, you seem like you're in a good place."

"Good place?" Chuckling a little Gavin gave his friend a rather stern glance as he wasn't one to take the notion of a Zen mindset seriously. "I hope you're not getting philosophical or hippie-dippie on me."

"Come on, you know what I mean." Not letting the matter drop Tina refused to let Gavin put up more walls to shield himself from reality again. "It's like you're in a peaceful place."

"My car is pretty damn peaceful."

"Be serious for a second. There's something about you that's far more positive and alive right now. I like it and I'm glad to see you feeling good!"

Gavin just tilted his head as he continued on his way to Tina's apartment without a care in the world. "I guess I just got a new perspective on the world and discovered that it's not as shitty or bleak as I had thought. It's pretty nice."

"I guess it's true then."

That cryptic response gave Gavin momentary pause as he focused on the streets. "What is?"

Giving her best friend a smug grin Tina sank back in her seat and watched as he tried to hide his own smirk. "Never a judge a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes!"

Two days had passed since the three big arrests and the city seemed to be genuinely tranquil in those precious hours. In that time Gavin had been informed that his organic human body was stable enough to undergo the transcendence procedure once more, and soon he'd be back to his true self. After arriving at the Zeta Facility to undergo the reverse transcendence procedure and return to his former self, Gavin took one final look at his own face and wondered if he'd feel the same way about androids once he was a human again. While his consciousness, memories and beliefs had remained intact during the initial procedure of transferring his mind to his new body, it didn't guarantee his new experiences would stick with him.

As he laid over the table next to his own body Gavin sighed and felt only mild relief when Elijah entered the room along with Abby to begin the procedure. He had no reason to doubt that the reverse procedure would be a success, but that didn't mean complications couldn't or wouldn't arise just to ruin what was supposed to be the peaceful ending to an arduous journey.

The last thing Gavin remembered before he was placed into deep stasis mode was the sight of Elijah and Abby peering down at him, and of Tina watching him through the observation window looking into the private room. There were three people that he knew that he could trust all supporting him and assisting him, and with that acknowledgement came a sense of inner peace that help lull Gavin into a deep and restful sleep.

A throbbing pain in his chest and a sense of being watched pulled Gavin back into the waking world after six long hours of waiting and resting. His glassy eyes cracked open to reveal a blurry world around him that was completely unfamiliar. It wasn't until someone leaned over him did he realize he was still laying on his back in reclined position in a recovery bed and that he was being monitored after the procedure.

"You're going to be all right." Elijah promised as he lifted Gavin's eyelids fully to examine his pupils with his penlight. As he spoke the genius bioengineer watched Gavin's every subtle movement carefully as any protective brother would do. "The procedure was a success, and your entire consciousness has been returned to your body. You're undoubtedly in pain due to the still healing damage to your chest, but I can fix that."

Before he could say anything, mainly because his voice was entirely hoarse due to his body being on a respirator for nine consecutive days, Gavin felt the ache in his chest lessen as a potent but non-addictive painkiller was administered directly into his bloodstream via I.V. line in the back of his hand. As the pain faded his vision steadily cleared and Gavin saw that Elijah, Abby, Tina and few other unexpected visitors were watching over him.

"Can you hear me?" Tina asked as she sat on the edge of the bed with Lucky contentedly purring in her arms. The kind woman adored the cat and had no problem in taking care of her while Gavin recovered and looked for a new apartment. "You've been out for a few hours now."

Gavin swallowed and tried to rid the dry pain from his throat as he nodded and traced his fingertips over his nose. The feeling of the old scar on his face and of his own fingerprints confirmed that he was in fact a human being once more.

"I asked, and Abby said it was cool to bring Lucky by for a visit." Letting the cat out of her arms Tina smiled as the fluffy cat happily climbed onto Gavin's lap and snuggled down as she continued to purr loudly and with absolute affection toward her recovering owner. "I figured you'd want to see a friendly face after you woke up, and I know Lucky isn't too keen on chillin' at my place just yet. It was a win-win for the both of you."

Managing to lift his hand Gavin rubbed Lucky's ears and was rewarded with even louder purrs. "...Thanks, Ti."

Smiling at Gavin's voice Tina patted his arm and made sure he was really okay. "No problem."

Connor and Hank had been standing in the room as well as word of Gavin's procedure got to their ears thanks to Tina wanting to keep trusted people in the loop. As expected, Connor had brought by a 'get well soon' care package and left it on the table beside Gavin's bed. The package had clean clothes, some grooming supplies, heating pads, ice packs and two diabetic-safe bars of chocolate. The sight of Connor fully recovered with no sign of weakness as walked or talked, and the lack of bandages on his face now that his burns had healed was oddly comforting to the healing, now human, detective.

As for Hank, he just wanted to make sure the younger detective was really going to be okay and wouldn't need to undergo any further treatment before returning to work at the precinct. Even though he rarely saw eye-to-eye with Gavin due to their conflicting personalities and Gavin taking personal offense to Hank's previous drinking problem, Hank did in fact care about what happened to all of his officers and detectives both at the precinct and in their personal lives.

Stepping up Hank looked down at Gavin and gave him a respectful nod. "You take it easy for the next week. Your chest had to be torn apart to get to your heart after you were shot, and it's going to be hurting you for a while. Broken bones fucking suck."

There was no argument in that statement. Lightly Gavin pressed his palm to his chest and pulled down the scrub top to look at the new scar running down the center of his chest along his sternum. The small circular scars over his heart on both his chest and his back courtesy of the passing bullet was somehow more threatening than the incision scar that was going to be far more noticeable for a very long time. Scars weren't anything new to Gavin and he had gotten used to have the odd marks on his body tell stories of survival and experience without needing to say a word.

"Fowler wants you to be on desk duty for the next month, so just chill at your place and don't worry about the precinct." Proudly Hank gave Gavin's shoulder a small pat of genuine appreciation and respect as he spoke. "You got three crooked cops and an entire gang off the streets in less than two days. You've earned some time off to just chill and heal. You'll get paid during your time off too. Doug's going to prison for the next forty years, Archie's getting just as long since the judge who sentenced the trio of idiots is an animal activist, and Isaac is getting just thirty years since he lost his left hand." With a casual shrug Hank gave his own opinion on that matter at hand, so to speak. "Go figure that the loss of an appendage gets you a more lenient sentence, no matter how fucking stupid you are!"

There was no arguing with that statement. The glaze in Gavin's eyes confirmed as much.

"Oh, by the way, Fowler is going to look the other way on you being at the bar that night. Specifically, you being in the rage room when Tony was brought in."

That little admission made Gavin's eyes widen in both shock and in fear.

"The three bastards all confessed to everything happening and tried to get you dragged into their shit on the way down, but Tony made sure to let Fowler know that you didn't want to do it. He confirmed that you tried to make them let Tony go and then just put on a show to give you and Tony the chance to escape. As far as Fowler is concerned, you were just as much a victim as Tony was, and none of that will go on your record."

Swallowing to try to rid a dry raspiness from his voice Gavin managed to speak up in a weak and exhausted tone. "...But they put me at the scene."

"And Fowler easily argued that they were trying to destroy your reputation and frame you because you're the one who ended up arresting them. You got lucky on this one, so don't push it in the future or I will put my foot so far up your ass that you'll be choking on my shoelaces. Understood?"

Gavin nodded weakly and responded in an understandably timid manner. "...Yes."

"Good."

In a more civil manner Connor had reached out to pet Lucky and gave the cat a quick biometric scan before doing the same for Gavin. "Lucky has made a full recovery since the incident with the antifreeze, and your body has shown no sign of an infection during your time in a coma. Mild physical therapy will be necessary during your recovery period to rebuild slightly atrophied muscle mass, but you won't be permanently hindered or require any special accommodations upon your return to the precinct."

"...Thanks, Connor." Gavin acknowledged Connor's words then found it suddenly difficult to keep his eyes open. "I can handle it."

Being human was surprisingly exhausting compared to being an android. However, not having digital information appearing before Gavin's eyes to constantly remind him of his current vital signs and reminding him to take care of himself was oddly enough a massive improvement.

Politely Elijah motioned for the door and for the visitors to leave for a moment, to which Connor and Hank quickly complied. "Continue to rest. I'll be back to check on you in an hour." As Hank and Connor took their leave of the room Elijah put his hand on Tina's shoulder to keep her in place. "You and Lucky may stay. Your presences showed a marked reduction in Gavin's blood pressure when he regained enough awareness to recognize you."

"Glad we could help." Staying beside Gavin as he rested Tina remained upbeat and positive for his sake. "We'll be sure to keeping helping him out once he's back in my apartment and resting in true comfort."

Abby proceeded to check Gavin's vitals and confirmed that the man was indeed and stable and well on his way to a full recovery. "Cooperate with us and I'll let you go home tomorrow afternoon. You'll need to take it easy and continue to rest at home, but as long as you don't do anything to physically exert yourself you won't need a babysitter. Deal?"

Gavin could only nod in agreement as he gave way to exhaustion and let himself fall into a deep slumber. For the first time since he had been shot Gavin found sleep to be easily overwhelming him and was no longer being plagued by a nightmarish insomnia. As he drifted off to a peaceful sleep Gavin thought about everyone who had been helping him without him even needing to ask and realized that Tina had been completely right about judging other people.

Taking her own leave of the room Abby looked back at Gavin and shook her head a little. "You know, I like you more when you're not being grouchy all the time. Please keep this new attitude up, it's a good change for you and everyone stuck being around you."

That comment made Gavin grin as he found Abby's honesty to be refreshing. As she left the room Gavin rested his palm on Lucky's back to pet the fluffy cat curled up on his lap.

"You're going to be fine." Tina promised as she stayed loyally at her best friend's side. "It's okay to rely on others when you need help. And I didn't forget our promise. Pizza and beer to celebrate your recovery! Don't worry though, we won't start celebrating until after you've been medically cleared to party."

Managing a weak but sincere smile, Gavin grabbed onto Tina's hand and addressed his best friend in a raspy and barely audible voice. "...Thank you."

It took for Gavin to walk what felt like a lifetime in someone else's shoes to see how big the ever changing world truly was, but in the end, he knew that he was going to be a far better person with his new experiences to guide him through his future challenges and ordeals. The stubborn detective also finally realized that he wouldn't be facing those challenges alone anymore.

The essentially reborn man had his friends and even his family to call on in times of crisis, and from that moment on Gavin would never feel alone or like a stranger in his own skin ever again.

-End of Series-