An unusual emergency was called in by a passing deviant who had witnessed a tragedy of nature taking place at a local children's park. An unlucky child playing with some friends on the far side of the park suddenly fell into a massive sinkhole and into the earth itself, and had become trapped in the cavernous depths quite far down from the surface. An old well that had been improperly sealed and abandoned on the park's property had been destabilized over the course of several years, and had reopened by the consistently harsh weather and erosion of the soil around it. The children all ran and their friend was left alone to sit at the bottom of the well and await his rescue.

Due to the nature of the call being placed by a deviant witness Connor and Hank arrived at the scene along with the fire department. The deviant in question was visibly upset and refused to let anyone else venture too close to the unsteady ground.

"The child was playing over there." The male deviant witness pointed to a freshly opened pit in the ground. "I saw the child's babysitter run to her car to get her phone to call for help, but I had already placed the call myself. I believe she is still in her car and speaking to the child's parents and keeping the child's friends back."

"Thanks." Hank acknowledged the deviant as he and Connor took in the bizarre situation professionally. "You were a big help."

"Is there anything else I can do? I feel terrible for the poor little boy."

"Just stick around and give your statement to another officer," the senior detective replied as he and Connor glanced about the area. "then you're free to go about your business."

Standing only where the fire department permitted due to safety concerns, Connor got as close to the well as possible to run a scan over the environment. It was too unstable for the responding firefighters to traverse safely without causing a secondary cave-in. The well was a straight drop of twenty-eight feet and the well itself was only six and half feet in diameter. Apparently the child fell through numerous loose stones and tree roots that became lodged over the well, making passage by the responding rescue personnel nearly impossible.

"I believe it's possible for the child to have survived the fall, but is most likely injured." Connor noted as he finished his scan. "I can detect faint vital signs sixteen point three feet below us."

Hank was always upset when he got a call regarding a hurt kid, but when the kid was alone it made things all the worse for the seasoned detective to handle thanks to his own experiences as a father. "...If that kid did survive that fall he must be in some serious pain."

Connor's L.E.D. flashed from blue to yellow with worry as he thoroughly scanned the ground that surrounded the well and detected faint human life signs near the bottom of the frighteningly deep well. "The child is in fact alive. He has fallen down sixteen point three feet atop of soft sediment and degraded concrete. The softer surface must've been enough to cushion his fall and prevented a fatal outcome."

"You can detect him down there from all the way up here?"

"Correct. From the vital signs I have gathered the child is in stable condition," speaking calmly Connor's yellow L.E.D. flashed rhythmically in his right temple while he finished the initial biometric scan. "but he is in need of medical attention."

"How do you know that?"

"The elevated heart rate and blood pressure are indicative of pain, just as you expected."

"Oh."

One of the firefighters surveying the scene had overheard Connor's comments and addressed the deviant accordingly. "Wait, you know exactly where the kid is located and of his current condition?"

"Correct."

"If one of us can clear a path, can you direct us to his exact location?"

"Yes." Confirming the request Connor's L.E.D. cycled back to a steady blue as he glanced back to the opened hole in the ground leading to the bottom of the forgotten well and the trapped child. "But I will require constant radio contact in order to accomplish this task. My cybernetic relay system will be inhibited by the metallic particles lining the interior of the well."

"I'll let the Captain know."

From the street alongside the park the sound of shouting drew the two detectives' attention to whom they deduced to be the child's parents. The parents had just arrived at the scene and were so desperately trying to get to the well to be with their son. Their mutual cries of fear, panic and uncertainty were heartbreaking to say the least. Even the fire department couldn't seem to quell their righteous worries, not that anyone could blame them for being so upset by the grim situation.

Discreetly Hank put his hand on Connor's shoulder and lowered his voice as he turned away from the parents who were already several yards away. "How long do you think that kid can last without medical attention?"

"...I can only estimate."

"Connor, don't lie to me. I just want to know the truth." Glancing at the parents again over his shoulder Hank addressed his partner in a stern tone. "Tell me."

The deviant paused for a moment before he finally answered and followed Hank's example of lowering his voice to prevent unwanted eavesdropping or parental worry. "...Based on his current vital signs I believe the child will go into shock within two hours, and from there his condition will only decline without proper medical intervention."

"Shit." Dragging his hand over his gray bearded chin Hank's entire demeanor was one of empathy and sympathy for the distressed family. "That's not a lot of time to clear a path and get to him without the whole damn well collapsing in on top of him."

"Correct."

The Captain of the responding fire department approached Connor and extended his right hand to greet him properly. "I'm Captain DeSoto." The senior firefighter introduced himself and studied Connor's face curiously. The man was in his late fifties, had gray hair that had been previously red, bright blue eyes and a calm disposition. "My man tells me you can detect the trapped child's location and monitor his condition."

"Yes, sir." Shaking Captain DeSoto's hand Connor confirmed what he was been told was indeed fact. "I can provide assistance if you wish."

"Hell yeah, we do. The problem is we can't get close to the well to get down to the boy without everything caving in on him. The only way to reach him is to create a second tunnel running diagonally toward the bottom to down get him, and even then it's still a risk that the structure won't collapse."

"The child did not fall the full twenty-seven point nine feet the bottom of the well." Calculating the child's current distance at the near bottom of the well to the confirmed full depth, Connor gave the Captain a more accurate trajectory to follow. "He is currently sixteen point three feet down."

"I'll make sure the guys know that before they start digging, but even so it'll take some time to reach him. Time he doesn't necessarily have."

Hank put his hands on his hips as he sensed an important question burning on the Captain's lips. "What do you have in mind, Cap'?"

"It's possible that I can lower one of my men down into the well and provide the child some degree of medical attention, but the well is dangerously narrow for my men even without proper protective gear weighing them down or getting in the way. And if they make one wrong move they could cause the well to collapse on both themself and the child."

He didn't need to be a detective to know what the Captain was asking. Hank shook his head and let out a sigh as he acknowledged the unspoken question hanging in the air. "You think Connor can get down there without causing any more problems, don't you?"

"Hank," Connor quickly estimated the odds of the child's survival based on their current time frame and the child's current vital signs. The poor child had less than a forty-one percent chance of survival without immediate help. "I can detect each instability in the well and my lighter frame would make it easier to be lowered down to the child than an average sized human."

"Do you think you can actually fit down there?" The senior detective asked as he peered over at the narrow tunnel that lined the the rocky, concrete filled barricade that blocked the only means of rescuing the trapped child. "You're slim, but not THAT slim."

"I can fit." Connor confirmed casually as he cybernetically did the math and preconstructed the potential rescue plan. "And I can provide medical aid to the child if I'm properly directed over the radio and given the basic supplies required for such treatment."

As much as Hank hated the idea of Connor going down the well he hated the idea of the trapped child dying even more. "...All right, if you think you can do it then do it. I'll talk to the parents and let them know what's happening."

"This is the most logical course of action." Ever confident Connor nodded to Hank before returning his attention to Captain DeSoto. "What do I need to do?"

After a brief rundown of the rescue plan now in operation Hank silently stood back and watched as the rescue personnel secured a harness around Connor's waist and attached a strong, lightweight and flexible rope to the harness to be used to lower the deviant down into the well to locate and rescue the trapped child in need of medical attention. Every precaution was going to be taken to keep both Connor and the little boy safe during the very tense and delicate rescue operation. A slow pace and a careful touch were both critical for the rescue operation to be successful. The rescue personnel had only one chance to get to the boy before tragedy struck for a second time that day.

With a protective helmet over his head that shrouded his L.E.D. and a canvas emergency medical pouch attached to his harness, the firefighters instructed Connor on how to properly descend the well and to report back frequently over the radio that was gripped tightly in the deviant's hand. Keeping the rope pulled taut the firefighters fed Connor slack as the deviant made his way over to the well to begin his painfully slow climb downward.

Honing in on the parents holding each other in a worried embrace beside the fire engine parked along the street, Hank decided the best thing he could do to help them in that moment was to give them a confident voice to listen to. "Look, I can't tell you not to worry," the senior detective stated calmly as he spoke to the child's frightened parents from a considerable distance from the well. "you'll do that no matter what. But I can assure you that your son will be taken care of by the absolute best people in this city. What's your son's name?"

"Ricky." The mother, Caroline, stated firmly as she grabbed onto her husband's hand tightly. She was shaking and her eyes were red from crying so much already. "His name is Ricky. He's only six years old... please! Please save him!"

Hank felt his heart sink even further upon hearing the child's young age, but he pushed that feeling aside for Ricky's sake. "We're going to do everything possible to help Ricky. Trust me on that."

The mother just nodded as she turned her face from Hank and buried her crying eyes against her husband's chest as she continued to weep in fear.

"Please." The father, Enrique, spoke up in a surprisingly level voice as he held his wife in his arms and ran his hand along her back in a comforting manner. "Ricky is our only child. He's... He's all we have in this world."

"I promise you that we won't let anything happen to Ricky." Despite his instincts telling him to never make promises or give a possible false hope, Hank's paternal side came through in that moment. The idea of a family going through the pain of losing their son was something that Hank couldn't differentiate from his own personal life. "My partner is going to find him, help him and bring him back to you. You'll see."

Moving slowly and carefully Connor approached the well with meticulous footing as to not disturb the ground and cause any additional destabilization of the well. He walked with a meticulously slow pace necessary to ensure that no further harm befell the child trapped near the bottom of the already unstable well.

Positioned about fifteen feet away from the well the rescue personnel worked alongside volunteering construction crews as they began digging the second tunnel necessary to free the trapped child. The crew had to dig slowly to keep the powerful equipment from shaking the ground too much and to allow the firefighters to use wooden beams to properly buttress the second tunnel to prevent a collapse during the dig or subsequent rescue.

From where he stood Hank could hear Connor's voice over the radio as he updated the firefighters on the condition of the well and informed them that the ground was far too soft to support the weight of any emergency vehicles. If any additional weight was applied to the ground then it was very likely that the well would collapse in on itself before anyone get close to Ricky.

Holding the radio to his mouth Connor gave everyone an update. "I'm near the entrance of the well."

'Give us an update.' Captain DeSoto's voice sounded off over the radio in Connor's hand as the deviant reached the edge of the well. 'How is the boy?'

"One moment, please..."

Keeping the radio clutched in his hand Connor reached the edge of the well and carefully knelt down on the soft ground. Running a cybernetic scan over the well Connor noted each instability and preconstructed the most ideal path to use in order to reach the child safely and quickly. Keeping his hands away from the well itself Connor pushed aside exposed tree roots to create a hold just wide enough to pass through as the firefighters above lowered him down at a steady clip. As soon as Connor could see the boy below him, his enhanced android vision allowing him to see even in the distant darkness, he informed the rescue personnel above on his condition.

"I can see him." Speaking loudly and clearly Connor confirmed that the boy was in sight. "He is alive, but is unconscious."

Hank let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding as soon as he heard the update from his own radio on his belt. "Connor found Ricky." Giving the parents some form of good news, Hank did all he could to support the worried family. "He's still alive, but he's out cold."

The parents were still shaking with fear but there was a glimmer of optimistic hope in their eyes now as they continued to embrace each other in an almost painfully tight hug. Their son was alive. Ricky was alone and unconscious but soon enough Connor would be with him and giving him the proper medical attention he so desperately needed.

In the dark depths of the well Ricky was laying on his right side with his body curled up around himself protectively. Dirt was smeared all over the boy's face, his neck and his hands from his unceremonious tumble down the well. His clothes were dirty and torn from the fall and there were smudges of fresh blood along his face, hands and his left leg from where he had struck jagged rocks or sharp tree branches during the fall and sudden stop on the layer of softer sediment that had collected at the bottom of the well from decades of natural erosion. If the ground at the bottom of the partially filled in well hadn't been so soft and forgiving then Ricky would've died the moment he landed.

Steadily the deviant was lowered down into the somewhat narrow opening of the well via the rescue line and during his descent Connor remained perfectly still to prevent any unnecessary and accidental secondary collapse. Only using his hands to gently push aside tree roots jutting out through the concrete walls of the ancient well, Connor made a graceful drop and did so without suffering any damage in the process.

"Stop."

Using the radio to confirm that he's reached his destination Connor felt the rope tighten and his decent cease.

"I can reach the boy."

As soon as Connor's feet stretched down and reached the bottom of the well he used the radio to update the firefighters and they stopped feeding him excess rope. Unfastening the harness from around his waist and kneeling down in the cramped space beside the frightened child, Connor carefully pressed his right fore fingertips lightly against the left side of the boy's neck and counted his pulse.

At the sensation of Connor's warm fingertips pressing against his cold neck Ricky opened his eyes wide and stared up at Connor's shadowed face in fear and confusion at the sight of the stranger now hovering over him in the darkness of the well.

"Hello, my name is Connor, I'm here to help you." Immediately Connor noticed that Ricky was awake and tried to keep him calm. "Can you tell me your name?"

The boy was stunned and silent as he stared up at Connor with utter confusion in his pained eyes.

"It's okay." Connor continued to speak in a level, calm voice to the frightened child. "I work with the police department. I am here with the fire department and your parents to help you get out of the well. Please, will you tell me your name?"

"...R-Ricky." Ricky had raven black hair, dark hazel eyes and a sunny complexion. There was a scar over his right elbow, no doubt from rough play that is a natural part of being a kid, and fresh cuts courtesy of the fall. "My name is Ricky."

"Are you hurt, Ricky?" Connor asked the question despite already knowing the answer. He could tell by the way Ricky's left leg was bent that he had broken both the tibia and the fibula during the fall. The biometric scan also relayed the boy's vital signs to Connor's intracranial processors cybernetically to confirm that he was in fact in pain. "Don't be afraid to tell me if you are in pain."

"M-My leg." He began to cry a little as he spoke and dragged his dirty hand over his eyes to smear his tears and mud over his face. "It hurts really badly!"

"May I see your leg?"

Ricky nodded slowly as he watched Connor carefully hovering his hand over the affected limb before he began very carefully rolling up the boy's torn pant leg to examine the broken limb more directly.

"OW!" Ricky shouted as soon as Connor uncovered the wound. The deviant's hands retracted almost immediately in response to the pain as Ricky tried to scoot back from Connor in fear and discomfort before curling back up on his side. "THAT HURTS!"

"I'm sorry, Ricky. I didn't mean to hurt you." Unclipping the canvas medical bag from his harness Connor set about checking through the supplies. One of the packed supplies was a flashlight. Turning on the light Connor handed it to Ricky who readily took it so he could finally see the face of the person trying to help him in the darkness. "I'm going to talk to a paramedic over the radio and they will guide me through helping you to stop the pain. Is that okay?"

Again Ricky nodded and he rolled over from his side and onto his back very slowly to try to get more comfortable. Connor hovered his hand over Ricky's broken leg once more to ensure that the scared child didn't accidentally make his injury worse by moving. Running a direct and thorough biometric scan without directly touching the broken limb in the process Connor confirmed his suspicions on the injury.

"I have an update on Ricky's condition:" Connor stated into the radio in a clear, level voice. "Pulse rate is eighty-eight, blood pressure one-hundred and ten over eighty, temperature ninety-seven point four degrees. He is fully conscious and his pupils are normal. His left tibia and fibula have been broken during the fall; it is a contained break, not compound."

Keeping the radio pressed against his ear to ensure Ricky couldn't hear what the paramedics were saying, Connor registered their instructions quickly and easily as he set about using the medical supplies in the canvas bag to help Ricky.

"I am going to set the bones in your leg and put your leg in a splint to keep it stable. Do you understand?"

"No! Don't do that!"

"Oh..." Connor thought quickly and decided to use less complex words to explain things to the scared child. "I'm going to make you leg stop hurting. I will... straighten your leg and wrap it up in a bandage. Now do you understand?"

Pausing for a moment Ricky thought about it and responded again. "Uh-huh..."

"Good. Do not be frightened."

"Will it hurt?"

"...Yes." The honesty was almost a fault with the deviant. "But, please, do not be afraid. It will only hurt for a moment and then it will feel much better."

"Do you have to do it?"

"Yes. If I don't bandage your leg then the pain will..." It was a struggle to find the correct way to explain things to the young child without frightening him any further. His lack of experience with children was proving itself to be a bit of a hindrance, but Connor was always quick to adapt. "This is like putting a band-aid over a cut. It will keep your leg from getting worse so you don't... get sick from bacteria getting into your injury."

"I don't want it to hurt!"

"I know you don't. I will be very careful and do everything I can to make the pain go away as fast as possible."

As more tears flowed down Ricky's dirty face he looked to Connor and gave him a pleading stare. "Is my mom here?"

"Yes." Connor saw his opportunity and slowly placed his hands down on Ricky's leg without hurting him with his controlled grip. "She is waiting for you to get out of the well. She is with your father, as well."

"Can I see them? I want my mom."

"Soon." The deviant promised as he moved with incredibly slow and meticulous motions to set Ricky's leg without the boy even feeling what was happening to him. As the bones were carefully and accurately realigned Connor kept his hands on the limb to prevent the bones from accidentally becoming misaligned a second time. "Until then I will wait with you. It may take some time but soon you will be free and with your parents." Remaining entirely calm Connor quickly thought of something to help keep the little boy distracted until he was freed. "Ricky, tell me about your hobbies."

"My what?"

"The things you like to do." The clever deviant was working diligently to keep the frightened child preoccupied while he worked on his leg. "I like to play the guitar, read old books and spend time at the park with my dog. What do you like to do?"

At the surface of the well up on the ground above, Hank began to pace about anxiously. He hated the idea of Connor being down in that well with an injured kid without any other form of help. It just struck him in a very raw nerve right at the center of his heart. It brought back a far too painful and detailed memory of feeling trapped when he and Cole were in that car accident that ended up taking Cole's life on that icy, cold night. The uselessness of waiting for someone else, anyone else, to take care of his dying son was a haunting ache that plagued him in his nightmares with relentless cruelty. Knowing Ricky's parents were feeling the same thing had made the haunting feeling too real to ignore.

The local news had converged on the scene and were drawing an unwanted, annoying crowd of nosy onlookers to the park and were annoying Ricky's parents with heartless, oblivious questions. Thinking quickly Hank ushered the shaken parents out of sight of the cameras and around the fire engine to keep loud mouthed reporters from bombarding them with personal and uncomfortable questions regarding their son's predicament.

"Please, Lieutenant." Enrique nearly begged as Hank escorted him and his wife out of sight. "We have to know what's going on with Ricky. Anything at all."

"I'll get an update for you, just wait here." Hank addressed the nearest firefighter and asked to use the radio to speak with Connor on the other end of the line. It was easier than switching back and forth between frequencies on his own radio as he kept Captain Fowler at the precinct updated as well. "Hey, Connor? How's Ricky doing?"

There was only a brief pause before the deviant responded in his usual calm voice. 'Ricky is doing well.'

The confident sound of Connor's tone caused the parents to let out a collective sigh of relief as they embraced each other tighter.

'He says he wants to go home so he can play with his cat, Checkers, and he wants to play soccer.'

Caroline buried her face in her husband's chest again as she muttered something about taking Ricky to see a soccer game while Enrique kissed the top of her head and asked Hank for a simple favor. "...Can you tell Ricky we're here and we're going to stay here until he's free?"

"Yeah, you got it." Hank relayed the message and awaited a response, but it wasn't Connor's voice he heard next, it was Ricky's voice.

'Mom? Dad?'

"We're here baby!" Caroline practically blurted as she snatched the radio from Hank's hand. "We're right here with you!"

Enrique looked over to Hank to ask about the person treating his son. "Who's down there with Ricky?"

"My partner, Connor."

"He's a cop and not a fireman?"

"No, they were all too heavy to make the trip down. Connor is light enough to get lowered down because he's an android."

"An android?!" Enrique spluttered but quickly lowered his voice as he gave Hank a suspicious glance. "...A machine is taking care of my son?"

"That 'machine'," Hank remained calm for the sake of Ricky and the other people at the scene. "volunteered to rescue your son and he's the only one who can do anything for him. Connor won't let anything bad happen to your son, you have my word."

"Yeah, sure. I was here during the Revolution." Speaking from a hate-filled space in his heart Enrique gave Hank a dubious glance. "...I know what androids are really capable of. I saw them fighting and rallying in the plaza with my own eyes."

"This android isn't dangerous." The senior detective refuted stubbornly. "If you can't trust Connor for being an android, then trust me as a father. I know what it's like to have a son trapped and I know what it's like to feel helpless when something horrible happens to them. I swear to you that Ricky will be okay."

Down in the depths of the well Connor had finished setting the bones in Ricky's broken leg and secured it perfectly in a plastimetal splint to keep the limb stable. He had also started an I.V. of standard saline solution in the bend of Ricky's left arm as per instructions from the paramedics, and wisely used the radio to distract Ricky from the needle being inserted into his arm to keep him hydrated. As he taped the line into place Connor secured the plastic I.V. bag to a nearby tree root that was hanging down from the wall of the well, and wrapped up his arm in another bandage to keep dirt from getting into his skin around the needle itself.

Using a small alcohol wipe Connor cleaned up the cut over Ricky's forehead and applied a bandage over the cut while he was still speaking to his parents over the radio. With as many of the scrapes and cuts cleaned and bandaged as possible, Connor was convinced he'd be able to keep Ricky stable and comfortable long enough for the firefighters to reach their location.

Cybernetically Connor monitored the communication between the rescue personnel above and allowed Ricky to keep the radio so he could talk to his parents.

"Hello?" Ricky sounded confused as he tried to keep talking to his parents but they didn't answer anymore. "Mom? Dad?" He dropped the radio from his ear and held it in his hands as he stared at the device with total confusion. "Where'd they go?"

Connor gently took the radio from Ricky's hands and noticed that the battery's power level was getting low. "The battery needs to recharge, Ricky. Your parents are still waiting for you and haven't gone anywhere."

"Are you a fireman?"

"No. Like I said before, I work with the police department. I'm a detective."

"Then why are you wearing a fireman's hat?"

"The helmet was given to me to keep me safe when I descended the well." Unclipping the strap from around his chin Connor took off the helmet and placed it over Ricky's head and secured it as best as he could, but the helmet was too big and slid forward covering Ricky's eyes fairly quickly. "You should wear it to stay safe."

Pushing the helmet back so he could see Connor's face again Ricky noticed the blue colored L.E.D. in Connor's right temple and pointed to it curiously. "What's that?"

Connor pressed his right fingertips to his temple in response to the question. "It is my L.E.D., and it's normal for me to have it."

"Why's it there?"

"Because... I am an android."

"You are?"

"...Yes."

"That's so cool!" Ricky's eyes lit up with excitement as he stared at Connor with a sense of innocent wonder. "I don't know any androids!"

A faint grin appeared on Connor's face at the child's positive reaction to his identity rather than with fear. "You do now."

"My dad said androids went crazy and want to hurt us. But you're helping me." The childlike innocence was a refreshing reaction. "How come?"

"Your father-" Connor wanted to explain the difference between androids and deviants, the difference between passiveness and aggression, and the entire Revolution itself, but Ricky was still too young to understand. It was also unwise as it might accidentally demonize Ricky's father in his innocent eyes. "Your father was worried. He believes that because one android was capable of hurting a human then it meant all androids were capable of doing the same thing, and he was acting on that decision. But it's untrue. Not all androids want to hurt humans, just like not all humans want to hurt androids. We can live together peacefully."

"Were you hurt by a human?"

"...No." Ignoring the way that Gavin had treated him in the past, as well as the standoffish behavior of the other officers when he first started working at the precinct and the cruel CyberLife technicians who treated Connor like a lifeless tool, Connor could honestly say that no human had gone out of their way to harm him. "In fact, my best friend is a human."

"Mine too! His name is Mike."

"Do you play soccer with Mike?"

"All the time! We were supposed to play today but we couldn't. Mike got sick and his mom won't let him outside to play. That's why I was playing tag with the other kids." Ricky kept staring at Connor with genuine awe at the light in his temple and being fascinated by the fact he was in fact talking to an android. "What's your friend's name?"

"Hank."

"Is Hank here?"

"Yes. He is the person I was talking to over the radio before you spoke with your parents."

"It must be cool to work with your best friend!"

"Yes..." Connor smiled a little at the response from such an innocent child, and he readjusted his position so he was sitting down instead of kneeling Connor agreed with the sentiment. "You're right. It is... cool."

From above a few small loose stones fell down into the well and a cloud of dust stirred up from an unseen tremor. Connor's L.E.D. suddenly flashed from blue to yellow as he detected a shift in the density of the ground all around the well. Scanning the well in the appropriate direction of the disturbance Connor detected the approaching rescue personnel approximately ten feet away and explained things to Ricky.

"The firefighters who are here to rescue you are getting close." Connor stated as he returned his attention to Ricky's face, his L.E.D. returning to blue as he spoke to the little boy who trusted him. "It should be only one more hour before you're out of the well and with your parents and your cat."

"I don't want to wait anymore..."

"Neither do I. But we have to."

Ricky wrapped his arms around himself as he began to shiver a little where he sat on the soft, loose ground. "...I'm cold."

Connor's brow furrowed with concern as he lightly pressed the back of his hand to Ricky's forehead, careful not touch the bandaged cut in the process. Ricky's temperature had dropped slightly from the prolonged exposure to the cold ground and undoubtedly shock from his injuries. Thinking quickly Connor slipped off his gray blazer and draped it around Ricky's back and tucked it all around him. The line from the I.V. made it impossible for a snug fit and the blazer wouldn't retain much heat since the material was so light, but it was all he could do for the child at the moment.

"...Thanks, Connor."

"You're welcome." Connor sat down on the ground next to Ricky to try to keep him warm through nearby contact and silently ran frequent scans over the small boy's condition to ensure he remained stable and as comfortable as possible. "You won't have to wait too much longer."

"Connor?"

"Yes?"

"Will we really get out here?"

"Yes, Ricky. I know we will."

Exhausted from what had happened to him that day and from his injuries, Ricky closed his eyes and leaned against Connor's arm with the oversized helmet tilting at such an angle his face was entirely concealed under the plastic edge. "...I'm sleepy."

Connor looked down at Ricky sympathetically as he slowly lifted his arm up and let Ricky's head rest against his chest as he draped his arm protectively around the young boy's shoulders to keep him even warmer. "...Then you should get some sleep. I'll keep you safe."

It was starting to get colder as the slow day wore on at an aggravatingly sluggish pace. A heavy cold front blew in from over the Northern border and put an unseasonable chill in the air that made the people who had gathered at the park either disperse for the day or bundle up under additional layers of clothing in an attempt to keep warm. It was the news reporters who were the most insistent on staying at the scene despite the fire department and patrolling squad cars asking them to step back and give the parents some privacy during their emotional taxing tragedy. Things would be much easier if the media would get out of the way, but they demanded to get the scoop on the city's hottest story.

There was no way reporting a story and asking obnoxious questions was going to get Ricky to safety any sooner or easier, and all it did was attract onlookers who risked getting in the way of rescue personnel trying to do their jobs. It was clear the rescue personnel resented their presence but were too preoccupied with focusing on Ricky to say anything.

"Vultures." Hank muttered under his breath as he watched the blonde haired anchorwoman preening for the camera with the phony grin she kept plastered on her face. Hank picked up the radio and attempted to make contact with Connor down in the well again and get an update. "Hey, Connor. How's it going?"

'The radio's battery has partially recharged and Ricky is still stable. But he is frightened and feels cold.' Connor was whispering into the radio but was still audible. 'I have given him my blazer to help keep him warm while he gets some sleep.'

Hank pressed the radio to his chest to muffle the sound as he made sure Ricky didn't accidentally hear him. "Shit." Clearing his throat Hank continued speaking with Connor as calmly as he could. "Don't worry, that tunnel is about seven feet away from you. Just tell Ricky to hold on and we'll get him out of there."

'I will do so.'

"And how're you doing down there?"

'I dislike waiting, but other than that I'm okay.'

"That's good to hear. We'll keep you posted on our end."

'I will do the same from down here.'

Despite being covered by Connor's blazer Ricky was still cold and was beginning to tremble visibly. Unsure of what else he could do Connor gently lifted Ricky up from the cold ground into his arms, careful to not jostle the boy's splinted leg as he was moved, and then placed Ricky down across his lap in an effort to keep him warmer. Ricky's head was resting back against Connor's chest and shoulder with the heavy helmet shielding his face and head from any and all debris that slowly began to trickle down in larger masses from above as the rescue personnel dug the tunnel deeper. Exhausted from what had happened, Ricky didn't stir as Connor moved him about to keep him as warm and safe as possible.

Time was running out. Either Ricky would slip into shock or the well would collapse on top of them.

"...Hank?"

Connor's L.E.D. stayed yellow as he cybernetically scanned the structural integrity of the well above him for any potential collapses and held the radio up to his mouth. More loose dirt and stones began to break free of the surrounding walls and new fractures began to appear in the structurally weakened concrete that once lined the old well.

"The well is becoming unstable from the digging equipment."

'Shit!' Responding quickly Hank relayed the update as quickly as he could. 'Okay, I'll send the word.'

Connor stared up at the fading natural light at the very end of the well overhead as the day turned to evening. The deviant's enhanced vision allowed him to note every little shift in the concrete surface of the well as the shaking of the ground nearby caused the concrete to fracture further and additional loose stones began tumbling from the surrounding ground. Even the exposed tree roots began tearing through the already compromised concrete surface creating a strange blockage of flora to form overhead.

Reacting quickly Connor leaned forward and placed Ricky back on the ground to keep him safe. Balancing on his hands and his knees Connor leaned over Ricky and used his own body to shield the helpless child from the falling rocks and heavy portions of broken concrete as the walls of the well broke apart and began to disintegrate rapidly.

Dirt rained down over the two trapped occupants of the well as the top of the well itself began to cave-in and smothered out what little natural light had managed to seep down. The top of the well had been completely sealed off and with that seal the smothering layer cut-off the child's only source of air.

"No..."

Noticing his new predicament Connor thought of the only possible solution to give Ricky more oxygen and began preconstructing the odds of how much more time he'd give Ricky to be rescued.

"This won't be pleasant for me, but it will help you, Ricky."

From where he was standing beside the fire engine Hank watched as a plume of stirred up dirt and concrete dust erupted from the well in a massive cloud of brown dust as it collapsed inward with little warning. As soon as the collapse began the firefighters responded immediately to the situation and began pulling back the heavy equipment from the secondary tunnel and focused on keeping the second tunnel itself from collapsing. Reducing the weight on the ground around the well and atop the second tunnel stopped the collapse from getting any worse, but the damage was done and now the rescue team had to battle the clock if they were to save Ricky's life.

Sensing the tension in the air Hank looked over at Caroline and Enrique as they held each other tight and stared at the smoky cloud with wide-eyed panic. They couldn't do anything to save their son when they needed them the most. It was dreadful feeling to endure.

"Son of-"

Hank caught himself before he swore at the unnerving sight. Remaining calm Hank muttered to himself as he dragged his hand over his bearded chin with righteous worry.

"...Be okay, son."

The last thing Ricky's parents needed to hear was any form of doubt coming from one of the first responders at the scene working to save their son. As such Hank wisely took a step away from them and let the other firefighters do their job to keep them calm and reassured.

Discreetly Hank used the radio to try to reestablish contact with Connor as he watched the dust begin to settle in the distance.

"Connor?"

There was no immediate response but Hank knew the other radio's battery had been low and kept his composure.

"Connor, can you hear me?"

No response.

"Connor, please answer... Don't make this situation as bad as it looks."

Through the smothering darkness of the collapsed well Connor was able to keep his eye on Ricky, who had remained asleep during the collapse due to sheer exhaustion. Feeling a thick layer of dirt and rocks covering his back, in addition to the now lack of moving air, indicated that the collapse had ended and it was somewhat safe to move around. Turning his head to look around at the debris-ridden well surrounding him, Connor leaned back slowly to rest on his knees and let the bits of dirt and stones fall away from his back behind him onto the ground. He hadn't been damaged during the collapse and he had successfully shielded Ricky from harm.

Though muffled, Connor was able to hear Hank's voice speaking to him over the radio that had been partially buried in the dirt due to the collapse. Grabbing onto the radio without disturbing Ricky in the process Connor responded in a firm, calm voice.

"Hank. I'm here."

'Thank- Are you hurt?' The relief was palpable in Hank's voice as he spoke over the radio. 'Is Ricky okay?'

"Neither of is were hurt during the collapse. We are currently safe and Ricky did not sustain any further injury, but the collapse has completely blocked the entrance to the well. His air supply has been fully cut off."

'Level with me, Connor.' Hank sounded entirely calm but deep down inside the senior detective was shaking with fear. 'How much time does he have?'

"Twenty-two minutes and fifty-six seconds. Possibly thirty minutes if I-"

'Sit tight. The dig is going to continue manually; no machinery involved. It'll be a slower dig but it'll be safer.'

"Understood." Continuing his constant cybernetic scan of the well, Connor remained vigilant. "I will inform you if there's any change."

'Yeah... You do that. Hang tight, son. We're on our way to get to you.'

Connor put his hand against the side of the well where the firefighters were currently digging and performed another scan. They were less than six feet away, but at the current rate they were digging it'd take them twenty-six minutes and thirty-one seconds to breach the wall and restore any air to the well for Ricky to breathe properly.

Kneeling down beside Ricky who was still wrapped protectively in his blazer Connor put his other hand on Ricky's shoulder and switched off his own ventilation program to conserve air. While his own breathing wouldn't result in any carbon-dioxide that would choke away what little air Ricky had left, it would still reduce the amount of air Ricky could breathe for himself.

Almost immediately Connor could feel his core temperature beginning to rise from being trapped in the confined space without breathing, but at the moment all Connor cared about was keeping Ricky alive and stable. Dismissing the warnings about his systems beginning to overheat from his visual sensors Connor focused on keeping track of the progress of the approaching firefighters as well Ricky's vital signs.

"You will be safe Ricky, I swear to it."

Standing back and feeling useless, if not entirely worthless, Hank could only watch as the firefighters worked tirelessly to finish digging the tunnel as quickly as possible to free both Ricky and Connor from the depths of the well. Captain DeSoto was explaining the situation to Ricky's parents in a collected manner as gently as he could while also doing his best to keep them from trying to rush over to the scene of the collapse. The other firefighters expertly continued their delicate, meticulous tasks and set about freeing the two trapped occupants from the collapsed well as carefully and as soon as possible. Having the volunteering construction crew aiding their dig was making things a little easier.

The ambulance that arrived at the scene of the collapse had pulled up alongside the fire engine in preparation to treat Ricky once he had been freed and the two paramedics who had talked Connor through treating Ricky down in the well were still on standby. They knew of Ricky's broken leg and were now anticipating potential hypoxia.

Everyone seemed to have a role to play in the rescue except for Hank, at least that's how it felt in his mind. Returning his attention to the radio he resumed communication with Connor in a low, inconspicuous manner. "Connor, how's it going down there?"

'Ricky is still asleep from exhaustion.' Connor confirmed in a low voice as he continued to actively scan and monitor his surroundings and Ricky's vital signs. 'But he's also still stable.'

"How about you?"

'I am suffering from mild overheating due to my lack of ventilation.'

"Wait... You stopped breathing?"

'To aid Ricky. I can-'

Connor suddenly stopped short and Hank sensed something was wrong. "Connor? What's happening? Answer me."

'...The well is too unstable. It's going to collapse a second time.'

A loud commotion from the tunnel sounded off just as the radio went dead in Hank's hand. Turning his head toward the second tunnel still being dug he saw the firefighters frantically attempting to break through the dirt and concrete wall standing between themselves and their trapped victims within the suffocating confines of the well as another dust cloud began to rise into the air.

"Connor? Connor!" Hank practically shouted into the radio. But there was no response over the line. "Connor? Please answer."

Silence.

"Shit, hang on kid. We're not leaving until you're both safe."

Dropping the radio at his side Connor stood upright and leaned forward to press his palms against the side of the well to shield Ricky from the second collapse with his own body. Using his right elbow Connor began smashing his strong limb against the already compromised surface of concrete wall that lined the interior of the well in an attempt to break through to the other side. As the imperfections and cracks in the concrete widened with each calculated and very strong strike Connor landed against the weakened surface, more and more loosened rocks and clumps of dirt from above poured down into the well to bury Ricky and himself even deeper.

Struggling to endure the mounting weight over his back and his shoulders while also fighting to compensate for his overheating system, Connor knelt down over Ricky to keep him protected from the crushing weight of the impending second collapse. The firefighters were just a few inches away and Connor's strength was fading away fast while his blue L.E.D. cycled to yellow to visually confirm his fatigue.

"Stand back!" A voice from the other side of the surface caught Connor's ear just as the concrete barricade finally gave way. "Coming through!"

Completely throwing himself over Ricky's body on the ground Connor shielded the small child from additional debris as the firefighters broke through the concrete surface and breached the wall at last. A bright flashlight beam shone into the shrinking space of the well and illuminated the trapped duo under intense white light.

"Ricky is here." Connor managed to carefully scoop the child up into his own arms and place him into the awaiting arms of the closest of the four firefighters who had found them. The quartet grabbed onto the little boy and kept his injured leg secured to prevent further injury. "Get him out, the well is collapsing."

Working quickly the firefighters pulled Ricky through the opening in the well and placed him down on a small backboard for easier transport. As they placed the security straps down over Ricky's upper body and legs to keep him stable another collapse roared loudly as it partially buried Connor under a thick layer of dirt and rocks. From beneath the new layer the deviant tried to push himself up from the ground as he put his arms against the sides of the opening in the well to keep the secondary tunnel entrance from collapsing onto the firefighters and onto Ricky as they carried the young child to safety, but the weight was proving too much for him to bear alone.

"G-Go!" Urging the rescuers to retreat with Ricky in their care Connor struggled against the crushing weight and dismissed his numerous warnings regarding the pressure and his rising core temperature. The yellow L.E.D. flashed to red and Connor's legs began to buckle beneath himself. "Go, I'll be right behind you!"

A smothering fourth collapse rained down from the top of the well and practically crushed Connor as the tremendous weight of the dirt, rocks and slabs of concrete piled up on his back burying him under the heavy debris.

"Move out!" The firefighters ordered as they retreated from the well with Ricky safely in their arms. "Get back, now!"

Regardless of Connor being a human or an android, regardless of him being a fellow first responder, Ricky's life was more important. Connor could have to wait for the rescuers to return and all they could do was hope they got back to him in time.

Tentatively Hank approached the entrance to the tunnel and watched as the four dirt covered firefighters returned to the surface with Ricky secured on the backboard being carried to safety. The little boy was still a little out of it due to his exhaustion, but he wasn't scared. There was no sign of Connor walking behind them as a large trail of dust billowed out behind the four rescuers as they exited the dark, smothering tunnel as quickly as they dared. A round of applause filled the air as the crowd of onlookers watched the rescue from the distance, but the sound of crumbling rocks and falling stone was more prominent to the senior detective's trained ears.

When Hank didn't see the deviant behind the firefighters Hank's gut twisted into a knot. He just knew something was wrong as he approached the smoky tunnel.

"Connor?"

Hank called out into the tunnel expecting an answer but there was none to be heard.

"Shit, where are you?"

Two of the firefighters carried Ricky over to the ambulance where the paramedics were ready to treat the wounded boy, while the other two firefighters returned to the tunnel with harnesses and emergency guide lines around their waists.

"The android got caught in the collapse." One of the firefighters stated as he and the second firefighter began a careful descent into the tunnel and passed by Hank. "We'll get him out, Lieutenant."

Anxiously Hank stood outside the tunnel with his hand running through his gray locks of hair as he awaited for any sign of Connor and the two returning firefighters. Seeing Ricky pulled out of the tunnel still alive was a good sign, but until he could see Connor's face Hank wouldn't be able to breathe easy.

"You better be okay, Connor... I can't lost you, too."

It didn't take the two firefighters long to reach the end of the hastily dug tunnel where the well had collapsed atop of Connor's body, but it'd take time to unbury him from the debris. The deviant was laying on his chest and he had been partially buried beneath a layer of heavy debris, leaving only his upper body and arms exposed. His legs were completely buried and out of sight under the smothering layer of dirt. The faint blinking glow of Connor's red tinted L.E.D. identified his exact location under the dark dirt and rocks as the rescue personnel made their way down to the trapped android to begin their second rescue of the bold deviant detective.

Pushing aside the slabs of broken concrete and brushing away as much dirt as they could, the two firefighters grabbed onto Connor's arms and pulled him out of the well and into the relative safety of the tunnel. Turning the deviant over from his chest and onto his back the two firefighters worked together to lift Connor up from the ground by supporting his upper body and his legs in their strong hands.

Marching out of the tunnel as quickly as they could the firefighters carried Connor back to the surface and away from the dangerous collapse. Hank was immediately at their side and put his hand under Connor's head to give him some additional support as the firefighters placed him down on the grass a few feet outside of the tunnel and well out of harm's way.

"Connor?" Hank patted the side of Connor's blank face, but the contact failed to elicit any reaction. Keeping his hand against the deviant's cheek he realized that Connor had in fact overheated while inside the well and his L.E.D. was blinking at a dangerously slow red in tandem with his Thirium pump's slow beat. "Wake up. I need you to wake up, son."

Pressing his other hand down against Connor's chest Hank felt for any sign of response from the deviant's ventilation biocomponents. The deviant still wasn't breathing, and his Thirium pump - his heart, was barely beating.

"Breathe, Connor. Come on." Hank encouraged as he pressed his hand down harder against the deviant's motionless chest as he gently turned Connor's head to the left so he could see the red blinking L.E.D. more clearly in his right temple. "Come on, I know you can hear me. Breathe, damn it."

The two assisting firefighters worked to straighten Connor's neck and then tilted his head back to ensure that his airway was clear - it was an instinctive reaction after spending so many years treating human victims. Leaning his ear down the firefighter listened for any additional breaths, but like Hank, he failed to detect any sign of ventilation from the downed deviant.

One of the paramedics who had been tending to Ricky walked over to where Connor was laying. They had an android ventilation pump in his hand; it was very similar to the ambubags that are used to provide artificial manual respiration to humans, and could offer the same treatment. Placing the small plastic mask down over Connor's nose and mouth the paramedic began to rhythmically squeeze the pump to force clean air into Connor's ventilation biocomponents to help him cool off and restart his ventilation program.

"Come on, Connor..." With each manual breath Hank could feel the deviant's chest rising and falling beneath his palm as the paramedic tried to coax Connor into breathing on his own again. Steadily Connor's wam skin began to cool as his core temperature decreased while is ventilation biocomponents were forced into motion. "Breathe. You need to breathe, kid."

There was little reaction from the deviant save for the artificial respiration being provided by the paramedics causing his chest to rise and fall in a slow manner.

"Damn it, kid." Hank felt himself growing cold as Connor refused to reboot. "Breathe." Moving his hand from Connor's cheek Hank grabbed onto the deviant's shoulder and shook him once. "You can do this, kid. Just take in one breath, that's all I ask."

Connor's L.E.D. flashed from red to yellow and began to cycle at a steady pulse as Connor took in gasping breath on his own causing his entire body to shudder in response. The paramedic pulled back the ventilation pump and lowered his ear down toward Connor's lips and to listen for and feel the deviant breathing without any needed assistance.

The paramedic looked to Hank and nodded his head once to confirm the positive shift in vital signs. "He's breathing."

"That's it." Hank then shook Connor's chest as a little as he watched the deviant's eyelids slowly open and expose his glassy, unfocused soulful brown irises beneath. "Just like that... Keep on breathing."

As Connor's systems rebooted he let out a deep cough to clear the small amount of dirt that had collected in his throat before it had the chance to damage his internal biocomponents. Instinctively running a self diagnostic, Connor blinked a few times and glanced about himself curiously.

"Hey, hey, look at me." Hank lightly patted the side of Connor's face again to get his attention. "Can you hear me?"

Connor nodded as he let out a deep breath slowly and made a move to sit upright on the grass. Hank grabbed onto Connor's shoulder in a firm grip and helped the deviant to sit up as he continued the self diagnostic to check his systems.

"...I'm-" Connor coughed again and cleared his voice as he continued to breathe deeply and slowly to cool his elevated core temperature. "I'm okay." Giving his head a slight shake clumps of dirty and small fragments of rocks fell out of his messy, unruly locks of hair and collected on the grass all around him. "How is Ricky?"

Hank motioned to the ambulance parked a few yards away where Ricky was being loaded into the back with both of his parents crying tears of joy around him. The poor kid was covered in dirt and dried blood, but he was awake and smiling at his parents and seemed completely unafraid.

The paramedic patted Connor's shoulder, satisfied that Connor was completely stable, before he returned to that very ambulance to update his partner and let Ricky know that Connor was going to be okay. "He's good, thanks to you."

"See?" Hank grinned with a somewhat smug manner. "He's going to be fine." Offering Connor his hand Hank stood up and pulled the deviant up to his feet alongside him. "How about you?"

"I have not suffered any damage to my internal system or biocomponents."

"Are you still overheating?"

"No." Dusting off his not so white dress shirt Connor answered honestly and confidently as he stood before Hank with his head held high. "My core temperature has dropped significantly and is well within optimal parameters."

"You took a big risk in doing that, you know?" Proud but still shaken Hank clapped his hand down on Connor's shoulder and give him a light shake. "You could've died trying to keep him alive."

Looking over his opposite shoulder at the ambulance as Ricky pointed to Connor and told his parents everything that happened while trapped in the well, Connor's L.E.D. returned to blue and he gave Ricky a subtle nod. With a faint grin creeping on his face Connor returned to his partner and gave Hank a confident grin. "I think it was well worth the risk."

Two hours after returning to the precinct to file their report and to let Joel give Connor a cautionary exam, the deviant was standing in the men's bathroom with a wet paper towel in his hands as he wiped away the dirt from his face, neck and hands. His white dress shirt was practically a lost cause thanks to the dirt and rocks, but he had no other clothing to switch into at the precinct aside from the mandatory workout clothes that all officers had been provided. Shaking off his hair and the fabric of his clothing as much as he could Connor tried to clean up as best as he could in the bathroom rather than the locker room before returning to his desk in the bullpen.

It seemed illogical to shower off when he was just going to put on his already dirty clothes again. Besides, a little dirt never hurt anyone.

Just as Connor finished wiping off his face over the sink and letting the muddy water run down the drain. the bathroom door slid open and Hank spoke to the deviant in a low voice through the doorway. "Hey, Connor. Someone here wants to speak to you."

Curious about the visitor Connor dried off his face and his hands with a bundle of paper towels before tossing them into the recycling bin and exiting the bathroom, only to find Ricky's father standing outside with Hank. "...Can I help you?"

Connor's gray blazer was folded neatly under Enrique's arm and the man offered his hand for Connor shake. "H-Hi, I'm Enrique McCallister, Ricky's father."

"Yes, of course." Connor shook the man's hand and studied him carefully as he rolled his white shirt sleeves back down his arms. As he fastened the buttons on the cuffs of his sleeves Connor maintained a professional demeanor toward Mr. McCallister. "How can I help you, sir?"

"Well, I wanted to return this to you." Enrique handed Connor back his jacket before continuing on in a nervous voice. "And I wanted to thank you for saving my son's life."

"You don't have to thank-"

"Yeah, I do." Interrupting quickly there was evidently some guilt in Enrique's voice and he needed to get it out. "And... I want to apologize."

"...Apologize?" Connors brow furrowed slightly at the unexpected admission. "For what, if I may ask?"

"I... I hated androids." Enrique admitted with a heavy shame in his words. "And I wasn't shy about letting people know about it. Ricky told me what you did and how you risked your own life to save his. I'm sorry for my previous attitude toward androids, and I hope that the rest of humanity will see you as you really are. Alive."

Connor gave the man an appreciative nod as he accepted the apology and show no ill-will toward the positively changed man. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"I, uh, I need to get back to the hospital, Ricky's waiting." Wanting to leave the precinct as soon as possible Enrique accepted the forgiveness and looked like a massive weight had lifted from his shoulders. "His mother and I promised we'd take him to a soccer game once his cast if off. Uh, thanks again, Connor."

"...You're welcome. I'm glad everything worked out well for your son. Ricky's a very good kid."

As Enrique hastily departed the precinct Hank clapped his hand down between Connor's dusty shoulder blades and smirked at the dirt cloud that plumed up as a result of the impact. "You were right."

"About what?"

"It was worth the risk. You helped change a man for the better AND you saved an innocent kid's life. Today was a good day."

Connor let the faint smile reappear on his face as he slipped the cleaned gray blazer back on over his arms and shoulders to hide the dirty dress shirt for the remainder of his shift. "Yes. Today was very good."

"You look like shit, though."

"Dirt." Connor reaffirmed with a slightly stern voice to the rather crass comment. "It's just dirt."

"Go shower off at least."

"I don't have any spare clothes in my locker. That is... an unfortunate oversight on my part."

"Don't worry about changing your clothes since we're outta' here in two hours anyway. It's not that big of a deal, but you will feel better."

Pausing mid step Connor looked down at his messy shirt then gave Hank a curious glance where he stood. "...Do I really look that bad?"

"Yup. At least you don't smell that bad."

With a slight shake of his head Connor shrugged off his clean blazer and began to loosen the dirt caked black tie around his neck. "Very well. I shouldn't be gone for too long."

"By the way," Hank wiped the dirt off his palm and onto his pant leg casually as he accepted Connor's blazer and tie to hold for him. "you're doing all the laundry tonight."

-next chapter-