It was just three days before Halloween and the city was filled to the brim with excited energy. The growing energy was nearly palpable as many people decided to either celebrate early and get drunks, play pranks or dress up in ludicrous costumes for the sake of shock value. It was an annoying shift in dynamic that left many patrolling officers emotionally exhausted or edgy, and in turn a fairly strict citywide curfew was being issued to keep the chaos somewhat contained. The resulting curfew dampened the mood considerably, but it did seem to help cut down on the reckless behavior that was spoiling the holiday for everyone else. The only downside was the curfew being issued so close to Halloween and so long after the hijinks and poor behavior swarmed over Detroit in record time.
Sitting together in the Oldsmobile as Hank proceeded to eat his lunch, Connor remained in cybernetic contact with the precinct as additional reports were filed regarding possible deviant related crimes as he wanted to stay on top of his caseload. A majority of which reports were simply cases of mistaken identity by humans and not an actual crime, and others were angry humans who were unhappy with deviants legally purchasing homes near their neighborhood and were simply causing problems. After being informed of their own crime in abusing emergency services the humans quickly stopped their false reports, and it greatly lessened the potential caseload that Connor and Hank would otherwise have to sift through.
"Anything good come in, yet?" Hank asked in between bites of his chicken wrap. "Or is it the same bullshit as before?"
"There have been no substantial reports that are worth our investigation." Connor sighed and pulled his coin out of his front jean pocket to fidget with as he waiting for something to happen. "The only case of immediate interest is that of a graffiti artist who is tagging older, abandoned buildings with murals of the city from the 1920's. The most likely suspect is in fact a deviant due to the speed and accuracy in which the murals are depicted."
"Yeah, I don't care about some fresh paint on the sides of some ugly-ass buildings." Finishing his lunch Hank leaned back in his seat behind the wheel and turned on the radio. After selecting a station with a decent song playing and turned up the volume enough to hear the music without having to shout in order to keep the conversation going. "We have better things to do than harass some freelance artist covering up the shitty side of town."
"I agree. There are far more-" Connor's brow suddenly furrowed and he turned off the as Hank's police radio clipped to the senior detective's belt sounded off seemingly out of nowhere. Dispatch was asking for assistance at the scene of an ongoing investigation as there was an officer down and only four blocks from Connor and Hank's current location. "There was a shooting at the local shopping plaza. Officer down."
"Fuck." Turning the key in the ignition Hank pulled the car away from the side of the street and back onto the road. "Where?"
Connor cybernetically uploaded the address in Hank's G.P.S. and directed him to the scene. "Four blocks East of our location. Take a left and enter the main drive of the Belmont Shopping Center."
"Do we know who it is?"
Pausing for a moment Connor slipped his coin back into his pocket and answered the question in a dour tone. "...Tina is the one who called in the shooting, and she issued the code."
"Shit... Fuckin' shit!" Hank's face visibly paled as he realized the gravity of the situation. "Gavin." The senior detective sped up as he grabbed his radio and issued commands to get the roads cleared up as much as possible while checking the E.T.A. of the responding ambulance. Putting his radio aside Hank focused entirely on the road but asked Connor for updates. "Gavin had the day off today! Do we know what happened?"
"According to eyewitnesses, Gavin was entering a store and a male shouted at him, then opened fire. The witnesses ran away as did the suspect." The details according to dispatch and the deviants handling such emergency calls were always thorough and heartbreaking. "Tina was the first to arrive as she was on patrol with Officer Person."
"...Fuck." Speeding up a little more Hank immediately thought about Gavin, Abby, Aria and how their family would be torn apart before they really had the chance to be together and enjoy life. "If he dies before his daughter grows up-"
"He won't." Connor declared firmly in the same manner that Hank himself would've stated. Hank having lost his own wife and being left to care for his young son alone had left the senior detective with a bit of a bias and a slight emotional chip on his shoulder when it came to his fellow officers being wounded in the line of duty, especially when they still had families to take care of. "Tina is with him and help is already on the way. The ambulance is currently four minutes and twenty-two seconds out, and we are less than one minute away."
"Can you get in contact with Tina?"
"Negative." Noting the rather grim atmosphere of the shopping center as Hank sped down the drive, Connor braced himself for the worst possible scenario in the event that Gavin had indeed been wounded and was bleeding out. "I believe Tina has lost her radio or it had been damaged after she made the call."
"...Or her hands are too busy to answer the call."
The car came to a screeching stop in the parking lot of the hastily evacuated plaza and the two detectives threw open their doors with purpose behind the swift motions. Guns already drawn, the duo checked the scene for any sign of the armed suspect still in the area, but they had long since fled the scene of the shooting. Connor's scanner detected three human lifeforms just outside of the store where the shooting had taken place and no one else. All witnesses and employees had fled the area the moment they heard the gunshot.
Two of the three humans had erratic, adrenaline fueled vital signs, while the third displayed weak vital signs and was clearly in distress.
"It's clear." The deviant holstered his gun as he rushed over to the front of the store and announced his presence to ensure that Tina and Officer Person didn't open fire on the two arriving detectives by mistake. "Detroit Police!"
As Connor and Hank arrived at the correct store, they both saw Tina and Officer Sarah Lee Person kneeling over Gavin, who was laying on his back and in a puddle of growing crimson red blood. The wounded man wasn't moving even as Tina held pressure on his wound and Sarah Lee monitored his pulse.
"Officer Chen." Connor observed Tina on the cold floor with her hands pressed down over Gavin's lower right chest and upper right abdomen in an attempt to apply pressure to what was surely the bullet wound in the reported shooting. Blood was pooling on the floor at Gavin's right side, and the detective's face was frightfully pale with a gray hue that was often indicative of impending death. "How long have you been applying pressure?"
"Six minutes, at least." Tina didn't dare to move her blood-soaked hands and lighten up on the pressure that she was applying to the wound in the upper right portion of Gavin's abdomen. Gavin's blood was soaked clear up Tina's sleeve all the way to her neck as the bullet caused a massive gush of blood when it struck him. "...He's barely conscious and I can't get him to talk to me."
"Gavin?" Connor ran a more thorough biometric scan as he slipped off his blazer and folded it up neatly in his hands. As he tucked the garment under Gavin's head Connor was aware of the wounded detective's labored, rapid breathing and his equally rapid thready pulse. Locating the source of the bleed Connor glanced back over his shoulder toward Hank as the senior detective stood by the factory's entrance and called in an update on the situation on his radio. "Single bullet wound to the upper right quadrant of the abdomen." The deviant observed calmly. "It passed through the ninth and tenth costal cartilage of his ribs and has become embedded in his liver."
"Fuck..." Swearing again Hank radioed the incoming paramedics and the hospital staff who were already aware of the shooting to give them a critically needed heads-up. "What can you do for him?"
"Not much, but I will try to keep him stable." Moving on autopilot Connor pressed his fingertips to the side of Gavin's neck to count his pulse more directly as he called his name, but Gavin failed to respond. Suddenly Gavin let out a weak panting breath and his body went completely lax under Tina and Connor's hands. "Gavin?"
Even from the distance Hank saw Gavin's chest fall and failed to rise again. "Shit, he stopped breathing!"
"Gavin?" Connor failed to detect the human's pulse beneath his fingertips and quickly pressed his hand down over top the detective's stopped heart. No respiration, no heartbeat. "He's gone into full cardiac arrest."
Moving automatically as instinct took over his every being, Connor placed one hand over top of the other and interlaced his fingers together to create a single fist. As he began compressing the center Gavin's chest Sarah Lee made room for Connor and used her radio to update dispatch on the situation. Tina applied more pressure to Gavin's bleeding wound, but her strength was wearing out fast. Hank quickly noticed Tina's trembling arms and took over applying the pressure while he counted the compressions being applied to the downed officer's chest.
"Breathe." Hank ordered as Tina, without needing to be told to do so, tilted Gavin's head back, straightened his neck, lowered his bottom jaw and pinched his nose shut as she pressed her lips to his without hesitation. She delivered the needed two breaths that made his chest weakly rise and fall under Connor's hands as Gavin failed to take a third breath under his own power. As the second round of compressions ended Hank issued the command again as a means of keeping control of the otherwise chaotic scene. "Breathe."
Connor shook his head a little as he scanned Gavin's chest and grimaced at his stunted heart barely responding to the motions caused by his hands. "Please, Gavin. You need to revive. You have a family you need to protect and to watch grow up."
The sound of ambulance sirens quickly filled the air and then silenced as the emergency vehicle backed up toward the plaza and two paramedics jumped down from the opened backdoors with a gurney being wheeled between them. Police drones circled over the building to set up a perimeter and provide additional protection to the five officers outside the store that was currently doubling as a crime scene.
"Cardiac arrest!" Hank shouted as the duo of paramedics encroached on the downed detective. "Two rounds of compressions, no sign of response. Starting the third round now."
Swarming over Gavin quickly a dark haired, male paramedic named Johnny took Tina's place and placed an ambubag over Gavin's nose and mouth and proceeded to breathe for the dying detective. The female paramedic, Dixie, proceeded to tear open Gavin's dark green t-shirt to fully expose his bloodied abdomen and chest beneath. Attaching the wireless leads of the cardiac monitor to Gavin's chest the display on the monitor showed a very weak ventricular fibrillation as Gavin's heart fought to beat on its own again.
"We need to defibrillate." Dixie stated as she placed the wireless defibrillator paddles and secondary sensors down over the center of Gavin's chest under Connor's compressing hands and at the left apex of the stopped heart. "Charging to three hundred Joules. Everyone clear."
Reluctantly Hank removed his hand from Gavin's abdomen and Connor pulled back his fists as the two detectives allowed the paramedics to continue tending to Gavin while Hank and Sarah Lee then set about taking care of Tina. Though seasoned and tough, Tina was very good friends with Gavin - almost like siblings - and it pained her to see her partner so close to death at her feet and covered in his own blood.
"Come on, Tina." Hank lightly patted her arm and coaxed her into taking a step back from where her partner was laying on the ground. "You know Gavin better than any of us. There's no way he's going to let a fuckin' bullet stop him."
"It was George."
"George?" Hank's first thought was the deviant who had harassed Lucas back at New Jericho Tower all those months prior. "A deviant did this?"
"No, it was George, the one that Gavin dumped in high school when the fucker beat the shit out of him."
"Wait, Gavin's ex?" The story of Gavin's past abusive relationship was one that only a few trusted people knew about. "Son of a bitch... I thought Gavin kept up a restraining order against him."
"Since when did a piece of paper deter psychos from stalking their targets?"
"Fuckin' hell. You saw him, so you need to give me a full description." Hank went into detective mode and pulled a small notepad and pen from his pocket to write down everything Tina said. "We got the name, now we need the appearance."
"Male, Caucasian, about six feet tall, about two-hundred pounds of muscle, maybe thirty-nine years of age," immediately Tina recited the details that she remembered after George shot Gavin in cold blood. "he has very short cut blond hair, military style, and blue eyes. The bastard fled on foot heading East. He was wearing jeans, a dark gray shirt and a green-camo jacket."
"I'll make sure Ben pulls George's file and gets a B.O.L.O. for that fucker to every patrol in the damn state."
"Clear?" Dixie asked her partner as he applied a pressure bandage over the deadly wound in Gavin's chest. Even as Tina gave her statement the two paramedics were battling to keep Gavin alive. "The charge is ready."
"I'm clear."
"All right," holding her fingers over the charge button on the defibrillator Dixie prepared to send the potentially lifesaving charge through Gavin's struggling heart. "Clear!"
Gavin's body slightly arched up from the ground and fell back down with a subtle 'thud' against the cold concrete ground just outside the store. The two paramedics checked the monitor and saw the same weak heart rhythm on the display as Gavin's body remain cold and unresponsive.
"No conversion. Sending another shock." Repeating her actions from before Dixie pressed the charge button and announced the action. "Clear."
Once more Gavin's body reacted with a somewhat violent physical reaction to the jolt of electricity. As his body dropped back down on the hard floor there was still no change in his condition.
"Shit." Dixie swore as she reached into the medical kit and retrieved a syringe containing pre-measured adrenaline while Johnny continued to breathe for Gavin via the ambubag. "Intracardiac injection." Holding her hand down firmly against Gavin's chest over his stopped heart Dixie held his left pectoral muscle as steady as possible before using an alcohol wipe to sterilize his skin and then plunged the needle down into his stilled chest. With the press of her thumb against the release trigger the lifesaving drug was administered directly into Gavin's failing heart. "Adrenaline in."
The sight of the needle entering Gavin's chest made Tina turn away as a sickening knot formed in her stomach. Hank sensed her discomfort and tightened his hand on her arm without anyone seeing the comforting gesture while Sarah Lee continued to keep dispatch apprised of what was happening. Connor just stood back and biometrically scanned Gavin's body, watching as the needle pierced through his skin, his muscle and entered his quivering heart with a frighteningly easy effort.
"All right, increasing charge to three hundred sixty Joules." After adjusting the defibrillator Dixie prepared to send the third charge. "Clear?"
"Clear."
Pressing the button on the intricately designed emergency medical device, the stronger third jolt of electricity surged through Gavin's heart and caused his back to arch up slightly higher and then drop back down for the third time. A faint 'blip' sounded off through the empty plaza as the cardiac monitor began to register Gavin's heart beating once. Another 'blip' followed by a third and fourth filled the tense air as Gavin's heart began to beat again on its own.
"Got a pulse." Pressing her fingertips to the side of Gavin's neck Dixie was able to detect a palpable carotid pulse. "Rapid and thready."
Tina let out a silent sigh of pure relief as well as a silent 'thank you' to whatever holy deity might be watching over them right at that moment.
"We need to move him." Dixie then responded as she checked the bloodied pressure bandage over Gavin's chest. Slipping a blood pressure cuff around Gavin's bicep she noted his low blood pressure as the wrap tightened automatically, and she then prepared to start an I.V. in his opposite arm. "He's lost a lot of blood and is slipping into hypovolemic shock."
Connor knelt down again and helped the paramedics lift Gavin up from the ground and place him down carefully onto the gurney. Johnny slipped an oxygen mask over Gavin's face and placed the cardiac monitor down on the gurney next to Gavin's side to keep hit vitals under constant check as he was wheeled out of the plaza and into the back of the awaiting ambulance.
Staring at the puddle of red blood on the ground Connor felt sick and glanced up at the store where Gavin had been attempting to enter. It was a children's store full of supplies for infants and toddlers.
"Come on, Connor." Lowering his voice as if needing to keep something a secret Hank addressed his deviant partner calmly. "Right now, we need to go to the hospital and be with Gavin and Abby. Sarah Lee's going to hold down the crime scene and then head back to the precinct later."
As Tina climbed into the front of the ambulance's cab to ride in with her wounded partner and accompany him to the hospital, she wiped her bloody hands off onto her black uniform pants in disgust. Mercifully the dark fabric helped to hide the sickening crimson hue and keep it from her direct line of sight, but the lingering metallic smell of the blood still stung her nostrils and made her eyes water for a second reason that day.
"Hank." Whispering as Gavin was wheeled into the back of the ambulance and the gurney was secured into place, Connor knew that there was another crisis they'd need to handle before the day was over. "What're we going to tell Abby?"
"The truth, son. It won't be the easiest thing we do but," motioning to the Oldsmobile parked just a few feet away from the ambulance Hank readied himself for the tense afternoon that he and Connor were about to endure. "it has to be done."
"I understand. Let's go take care of Abby."
The ambulance sped off with the lights and siren blaring as the gunned down detective was raced to the hospital as quickly as possible. The fight for Gavin's life was only just beginning...
Returning to the precinct just long enough to inform Captain Fowler of the shooting in person, the two detectives explained everything that had happened regarding the reported shooting, the suspect and where both Tina and Sarah Lee were at the moment. They also explained how they were going to bring Abby to the hospital to be with Gavin and take care of her and Aria during the emergency situation. The two detectives then took full responsibility for keeping tabs on Gavin's condition and of taking the lead on informing Abby of what had happened to Gavin on that horrible day by telling her face to face. The hardest part of the job was always informing a person that their loved one was the victim of a senseless crime.
Ben immediately pulled the file on George and began spreading the word on the B.O.L.O. to get the manhunt underway. With George being armed and considered extremely dangerous after shooting a detective, there was a massive sense of rage from all officers and detectives in the city. The brutal crime wouldn't be forgiven, and no one was going to stop searching until George was either behind bars or six feet under.
As for Tina, she was given the rest of the day off and was permitted to remain with Gavin for as long as she saw fit. She was undoubtedly too shaken to work elsewhere and needed to be with her honorary big brother while he was in the hospital.
"Are you sure we shouldn't call her first?" Connor asked sincerely as the two detectives pulled up onto the correct street toward Gavin and Abby's modest house. The couple managed to find a comfortable house shortly after they were married and loved that they were only two blocks away from New Jericho Tower. "It might be easier for her to process a phone call before we show up."
"Trust me, a phone call will just make her worry, and the waiting - no matter how brief - will be even worse. This way we can take her to the hospital ourselves and answer all of her questions on the way."
"That does seem more empathetic and logical." As the car parked along the street in front of the house Connor opened his door and proceeded to jog up the front walkway to get Abby. Knocking on the door twice Connor braced himself for the dreadful news he had to deliver to someone who had become a very good friend to him in two different lifetimes. The door opened quickly, and Connor greeted his friend in a level voice as she held Aria on her hip. "Abby."
"Connor? What's going on?" Looking past Connor to the car where Hank was still sitting, she knew something was wrong. Holding Aria against her chest in a worried hug Abby locked eyes with the deviant and dared to ask him more questions. "What happened? Where's Gavin?"
"Come with us." Giving Abby his arm to lean on Connor escorted his friend out to the car and opened up the door to the backseat for her to climb inside as quickly as she could move. The moment Connor was in the front passenger seat Connor turned around and scanned her friend's vital signs. She was scared and no one could fault her for her reaction. "Abby, this afternoon Gavin was attempting to enter a store downtown when a male suspect opened fire and... Gavin was wounded."
"Oh... god." Reaching her hand up into the front seats she grabbed onto Connor's shoulder and held tight as Hank drove the group to the hospital where Gavin was being treated. "What happened to him? Tell me the truth."
"Abby," Connor put his hand over top of hers as she clutched at his shoulder with a frightened grip. "Gavin was shot."
"Fuck, wh-where was he shot?" Shushing Aria as the baby started to fuss Abby tried to maintain her composure during the horrible situation. "How bad is he?"
"The bullet pierced his liver, and he lost a lot of blood; nearly four point three pints." Intentionally holding back on the information regarding the cardiac arrest Connor did his best to keep Abby as calm as possible. "He is already at the hospital undergoing emergency surgery to repair the damage he had sustained. Tina is at the hospital with him."
Abby's hazel eyes dulled with worry, and she bowed her head forward as she kissed Aria atop her hair. "...Was anyone else hurt?"
"No."
Looking back up at Connor her eyes began to fill with tears and her face paled slightly. "How'd he get shot? Why did it happen?"
"The current theory is that an ex-boyfriend of Gavin's assaulted him. We don't know the theory, but the witness statements are currently indicative of the shooter being someone personal from Gavin's past."
"Shit." Abby leaned forward a little and put her hand over her face to keep herself from breaking down. "Why did I ask him to run to the store today? I should've just gone myself."
Hank spoke up in a level voice as he watched Abby fighting to stay strong on Aria's behalf. "It's not your fault, there's no way you could've known this would happen. Regardless of how he got shot, we all know that Gavin is strong. He can take this and when he wakes up, he'll be the gruff bastard we all know and love."
"...Yeah." Lifting her head back up Abby's glassy hazel eyes were full of unshed tears, and she took a deep breath as she rubbed her hand up and down Aria's back to try to keep her young daughter from picking up on the emotional distress and crying as a result. "I just wish I was there with him."
"You will be soon."
Connor continued to let Abby clutch at his shoulder and hold onto his hand as she proceeded to mentally steel herself for the horrible sight and intense waiting that she was about to endure. Protectively Connor scanned and monitored both Abby and Aria closely to ensure that they didn't need any special attention while waiting for Gavin's emergency surgery to come to an end.
"Abby." Hank kept speaking to her calmly in a tone that spoke volumes of how many times he had unfortunately had to have this exact same conversation dozens of times before. "Everything will be okay. The paramedics got there fast, and he was being taken care of before we even arrived. He's also healthy and he takes care of himself, so he'll be sore for a few weeks then he'll be back on his feet ready to change every dirty diaper that comes his way."
"...Yeah." Not entirely convinced and still righteously worried Abby just tightened his hand on Connor's shoulder until her knuckles were stark white. "I'm sure he will."
The swarm of police drones filling the sky and the electronic billboards all showing George's mugshot made it very easy for the police and all potential witnesses to potentially locate the fugitive as he attempted to hide from the authorities. Having the media actually being an ally as opposed to a hindrance was also helpful since the story of Gavin being shot by fugitive with a personal vendetta already sparked a lot of anger in people. However, mentioning that Gavin had a wife and baby at home to take care of seemed to unite the city in a way that was rarely ever seen save during tragedy. Humans and deviants alike were working together to try and find George and tip off the police to the cowardly man's location.
Captain Fowler and Ben had searched through George's personnel military file with a fine-tooth comb to try and find a motivation behind the senseless shooting. It didn't take long for either man to notice that indicators for obsessive behavior, explosive anger, a penchant for violence and a history of stalking were noted in the man's psychological profile.
"How in the hell did this guy get into the army?" Slamming his hand down on his desk Captain Fowler walked away from the terminal screen and stared out of the transparent wall of his private office to look at the numerous empty desks in the bullpen. "And how in the fuck did he manage to find Gavin again? Gavin got a restraining order and managed to hide his online presence to make it look like he was living out in Los Angeles."
"The asshole must've tried to track Gavin down and noticed his name in the news thanks to all of the media coverage with the deviants and Gavin being a part of a lot of the cases." Ben could only theorize what allowed George to find Gavin, and then try to find a way to track down George before he skipped town. "He must've either wanted to kill Gavin because George got locked away in juvie for so long, or he learned that Gavin got married and was pissed off."
"Yeah. I bet the marriage announcements in the news helped George track Gavin down, and he decided to take advantage of the Halloween pranks to stalk Gavin and take him out in a public setting. Brazen bastard is going to burn for this..."
Two knocks on the closed door pulled Captain Fowler's attention over to the door as Chris let himself inside. He knew that the young officer had been watching him through the wall as well, and he knew that Chris would only join in on the private discussion if he had something very important to share.
"Cap, we got a lead on George." Chris confirmed as he leaned in the doorway and directed his Captain's attention to the precinct's entryway with a pointed thumb over his shoulder. "He's been spotted at the rundown hotel downtown by a couple of construction workers trying to fix the place up."
"Patrol in the area?"
"Yes, sir. They've already surrounded the building and cut off all exits."
"Good work." Motioning to Chris to head out Captain Fowler decided to take the initiative and track down George himself for his detective's sake. "Let's go. You drive and I'll direct patrol in the area."
Chris was just as eager as his commanding officer to find the fugitive and bring Gavin some justice. "Car's already waiting for us outside, and I have the address already set in the G.P.S. George will not be leaving this city."
The waiting room of the hospital was filled with dozens of different people who were sitting in the chairs or leaning against the walls as they too were waiting for news on their loved ones who had been admitted for medical treatment. Hank had located Tina down a quiet corridor near the doctor's lounge and discreetly kept her company while Connor remained in the waiting room at Abby's side. As Abby clutched at his hand in a vice like grip of absolute worry, Connor continued to monitor her closely and held Aria on Abby's behalf since he was far calmer than she was. With Connor remaining calm Aria was able to keep calm despite being in a strange place and surrounded by strange people.
Connor wanted to do more than just sit and wait, but as a detective and not a doctor there was nothing else for him to do. Until things changed, he'd just remain a rock for Abby to lean on and act as Aria's temporary guardian while they sat in silent waiting together.
"It's been two hours, thirty-four minutes and nine seconds." The deviant stated rather casually as he kept track of the events transpiring all around them. "Do you need anything, Abby? I can get you some tea if you'd like."
"I'm okay." Her hand never left his as she spoke and stared off into space that was conveniently located on the floor between the two rows of chairs in the waiting room. "I just can't believe it actually happened to him. I knew being a detective meant he was constantly in danger when he's on the clock, but..."
"I would relay the statistics and odds of the circumstance regarding the failure of his vest, the location of the bullet and-" Connor quickly stopped himself and skipped right to the point he was trying to make. "But I know that won't do any good to ease your mind. So I will simply tell you that Hank is right, everything will be okay."
Leaning over in her seat Abby rested her head against Connor's shoulder and closed her eyes as she began to silently cry. The strong woman had finally reached her emotional breaking point and needed her friend to help support her through the entirely senseless tragedy.
Connor knew that Abby needed to be comforted but he wasn't quite ready to display any form of affection toward anyone else, even someone he already cared for. The fear of losing a friend or loved one had caused the deviant to put up an emotional wall around his heart to keep himself from feeling anymore pain, but his deeply seated empathy overrode his instincts to protect himself. Tentatively Connor wrapped his arm around Aria's waist as she sat on his lap and then wrapped his other arm around Abby's shoulders and hold her in a light hug against his side. As Abby buried her face against the side of his chest Connor slowly tightened his one-armed hug to make her feel more secure.
"Connor?" Hank returned to the waiting room and joined his partner in the neighboring vacant chair across from the two friends. Subtly he nodded toward Abby and lowered his voice to keep things as quiet and calm as possible in the midst of the controlled chaos. "How is she holding up?"
"As you might expect. Tired and worried." Giving the woman a brief but thoughtful glance Connor returned his attention to Hank and made sure Aria was still content where she was sitting. "Any word on Gavin?"
"Yeah, uh, the surgeon got the bullet out and now the team is working to pack off the bleed in his liver and repair the damage. He's holding on, but he's going to be weak as a kitten once he wakes up. The doctor's going to come out and speak to Abby directly soon."
Connor's brow furrowed with confusion as to why Hank would speak as though Gavin were in fact out of surgery, only to quickly understand that it was meant as an optimistic comment to ease Abby's mind. It was then another important question entered his mind as he noted that Hank returned to the waiting room alone. "Where is Tina?"
"One of the nurses took her to get cleaned up and get her some clean scrubs to wear." The Lieutenant was glad that Tina wasn't currently in the waiting room since she and Abby would just be stressing one another out. "She's as impatient as we are, but unharmed."
"I imagine she is lingering outside the operating room as we speak."
"Most likely, yeah. To be honest, I'm glad she's here." Hank knew that Tina was one of the sweetest and big-hearted people in the world, and he knew that she would rain Hellfire down on anyone who hurt the people she loved. As long as she was in the hospital Hank knew that she couldn't possibly be out hunting down George and shooting him in cold blood. "You never want to see Tina's bad side, she's more intimidating than I could ever hope to be."
Abby let out another sigh and breathed deeply again as she managed to regain her composure. The strange reaction caused Connor to double-check his friend's current state of mind. "Are you sure that you're all right?"
"...I'm fine."
Before Connor could say anything further a doctor wearing blue scrubs, a white lab coat and thick red framed glasses over her kind blue eyes approached the waiting group and knelt down in front of Abby. The two detectives held their silence as they waited for the doctor to speak first.
"Are you Mrs. Reed?" The doctor asked as she looked at Abby who was still pressed up securely against Connor's side. "Abby, right?"
"Yeah," she answered quickly and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm his wife."
"I'm Dr. Hill." The doctor introduced herself politely to the worried wife. "I was the surgeon who operated on your husband."
Dragging her free hand over her eyes Abby sat upright and took in another calming breath. "How is he?"
"Gavin is alive. He tolerated the surgery well and is in the I.C.U. recovering."
Abby leaned forward as she pressed both of her hands over eyes and took another deep breath as the good news seemed to instantly lift a ten-ton weight from her shoulders and her heart. "Then why the hell am I crying?"
Also relieved, Connor waited for Abby to make a move to get up before he pulled his arm away and helped her to stand up. He'd keep Aria with him so that Abby could focus solely on Gavin for the time being since he knew that Abby would need to keep her attention on Gavin after recovering from the surgery itself.
"Can I see him?" Abby asked as she tightened her arm around Connor's arm in search of support. "I know he's still going to be out of it from the anesthesia, but I need to see him. I... I need to know that he's really going to be okay."
"Of course. I'll show you to his room." Standing up from the floor Dr. Hill stepped away and showed Abby, still leaning on Connor, to the correct corridor. "You're all welcome to join her, detectives. Detective Reed's partner is already waiting outside his room, and she let me know you were here waiting to see Gavin as well."
"Thanks." Hank stated in a stern voice as he too stood up and pulled his phone from his coat's pocket. "Connor, you go with her, and I'll catch up in a minute. I'm going to call Jeffrey and let him know what's going on. Hopefully he can give us an update on the manhunt while he's at it."
Connor held Aria close as he accompanied Abby to Gavin's private recovery room while remaining her trusted friend and loyal protector. The deviant didn't want to get too close to the recovery room since he knew that Abby would want a moment alone with her husband, and he didn't want to risk accidentally exposing Aria to something unsavory by mistake.
Abby was nervously chewing at her fingernails as she listened intently to everything Dr. Hill was telling her. She knew enough about emergency internal medicine as a former E.M.S. to know what to expect when she finally got to see Gavin, but that didn't make it any easier to bear or even mentally prepare for. Being a loving wife came with its unfortunate drawbacks, but Abby wouldn't dare give it up for anything in the world. Just as she'd remain a strong and protective mother to her daughter, Abby would remain a strong and compassionate wife to her husband during his recovery.
"This is his room." Dr. Hill put her hand to Abby's arm sympathetically as she prepared to show Abby inside. "Remember, he's going to be on a ventilator until we're certain that the sutures and latex skin are holding tight, and we don't have to worry about a pneumothorax developing."
"I'm ready." Wiping away her tears Abby cleared her throat of her welling emotions and gave Dr. Hill a nod then reached out and gave Aria's hand a kiss. "Connor, will you watch her for a while? I don't know when I'll find anyone who can take her while this is going on."
"You worry about Gavin, and I'll tend to Aria. I'll stay with her for as long as she needs me."
Abby gave Connor a gracious but brief smile as Dr. Hill showed her inside the private room to see Gavin at last. As she slipped into the room with Dr. Hill beside her the loving, kindhearted and compassionate technician, wife and mother looked like she had just seen a ghost. It was undoubtedly going to be a painful experience to endure, but if anyone could handle such a tragic moment it'd be her.
"Your mother is going to be taking care of your father for a while, Aria." Whispering to the baby Connor hoped to keep her calm and content while her parents were in the other room. "And until they finish dealing with their current problem, I'll be taking care of you. I promise I'll do my very best."
"Commendable."
Connor froze as the arrogant voice addressed him from a moderate distance. He could feel the hollow gray eyes watching his every move and had the strange urge to flee from the hospital to avoid any and all contact with the man. Turning his head Connor watched as Kamski approached him and took in the sight of his young niece for the first time since Aria had been born as she remained in Connor's supportive arms.
"I can understand why my brother and his wife trust you with their daughter." Kamski looked at Aria and managed to give her a genuinely warm smile as the little baby looked at him with utter confusion in her own gaze. She was barely four months old, but Aria was very alert and aware of people around her. "She seems to trust you as well."
"You'll have to wait to visit with Gavin." Connor instinctively kept the focus off himself considering Kamski's seedy and sneaky nature. "Abby is with him now, and she has every right to be alone with him after what's happened."
"I'm here to make sure my brother lives, nothing more. Considering he has his loving wife at his side and loyal friends watching over his family, I suspect that my presence is not necessary whatsoever."
"Gavin's in good hands, yes."
"As is Aria." Kamski watched the way Connor protectively held the baby close and refused to let even her uncle get too close since he was essentially a stranger to his own niece through willing estrangement. "I find it fascinating that you've become a natural caretaker. You've come a long way from being CyberLife's tool, to a respected detective, to now an esteemed leader of your people, a brother, and perhaps even a son to a man that you believed wouldn't grow to care about you as he had once before."
"Is that why you're here? To study me and the way I interact with the world?"
"No. I sincerely came here to see my brother, but considering he isn't alone I'll leave him to his more trusted family and friends. It's also nice to finally see Aria in person and not just through a single photo sent to me with a wordless message." Giving Aria one last thoughtful glance Kamski turned on his heels with a coy smirk on his face, only to stop and ask one final question. "By the way, have you seen Chloe as of late? She's recently chosen to leave my company, and I had assumed that she'd find her way to you."
"It's not my place to gossip about the rumored whereabouts of other deviants. If you want to know where she is, you'll have to find a way to locate and communicate with Chloe yourself."
"Fair enough. I'm just curious as to who she'd go to in this city, and what she might say..."
Connor refused to take the bait and readjusted Aria in his arms as he walked in the opposite direction of Kamski to find a place to sit down and keep Aria content. The little baby's care and comfort was his primary concern, not an egomaniac's experiments or cryptic behavior.
"Everything is going to be all right, Aria."
Whispering again to the infant Connor just instinctively knew how to hold her, keep her secured, warm and comfortable even while away from her parents as he watched and made sure Kamski returned to the elevator to take his leave of the hospital.
"Right now, things may seem uncertain, even frightening. But in the end, you'll see that everything will work out and you'll always have someone to watch over you, protect you and love you. That's a promise I know I'll be able to keep."
A mass of flashing red and blue lights filled the rundown neighborhood as a fleet of squad cars and nearly every drone in the city converged on the old hotel where George had been seen. The entire building had been surrounded and cordoned off by the responding and armed officers as everyone held their ground until they were given the word to breach the perimeter to locate and apprehend the lone suspect hiding inside. As expected, such a display had brought about the media as they had gotten a hot tip that the manhunt might be coming to a close. The numerous cameras all pointed at the hotel, as well as a news helicopter hovering overhead ensured that no one could sneak out of the building without being spotted.
All eyes were on the building's doors and windows as the tense stand-off continued on with its uncertain ending looming unnervingly close. It seemed as if no one was going to blink until the wanted man was in the officers' line of sight and subdued. Even as Captain Fowler and Chris pulled up to the hotel in the squad car, no one moved a centimeter or tore their eyes from the hotel's exterior as they waited for the suspect to emerge.
"Situation report." Captain Fowler barked as he stood behind the dozens of officers crouched down behind their own squad cars with their guns aimed at the hotel's front doorway. The numerous construction vehicles had provided adequate enough cover when the responding officers arrived at the scene, but they weren't going to take any chances during the stand-off. "Where's the suspect?"
"Inside, sir." Sarah Lee reported as she kept low behind her car with her unblinking gaze fixated on the hotel before her. She wasn't about to back off or clock-out early when they were so close to apprehending their suspect. "Movement was noted on the first floor after we arrived at the scene, but we haven't-"
A loud gunshot rang out from the interior of the hotel and made everyone duck down behind their cover in a single heartbeat. The drones circled closer to the hotel and began shining their searchlights through the windows to try and detect any motion. Meanwhile, the news helicopter wisely backed off.
"Everyone, stay down!" The seasoned Captain ordered as he pulled his own gun from its holster and looked to both Sarah Lee and Chris to make sure they were down and out of the potential line of sight of anyone inside the hotel. "Do NOT move until I say so!"
"Sir?" A deviant officer, one who had been a former security guard named 'Jack', approached Captain Fowler while keeping low as ordered. "My scanner has detected a single human life sign within the hotel, but now that life sign has grown very weak. I suspect the gunshot and this altered reading is connected."
"Good work, Jack." Standing up slowly Captain Fowler moved silently as he approached the front door and stood with his back against the wall next to the door's frame. "Chris?" Calling out to the younger officer he nodded his head and motioned to the open space on the opposite side of the door. "With me."
"Yes, sir."
Together Captain Fowler and Chris breached the opened door of the hotel and visually swept over the area to ensure no one was hiding in the shadows or corners waiting for an opportunity to leap out and attack any responding officers. The smell of fresh gunpowder was strong and the smell of blood was faint as the bold officers crept through the empty lobby of the hotel and toward the first opened door they could see. When the two scents combined it created an acrid aroma that far too many officers and detectives had encountered while on the job. Such an atmosphere confirmed that they were looking in the right direction for their elusive suspect.
Captain Fowler kept the lead and checked the doorway of the nearby opened door and found himself looking inside of an employee lounge that was void of all furnishings and had white sheets taped over the windows and a tarp over the dust and white paint speckled floor. There was a lingering scent of fresh paint in the air but that was quickly overpowered by the recent gunpowder and blood scents in the same room. As he entered the room Captain Fowler immediately recognized the shape of a body laying splayed on the floor and the splash of bright red blood staining the previously white walls behind it and the floor beneath it.
"Get your hands up!" Shouting at the body despite knowing it wasn't going to move, Captain Fowler took every precaution necessary while out in the field and facing off with a dangerous suspect. "Show me your hands!"
Chris rushed in the room behind his commanding officer and aimed his gun at the body as well. When he saw Captain Fowler lean toward the body and then press his fingertips along the motionless body's neck, Chris knew for certain that there was no one to arrest. The police had already contained the scene, which meant all that was left was the call to the coroner to come out and claim the body.
"No pulse. The suspect is down." Holstering his gun Captain Fowler gave Chris another nod to indicate that it was okay for him to holster his own weapon as he kicked the suspect's gun away from the limp, cold hand of the deceased. "The scene is contained."
"Is there an I.D. on the body?"
"Checking now." Keeping his eyes on the suspect's face as he searched through their pockets, Captain Fowler located the suspect's wallet and found the driver's license matching George's name, appearance and age. The credit cards, debit card and military I.D. all matched. "Looks like we got our man. We'll use D.N.A. and dental records for an absolute confirmation."
Stepping closer to George's body Chris peered down and saw the immediate cause of death in the suspect. "Looks like a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Entry wound on the right temple, no exit wound visible."
"Must've known how much he fucked up and decided to go out on his own terms."
"Couldn't face the consequences of his actions and took the easy way out." Chris was disgusted by everything George had done in his life despite never meeting the man until he had to examine his body. "People like him make the people struggling to improve their mental health and push aside their self-destructive thoughts look like unstable, selfish bastards."
"We know why he did it, and that's all that matters. He's not a reflection on anyone else dealing with their own demons." As he spoke the seasoned Captain felt his phone 'buzz' in his pocket and quickly checked the screen. The text from Hank eased his worries but still kept him on his guard. "Hank said that Gavin pulled through the surgery and his prognosis looks good."
"I'll consider that a win for today. How's Abby doing?"
"Worried and relieved at the same damn time. I'm going to call for the coroner and call Hank, you remain here and keep the scene contained. No one without proper I.D. visible at all times can go anywhere near the body." The circling media outside would love a chance to snap a photo of an attempted cop-killer's body, and Captain Fowler wasn't going to give the vultures such a body to pick over. "We're going to handle this professionally and swiftly; no risks, no petty grievances."
"Understood." Chris stood inside the opened doorway to block the body while Captain Fowler made his way outside. "If anyone's going to get the petty last laugh on this asshole, it'll be Gavin by living a good life with a loving family."
Through the large observation window overlooking the private recovery room where Gavin was resting comfortably, Connor continued to hold Aria while he silently watched Abby as she held onto his limp hand between both of her own hands with a mixture of worry and relief in her teary eyes. Even as she rested her head down against Gavin's bicep, Abby was still shedding emotional tears of fear, relief, confusion and anger. Tina herself was freshly showered off and standing in the far corner of the room nursing a cup of coffee in a slightly trembling hand as she kept Abby company until Gavin finally woke up from the heavy anesthetic and massive blood loss. The waiting game was a game that no one liked to play.
Gavin himself was laying slightly propped upright on his back with a cardiac monitor still attached to his chest displaying his vital signs. A nasal cannula was under his nose feeding him fresh oxygen, an I.V. was running into the bend his arm providing him with blood and antibiotics, an oximeter was attached to his index fingertip and the blood pressure cuff was still wrapped around his opposite bicep.
Pale, motionless and disturbingly quiet Gavin looked like a shell of his former self. Despite his grim facade he was still alive and more importantly his heart was continuing to beat.
"Hard to believe that of all the people to get taken down by a bullet," Hank stated somberly as he joined Connor at the window overlooking the private room and peered in at the downed detective through the glass. "it had to be an off-duty cop out running errands for his wife and baby."
"It does seem very cruel." Connor agreed as Aria made a fussing noise and began to chew on Connor's shoulder as he held her against his chest up near that same shoulder. "I cannot understand why someone would actively go out of their way to intentionally harm another person."
"It's one of humanity's worst traits, son. As a deviant, be better than that." Now that they were out of eavesdropping range Hank crossed his arms over his chest somewhat defensively as he nodded at the gathered group in the private room waiting for Gavin to wake up. "How's Abby holding up, really?"
"She was showing signs of extreme stress and exhaustion." Motioning at Aria with a simple nod Connor brought Hank up to speed on another interesting detail he had picked up on. "Aria is teething. I believe Gavin had gone out in search of pain remedies for Aria and to make it easier for them to handle her frequent discomfort."
"Yeah, teething isn't fun for anyone." Hank agreed as he ran his finger along Aria's cheek and was rewarded with a small happy giggle. "Especially the parents."
"...I've never responded to a call regarding an officer down when it wasn't you." Watching the emotional stress still present on Tina's face and even Abby's face as she slept, Connor was both intrigued and sympathetic. "I had seen similar stress on your person after I had become injured, but I have never actually seen it like this."
"You mean you've never seen other humans like this."
"Correct." The somewhat cruel fact was surprisingly blunt. "It's a singular pain that resonates deep from within the heart of man and machine, but why is it that humans can't see that deviants hurt as much as they do?"
"I wish I could tell you, kid. It's complicated to explain and humans in general are a selfish, myopic species." Lightly patting Connor's shoulder Hank leaned a little against the wall beside the window as he watched the recovering detective lying unconscious with his wife and best friend keeping vigil. "Try not to let to it bother you. Besides, we still got work to do."
Giving Hank a look of disdain Connor squared his jaw a little. "I take it Captain Fowler would like us to return to the precinct."
"With Gavin now out of action for the next two months, and Tina out for a week until she sees the precinct 'shrink', we'll need to pick up the slack for the next few days. Just in time for Halloween, too."
"I understand. But I won't be doing so until Aria has someone to watch over her, I gave Abby my word that I'd take care of her."
"Okay, I'll head back to the precinct and then come back for you later." Lowering his voice Hank looked at Gavin through the window and felt like his stomach was going to drop down to the floor with a thunderous crash. "The big problem is telling Cole that Gavin got hurt today. That's... Man, I don't even know how to bring that up."
"Do you think Cole will want to visit Gavin?"
"I do. He always saw Gavin as a cool big brother type even after you and Lucas showed up, and I want to treat Cole like the intelligent person he is. It's just... I don't know. Hard!"
"You're also trying to preserve his innocent childhood days for as long as possible."
"Yeah." Lightly Hank took Aria from Connor's shoulder for a moment to decompress and feel slightly better as the baby melted into his shoulder and made the man feel like he was a safe, trusted person despite all his faults. "Kids grow up so fast, and that sweet, blissful ignorance of how ugly and cruel our world can be can never be restored once it's been shattered."
"Cole may be growing up, but he'll always remain innocent because he's had a good dad to guide him every step of his way into adulthood."
Hank's eyes momentarily filled with grateful tears as he patted Aria's back and gave Connor a gracious stare. "Thanks for the reassurance, son. I needed to hear that."
"It's true too. You're a great father, Hank." Connor wasn't sure why, but he felt compelled to reassure Hank that he was doing everything right by Cole and deserved to be proud of himself as a parent for everything he had done. "Cole is one of the brightest, imaginative, intelligent and kindest people that I've ever met; and he's only in the fifth grade. I can't imagine how he could be any better than he already is, and that's all thanks to you being an attentive and loving father without fail. That's why Gavin respects and trusts you. As do Lucas and I."
Letting out a small sigh of emotional relief Hank pressed his free palm to his face as he closed his eyes and tried to not fear the worst when he spoke to Cole later that afternoon. He saw Gavin as a member of the family, a lost child who took on Hank as a mentor and then father despite always keeping himself at arm's length, and knew that if it was Cole, Connor or even Lucas who had been shot and was laying in that recovery bed that it'd be Gavin keeping him company and being a rock to lean on. Hearing only affirmations that he was doing things correctly gave Hank the strength he needed to tell Cole the truth and continue being a father for everyone who needed one during that tragic day.
The Central Precinct felt heavy and tense as the confirmation on George's identification and suicide brought only a modicum of justice after such a needless and traumatic shooting. Fortunately, the hospital was slightly less upsetting since the staff had a soft spot for first responders and allowed all the officers and detectives to check in on their friends inside the recovery room one last time before returning to their own homes for the night. Tina met with Hank outside Gavin's room with a tired yawn and informed them that he had regained consciousness two hours after Hank had initially left, but he fell asleep again four hours ago and had been asleep ever since.
While he was tending to Aria's care Connor wisely requested some assistance from the nurses to ensure Aria had access to clean diapers and formula while away from home and a properly packed diaper bag. Everything had happened so quickly that Abby didn't even have time to grab her purse or phone, let alone Aria's diaper bag when she learned of the shooting.
Chris and Jack had stopped by the hospital after securing the scene at the hotel to check on Gavin and left some flowers behind to not only playfully annoy the detective with the brightly colored flowers, but to make Abby herself feel better and laugh at the sweet gesture. It worked for a while and Abby began to finally relax a little, but she continued to worry for her husband as one would expect.
Captain Fowler, Ben and Sarah Lee all managed to make it to the hospital before visiting hours were over to see Gavin as well. The seasoned commanding officer managed to keep his composure after checking in on his detective before calling his wife and telling her the good news and then finally going home to get some rest after enduring the emotionally taxing day. Ben of course promised to bring one his wife's famous pies to the house to help Gavin feel better during his recovery, and Sarah Lee teased Gavin with the idea of buying him a special Kevlar vest with his name embroidered on the collar to wear during his off hours.
Arriving in the private recovery room Connor scanned the room's occupants where he found everyone to be stable and calm. Abby herself was sitting in a chair beside the bed with her hand resting on Gavin's hand, and her head again leaning against his bicep. Reluctant to wake her or ask her to leave to sleep in her own bed for the night, Connor simply draped his blazer over her sleeping form and let them alone without ever disturbing their rest.
"Connor," Hank whispered softly as he stepped inside the dimly lit room and stood just inside the opened door frame with Aria on his hip. "we need to get home."
"Of course, I'm coming." Connor replied quietly as he left the room just as silently as he entered. He didn't want to leave his friends alone, but he knew he'd be the most useful by getting some rest, babysitting Aria for the night, and covering open shifts for Gavin and Tina's sakes. "We have additional shifts to compensate for Gavin and Tina's time away to consider."
"Tomorrow we'll stop by to see Gavin and Abby on our break." The Lieutenant promised as he held Aria's sleeping form against his shoulder. "Maybe we can bring them some clothes or books, or something to make their stay more bearable while Lucas and Cole help take care of Aria for us tomorrow."
"That is acceptable."
"Here," Hank handed the car keys over to the deviant as he rubbed his hand over Aria's back softly. "I'm exhausted. You drive and I'll get Aria in her booster seat."
Connor accepted the offered keys and walked alongside Hank as they departed the hospital for the night and entered the elevator. "May I ask you a question?"
"Sure. I haven't stopped you before."
"Were you selected be Aria's godfather?"
"...Uh, yeah. Sorta'."
"How can you 'sorta' be a guardian for someone?"
"I never agreed to anything legally binding, but I did promise Gavin that if anything were to happen to him that I'd-" He didn't even want to think about being expected to help raise a little baby who lost her father just for doing his job. "It felt like if I actually signed the paperwork that I'd be tempting fate. That's all."
"Can I surmise that you and Barbara had... Nevermind." Connor could tell that he was touching a sore subject and wisely backed off. "It's not any of my business."
"But you're right." Exiting the hospital Hank wrapped his coat around Aria to keep her warm during the brisk October night and waited for Connor to unlock the Oldsmobile for him. "We had asked Jeffrey and Maria to be Cole's godparents, and not even a month later I lost Barb."
"Regardless of your reasons for not signing any legally binding documents, I admire your willingness to go out of your way to help people in need." Connor held open the door for Hank and made sure that the hastily secured booster seat wouldn't slip or slide during the drive back home. "Especially with such a responsibility like taking care of an infant."
"Well, that comes from personal experience." The man admitted as he made sure Aria was properly secured in the booster seat, then draped his dark coat over her legs to keep her warm during their nice, slow drive back home. "Besides, I have you, Cole and Lucas to help me with her for the next day or two. We're all going to be just fine."
"Where will she sleep?"
"I have Cole's old bassinet stored in the basement. I'll just give that a good cleaning and set her up in my room for the night."
"All right, we can stop by Gavin and Abby's home to gather a few personal things for Aria as well. Abby told me where she keeps the spare key."
"Cool." With the baby secured Hank trudged around to the passenger side of the car and sat down while trusting Connor to do the driving. "We'll make sure to let Lucas know he can use the autonomous van so he can bring Aria by the hospital if Gavin and Abby want to see her for a while."
"Of course."
"And we're going to take turns taking care of Aria to ensure she doesn't get overwhelmed or suffer from any form of separation anxiety. Using videochats help with little ones when they start to miss their parents too."
Connor gave Hank a coy glance as he pulled the Oldsmobile out of the parking lot and onto the street in a graceful, smooth motion. "Speaking from personal experience again?"
"Yup. When Cole was really little me and Barb would take rotating shifts so that one of us was with him every day, and we'd videochat on our phones during our breaks so that Cole could always see mom and dad every day as much as possible."
"That's a good idea." Taking a nice slow drive out to Gavin and Abby's house gave Connor ample time to think about everything happening and how he and Hank were stepping up to help out in their own way. With the one-year anniversary of the peaceful Revolution just two weeks away, Connor knew better than most how precious time was and that nothing in life was guaranteed. "It's good to see the people you care about as often as possible. We never know what tomorrow could bring."
-next chapter-