Exhausted and struggling to get some decent sleep, Hank was stretched out over the couch in the livingroom with his hand resting on Sumo's head as the massive dog laid down on the floor beside the couch to keep him company. Hank had his other hand wrapped around his phone atop his chest as he tied to lightly doze in a desperate need to sleep after enduring such a Hellish day. Unwilling to let himself fall asleep in his bedroom out of fear that he would be unable to hear Connor if the still healing deviant called out to him through the closed bedroom door, the senior detective got as much sleep as he could in the large livingroom just a few feet from Connor's bedroom. It was an instinctive paternal response that Hank would never really be able to ignore.

Just as Hank was letting himself relax into a deeper sleep a sudden yell of terror startled the protective detective and father figure awake with a jolt of absolute fear rushing through his heart. Immediately bolting upright on the couch Hank turned to look down the hallway over the back of the couch from where he was sitting just as Sumo jumped up from the floor and barked once in response.

"Connor?"

Hank asked out loud as he scrambled off the couch, dropping the phone behind him as he made his way to the bedroom with Sumo right at his heels. Pushing open the partially closed bedroom door he turned on the overhead light and stared at the deviant laying on the bed and calling for help.

"What's wrong, kid?"

The still healing deviant was in rest mode but he was violently twitching and his L.E.D. was blinking red rapidly as he endured some kind of unseen distress. It looked like Connor was trying to put up some kind of fight to protect himself even while sleeping.

"Connor?"

Responding quickly Hank rushed over to the bed and grabbed Connor's forearms in a tight but harmless grip to steady him.

"Open your eyes. You're dreaming!"

"H-Hank?!" Hearing Hank's voice prompted Connor's brown irises to suddenly open in panic as he recognized Hank and awoke from his rest mode. He started to breathe heavily as he fought to catch his breath and calm himself down while cooling his overheating core. "Hank... I-I..."

"It's okay, kid. You just had a nightmare, that's all." Slowly Hank released Connor's arms and pressed the back of his own hand against Connor's forehead. "Damn it. You've started running hot again. It must've been a pretty intense fever dream you just had."

"I'm..." Connor was evidently confused and fighting to clear the haze from his mind as he glanced about his familiar bedroom. "...I'm home?"

"That's right." Confirming that what Connor was seeing was reality Hank lowered his hand from Connor's forehead. "You're safe and Jonas is behind bars."

"Jonas." The memories of the cabin going up in flames and of leaving Jonas behind were as raw as ever. "He survived the fire?"

"Unfortunately, yeah. The prick got some nasty burns, but he still pulled through."

"He killed so many deviants." Connor huffed weakly, fear shaking his voice with every word he uttered as the pain in his abdomen still lingered while his body struggled to heal. "H-He wanted to kill me. He would've succeeded if I hadn't managed to break free of the restraints and if Skye hadn't struck him from behind."

"But he didn't kill you. And he can't get to you, or anyone else, I promise. It's over now."

Connor's hand found its way to his stomach as he pressed his palm against where his nearly lethal injury had been and ran a scan over the damage. The soft material of the bandages under the dirty white dress shirt seemed to ground his thoughts as he realized that he was in fact alive and in one piece. The fully faded Thirium stains on his shirt indicated that he had been safe from harm for at least twelve hours at this point.

"You're okay." Hank reassured Connor calmly and sat down on the edge of the bed beside him. "North put your thermal thingy back where it belongs. You've been asleep for about sixteen hours now, and you're starting to run hot again. You're just feverish, that's all. You're going to be just fine."

"...You rescued me. You and North." Regaining his memories slowly Connor sighed as he looked up at Hank with terror still lingering in his eyes. "You saved my life."

"Yeah, kid. We found you and the other-"

Connor's arms suddenly wrapped around Hank in a tight hug that almost stole Hank's breath. With only mild hesitation Hank wrapped his arms around Connor to reciprocate the hug just as Connor began to quietly cry against his broad shoulder. The deviant's sudden added weight did very little to spare Hank the lingering pain in his chest courtesy of his own previous wound still healing.

"Jeez, kid. You're really scared." Hank had never seen Connor so shaken up before. As a strange way to comfort the deviant and spare him some modesty, Hank dismissed the reaction casually and just held on to him as Connor trembled with abject fear. "It must be the fever making you so jumpy."

"I don't want to die." Connor wept pathetically against the senior detective's shoulder, his tears soaking into Hank's shirt instantly. The deviant's entire body was shaking from horror and residual weakness from being wounded. "I don't want to die!"

"You won't, son. I promise you won't." Instinctively Hank's hand reached up to the back of Connor's head and began to run his fingers through Connor's dark locks of hair in a soothing manner. It was the same thing he'd do for Cole whenever the little boy had a nightmare or didn't feel well. "You're safe."

Pausing for a moment Connor leaned back and pressed his palm over his stomach again. Connor coughed weakly as his entire body momentarily went tense in Hank's supportive arms.

"...I think I'm going to be sick."

"All right, come on."

Hank pulled Connor off the bed and practically dragged him into the bathroom across the hallway, pushing Sumo out of the way with his foot in the process. Reacting quickly Hank helped Connor to kneel down in front of the toilet just as the deviant began throwing-up tainted Thirium from his system in response to being so gravely wounded from the day before.

"Easy... Let it out, son." Rubbing his hand over Connor's back in a comforting manner Hank stayed beside the deviant until the sudden bout of sickness passed. "You'll feel much better after this is over. It's hard to believe, but it's true."

Fortunately, the nausea didn't last too long, but it was still a hectic episode for the shaken deviant to endure. After losing just over a pint of Thirium to his vomiting spell Connor fell to his side and rested on his hip on the cool tile floor of the bathroom as he regained his composure. In response to the sick spell Hank quickly ran a fresh washcloth under the warm tap in the sink and handed the damp washcloth to Connor so he could wipe off his mouth and chin to clean himself up.

"I didn't think you of all people could throw-up from fear." Hank observed casually as he sat on the edge of the bathtub and watched Connor's sluggish movements with a keen eye. "I haven't seen that since I trained with the other rookies on the force."

"...S-Sorry."

"Don't apologize for being sick. Shit happens."

"N-Not sick. My self-diagnostic detected trace amounts of... some... foreign matter in my system." Wiping off his mouth to clean up the residual blue blood around his lips and chin, Connor continued to speak in a shaking voice. "My system r-responded by using... Thirium to c-collect the matter and I had to... expel it."

"You threw-up because you had some crud in your body?"

"C-Correct." Connor dropped the now blue stained white washcloth onto the floor beside him as he leaned back against the bathtub and took in a deep, calming breath. "That's what c-caused me to expel my Th-Thirium."

"That's the human definition of feeling sick, kid."

"...Oh." Quiet for a moment Connor contemplated Hank's comment. "...That seems like an apt description of what I just experienced."

"Are you going to be sick again?"

"No."

"Cool. Here, let's get you back to bed." Hank hooked his hand under Connor's arm and gently pulled the deviant back up to his feet. "Let's go. Nice and easy..."

"N-No, I don't want to leave the bathroom."

"You need to rest." Determined to help Connor recover quicker Hank gave him a stern glance. "You're sick and overheating."

"I d-don't want to sleep. N-Not anymore."

"Nope." As a father, Hank knew what was happening and didn't want the deviant to get away with it. "You just don't want to have another nightmare." The senior detective let Connor lean against the cool sink as he ran another washcloth under the tap in much cooler water than before. "I get that. But you need to rest, or you won't be able to heal properly."

"No. I-I can't let my guard down." Sounding more confused than before Connor's eyes began to glaze over as he spoke. "CyberLife... They m-might find me."

"Can't let your...?" Hank pressed the palm of his hand against Connor's forehead again. Within the few minutes it took for the deviant to physically exert himself from throwing-up his core temperature had risen again and was at a dangerous degree. "Shit. You're getting delirious from the fever."

Thinking quickly Hank put his arm around Connor's waist and guided the feverish deviant out of the bathroom and into the livingroom. As he sat the deviant down on the couch Hank left the cool washcloth on the coffee table and patted the side of his leg to call over Sumo, who was standing in the hallway looking into the livingroom curiously.

"C'mere Sumo." As the dog trotted over to Hank's side Hank reached out and put Connor's hand on Sumo's head on the deviant's behalf. Instinctively Connor began to rub Sumo's ears and he seemed to calm down a little more. "Keep him company for a few minutes."

"...Hank?" Sounding frightened and pathetic Connor called out to the senior detective as a rogue tear down his cheek. "Don't leave me. I don't want to be alone."

"I'm just going into the kitchen." Hank reassured Connor in a sincerely calm tone. "Sumo will make sure nothing happens until I get back."

While Connor's hand softly rubbed at the dog's ears Hank disappeared into the kitchen. Reaching into a cabinet over the kitchen sink Hank retrieved a plastic bottle of fresh Thirium and ran it under the cold tap in the sink for a few seconds. The Thirium wasn't terribly warm but if it were cooled down beforehand it would do Connor's still overheating system some good as it replenished the Thirium that he had lost when he was sick in the bathroom.

"Okay, drink some of this." Speaking with Connor from the kitchen Hank turned off the sink and returned to the livingroom and held out the bottle of Thirium toward Connor to take. Removing the cap on the bottle Hank moved slow to keep the Thirium from spilling by mistake. "It'll make you feel better."

Slowly Connor's free hand reached up for the offered Thirium but he missed as his visual processors were beginning to fail him.

"Right here." Without moving too quickly Hank grabbed Connor's free hand and wrapped the deviant's fingers around the bottle. "Drink it slowly. Don't choke or make yourself sick again by accident."

Connor did as he was instructed while Hank walked over to the other side of the couch and waited for Connor to finish drinking the Thirium. The chilled Thirium did seem to have a soothing effect on Connor's overheating systems, but he still needed to rest if his self-healing program was going to function at full capacity.

"That's good." Hank took the mostly empty bottle from Connor's hand while also putting his own hand on the deviant's shoulder to gently push him down against the couch until Connor was laying back entirely over the length of the furniture. "Sleep."

"I don't want-"

"Don't worry." Hank kept his hand firmly in place on Connor's shoulder and resisted Connor as the substantially weakened deviant tried to sit up again. "I'll be right here next to you. Same with Sumo. No one will get you; I swear it."

"...You won't leave me alone?"

"Not if you don't want me to. I'll stay right here."

At that declaration Connor relaxed and slowly laid back down until he was laying flat across the couch with his head propped up against a big blue pillow tucked up against the couch's armrest. Blinking slowly Connor's weary brown eyes tracked Hank's every movement that the senior detective made as if needing to make sure Hank stayed close by. Placing the empty bottle of Thirium down on the coffee table Hank picked up the washcloth and smoothed it out over Connor's too warm forehead with the deviant's eyes watching every movement with a hazy stare.

"Rest." Urging his stubborn friend into going back to sleep Hank spoke in a gentle tone and stayed next to the couch. "Me and Sumo will protect you while you sleep. We won't go anywhere until you're feeling better."

As if on cue Sumo laid down on the floor between the couch and coffee table and let out a big sleepy yawn as he rested chin down atop his outstretched paws.

"See? Sumo's right there," Hank stated as he then walked over to the nearby recliner and sat down heavily with exhaustion practically dragging him down. "and I'm right here. We'll stay here all night if we have to until you're better. Okay?"

"...Okay."

Connor's L.E.D., for the first time since his nightmare, transitioned from red to yellow and his brown eyes closed steadily. Connor fell back into his rest mode on the couch knowing that his friend - his family - was watching over him.

"Hank... I'm still frightened." The deviant's voice stabilized, and he was more lucid after drinking the Thirium and having the cool compress applied to his forehead. Even so, he was still feeling horrible and struggling to heal. "I don't want to be in that kind of situation ever again: Abducted. Lost. Helpless."

"It's okay to be scared. It's normal after going through that kind of trauma." Hank closed his eyes and folded his arms over his chest as he let himself drift off to sleep as his own strength wore-out. The protective father figure wasn't going to let Connor endure his current plight by himself. "It won't last forever. You're going to be just fine, son."

"No one should experience that kind of situation or that kind of fear." The memory of the burning cabin and disfigured deviants were haunting to put things insultingly simply. Even though he and the other deviants had survived their ordeal, Connor couldn't seem to escape that abhorrent experience. "It was awful. I can't... even imagine what Jonas's victims must've experienced before their untimely demise."

"You're right. No one should deal with such horrible situations or lose their lives in such a needlessly cruel manner." Kicking up his feet Hank settled in for the night and made sure Connor felt safe while the deviant continued to rest and heal. "Which is why people like you and me will keep those sadistic assholes behind bars where they belong. Justice will be served, you'll see. You just gotta' be patient, son."

"So I've been told." Connor admittedly sleepily. "I'm working on it."


While attempting to return to a relatively normal work routine with the police force after taking a week to recover from being abducted and tortured, Connor held his head high and accepted all of the reports that came his way in stride. The most curious report that Connor and Hank were given revolved around a deviant reporting a possible 'red ice' lab operating near the warehouse district. It wasn't uncommon to receive calls about suspicious activity that turned out to be false, but it was rare to have a deviant make a call that turned out to be inaccurate in any way. The investigation was practically mandatory, and the two detectives were the most qualified for the job due to their experience in both handling deviants and 'red ice' dealers.

The drive out to the warehouse was slow and boring, which of course was a nice change of pace. Connor couldn't help but fidget with his coin during the drive as his anxiety unexpectedly began to mount. Something about being driven to an isolated location where anyone and anything could be waiting for him unseen with in the shadows.

"How're you holding up?" Hank asked as he and Connor approached the warehouse at a steady clip. Quickly taking notice of the coin dancing gracefully between Connor's hands the senior detective knew that Connor was still on edge even after a week's reprieve to recover from his abduction and assault. "You sure you want to go back to work so soon after dealing with that Jonas freak?"

"I'm okay." Connor still seemed shaky but he was determined to not let Jonas dissuade him from his duties as a detective. Danger would always come with the territory and he'd just have to find his confidence to push through it to resume his normal career. "I just want to move on and put that horrible incident out of my mind."

"Okay, it's your call, kid."

"Chris and Tina have already arrested two possible dealers at the warehouse." Connor's blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow as he received an update on the investigation and case at hand. "They need us to clarify if their supply is in fact 'red ice' before they can press charges."

"Sounds simple enough. Any witnesses?"

"The deviant who made the report had been employed as a nighttime security guard who had noticed the unusual abundance of activity at the warehouse after company hours. He has also correctly identified the two men that are being held for questioning as two warehouse employees."

"Great, less paperwork for us." Hank joked as he pulled the Oldsmobile up and behind the squad car already parked outside the suspicious warehouse. "Let's go and check it out."

"Yes, of course." Pocketing his coin Connor did his best to show no fear. "It should be a simple investigation."

Inside the warehouse Chris and Tina were patiently 'babysitting' the two suspects who were cuffed around two large metal pipes in the center of the room when Connor and Hank entered the building. It only took Hank a quick glance to properly identify the numerous caustic chemicals and ingredients that were laid out over a large metal table as the very substances used to create the addictive and dangerous drug infamously known as 'red ice'. Connor's systems only confirmed what Hank already knew with a single cybernetic scan.

Shaking his head Hank gave Chris a silent glance that told the officer to go ahead and take the two suspects to the precinct for questioning.

"We're on it, Lieutenant."

"What a damn waste of everything." Hank despondently looked at the waste of time and effort that had been put in to making the highly illegal drug. So much energy was lost on creating something so destruction rather than something constructive, and it spoke volumes of the shame Hank felt on the two suspects' behalves. "This shit could've easily raked in a hundred-thousand bucks on the street."

"One-hundred and sixty-four thousand dollars to be exact." Connor calculated the actual amount as he scanned each chemical and chronicled it in his databank to file a proper report later on. With his L.E.D. pulsing yellow steadily Connor chronicled every detail of the warehouse for evidence. "Perhaps more if they found the ideal clients to sell to."

"Who says life is priceless?" The senior detective sighed heavily and rubbed his hand over the back of his tense neck. "Not these fuckers obviously."

"Obviously."

"All right, scan the rest of the area and we'll head back to the precinct. Case closed."

"Already working on it." Connor confirmed as he cybernetically scanned the table and the various vats of chemicals that sat idle atop and beside the table. "I only need one minute to finish chronicling the evidence."

A red liquid was oozing from an imperfection of the metal container that Connor had just scanned as it sat on the top of the table and would need a closer analysis. Running his index fingertip through the exposed chemical Connor pressed it to his tongue and confirmed it to be Lithium Chloride - the current batch was highly concentrated and contained dense amounts of iron. Due to the dangerous nature of the chemical Connor spit out the sample as a means of protecting his systems from any possible harm.

"Hank, these drug dealers are fortunate that had been caught before they could distribute their product onto the streets."

"Why?" The alertness of Connor's voice made Hank turn to look at his partner warily. "What's up with their shit that makes it especially dangerous?"

"This particular batch of Lithium Chloride is approximately eight point six times more concentrated than necessary, and I don't see any other chemical that would've been used to dilute it before distribution."

"Shit, every one of their clients would've overdosed after one damn hit." Hank sighed again and turned away from Connor as he muttered a rather cynical thought under his breath. "If we waited, then we could've charged them with murder and put half the junkies in the city out of their misery at the same damn time..."

"Hank?" Connor noticed the distant look in Hank's blue eyes and decided to question him accordingly. "Are you feeling well? You seem distracted."

"I'm fine. Just processing how fucked up that sentence was." The senior detective turned back to Connor and quickly changed the subject with a casual clear of his throat. "Finish your scan?"

"Yes. I have all the information that I require to file a particularly damning report against these dealers."

"As long as we keep those selfish bastards behind bars then I don't care how short or long the report is. Let's get out the Hell out of here before these chemicals start dissolving us in our shoes."

"I agree." Wiping the residue from his finger onto a white rag Connor was ready to leave the warehouse. "This place is rather unsettling, if not completely dangerous."

"And the sooner we can shut this place down as a drug den, the better off everyone will be."


Fortunately, the drug bust at the warehouse had proven a success and there were no additional steps required to get an arrest warrant and charge the two men accordingly for their malicious crimes. Satisfied with putting two would-be drug kingpins behind bars and keeping a lethal batch of drugs off the streets, Connor and Hank returned home for the remainder of the evening and attempted to salvage what they could out of the fading daylight. The duo also made a valid attempt to get the acrid smell of the chemicals and horrible feeling of the drug den off their skin and out of their minds by taking their own hot showers and changing into far more comfortable clothes.

A light dinner and a quick walk around the block with Sumo had put the two detectives in much better moods after a strenuous and unusual day. Their lives were slowly returning to normal and there was no need to worry about their successfully closed case any longer. With Markus now back in the city and both detectives making full recoveries from their respective injuries, everything in Detroit looked and felt better than it had in nearly a week.

"Too bad we couldn't get a couple of court side seats this year." Hank lamented as he turned on the television and found the basketball game already in progress. He leaned back heavily in the recliner and tried to relax his sore back as much as possible as he kicked up his feet onto the coffee table to enjoy March Madness. "We've had a pretty good season so far."

"Perhaps we could acquire tickets for next season." Connor had only recently learned about the rules associated with basketball and had even found himself enjoying the games from time to time whenever Hank found one to watch. Both of his hands were rubbing Sumo's ears affectionately from where he sat on the couch, and Sumo was resting his chin over Connor's knee in response to the adoration. "I could cybernetically purchase tickets if you wish."

"Thanks, but it wouldn't be the same as this season." Hank shrugged his shoulders a little and dismissed the generous offer. "It's no big deal."

Connor's blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow unexpectedly and the deviant was prompted to run a self-diagnostic. Leaning forward a little Connor pressed his fingertips to his flickering L.E.D. in his temple in response to the prompt.

"You okay?" It didn't take Hank long to notice the change in Connor's L.E.D. color from where he was sitting. "You look like your head hurts."

"Unknown." The admission was entirely truthful as Connor hadn't uncovered the cause for such a reaction. "My system has apparently detected an anomaly."

"Is it serious?"

"Still unknown. But there has been a slight increase in my Thirium pressure." Connor casually rose from the couch much to Sumo's dismay and walked into his bedroom for a moment to run the self-diagnostic in privacy. "I will return soon."

Sumo watched as Connor exited the livingroom then promptly jumped up onto the now vacant couch to stretch out over the large piece of furniture and get far more comfortable on the warm, soft cushions. The large dog let out a content grumble as he settled in and made himself as comfortable as possible.

"Don't be shy, Sumo." Giving the massive dog a shake of his head Hank continued to watch the game and keep track of the score. "Try to relax."

"H-Hank..." From down the hallway Connor's voice suddenly called out with a quaking fear. "I think I need some help!"

"Shit."

Hearing the fear in Connor's voice made Hank leap up from the chair much to his back's protest, and march through the livingroom and down the hallway into Connor's bedroom. Stepping through the opened doorway Hank stared at Connor as the deviant sat on the edge of bed looking truly shaken.

"What's wrong?"

Connor was holding his hand to nose and mouth with his L.E.D. flashing red in distress. Slowly Connor lowered his hand and turned it to show Hank the palm of his hand that had been stained red with blood.

Actual blood. Not Thirium. The blood was red, not blue.

"What the... fuck?!" Hank grabbed Connor's hand and stared at the red blood staining his skin, then stared at Connor's blood smeared face. "Why is it red?"

"I-I don't know." Confused and frightened Connor didn't know what was happening to him. "This has never happened before."

"Okay, whatever, we'll figure this out. Want to go to a facility or to New Jericho?"

"I guess..." Thinking logically Connor gave his answer as calmly as possible. "The facility is closer."

"Right, come on." Lightly Hank pulled on Connor's arm to lead the deviant out of the bedroom and back into the livingroom. Letting go of Connor's arm Hank let Connor stand idle for a moment as he grabbed everything he needed to get going. "I'll drive."

Connor just stood statuesque in the livingroom with his hand pressed over his bleeding nose as his body trembled with fear. There was something very haunting and surreal about seeing his own blood dyed red like that of a human, or any other living creature for that matter. As his nose continued to bleed in red Connor felt his Thirium pressure beginning to level off and his body shake in fear.

"Here." Hank pulled a white handkerchief from his coat pocket by the front door and gave to Connor to press against his nose. "Try to apply pressure and see if that slows down the bleeding."

"...'danks.'" Nodding a little Connor accepted the handkerchief and pressed the white material to his face and pressed it down over his nose. With a nasally response the deviant allowed Hank to lead the way as he followed his friend through the front door to the car in the driveway beside the house. "I 'dhink it's working."

"Good. And, uh..." Unlocking the car doors Hank gave Connor a somewhat awkward glance. "Try not to bleed on the upholstery."

"O'day." Taking note of his bleeding nose Connor did his best to avoid making any messes during the drive. "I'll 'dry."


Still shaking a little Connor sat in the waiting room of the Zeta Facility with the now red soaked handkerchief still pressed to his nose while Hank spoke to the receptionist, Barry, at the desk a few feet away. It was late into the evening and only a few androids were waiting to be seen which meant it would be a short wait for Connor as well. Doing his best to hide the red tinted blood from any curious onlookers Connor leaned forward in his chair and turned his head away and toward the wall. The movement only seemed to make his nose bleed faster and Connor tried to stop the bleeding by applying even more pressure to his nose under the stained handkerchief.

Discreetly grabbing a tissue from the box on the table beside his car Connor used the layers of pure white to try cover the red rag against his face. The last thing he wanted was other deviants gossiping about him or spreading rumors about him suffering from some bizarre glitch. The deviant detective had enough trouble with his reputation as it was.

"Come on." Hank's hand clamped down on Connor's shoulder firmly as he returned to the deviant sitting in the waiting room chair. "Abby's here, she said she'll see you right away. I guess you're one of her favorite patients or something."

Rising from the chair slowly Connor followed Hank down the corridor to the vacant exam room where Abby was waiting for him and kept his head low to ensure no one saw his red, bloody nose. Opening the door with a sliding 'hiss' Hank stepped aside and let Connor enter first before greeting the technician calmly on the affected deviant's behalf. Speaking up on Connor's behalf Hank gave the technician a casual wave of his hand as they entered the room.

"Hey, Abby."

"Hi, Hank. Connor." Abby set aside her electronic clipboard on a nearby rolling table and stood before the bleeding deviant curiously. "Let me see what's going on."

Slowly Connor lowered his hand and bloody handkerchiefs from his face to allow Abby to examine him. The smear of red all over his face was rather macabre and very unusual, yet Abby didn't bat an eye.

"Does it hurt?" The attentive technician asked as she gently pressed her fingers along Connor's face right around his nose as if checking for sinus pressure or any breaks. "Do you have any problem with ventilating?"

"'Doh." Taking in a deep breath Connor cleared his voice and tried to speak clearly again. "I meant, 'no'. I am having mild difficulty with proper enunciation though."

"You didn't receive any physical damage today?" She lowered her hands from his face satisfied, that she didn't feel any damage beneath his artificial skin or against his plastimetal frame. "And you didn't download any updates or patches?"

"No."

"Did you consume any Thirium that could've been contaminated by something your scanners didn't detect?"

"No."

"All right." Checking off the usual suspects Abby began asking about more unusual circumstances. "Did you come into contact with any chemicals or toxins during an investigation within the past twenty-four hours?"

"Yes." Connor's brow furrowed slightly at the question before he answered in the positive and his red L.E.D. flickered to yellow. "Lithium Chloride laced with iron."

"Uh-huh..." Abby seemed to find the answer to an unspoken question that was bouncing around inside her head. "Did you consume it to test it?"

"Yes, I did."

"How much?"

"Only two point three milligrams."

"That's... not a lot." Momentarily confused again Abby crossed her arms as she made a note on the front of the electronic clipboard at her side. "Was there anything unusual about it?"

"It was highly concentrated iron at approximately eight times its standard concentration level."

"Okay, that does explain it after all." Abby's shoulders visibly slouched with relief as she received her confirmation. "We have our answer."

"We do?" Sniffling a little Connor used the tissue and handkerchief to cover his nose again. "Whad's wrong wid' 'be?"

"Lithium Chloride has a deep red color," the experienced technician stated coolly as she walked over to a large storage cabinet at the far end of the exam room. "and its chemical composition has a tendency to cause Thirium to thicken, if not coagulate, to a small degree. The red color tints the affected Thirium and your system will expel the contaminated Thirium once your Thirium pressure rises ten percent higher than what your system considers normal. Having the iron mixed into the Lithium Chloride will only help the affected Thirium retain the red hue and make it a more intense shade of red."

"Good." Hank let out a deep sigh of relief as they now had their answer and the cause of the nosebleed. "At least it's not terminal."

Abby pulled a pouch of pure blue Thirium from the nearby storage cabinet and handed it to Connor to consume. It was a simple remedy yet sure to be effective.

"I'm 'dot in danger?" Connor asked as he accepted the Thirium and returned the bloodied handkerchief to his face to wipe off his nose and sniffled again. "I don't need any special treatment or procedure?"

"Nope." Abby replied with a confident smile on her face. "The worst of it's over. Once the bleeding finally stops, and from the look of your face I'd say it'll be over in about five more minutes, just drink that Thirium and it'll replenish what you've lost. Your blood will return to its healthy blue coloration, and everything will be back to normal by morning."

Connor's shoulders visibly relaxed as well, and Hank struggled to keep himself from laughing as he noted Abby's calm demeanor while asking the obvious.

"This isn't the first time you've seen an android bleeding red, is it?"

"Connor is the fourth case I've seen in my illustrious career." Abby confirmed as she kept her smile on her face. "All of the previous cases ended the same way, too: Scared but just fine. Drink your Thirium, get some rest and have pleasant dreams. Technician's orders!"


Once back home for the remainder of the unusual night Connor stood in front of the bathroom mirror and wiped away the residual drying red blood from beneath his nose and upper lip with a clean tissue. Some of the blood had run down the sides of his face and along his chin, but it hadn't lingered long enough to stain his skin as red as his upper lip and underside of his nose had become. Running a clean washcloth under the warm tap in the sink, Connor looked at his messy reflection one last time before turning off the water and using the warm, damp compress to wash his face and remove the unsightly red stains from his face at long last. The warm water felt good on Connor's artificial skin and provided a soothing feeling to the deviant's stressed body.

It was incredible to think that the simple act of cleaning one's face could be so calming. It was then Connor understood why so many humans spent hours in the shower or taking a nice, warm bubble bath. It seemed an unexpected nosebleed could be considered another human experience.

Curious about how Connor was doing Hank stood in the opened doorway of the bathroom watching as the deviant wrung out the excess water from the washcloth and used it to wipe off his face. Seeing Connor entirely calm and in control was a relief.

"Red really isn't your color, you know that?"

"It does seem to be a rather sinister color." Connor looked at the red now staining the blue washcloth in his hands and tilted his head a little. The water in the sink swirled pink as it went down the drain and Connor pressed a clean towel to his face to dry off. "Can I ask you something?" The deviant asked as he dropped the towel in the hamper under the sink and turned off the tap. "It isn't personal."

"Sure. What's on your mind?"

"You remained perfectly calm when you saw me bleeding red." The way Hank handled the crisis in stride had fascinated Connor almost instantly. "How do you do it?"

"Remain calm?"

"Yes."

"I don't know." Responding almost casually Hank really didn't think much of what they just experienced. "Maybe spending years of my life dealing the violence and carnage of the city has left me somewhat immune to seeing blood. Pretty fucked up now that you mention it."

"It's not the blood, it's... How do you not get upset when someone is injured or sick? You always remain calm and in control." Connor wiped off his hands on a towel and looked at his reflection again with a strange sense of shame. "I seem to be struggling with the ability to remain detached from such events as I become increasingly more deviant, and with my recent experiences with Jonas I fear my emotions are only going to become a hindrance to my career as a detective."

"I do get upset, Connor." Hank clarified in a strong tone. "And I always have. The day I stop getting upset is the day I retire from the force because it means I don't care about anything or anyone anymore." As he said his piece Hank stepped away from the bathroom door and walked back into the livingroom with Connor right behind him. "I just learned how to push aside those feelings, those particular emotions, until AFTER the situation has been handled. Then I let myself admit how scared or freaked out I really was and get it out of my system. Fear is a normal feeling and it's a more common occurrence than most people care to admit."

"I used to be able to handle any and all scenarios without even the slightest hesitation. And now I fear that I won't be able to maintain my composure during investigations." Standing behind the couch Connor looked to Hank for guidance as he sorted through his feelings. "If I become emotionally compromised then I won't be able to do my job properly."

"Part of being human is experiencing emotions, and part of experiencing emotions is learning how to control them." The senior detective explained with utter confidence as he returned to the recliner and sat down again to watch the end of the basketball game. "The more deviant you become the more you'll learn to control those emotions. Trust me, you'll figure this shit out over time."

Nodding with understanding Connor pushed Sumo aside and sat down on the end of the couch next to the large dog's head to resume watching the game. It wasn't long before Sumo was resting his chin over Connor's lap seeking more ears rubs, to which Connor readily obliged.

"And for what it's worth, I like you a hell of a lot more now as a deviant than when you were a machine." Hank admitted as he tried to ease Connor's still rattled nerves. "I'd rather deal with an overly sensitive deviant with a big heart than a cold, calculating, heartless machine any day of the week. All right?"

"Okay." Connor's L.E.D. finally cycled back from yellow to blue as Hank's words offered him a surprising amount of comfort. "Thanks, Hank."

"You're welcome. Now, stop worrying about it and enjoy the rest of the game." Kicking his feet up again Hank turned up the volume and noted the current score on the screen. "We're up by twenty-one and I want it to stay that way!"

"I'll do my best to stop worrying for a while. It's becoming rather exhausting dealing with such intense emotions all the time. "Connor relaxed against the back of the couch and watched the game with sincere interest as he absentmindedly patted Sumo's head. "We should get tickets for next season for sure."

Curiously Connor watched Hank's body language and readily gauged the anticipated reaction from his repeated offer. There was something about the way Hank had responded earlier that told Connor he shouldn't give up so easily.

"Am I right? I'm sure we'd enjoy it, we might even be able to bring Lucas with us occasionally."

"All right, fine." Knowing Connor wouldn't drop the matter Hank gave the deviant his permission to purchase the season passes. "Go ahead and order the tickets, I'll give ya' my half of the payment tomorrow."

"I thought you'd reconsider." Connor's blue L.E.D. blinked to yellow briefly and he coyly grinned. It seemed the deviant detective had found something positive to focus on and have himself something new to look forward to. "Already done."

"Should've known you were already on top of ordering the tickets as we spoke." The senior detective turned to look at Connor for a moment before returning his attention to the game with a chuckle. "Smartass."

-next chapter-