It was only the beginning of fall in Michigan and yet there was already a frighteningly intense chill in the air as Connor arrived at the precinct at his usual time that unseasonably glum morning. Brushing a few stray flakes of fading, rogue snow from the shoulders of his gray blazer, Connor approached his desk and was a little surprised to see that Hank had arrived at the precinct earlier than expected and had arrived before himself which was in itself abnormal. However, the distinct paleness on Hank's face, dark bags under his eyes, as well as the notable hazy fatigue marring his otherwise bright blue irises was far more surprising than anything else at that moment.

Running a quick biometric scan over Hank's body Connor noted a slight increase his in blood pressure and heart rate that was often indicative of pain. Connor also noted that Hank's temperature was also slightly elevated, but that too could be caused by the high blood pressure and subsequently the pain that the senior detective was attempting to deny.

"Good morning, Hank." Connor greeted as he took his seat at his desk on the opposite side of Hank's own desk and continued to silently observe his partner's facade as discreetly as possible. "I believe that I'm adapting to our new morning routines."

"...Hi." Hank mumbled in a low voice to acknowledge Connor's greeting before sniffling once. "Glad you're getting used to the new changes."

"May I ask why you're here so early? Well, earlier than you're usual time of arrival."

"I couldn't sleep. Figured I'd get a head-start."

"Are you feeling well?" Curiously and cautiously Connor asked the question while also expressing his own observations. "You seem to be experiencing physical distress."

"It's just a headache."

"Again?"

"Yup."

"Are you certain that you don't wish to see a doctor? You may have a hairline fracture to your skull that wouldn't easily have been detected during your initial examination after you were attacked last week."

"I was hit over a week ago, kid." Hank tried to brush off Connor's concerns with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The doc said I would be suffering from frequent headaches for the next month or so, and I'm already used it to. I played football in high school, remember?"

"I remember you saying as much, yes."

"Besides, we're detective. Pain comes with the territory."

"Very well." Connor wasn't entirely convinced but he decided to let it go out of respect for Hank's own personal judgment regarding his body's limitations. "I know you that you're more aware of your body than anyone else ever could be."

"And," Hank let out a breathy sigh and subtly motioned to the conference room a few yards away from their desks causing Connor to turn his head to look over his shoulder, his blue L.E.D. pulsing a calm blue throughout the conversation. "we have to smile and nod and play nice with the mayor this evening."

"I do not understand." It was evident that Connor was unfamiliar with the group of people who were setting up some type of gathering in the aforementioned area. "Is there a scheduled meeting tonight?"

"Something like that." The senior detective leaned forward on his elbows over the top of his desk and lowered his voice. "About ten years ago our previous mayor had been such a ball-buster on crime that he ended up with a bullet between his eyes for his troubles. Our current mayor, this Walter Nero prick, had been far more lax and cowardly which is why this city is a Hellscape for petty theft and drug abuse. Now this guy," Hank discreetly pointed at the mayor's assistant who was fussing about over minute details to the people who were seemingly the caterers that had been hired for the event and clearly driving the catering staff over the edge with his insensate nitpicking. "is a world class ass-kisser and pining for the role of mayor himself. His name is Frances White. Do not trust him."

Connor's brow furrowed slightly as he studied Frances's weaselly demeanor curiously. The man's body language spoke volumes of someone with severely narcissistic tendencies, as well as an egotistical nature and complete apathy. Not the prime candidate for a mayoral position in any city.

"The problem is," Hank continued on casually. "our current mayor is doing such a good job when it comes to kissing ass and treating androids with respect that this Frances prick has a snowball's chance in Hell when it comes to winning the next election. So, now that Nero has decided to 'reach out' to civil servants and first responders through cheesy parties and charity events to keep everyone in a good mood, this guy has been trying to 'one-up' him every chance he gets and now we're caught in the middle of it all."

"Are you implying that the event that has been planned for this evening will be a metaphorical 'pissing contest' between the mayor and his own assistant?"

"Yup, you got it, kid. And if I hadn't woken up with a headache this morning already I would definitely have one by the time this damn mandatory event started."

"...I see." Connor looked uncomfortable with the event to come, especially since 'mandatory' was included. "Perhaps we'll get a case and can miss the party."

"I doubt we'd get that lucky, son. Like it or not, we have to socialize tonight."

"I'm not very sociably skilled with total strangers." Admitting he was still struggling to adapt to humanity now that he was a free deviant and not an obedient machine was difficuly. Connor looked a little embarrassed at his own admission. "I believe that if I were human, I'd be considered somewhat reserved or demure."

"I think you're actually introverted." Always amused by Connor's inward reflections Hank grinned a little at the comment. "But being shy isn't a bad thing. It just means that you need time to adjust when it comes to new people. You're just feeling people out and figuring out who you can talk to without needing to worry about getting stabbed in the back, that's all."

"But CyberLife programmed me to efficiently and effectively adapt to human unpredictability. I shouldn't have such hesitant tendencies."

"Yeah, but that was before you became deviant. Something in your programming changed, so I imagine your adaptation skills got changed, too."

"Perhaps."

"Don't sweat it, kid." Even while feeling utterly miserable Hank was still primarily focused on helping Connor feel better about an uncomfortable situation. "Just stay by me and we'll get through this damn night without going crazy."

"I would greatly prefer walking away from this event with my sanity intact." Agreeing to the suggestion the corner of Connor's mouth ticked a little and he admitted that he'd need some guidance throughout the upcoming social engagement. "I'll follow your lead."


As the evening came to pass and the dreaded social event began to unfold inside the precinct, an unseasonable snowstorm blanketed the city under a steadily thickening layer of pure white. The snow continued to build until the streets were too congested to be driven upon safely. Even if Connor and Hank could've dismissed themselves from the uncomfortable gathering taking place inside the precinct, they wouldn't have been able to go far without getting stranded in the snow or freezing during their trek through the ankle deep whiteness to their respective homes. Despite their best efforts to think of an escape, the duo had to admit that they were stuck for the time being and would have to make the best of the uncomfortable situation.

While a majority of the officers were willing to put up with the blatantly hollow gesture of festivities by the mayor's aid in favor of putting up a good front on Captain Fowler's behalf, Connor and Hank had discreetly hidden themselves away in an interview room a few doors down from the party. Remaining relatively still in his seat Hank pressed his palm to the side of his still aching head as he tried to ignore the low roar of numerous voices speaking loudly just down the corridor.

"Too bad I got sobered up." The senior detective lamented in a grumbling tone at his own misfortune. "Spiking the punch right about now would do us all a favor..."

"Do you require any medication for your headache?" Connor asked kindly as his L.E.D. flashed from blue to yellow with concern. "It'll make the evening far more bearable if you have some kind of pain relief."

"If you have anything on ya', I'll take it."

"I know where Dr. Forrest keeps his aspirin in the dispensary. I'll go get you some." The helpful deviant quickly exited the interview room and made his way to the elevator down the hallway in the opposite direction of the social gathering. "I won't be long."

As he ascended to the dispensary via elevator Connor cybernetically informed Lucas that he would be returning to the apartment later than usual due to the 'party' taking place in the precinct, as well as the building snow outside. Of course Lucas was more than understanding as the deviant technician was well aware of the unpredictability of police work and the somewhat infamous Michigan weather through his own personal experiences.

The elevator doors opened on the second floor and Connor easily gained access to the dispensary to collect the medication from Joel's office. The small bottle of medication was kept in the top left drawer of the desk and readily accessible to anyone who might need it. Once Connor returned to the ground floor of the precinct with two aspirin tablets in his grip, he noticed that several officers were now awkwardly standing outside the conference room with distressed looks on their faces. A few even looked ill or at the very least worried about something unspoken.

Stepping back into the interview room Connor gave Hank the two aspirin tablets he had taken from the dispensary and asked about the odd event he had apparently missed during his absence.

"Did something happen while I was in the dispensary?"

"Yeah." Hank readily accepted the two pills from Connor and eagerly popped them into his mouth. Chasing the pills with one of the six bottles of water kept in the middle of the table for future interviews, Hank explained what had gone down while Connor was up on the second floor. "Chris started feeling sick and took off down the hall. Everyone noticed."

"Sick?" The deviant's L.E.D. flashed to red with concern before settling back onto his cautious yellow color. "Where is Chris now?"

"My guess would be the bathroom. He can't exactly leave right now."

Connor's L.E.D. was still blinking yellow with distress as he studied Hank's demeanor curiously.

"If you want to go check on Chris, go." Hank didn't need to be a detective to know what was on Connor's mind. "I won't stop you."

Turning his head to look outside of the interview room Connor calmly entered the hallway and made his way down to the men's restroom only a few feet away. Before Connor had even entered the restroom he could hear the sound of someone throwing-up and responded accordingly. Stepping through the automated door as it slid open, Connor walked inside and bathroom and observed Chris through the opened stall door as he hunched over the toilet and threw-up with a violent heave.

"Chris?" Connor knocked lightly against the already opened stall door as if he needed to announce his presence. "Do you require assistance?"

Chris took in deep slow breaths as he used a wad of toilet paper to wipe off his spit covered mouth after he finished being sick. "...I'm okay. Th-Thanks."

"Might I ask why you suddenly became ill? Are you suffering from the flu or another stomach ailment?"

"I don't know." Sounding out of breath and exhausted Chris just sighed and fell back onto his hip to lean back against the cool wall of the stall behind him. "I think I ate something disagreeable. I'm not too sure."

"Interesting." As the officer slowly pushed himself up from the ground and stood upright in the stall on shaking legs, Connor grabbed Chris's arm to help him steady himself as he walked over to the sink. "Your temperature is slightly elevated."

Cupping his hands together under the automated tap Chris took in a mouthful of water and spit it out as he rinsed his mouth of the nasty lingering taste and tried to breathe slowly to ease his upset stomach. The coolness of the clean water was refreshing and managed to ease his overall discomfort.

"Yeah," Chris couldn't deny that he was starting to feel really terrible. "I'm not surprised that I'm starting to run a fever. I feel horrible."

"Would you like me to escort you to the infirmary?" Connor asked as he noted the physical distress that Chris was displaying and ran a quick biometric scan over Chris's person to be more thorough. "You appear to be suffering from a mild fever as well as mild dehydration."

"No, I'll be okay. I just need a minute to clear my head, that's all."

"Would you like me to stay with you?"

"I'm good, Connor." It seemed Chris, like most people, didn't like the idea of someone staring at them while feeling and looking sick. "Thanks."

Respecting Chris's wish to be alone Connor stepped toward the bathroom door and immediately stepped aside as Gavin stumbled into the bathroom and began to feel suddenly sick as well. Gavin made a rather graceless clamber for the second stall and fell to his knees, and he began to vomit with painful retches into the toilet bowl.

"Gavin?" Chris caught sight of Gavin's reflection in the mirror as he passed by quickly. "...Shit, you too?"

As the abrasive detective continued to vomit painfully Connor's curiosity was piqued.

"That's two people who've become suddenly ill in a very short span of time. Is anyone else ill?"

The only response Connor received was the unsettling sound of Gavin heaving through the opened stall door and nothing else.

"...I believe I'll go and see for myself." The deviant volunteered as once again made his way to the bathroom door to step outside and into the hallway. "That might be more informative than slurring words filled with nausea."

Sure enough, the conference room had been practically deserted as numerous officers were suddenly ill and either sitting on the floor in distress or clumsily making their way to the bathrooms to be sick. Several other officers were hovering warily over garbage cans in fear of sickness, and Mr. White had unceremoniously taken his leave of the immediate area out of embarrassment and to retreat like the weaselly coward he was.

Connor rejoined Hank in the interview room and gave his partner an unsteady glance as he brought the man up to speed.

"At least twelve officers have become ill. Are you feeling ill as well?"

"Just that headache from this morning." Seemingly unfazed by the problem Hank just stared at Connor with his glassy blue eyes. "I'll live."

"Any nausea or fever?"

"Nope."

"This is strange." Connor shook his head a little as he ran a quick biometric scan over Hank's body to confirm his vitals and noted the same mild temperature elevation that Chris was exhibiting, but he couldn't conclusively declare it a fever. "I'm trying to understand how so many people could become so ill so quickly in such close proximity to one another, and yet you are not exhibiting the same symptoms as well."

"Here's a crazy thought," giving the deviant a somewhat annoyed glance Hank tried to help as much as he could despite the headache. "maybe we're not dealing with a contagious sickness."

"Do you know what could be happening?"

"Well, I'm not sick and you don't get human ailments." Hank listed off as if needing the information to help him clear the fog in his mind. "...AND, neither of us ate any of that crappy food the mayor's little worm had brought to his stupid event. Everyone else who did eat the food is now feeling ill. Am I right?"

"Food poisoning." Connor realized with a sudden flash of awareness that made his L.E.D. turn red then cycle back to yellow. "If anyone is exhibiting violent symptoms, they will require medical attention. With the blizzard currently bombarding the city traversing to a hospital has become incredibly dangerous, if not impossible."

"Go do your thing, kid." Waving his hand casually toward the door Hank motioned for the deviant to go play doctor. "Go help everyone."

"I'm not a medical android." For once Connor was reluctant to take the lead and try to help people in need. "I'm not programmed to diagnose or treat human ailments."

"Yeah, but of the two of us here, you're the only one not suffering from a skull-splitting headache and you can put up with people better than me. Not to mention that whenever I've gotten sick you've done a pretty good job at keeping me alive. You can handle this kid, I know it."

Connor took in a deep breath and turned around to stare outside the interview room door as more officers began to exhibit the same food poisoning symptoms as the people who had become ill just a few minutes before. It was getting worse and soon there would be no one left standing long enough to be of any help to anyone else in the city.

"I will notify the three nearest hospitals of the food poisoning outbreak." The deviant detective decided as he tried to come up with a list of priorities to follow during such an unusual event. "Perhaps they can send emergency aid to deal with the most ill of the those who have been affected."

"Good idea." Agreeing with the plan Hank elected to stay back and endure his headache alone. "I'll stay in here and not get in the way."

Taking it upon himself to aid the downed officers, Connor cybernetically contacted emergency services while also scanning over the food that had been provided to the event that had been left out in the breakroom. It only took a few seconds for Connor to run his fingertip over the various provided food items that had been favored throughout the night to run an analysis. As the deviant pressed the taken samples to his tongue to test for contamination, his processor was able to easily confirm their suspicions and identify the bacteria that had caused the food poisoning: Staphylococcus aureus.

"...Connor?" At some point in the evening Captain Fowler had become sick as well, but he was still remaining professional and in charge as he returned to the breakroom to figure out what had happened that evening. The seasoned Captain paused for a moment and took a deep breath to keep his stomach from rebelling against him while he spoke to his unaffected deviant detective. "Did you find something I should know about?"

"Yes. I can confirm based on the symptoms being displayed and the bacteria identified that there has been a mass outbreak of food poisoning." Turning to face his commanding officer directly Connor gave Captain Fowler a much needed updated. "This particular strain presents itself between one to six hours upon infection. It's due to improper sterilization conditions upon preparation and has evidently taken down the precinct fairly quickly."

"Great. Is it lethal?"

"The bacteria itself is not lethal to humans, but if anyone is immunologically compromised then they may become sicker than the others. I have already informed the nearest hospitals of the situation at hand."

"Can you keep an eye on everyone until we the roads get cleared off?" Pressing his hand to his stomach Captain Fowler took in a deep breath and fought through his own nausea to remain somewhat in control. "I don't think I can hold out all night."

"Of course. How many have become ill?"

"At the last count, including myself, nineteen people. The mayor's aide is sick too. He's not here but he called to 'check in' on everyone and puked right in my ear over the line." Captain Fowler ran his free hand down the back of his neck anxiously as he tried to think of a way to handle everything. "I decided to keep the sickest of our people isolated from the rest of the precinct inside interview room 'B' since you and Hank have been hiding out in interview room 'A' all evening."

"I'm sorry, Captain." A little embarrassed about hiding away Connor tried to own up to his decision. "But I don't-"

"I'm not mad at you two for isolating yourselves, don't worry about it. Just help me keep things under control under medical help gets here."

"I will do my best, sir."

Walking out of the breakroom and into the designated interview room as directed, Connor saw that the table in the center of the room had been pushed up against the far wall along with the three chairs to provide additional room for the two sickest of the affected officers to lay down over the floor. There were two empty trashcans next to the officers in the event that they became ill again to prevent messes and to ensure they wouldn't have to sprint into the bathroom.

Despite feeling unwell himself, Hank had taken it upon himself to watch over the two of them and was quietly waiting for Connor to arrive.

"Hank?"

"Knew you'd be back." Hank gave the deviant a somewhat amused glance. "Looks like Joel and Gavin got the worst of it."

Connor knelt down beside the two humans and ran a biometric scan over their bodies to gauge their current vital signs. The scan turned Connor's L.E.D. from yellow to red as he noted their elevated vital signs - increased heart rate and increased blood pressure due the physical exertion of vomiting, mild fever in response to the bacterial infection and mild dehydration from excessive vomiting.

"...Hi." Joel looked up at Connor let out a tired sigh of irony at the deviant leaning over him as his only form of aid. "...Never thought I'd have you taking care of me. Good to see you."

"You've helped me numerous times in the past." Connor replied calmly as he put his hand over Joel's chest for a moment to more accurately gauge his vital signs. "It only seems fair that I help you whenever you need it." Ever attentive Connor looked over at Gavin and reluctantly addressed the ill detective knowing that if he was often a jerk when he was healthy that he would be a massive dick when he was feeling sick. "Gavin, do you need anything?"

The downed detective let out a breathy sigh as he draped his forearm over his eyes and continued to lay on the floor feeling miserable. "...Kill the caterers."

"Medical assistance will arrive within the next twenty minutes." Connor smirked a little at the comment but of course refused to kill anyone. "The roads are being cleared as we speak." Pressing his palm over Joel's forehead Connor noted the human's exact temperature. "Ninety-nine point seven degrees."

"That all, huh?" Joel just let out a sigh and began breathing slowly to keep his nausea quelled. "Could be worse."

"Agreed." Next Connor pressed his palm over Gavin's forehead and was surprised when Gavin didn't try to flinch away from his touch. "One-hundred point two degrees." Standing upright Connor turned to speak with Hank directly. "We should apply cool compresses to ease their fevers as much as possible before the paramedics arrive. The less stressed they feel physically they easier it'll be for them to recover."

"Might as well." Shrugging his shoulders with pure indifference Hank saw no reason to object to the suggestion. "We can't do anything else for them."

While Hank remained in the room to keep an eye on the two sick officers Connor ventured into the community breakroom to gather clean towels from the cabinet and some ice from the freezer. Wrapping the ice inside the two towels he returned to the interview room and placed the cold compresses over the two ill mens' foreheads to soothe their fevers.

"Gavin how is your blood sugar level?" Connor asked in a low voice to spare the detective some privacy as he monitored his pulse with his fingers around Gavin's wrist. "Dehydration could cause a drastic shift in your sugar."

"...Fine." Gavin muttered equally low with a notable discomfort in his voice. "Maybe a little low from getting sick."

"Noted." Nodding in acknowledgment Connor turned his attention back to Joel. "Have you been ill previously in the past three weeks, Dr. Forrest?"

"No." Shaking his head a little Joel's pale blue eyes looked glassy as he looked up at Connor kneeling beside him. "But I donated blood four days ago."

"That explains why you two have been affected the most severely by this outbreak." Connor stated in a calm but serious tone. "You're both physically weaker than the other officers at the moment. You'll require hospitalization to ensure you don't suffer from any additional ailments from dehydration."

"Fuckin-" Gavin just mumbled as he put up with Connor taking care of him. "...Sounds like a lot of fun."

"You'll both require water to remain hydrated." Standing upright from the floor Connor located two small bottles of cool water sitting on the pushed aside table, and offered them to the two downed men. "It won't be pleasant when considering the discomfort that you're both surely feeling with your stomachs, but you must drink some water for your own benefit."

"...Yeah, whatever." The gruff answer was comparably more agreeable compared Gavin's usual behavior. "Just keep Tina away from me until I'm better. I don't want her gloating about how her vegetarian diet saved her from this night."

Kneeling down between the two sick men again Connor offered the first bottle of water to Gavin who tentatively sipped at it, only to stop and breathe deeply as he fought to prevent himself from throwing-up again. As the second bottle of water was offered to Joel the ill technician barely reacted. Eyes closed and silent, Joel's skin was much paler than normal, and his breathing was deeper than expected.

"Dr. Forrest?" Lightly Connor laid his hand down on the technician's chest again and monitored both the sick man's breathing and heart rate. The sudden shift in his vitals made the deviant uneasy as it meant the human was getting worse. The unexpected drop in Joel's health made Connor's L.E.D. blink red once before cycling yellow as he ran another scan and remained calm. "Please open your eyes."

Responding to the command somewhat sluggishly Joel's pale blue eyes open and he struggled to look at the deviant's face. "...Connor. Hi."

"Hello. Please remain awake and please consume some water. It'll aid your recovery."

"...I can't really move right now." The technician admitted as his limbs suddenly felt like lead weights. "Uh, do you mind?"

"Of course."

Opening the bottle of water Connor slipped his hand under Joel's shoulders and helped the human to sit upright on the floor just enough to drink the water without choking on it. As the ill technician managed to drink a decent portion of the water Connor noted his still rising fever and made sure to keep his hand steady on the technician's shoulder.

"Dr. Forrest, you are anemic."

"...Yeah," confirming what Connor had noted Joel had no reason to try to dispute the claim. "I noticed. Also, just call me 'Joel' since I'm the patient right now."

Helping the technician to lay back down on the floor Connor remained at his side and resumed monitoring his vitals, as well as Gavin's condition. The other sick officers were taking care of one another outside the room.

Hank silently watched from the doorway as Connor took care of the two human officers while listening to the conversations taking place in the hallway. He hadn't caught any of the questions Connor had asked thanks to his aching head, but he really didn't care that much about eavesdropping on Connor since he trusted him entirely. Watching his fellow officers sluggishly stumble about the precinct as they helped one another endure the food poisoning epidemic made him grateful that he skipped the party and the shitty appetizers.

"Hank?" Captain Fowler approached Hank and rubbed his hand over his tired forehead as he spoke in an exhausted tone. "Turns out the caterers had a bit of grievance with our favorite 'wanna-be-mayor'." He stated as he finally had some answers in the strange matter at hand. "And they intentionally used partially spoiled food during this event because they thought they were going to be serving the White's rich, entitled friends. They didn't realize what was happening until it was too late to stop anything or remove the contaminated food."

"Fantastic." Hank didn't look all that surprised by the revelation, but he was still curious. "What did that jackass do to piss off a bunch of caterers besides being a mouthy prick?"

"Overworked them, underpaid them, and constantly berated them. The usual grievances from service employees."

"Should've known." Fighting the urge to laugh Hank just asked the next logical question. "How long until the paramedics arrive?"

"E.T.A. is less than two minutes. The streets have been cleared enough for emergency transport and it finally stopped snowing."

"How're you holding up, Jeffrey?"

"I've been better." The man admitted as he fought the urge to lay down and stop moving. "I haven't seen so many people puking in one place since the night of my promotion."

"Hey, I just suggested we all go out for a drink to celebrate." Hank quickly defended himself with a hand up in the air. "YOU'RE the one who bought the three rounds of tequila shots for everyone."

"I remember." Moving his hand toward his shoulder Captain Fowler breathed through his nose and gave Hank a knowing look. "And I still have that scar to remind me of falling down the stairs every damn day."

The front doors of the precinct opened wide as six paramedics walked into the building to tend to the downed officers as quickly and efficiently as possible. Three ambulances were parked out front waiting to transport the sickest of the officers to the hospital for treatment, while other ambulances would arrive later to take care of the rest of the downed officers if it became necessary.

"Hey?" Hank stepped back into the interview room and addressed the deviant detective kneeling down between the two sickest people still laying on the floor looking miserable. "Paramedics are here. Make some room for them to work."

"Coming." Connor stepped out of the room and into the hallway where he stood alongside Hank and Captain Fowler. The yellow tint of his L.E.D. transitioned back to blue as help arrived and he felt some relief wash over him. "Gavin and Joel should recover well once they receive proper treatment."

"Right." Captain Fowler himself leaned against the wall and let out a deep breath of fatigue and relief. "...You two should get out of here. Until everything here gets settled our precinct won't be contacted for any emergencies for a while."

"Are you certain?" Connor didn't like the idea of leaving the precinct while so many other officers still needed help. "I cannot become ill and can be of help."

"Go. It'll make things easier if we can start clearing out the building. I'll handle Mr. White in person as soon as the little chicken-shit comes out of hiding."

"He's right." Hank patted Connor's shoulder in approval as he walked down the hallway toward the front doors of the precinct. "Come on, kid. I'll give you a ride to your apartment."

Obeying Captain Fowler's suggestion Connor followed after Hank to leave the precinct for the night and return home until the precinct was allowed to resume normal operation. It had proven to be a very eventful night even though he and Hank had managed to skip the needless party.

"Are you certain that you're well?" The kind deviant pressed as the two detectives set foot outside the precinct and onto the snowy sidewalk outside. Hank wrapped his arms tightly around himself to stave off the cold and Connor mirrored the action as he too felt the sting of the cold cutting through his thin, gray blazer right down to his artificial skin. "You seem very tired."

"I'm okay." Hank insisted as he and Connor walked to the car parked inside the garage beside the precinct. As he unlocked the car Hank pulled his door open and happily sat down behind the wheel while Connor joined him as the lone passenger. "The headache will stop soon enough. That aspirin you gave me is already starting to help, so it's no big deal."

"I just hope I was able to help Joel and Gavin effectively enough until they were able to receive proper medical treatment. I've never dealt with such an unusual scenario before."

"You handled everything back there like a real pro, son."

"I think it's safe to say that I'm glad I wasn't programmed to be a medical android. I do not enjoy medicine as much as I do detective work."

"Yeah..." Hank laughed at the comment with a sincere amusement. "Man or machine it takes a special kind of person to work in medicine. I know I couldn't do that every day of my career. It'd be a little too much."

"I just received a message." Connor's L.E.D. flashed from blue to yellow as he received an update on the situation back at the precinct. "The ill officers have been accurately diagnosed and have begun treatment while en route to the hospital. A full recovery is expected for everyone."

"Cool."

"The precinct will be closed down for the next three days due to the unexpectedly short staff as well as the subsequent investigation into the catering staff, the mayor's aid, and of course, the personal nature of the incident."

"Even better."

"Since we have tomorrow off, I can stay with you at the house tonight if you wish, and I can ensure your illness doesn't become more severe."

Hank understood that Connor was trying to discreetly hint that he was worried about the human living alone again. Wintertime always depressed Hank, and the snowstorms always reminded him of the night Cole died. With winter looming around the corner, maybe arriving even sooner than that, the dark spiral of depression was certain to rear its ugly head in Hank's direction soon.

"It doesn't bother me." The compassionate deviant continued on casually as the vehicle neared his apartment. The idea of being back in his warm apartment and able to lay down in his bed with a good book was a comforting thought that seemed to help the deviant relax after the stress event. "And I know Lucas will understand."

"It's okay, I'm good. But, if you're up to it maybe you, me and Lucas can watch the hockey game tomorrow night at the house: Red Wings versus the Blackhawks." The man was pining for a movie night with his sons and knew that the timing for the game was just right. "We need a family night without any drama involved."

"I'd like that." Connor agreed as he watched Hank's slightly pale face curiously while the senior detective rounded the final block leading to Connor's apartment complex. "I'll tell Lucas of our plans and I'm certain that he'll agree to join us tomorrow night if he isn't busy at New Jericho."

"Good." Parking along the street in front of the apartment complex, Hank watched as Connor departed from the vehicle to enter the secured building a few feet away. It was a strange feeling dropping his son off at his own place rather than just going straight home together. "I'll see you and Lucas tomorrow night, son. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Hank." Connor shut the door and walked away with a faint smile to head inside his warmer building. The front walk had been shoveled and Connor was able to walk around without any difficulty. "We'll see you tomorrow night."

As the helpful deviant turned to walk away from the vehicle and trudged through the snow Hank called out to him through the passenger window he lowered with the press of a button beside him.

"Hey, Connor?"

"Yes?" Connor turned back around to look at Hank once again through the window to look the senior detective in the eyes. "What is it?"

"You did real good tonight." There was genuine praise in the words and Hank was beaming with paternal pride. "Be proud of yourself, son. I know I am."

"...Thank you." Hiding his faint blue blush Connor beamed for a moment as pride swarmed him and made him feel warm despite the cold swirling air all around him. "I am proud. It seems that I can still adapt to any and all situations after all."

-next chapter-