Medical checkups weren't unusual for Pirates, but still, this one came as a surprise.
Corso knew something was up, when Sonny asked him and Bennett to find all the medical files and see who needed urgent care.
He was apprehensive, seeing how he was one of those people.
Still, Sonny insisted.
Corso didn't like being examined, it would reveal just how much of his body was cybernetic, something he'd rather hide.
And they weren't hurting him.
If anything, the Chissian Steels were what was holding him together.
Bennett was also on Sonny's list.
Mostly because of his eyes; scarred by acid.
The day came, and he was sitting on the bench outside the infirmary, awaiting his turn.
"Corso?" The Pirate in charge of the paperwork asked.
Corso flinched at the sound of his name.
No turning back now.
Corso stood up and followed the Pirate into a room.
Corso nodded at the doctor but was surprised to find Sonny was there, too.
He looked at an x-ray, not paying him much attention as he sat down.
The doctor approached him with a scanner.
"You know the drill, take off your coat, deactivate your cybernetics." He said.
Corso nodded and did as told.
He could just feel everyone's eyes on him.
The half robot.
He looked at the doctor who put the scanner down.
Sonny looked up from the x-ray.
"Well?" He said, as he looked at the doctor.
"His results are good. No problems with any organs. That said, his cybernetic parts might need some repairs." The doctor said.
Sonny nodded.
Corso had just about enough being talked over.
"Well, I got work to get back to." He said, grabbing his coat.
Sonny grabbed his wrist.
"We are not done Corso. I've found some things that really need to be addressed. Your cybernetics are on the verge of breaking down, especially your eye." He said.
Corso sighed.
"It will be fine. Those are Chissian Alloys. They're virtually indestructible." He said.
He felt Sonny's hand on his shoulder tighten.
"It's not the eye itself I'm worried about. What if it gets infected?" Sonny said, showing him the x-ray he had been studying.
There were notes on it, but Corso couldn't understand them.
He wasn't a doctor.
"What are you trying to tell me?" Corso finally asked.
Sonny turned his back for a moment, taking some deep breaths.
When he turned back, he looked sad.
"Corso, the tissue around your eye is deteriorating. It might start to rot. It needs to be replaced. I can't tell you what to do, but if not for yourself, then for me; please consider it." Sonny said, while locking eyes with him.
Corso just looked away.
He never really had someone concerned about his well being with the Pirates.
"I-I Suppose I can do it for you." He said. Sonny nodded but couldn't hide a sigh of relief.
"Just do one thing for me."
"Depends on what it is." Sonny said.
Corso took a deep breath.
"We should examine you, too." He said.
Sonny dropped his pen, before sighing.
"I guess that's only fair." He said.
The doctor prepared an extra examination kit.
Sonny took off his red coat and shirt.
Corso couldn't help but feel his cheeks warm at the sight.
It had been a while since he felt this for someone else.
And Sonny clearly had a wife somewhere.
This wasn't going anywhere.
Soon enough, the doctor made the needed scans.
Once it was over and Sonny got dressed, he nodded to Corso.
"Just look at it. " He said.
Corso bit his tongue, as he looked at the results.
Bone fragments littered his spine, from the small of his back, up to his neck.
Corso was mortified when he looked at Sonny.
"Sonny… This is serious." He stammered.
Sonny nodded silently as he finished dressing.
"I know Pirates don't want to look weak. That's what Magnus taught you. But that needs to stop, before we kill ourselves. " Sonny said.
Corso nodded but looked at the x-ray again.
"What even happened?" Corso asked, as he handed the x-ray to Sonny.
"That's for later. For now, I want you to have that eye replaced as soon as possible." Sonny said, holding out his hand.
Corso didn't have to think it over.
He took Sonny's hand and shook it.
"You got yourself a deal."
Four weeks passed, and Corso's treatment was finally finished and he got himself a new cybernetic eye.
The surgery was difficult due to the damage, but a success, as Sonny told him.
He couldn't wait to be released and get back to work.
Sonny would eventually join after his own treatment and recovery.
Right now, he was alone with Bennett, though.
"Listen Bennett, Sonny's new at this, and some people are going to take advantage of that. We need to have his back." Corso told him.
Bennett nodded.
"I'll do just that. You just focus on getting well soon." He said.
Corso nodded.
"Just don't lose track of him. Remember what happened last time he 'Needed some space'?" Corso reminded him sternly.
Bennett nodded.
That had ended with an abduction.
Some people, even on Shiloh, saw Sonny as a meal ticket back then.
Probably still did.
They managed to find him in time back then.
Assured Bennett would protect Sonny, Corso checked out his new eye.
It took some getting used to, with far more features then his old one.
He had to ask Sonny about those…
Suddenly, Stevens entered.
"How's everyone doing?" He asked with a smile.
"Still in one piece, I see. Even after Sonny's last stunt." Stevens replied.
That made Corso frown.
"What happened?" He asked.
Stevens sighed.
"Not everyone's happy with his changes. There's already talk about 'teaching him a lesson'." He said.
Corso nodded as he heard this.
He wasn't surprised people would not like Sonny's more compassionate approach.
This had to be dealt with.
"Does Sonny know about this?" He asked.
Stevens shook his head.
"No, he still thinks he can make it work. But these guys, they don't like change." Stevens explained.
Corso clenched his fists.
He knew this was going to happen.
And Sonny was just too damn naïve to see.
He looked at Stevens.
"Tell me everything you know. We need to make sure they don't try anything." He said.
Stevens nodded.
"They have a meeting tomorrow, I can take you there if you like."
Corso didn't bother to go to the cabin when he arrived back from the hospital.
This couldn't wait.
If this mutiny talk was through, they needed to be prepared.
Bennett was on the computers, checking the latest data on the cargo ships from Technoid, determining which of them to strike.
Sonny was busy with another list, assigning ships to the various raids.
As Corso entered the command center, he looked up and a smile spread across his face.
"Good to see you back Corso. Loving the new eye." He said, lowering the platform so Corso could walk onto it.
"Does the store you got it from have shades too?" Bennett asked, admiring Corsos new eye.
Corso looked around.
"Everything is still intact, also good to see." He said, turning to Sonny.
"Can I have a word with you?" He asked.
Sonny looked puzzled for a moment, but nodded.
"Is there a problem?" He asked.
Corso sighed.
"Stevens told me we have a situation that needs to be addressed right NOW."