Pulling a late night shift for the sake of making up their lack of hours over the past couple of weeks, even months, Connor and Hank found themselves sitting at their desks bored to the brink of insanity after they finished their impressive stack of paperwork three hours prior. They were now caught in the bittersweetly appreciated quiet night of the city with nothing to do and very few people to talk to. Without any cases to work on or any additional reports that needed to be filed, the two detectives were forced to find something else to preoccupy their attention until their extended shift mercifully came to an end in another two hours, fifty-six minutes and nineteen seconds.
Not that they were counting...
Hank leaned back in his chair and folded his hands neatly over his chest as he tried to keep himself from falling asleep out of pure boredom. It was a surprisingly difficult challenge to undertake considering the man's illustrious career.
"Too bad we don't have a deck of cards or something, huh?" Glancing at the deviant sitting across from him, Hank's eyes narrowed as he watched the quarter skip over Connor's knuckles for the umpteenth time. "And stop with the coin, please."
"Yes." Connor agreed as he stopped dancing the coin and slipped it back into his pocket as requested. Sitting upright in his chair with perfect posture Connor kept his hands neatly folded atop his lap. "It's unfortunate that neither of us have anything to preoccupy our unexpectedly open time for the duration of our shift."
"Wanna' play twenty questions?"
"That's the game where one of us needs to guess the name of the person through said limited amount of questions, correct?"
"Yup. That's the one."
"With my cybernetic uplink to numerous files and my eidetic memory I believe I'd have an unfair advantage over you."
"Yeah." Hank laughed a little at the deviant's truthful nature. "At least you're honest about it."
"Have you reconsidered the color for the Corvette?" Connor asked hopefully as he changed the subject to something more interesting. "We could narrow down the choices tonight and begin painting tomorrow."
"I know you like that emerald green color, but I can assure you it won't turn out as nice as think it will once it's actually on the car."
"But you're certain that cherrybomb red will look appropriate?"
"Green is a weird color to work with, trust me. Go with red."
"I'm not fond of red." Feeling a tad awkward Connor's fingertips brushed against his blank L.E.D. absentmindedly. "It's a color indicative of errors, pain, and organic blood."
"Well, that sky blue you mentioned once before wasn't a terrible alternative."
"Green is still my preference."
"Nope." Hank held up a shushing hand before Connor had the chance to refute and change his mind. "We'll discuss it later. I don't want to argue about something as stupid as a color."
"Very well." Nodding in agreement Connor noted the lack of activity in the bullpen compared to the number of hours they had left on their mandatory overtime and sighed in an impressively human manner. "Perhaps we could get permission to leave early?"
"Nah, we need to make up the hours eventually. Might as well just deal with it." Hank looked over at the massive analog clock on the far wall ticking at a sluggish pace as if time itself decided to slow down just to mock the two detectives. "I hate to bring up a sad subject," the man lowered his voice despite the only other occupants of the bullpen being a half dozen indifferent rookie officers, all for the sake of discretion. "but North only has five weeks left, right?"
As he nodded slowly Connor's shoulders slumped and is face became blank. "...Correct. That is the approximate time frame as of the moment."
"And there's nothing that can be done to save her?"
"We haven't found any solutions yet. It seems like her shutdown is imminent and irreversible. We will keep looking for possible means of enhancing her software or eradicating the destructive update from her processor for as long as we can." Connor was entirely composed on an emotional level as he spoke and told Hank of their current plans. "Abby is working to find a way to patch her software without it affecting her memories or limiting her processor, but the patch in question is one that would have to override the original programming created by CyberLife. It'll be difficult to override, but it is wtill possible. We just need to be patient and hope the patch is completed in time."
"She's lucky to have friends like Markus, you and the other deviants at New Jericho." Hank was genuinely proud of the way Connor was dealing with the bleak situation with actual confidence in his demeanor. "It's a good thing you're always so calm in these situations, kid. Some people-"
An emergency alarm began to blare loudly throughout the building as a red emergency light began to flash and illuminate the bullpen with an eerie crimson hue indicating the dangerous yet unknown situation. Connor cybernetically tapped into the emergency system to identify the problem while Hank rose from his desk and exercised his rank to take charge and ordered the officers to follow the proper evacuation protocol.
"What's going on, kid?"
"There is a radiation leak being detected from within the second floor dispensary."
"Radiation leak?" That was a disaster that Hank hadn't ever anticipated. "What the fuck?"
"There are numerous pieces of equipment required for proper android maintenance in the dispensary." As he explained the source of the radiation Connor remained calm and scanned the entire building to ensure a proper evacuation. "Some of which can produce ionizing radiation and can be extremely hazardous to organic life."
"What about androids?"
"Only in massive, prolonged and concentrated doses. I can safely go to the dispensary and check on the situation without being harmed in the process as long as I don't remain in the area for any longer than fifteen minutes."
"Go. I'll take care of the evacuation and get a clean-up crew out here to take care of this mess before it gets any worse." Hank pointed to the corridor on the opposite side of the bullpen as he noted the other officers still on the clock exiting the building but he did not see a certain technician amongst the crowd. "I think Joel was working overtime, too. Make sure he got out safely."
"Right, I'm on it."
"Get back here in TEN minutes - no less!" To emphasize his point Hank held up both hands with all ten fingers on display. "I don't care about the fifteen-minute window, we're not taking any chances. Got it?"
"Understood!"
Connor hastily made his way down the corridor, stepping aside to allow other occupants of the building to evacuate to safety, as he made his way to the elevator and pressed the 'call' button on the electronic control panel. Stepping into the entirely vacant elevator car Connor quickly ascended to the correct second floor and stepped back out into the corridor as soon as the doors slid open.
"Joel?"
Loudly Connor called out to the lone technician as he ran a cybernetic scan that was only slightly muffled by the radiation. Detecting a single person still on the floor, the person in question in the dispensary itself, Connor hastened his pace as he approached the room with an unbreakable focus in his soulful brown eyes.
"Joel? Please answer me if you are able."
Entering the dispensary Connor isolated the source of the radiation leak originating from a ruptured containment line in the radiographic modem that connects to the internal viewing screen. It was the screen that allows technicians to view the internal biocomponents and Thirium lines of androids with a non-invasive method. While the radiation levels are usually safe enough for androids and humans alike to withstand without any ill effects, the ruptured line had allowed a dangerous level of the radiation to collect and concentrate inside the room.
The rupture had also caused a massive hole in the wall from where the containment line had been stored after intense heat and pressure had built up. As the wall exploded a portion of the metal line shot across the room like birdshot sending metallic shrapnel in all directions. Anyone caught in the midst of the explosion would have been easily injured, if not killed. by the barrage of metal.
"Joel?"
Connor called out again and finally located the lone technician unconscious on the floor several yards away from where the rupture had taken place. Kneeling down beside Joel sprawled out in the middle of the floor on his back, Connor ran a foggy biometric scan and noted Joel's relatively stable vitals as well as a significant bleeding laceration to the right side of his skull courtesy of the sharp shrapnel. Pressing his fingertips to the side of Joel's neck Connor counted the technician's pulse and checked the radiation levels of the room before making a move and determined it was safe to move him.
"I'll get you out of here."
Knowing that Joel hadn't sustained any injury to his neck or his spine, Connor bent down and pulled the unconscious technician up and over his shoulders in a fireman's carry to carry Joel to safety. Stepping back into the corridor and then into the elevator Connor sent a cybernetic update to the precinct to confirm the cause of the emergency and to request paramedics to take precautionary measures against radiation before arriving to the scene to tend to Joel.
Hank himself was standing next to the elevator waiting for Connor's return to the ground floor. As soon as the doors opened and he saw Joel slung over the deviant's shoulders, Hank put his fingertips to the side of the technician's neck for a pulse check of his own.
"Joel's alive." Connor confirmed as he stepped out of the elevator. "He is also undoubtedly concussed."
"Shit." Dropping his fingertips from Joel's neck Hank took a step back and motioned for the deviant to cross the bullpen toward the precinct's front doors to get outside of the damaged building. "What happened to him?"
"The containment line for the-"
"Simplify it for me, please." Hank urged quickly as he escorted Connor to the front of the precinct but didn't let him step outside the doors with Joel until the ambulance arrived to take care of the downed technician. "What happened up there?"
"It appears Joel was struck by debris after a protective line in the wall was compromised and exploded outward. The radiation leak is the result of the explosion."
"Ah, shit." The information made Hank pale. "How much radiation did Joel absorb?"
"My scans indicate a level of one-hundred and six Roentgens, otherwise known as Rads. It's enough to cause radiation sickness but it won't be enough to cause lethal exposure once he receives proper medical treatment."
"What about you?"
"I absorbed only forty-two Rads."
"And, uh, what about me?"
"Only six Rads from your close proximity and brief physical contact with Joel." Connor's brow furrowed a little as he studied Hank's reaction closely. "Are you feeling well?"
"Yeah, I feel fine. I'm just being careful, that's all."
Ambulance sirens filled the air as the emergency vehicle came to stop outside the front of the precinct and prepared to tend to the irradiated technician. Stepping outside with Joel still unconscious over his shoulders, Connor met the paramedics at the back of the ambulance - the interior of which had been covered in a thin lead fabric to absorb any possible radiation and prevent it from spreading during transport - and helped his friend to lay down on the gurney.
As Connor lowered Joel down onto the gurney he tried to step back but a hand kept him from moving away.
"You need to come with us, too." The paramedic, Johnny, both he and his partner were also wearing protective gear to prevent radiation sickness, instructed Connor in a firm tone. As a part-time E.F.T. it was clear that Johnny recognized Connor and knew he'd need treatment as well. "You need to be examined."
"I'm an android. I will get not get sick from radiation."
"You could still possibly spread it. You need to come with us."
"He's right." Hank agreed from outside the ambulance. "Go with them, I'll meet you at the hospital after everything gets taken care of here."
"...Very well." Feeling outnumbered Connor relented and took a seat in the back of the ambulance next to the paramedic who had stopped him from initially leaving the scene. "I'll stay with Joel and let you know if anything changes in his condition."
"Yeah, I'll see you in a few hours. I'll see if I can find an emergency contact for Joel too."
The ambulance doors slammed shut and locked as the emergency vehicle took off for the hospital with the unconscious technician and patient deviant in tow along with the two paramedics.
Connor watched with a quiet fascination as the two paramedics pushed aside Joel's white lab coat and then cut open Joel's black t-shirt to attach wireless cardiac leads to his now exposed chest. Fortunately, Joel's vital signs were all stable, his heart rate beeping rhythmically on the cardiac monitor's display at his side, and his blood pressure was holding steady.
It seemed so surreal to have the technician who had helped to save his life so many times in the past now a sick and defenseless patient being tended to by emergency medical personnel for a situation that was far more severe than food poisoning. Connor had only ridden in the back of the human ambulance once before after Hank had been shot, and even then, he was too distracted by his own injuries to appreciate the delicate measures required to keep humans alive.
"His vitals are stable." Johnny announced as he finished his initial assessment on Joel's condition and used his stethoscope on Joel's chest to confirm what the monitor was showing. Using a penlight Johnny lifted up Joel's eyelids one at a time to check his pupils and noted the unusual but not critical reaction to the light. "Probable concussion. Let's get him in a C-collar to keep his neck and head stable."
Closing his eyes Connor sent cybernetic updates to Hank back at the precinct and silently awaited to arrive at the hospital where his friend would be taken care of properly. What had been a quiet night quickly turned to chaos in a matter of seconds, making Connor pine for the dull monotony of nothingness he and Hank had been complaining about just a few minutes ago before the emergency alarm unexpectedly went off.
Fortunately for everyone involved with the radiation leak, the doctor who was overseeing Joel's care was Dr. Wilson and was already on very good terms with both Connor and Hank. Treating Connor like he would any other patient rather than an android who could be easily dismissed, Connor was shown to a decontamination shower and given sterilized pale blue scrubs to replace his contaminated uniform before he was placed in an isolation room strictly as a precaution. Resuming the graceful dance of the quarter over his knuckles as a distraction tactic, Connor quietly kept to himself in the room and continued to cybernetically monitor the situation at the precinct.
After waiting three hours to be released from the hospital Dr. Wilson entered the room and gave Connor an update on Joel's condition and his own. The lack of protective gear on Dr. Wilson's person was already a good sign of the technician's condition and prognosis.
"Hello, Connor." Dr. Wilson greeted warmly as entered the room with an electronic clipboard in his hand. "Your friend is pretty sick, but he'll make a full recovery in about a week. He'll need a second week to regain his strength after he recovers from a very mild dose of radiation sickness, and then he'll be able to return to work."
"My reading was correct, and Joel didn't receive a lethal dose of radiation?"
"Yes. He's going to be just fine."
"That's good to know." The coin stopped fidgeting over the deviant's hand for only a second before he slipped the quarter into the pocket of his scrubs out of sight. It was an immediate relief to know that Joel was going to be okay. "How is he fairing at the moment?"
"Well, he's got a pretty nasty headache but that could be from the concussion he sustained earlier. Aside from fatigue, fever, nausea and dizzy spells, he'll be just fine in a day or two after he gets some rest." The attentive doctor confirmed with a confident grin. "Oh, when Hank arrived about an hour ago, I gave him the same decontamination treatment as you and Joel, and he too will be fine."
"Was Hank sick as well?" Connor sounded alarmed and was ready to rush out of the room to find him. "He wasn't exposed to the radiation directly as Joel and I had been."
"He does have a mild fever, but I suspect that to be from an underlying lesser illness, like a cold or sinus infection, and not from the radiation. The exam was just a precaution since he only has one kidney." The following explanation immediately helped Connor to calm down. "We'd also like to keep him overnight since he's of advanced age to ensure whatever his mild infection is doesn't become more serious."
"Understandable. Can I see them, please?"
"Of course. Joel's been asking about you, and I think you'll be able to talk Hank into staying overnight a little easier than me, or even the head nurse."
"Doubtful." Connor admitted in a low tone as he followed Dr. Wilson out of the isolation room and down the corridor. "But I will try."
As expected, Joel was resting in a private room with a muted cardiac monitor hooked up to his chest, an oxygen mask over his face, a blood pressure cuff still wrapped around his bicep and numerous I.V.'s running into his arm to keep his fluids up while he recovered from not only the radiation, but from the violent bout of vomiting he had endured shortly after being admitted. Also expectedly, the technician looked miserable where he was laying in the bed as he tried to endure his intense headache and stomachache without complaining. Propped slightly upright Joel pressed his palm over his pale blue colored eyes and sighed with his righteous, ongoing misery.
As Connor entered the room to visit Joel gave the deviant an appreciative grin and lowered his hand from over his eyes. Seeing the deviant was one of the best things Joel could have hoped for after regaining consciousness.
"Hey, Connor. The doctor said you saved my life." Appreciative as ever Joel made sure his gratitude was known. "Thanks."
"You're welcome. I'm glad you're going to be okay." Connor stood beside the bed and looked down at the exhausted technician with waning fear in his own soulful brown eyes. "Do you know what caused the explosion?"
"No. I was preparing to leave for the night when there was a loud sound and then... everything went dark."
"The containment line in the wall ruptured." As a detective, Connor wanted to inform Joel of his findings. As a friend, Connor wanted Joel to be aware of his personal situation to avoid future accidents. "My scan indicated a fault in the manufacturing process of the protective casing."
"Well, I had recently filed for new equipment anyway. Guess I'll get something new sooner than I expected."
"Should I call anyone for you? Your girlfriend, perhaps? I know that Hank said he was going to search for your emergency contact as it is."
"No, the nurse is handling that for me. I don't want Sonya to worry since she needs to stay with the kids, so I think the nurse can keep her from getting too worried about me."
"Kids? I was unaware you have children."
"Their my step-kids, kinda' anyway since me and Sonya are still dating. But I think of her kids as my own and they call me 'dad', so yeah." Extending his hand toward Connor with a slow motion, Joel shook the deviant's responding hand appreciatively. "Take care Connor. I'll see you in a few weeks when I'm on the mend."
"Of course." Connor happily shook Joel's hand with a tight grip. "I'm looking forward to your recovery."
"Excuse me?" A nurse entered the room and cleared her throat impatiently as she stood in the opened doorway. "Detective Anderson, could you please come with me for a moment?"
"Yes, I'll be right with you." Connor let go of Joel's hand lightly as he stepped away from the bed. "I'll see you then, Joel."
Following the nurse out of the room and into another room a few doors down Connor heard Hank's gruff voice complaining and trying to argue to get checked out of the hospital.
"Your partner is showing strong vitals." The nurse joked lightly as she opened the sliding door to Hank's private room. "But... he's not very cooperative."
"I understand entirely."
Connor entered the room as a relieved looking nurse exited without another word to the stubborn senior detective. Hank was sitting up in the bed with a grimace on his face and he was trying to pull the I.V. out of the back of his hand impatiently, despite already being told by the nurse to let the I.V. alone.
"Hank, don't do that." The deviant scolded lightly as he stepped closer to the bed. "You'll tear open a vein."
"There you are!" Hank's fingertips kept fidgeting with the I.V. as he spoke to Connor. "Will you please convince Dr. Wilson to let me go home?"
"You are showing signs of illness. It'd be-"
"Oh, no! I didn't take you to a facility after you came home all busted up and sick, and YOU were in terrible shape!"
"I wasn't indirectly exposed to radiation with only one functional kidney."
"Are you going to keep reminding me about my kidney every chance you get?"
"Only when it proves beneficial to my side of an argument."
"Sometimes I hate it when you're a smartass, kid." Hank couldn't fault Connor for using that particular argument to his advantage. "I really do."
"I'll compromise." Connor looked over at the unoccupied bed at the opposite end of the room and sat down with a casual motion. "I'll stay in the hospital as well."
"Why? You're not sick." Hank finally stopped trying to fuss with the I.V. in the back of his hand and laid back. "Right?"
"Correct, but if I stay in the hospital then I can take you home first thing tomorrow morning and you won't scare away all the nurses."
"More like take me back to the precinct so we can file our report and pick up the car."
"We'll have the next two days off starting tomorrow due to our exposure to the radiation." Again, Connor expertly attempted to change the subject of discussion to keep Hank from trying to fight his way out of the hospital. "We can resume work on the Corvette during our free time, maybe even finally decide on the color."
"Are you trying to distract me?"
"A little. Is it working?"
"I will not confirm or deny the success of your bargaining attempts." Scoffing at the deviant's faultless honesty Hank began to finally relent. "If I stay put for the night, will you agree to let me take you to a facility if you get seriously injured or sick again?"
"I..." Connor didn't want to agree to the terms, but he had little choice in the matter and knew he couldn't win. "What if I agree to paint the car cherrybomb red instead of emerald green?"
"No dice." Finally holding a winning tactic Hank wasn't going to let it slide. "Facility or no deal."
"...Very well. I will agree to go to a facility in the event I require emergency technical attention."
"Good." Finally Hank felt a sense of victory as Connor finally agreed to the deal, knowing that in the end it'd really come to down how stubborn Connor would be in the event of an emergency. "So, how's Joel doing?"
"He is sick, but he is conscious and very grateful." Connor confirmed as he watched Hank lay back in the bed and stop being so combative. The nurse backed away from the room with relief knowing that Hank would stop being so combative. "The radiation didn't have the proper time to reach lethal levels and cause permanent damage. However, the dispensary will need to be properly decontaminated and repaired. The repairs should be completed by the time Joel is cleared from isolation and has made a full recovery."
"And how long do we have to remain isolated?"
"Voluntarily for only a few hours, but an overnight stay will ensure we're both fully cleared to return home without a risk of any complications or an accidental contamination of the house."
"Great, I'd hate to accidentally contaminate Sumo or the Corvette after all the work we put into it. I can't imagine the fuzzball losing all his fur because of us."
"It could be completely finished within the next two days." The deviant replied with honest enthusiasm for their ongoing project. "You know, once we finally agree on the final color."
"It will NOT be green, kid." Despite everything that had happened Hank was still adamantly against that particular color. "I still like red the best."
"We'll decide the final color tomorrow." Unwilling to admit defeat so easily Connor shook his head a little as he laid back against the second bed and initiated rest mode for the remainder of the night and pondered the car's potential future aesthetic. "Goodnight, Hank."
"Yeah, yeah..." Stubbornly Hank laid back against his own pillow heavily and closed his tired eyes as well to get some decent sleep. "Goodnight, son."
-next chapter-
