Standing side by side Connor and Hank watched as a state of the art emergency water rescue boat was docked along the harbor just a few feet away from them as they stood on the dock overlooking the Detroit River. The modestly sized boat was designed for speed and efficiency when performing an on water pursuit or in the event of an accident in the water. The bright white hull of the boat stood out brilliantly against the dark water and 'Detroit Police' was painted in black on either sides of the hull. Atop the boat's cabin were the red and blue flashing lights and a siren designed to warn other boaters on the water in the event of an emergency.

It wasn't often that the police had to deal with emergencies on the river or in the lakes, but that didn't mean accidents simply didn't happen. As a result it was mandatory that all first responders receive proper training for water based rescues.

"What do you think?" Hank asked as they walked over to the boat and watched as the ship's Captain docked it smoothly. "Pretty impressive, isn't she?"

"I think I prefer pursuits on dry land rather than murky, cold water." Eyeing the police boat warily Connor fought the urge to go for his coin in his right pocket and fidget with it nervously. "I dislike the unpredictability of water in general."

"Good thing the precinct is in the middle of the city instead of the harbor." As Hank climbed onto the boat he motioned for Connor to follow after him. "But regulations are regulations. You need to undergo your mandatory hours of water rescue training."

"Is it really necessary? The odds of my person having to perform-"

"Connor. Don't make me pull rank on you." Turning to look at the deviant who was seemingly frozen in place on the dock Hank waited patiently for Connor to move on his own. "I had to do this stupid training, too. You've been able to put it off for so long only because it's taken just as long to get you fully recognized as a first responder and not some figurehead to make the mayor look good. Do it or I have to bench you, your choice."

With a grimace on his face like a scolded child Connor begrudgingly obeyed the order. "...I understand."

"All right. Get your ass up here."

Timidly Connor joined Hank on the boat and immediately grabbed onto a support rail designed for personnel to utilize in the event of a high speed pursuit. The motion of the water made Connor feel unstable and with it his gyroscope was rapidly attempting to recalibrate in response to his uneasy and unbalanced sensations of the constantly moving water.

Hank did the same as Connor and grabbed onto the support rail while the ship's Captain, Dean, returned the boat from the dock and back out onto the Detroit River. "You okay, kid?"

"Huh?"

"You look like you're going to be sick or something."

"...The water is affecting my balance."

"So androids weren't programmed with 'sea legs'." Noting the deviant's discomfort as the boat began to increase in speed and almost bounce over the choppy waves, Hank made sure he'd remember that Connor wasn't immune to motion sickness. "That's good to know."

"...What are 'sea legs'?"

"It means you need to get used to the water before you're comfortable on it."

"Oh."

"Relax kid, we won't be out here for more than a couple hours."

"What exactly does this training entail?"

"There's an entire section of water rescues in the 'How-to-Be-A-Cop' manual you can download while we're out here. You'll figure it out."

Nodding a little Connor closed his eyes and cybernetically downloaded the required information as Hank had informed him. Within a matter of seconds Connor was able to read and memorize the correct protocol in regards to water safety and rescue as required by his training. Opening his eyes he looked back to Hank at his side and gave him a subtle nod.

"...Done."

"See? Easy."

"Can I return to shore now?"

"No. You still need to undergo at least five hands-on training exercise to go on your record."

"Training? As in I have to go into the water to simulate a rescue?"

"Yeeeeah..." Hank drew out the word as he spoke and gave Connor a slightly amused smirk. "That's how it works. If I didn't know any better I'd say you had a fear of the water."

"It's not so much a fear as it is a discomfort. I had nearly drowned on three separate occasions; I had fallen through the ice of a partially frozen lake, became trapped in the harbor when I rescued you from the truck of a sunken car and I had fallen from the Ambassador Bridge into this very river. It's unsettling." Shaking his head a little Connor looked at the dark and cold river splashing all around the boat as they sailed out to the designated training location in the river. "Does that make any sense?"

"Yeah, it makes total sense. I had the same problem with car accidents for a long time after what happened to Cole."

"How did you get over it?"

"Well, there just comes a point where you realize that you need to push through your discomfort to do what needs to be done and to help the people who need you."

"You just described how my deviancy came to pass."

"Then you know it can already be done." Hank gave the deviant a smug look as he knew he just trapped Connor with his own logic. "Don't ya'?"

"Yes. I know."

"And you can swim, right?"

"Yes. I took lessons after I nearly drowned in a swimming pool during a chase nearly three years prior, despite my near drowning having nothing to do with an error on my part. I was rendered unconscious and fell into the pool when the suspect unexpectedly struck me."

"I remember, kid. I'm the one who dove into the pool and pulled you out."

"I should also remind you that swimming lessons are unnecessary considering androids can theoretically remain underwater for an indefinite period of time."

"Really? How?"

"Our ventilation program is used strictly for temperature control, not because we need to breathe in oxygen as most carbon based lifeforms require. As long as the water is between fifty-eight and seventy-one degrees Fahrenheit androids can remain entirely submerged in water without any complications by simply holding our breath."

"Does that mean androids could have an entire society under the water and we humans would never know about it?"

"Theoretically, yes. But considering the frigid temperature of the water in the Detroit area it's very unlikely. Perhaps in locations with consistently warmer waters androids could in fact have formed their own underwater society."

"Fuck. Gives the ideas of mermaids and sirens a whole new perspective..."

The boat slowed and came to rest at its destination where two other boats with other officers were waiting to begin their training. It seemed like an unorthodox gathering but it was beneficial to every precinct in the city to ensure that their officers were properly trained for any and all emergency situations. Even the fire department had deployed their personal on their own water emergency vehicle for the sake of the training exercise.

"Look, kid." Hank spoke in a low voice to Connor alone before he set about taking command of the training exercise. "You don't have to jump in the water or anything today if you're not comfortable. But you will have to do this soon, and I won't let you talk your way out of it. Got it?"

"Yes, I got it. Thank you."

"Good. Now observe and take notes. Next month you'll go through the hands-on training yourself when the water's a little warmer."

"...Okay. I understand."

The boat rocked a little and Connor's hands tightened on the support rail to keep his balance. There was a loud 'creak' and then a 'whirring' noise as the boat's electronically locked anchor struggled to release from its supports and drop into the water to hold the boat in its current position.

Hank looked to the cabin and gave Dean an odd look. "What the fuck was that about?"

"Sorry, Hank! She's a brand new vessel, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have a few bugs to work out." Stepping out of the cabin the well trained boat Captain handed Hank a diagnostic screen and pointed out the small red flags on the boat's overall functionality. "The anchor release keeps getting jammed, the motion activated searchlight is disabled, the secondary fuel supply gauge is off and the loud speaker is on the fritz."

"The boat has that many damn problems and you got permission to take her out anyway?"

"It's just a training exercise. She'll be docked for any real emergency until after she's repaired."

"Really?" Hank asked as he handed the tablet back to the captain with indifference to his voice. "Is this left over CyberLife tech?"

"Not this time."

"Huh. Could've fooled me."

While Hank returned his focus to the training exercise at hand Connor stared blankly at the churning cold, dark water all around him. The swaying motion of the boat was still causing his gyroscope some problems but it wasn't enough to make him lose his balance or feel entirely nauseated. The sound of Hank's voice explaining commands and confirming the orders with his fellow precinct Captains on the other boats managed to make Connor pay perfect attention to the all important training exercises despite being unable to tear his eyes from the water surrounding him.

"...I wonder if 'sea legs' can be downloaded."

The deviant muttered to himself as he paid full attention to the training exercise taking place around him.

"If not I'll have to download more advanced programming for gyroscopic recalibration."


It took barely two hours for the verbal training to come to an end, as well as a few officers diving into the water to perform their simulated rescue scenarios with dummies in the water during the exercises as instructed. In that time Connor observed with a keen eye of everything that was happening around him and officially decided that he didn't want to dive into the questionable river for any reason, but knew he'd have to do it soon. The other responding officers had all followed protocol perfectly and their performances were graded highly as a result, and Connor wasn't above them in regards to proper training. He'd have to face his discomfort and dive into the water eventually.

The training exercise was now complete and everyone was cleared to return to their respective precincts and fire stations. Fortunately there were no emergencies taking place in the city that would've disrupted the training exercise and cause it to be rescheduled.

"Ready to get back to shore?" Hank asked as he put his hand on Connor's shoulder. "You look a little bored."

"Yes." Nodding a little Connor stood up straight and grabbed onto the support rail in preparation for the ride back to shore. "I'm ready to return."

"All right, let's get out of here." Hank motioned for Dean to move out and the Captain acknowledged the command. "You'll be safe and sound on steady land soon enough."

Visibly Connor flinched a little at the sound of the heavy anchor 'whirring' again as it slowly, inefficiently retracted on its chain to return to its locking support. Running a scan over the anchor as its chain poorly wound itself around the automatic winch attached to the main deck of the boat, Connor knew the mechanism was in desperate need of repairs.

"Connor?" Hank stood at the side of the boat to block Connor's view of the water as he noted the stern glance in the deviant's eyes. "Something wrong?"

"The anchor is unstable and requires prompt recalibration."

"Yeah, we know. The boat will-"

A loud 'groan' of snapping metal followed by gruff jerking motion caused the two detectives to fall forward on to the boat's deck as the anchor's winch failed entirely. The plastic and fiberglass edge of the port side of the hull was torn away as the winch was pulled from its supports by the catastrophic failure of the safety restraints. While the heavy weight plummeted into the depths of the river the violent motion caused the chain to snap through the winch and snake itself around Hank's right ankle pulling him over the torn open edge of the hull and into the dark river along with it.

"Fuck!"

Unable to stop himself from slipping over the edge of the boat Hank instinctively took in a deep breath and found himself at the mercy of the cold river water suddenly blinding him and surrounding him from all sides.

As the boat came to an abrupt halt on the river Connor turned his head toward the source of the disruption and his eyes went wide at the fresh stain of human blood on the edge of the torn hull and of Hank's sudden disappearance. It didn't take long to figure out what had happened and why Hank had disappeared.

"Hank!?"

Scrambling up to his feet Connor peered over the edge of the ruined hull and scanned the chain of the anchor. Trailing the chain back almost thirty feet behind the boat and twenty-two feet down toward the riverbed, Connor reacted quickly and threw off his gray blazer and his black tie onto the deck beneath his feet as he shouted back to Dean to make the call.

"Possible ten thirty-three in progress! Call for back-up!"

As Dean sent out the distress call for assistance Connor took in a deep breath of his own and dove into the very cold water that he despised in an effort to save his best friend and father's life.

Connor's enhanced android vision allowed him to see perfectly in the depths of the cold murky water as he swam toward the anchor, using the metal chain as a physical guide to mark his progress. Rapidly he maneuvered deeper and deeper into the river in search of Hank and honed in on Hank's vital signs in the cloudy depths.

It didn't take the keen eyed deviant long to locate Hank who was unconscious in the water and approximately twelve feet down. There was a large cut on Hank's forehead just above his left brow and the anchor's chain managed to ensnare itself around Hank's right leg just above the ankle. Seeing as the anchor had already malfunctioned and was keeping the boat from returning to the dock Connor grabbed onto the chain just below Hank's leg and began applying a twisting pressure until the thick metal link snapped in between his hands and unwound from around Hank's leg.

Wrapping both arms around Hank's chest Connor kicked his way back to the surface of the river as quickly as possible with the unconscious and drowning man firmly in his grip. As the deviant broke through the surface of the river he let out his breath and pressed his hand to the side of Hank's neck to check his pulse while also swimming back toward the boat with his free arm and strong kicks.

"He's unconscious." Connor shouted to Dean as the boat Captain reached over the end of the boat to grab onto Hank's shoulders and heft him out of the water. Connor pushed Hank's legs up over the edge before pulling himself upward with both hands and over the edge of the boat, and back onto the dock in a graceless tumble. "I couldn't detect a pulse and he isn't breathing."

Dean helped to roll Hank onto his side to drain as much water from the senior detective's mouth while Connor proceeded to check over the drowned man for any sign of life via second pulse check to ensure it wasn't the cold that was affecting Hank's circulation. "Is the anchor free?"

"Yes." Connor confirmed as he rolled Hank onto his back to begin aiding the senior detective. Connor leaned his head down toward Hank's nose and mouth to check for any breathing either through motion or sound as he also eyed Hank's still chest. There was nothing. "Get us back to shore. I'm starting C.P.R. now."

Moving on autopilot Connor pulled the tie from around Hank's neck and tore open the front of Hank's completely drenched navy blue dress shirt. Tilting Hank's head back Connor straightened the senior detective's airway and pinched the human's nose shut before offering two artificial, but still valid, breaths into Hank's watery lungs. Weakly Hank's chest rose and fell, but he didn't respond to the resuscitating technique.

"Please, Hank."

After placing one hand over top of the other and interlacing his fingers together to create a single fist, Connor pressed the heel his combined hands down over the center of Hank's chest to try expel the water from Hank's lungs through compressions. Connor compressed thirty times, keeping perfect rhythm and strength to pump the Hank's stopped heart while also attempting to force the water from Hank's lungs in the process.

The boat sped back to shore quickly, the swift movements causing Connor's soaked hair to blow about in a disheveled mess,and his soaked through white dress shirt to steadily dry against his shoulders and back. The lights were flashing but the siren failed to engage as it should have.

After finishing the first round of compressions Connor checked for a pulse or any sign of breathing from Hank, but there was still nothing. Repeating the process of giving Hank two breaths and a second round of compressions Connor internally pleaded with the senior detective to wake up for him. As his hands compressed down on the twenty-first compression a sickening gurgling noise erupted from Hank's mouth as a white, foamy gush escaped his lips.

"Hank!"

Connor quickly rolled the senior detective onto his side and watched as the dirty river water poured out of his mouth and was quickly accompanied by a small amount of vomit. Firmly Connor patted Hank's back twice between his shoulder blades to ensure he coughed up every possible choking, smothering substance from his mouth so he could breathe properly.

"I got you... It's okay now."

Keeping his fingertips pressed to the side of Hank's neck Connor monitored his returned pulse and waited for the expulsion of water and vomit to stop. Repositioning Hank's legs, arms and his neck Connor placed the nearly drowned human in the recovery position and kept a close on Hank's now resumed shaking breathing.

"So much for training..." Connor muttered to himself as the boat returned to dock and was promptly swarmed by paramedics who were awaiting their arrival. "This turned into a real emergency."

It was a blur as the paramedics climbed onto the boat and began to assess Hank's condition and placed an oxygen mask over his face to assist his breathing. Standing up and taking a step back Connor just watched the team of medics scoop Hank up and placed him on a gurney to be wheeled to the ambulance parked just a few feet from the dock.

Retrieving his discarded blazer, tie and Hank's tie, Connor calmly followed after the paramedics and sat in the front of the cab with the driver as the ambulance raced off to the hospital.

"I greatly dislike water rescues."

The deviant told himself as he biometrically scanned Hank's vital signs as he was loaded into the back of the ambulance.

"But I dislike having to perform land rescues as well."


The consistent and calm 'beeping' of the cardiac monitor filled the isolated recovery room as the device recorded Hank's vital signs. Sitting vigil by Hank's hospital bedside Connor was now wearing a pair of dry, dark blue scrubs in favor of his soaked uniform, and his messy hair had been styled back into place. The new clothes were given to him courtesy of the kind nurses who were always happy to help a first responder in need. Fidgeting with his coin at long last in his hand, Connor just watched Hank's steady breathing; the rise and fall of his chest, as the human remained unconscious in the warm, safe hospital bed with an oxygen mask in place over his nose and mouth.

A large white bandage had been placed over Hank's freshly stitched cut over his brow and the oxygen mask over his face continued to deliver a steady supply of clean oxygen to his wet lungs. With an oxometer clip secured to Hank's left index fingertip and the cardiac monitor keeping tabs on his respiratory rate, Hank looked completely exhausted and much weaker than he actually was.

After two hours of resting Hank let out a low mumble in his sleep and Connor leaned toward the bed. Lightly the deviant put his hand on Hank's arm to let him know that he wasn't alone. "Hank?"

There was a brief pause before Hank's voice replied from beneath the plastic oxygen mask. "...Connor?"

"Yes, I'm right here."

Hank's blue eyes slowly opened and he glanced over at the deviant sitting beside him. Everything was a blur and his head was aching profusely. "...What the fuck happened?"

"You were rendered unconscious by a catastrophic failure of the boat's engineering. You were pulled into the water and I had to pull you back out."

The information was as overwhelming as it was confusing. "I... I what?"

"The boat's anchor chain wrapped around your right ankle and pulled you into the river. You suffered a deep bruise and mild laceration to your shin just above your ankle, you struck your left orbit against the side of the hull as you were pulled overboard. Also, my resulting compressions fractured four of your ribs."

Putting his right hand over his chest Hank winced a little and sighed as he felt the ache in his chest gnawing at his every nerve ending. "...You went into the water after me?"

"Of course. You were drowning and required resuscitation."

"Connor, you jumped into the river to save me." Sitting up slightly on the bed, his ribs sore from the compressions and lined with hairline fractures that would heal in a few weeks alongside his ankle making him wince, Hank pulled the mask from his face and gave the deviant a coy stare. "You hate the water."

"No, I hate accidents regarding the water. But I wasn't going to let you drown because of my own personal discomfort."

"I know that."

"Then why are you trying to address the situation as if it were an unexpected deed on my part?"

"Because I'm proud of you." Hank replied with an impressive casualty to his voice. "You faced a fear and you saved my life in the process."

"You would've done the same for me."

"Son," running his right hand down his tired face Hank let out a weary sigh before trying to explain exactly why Connor's act was deserving of attention. Sometimes it was like Hank was talking in circles with the way Connor failed to see his own actions as something worth commemorating. "even the most courageous of people still have a hard time overcoming their fears when someone they care about is in danger. The fact that you did so and did it without even realizing it is truly amazing."

"But I don't-"

"Please stop trying dismiss your actions as anything less than heroic, okay? My head's killing me." Holding up his right hand in 'shushing' motion in front of the deviant Hank tagged on another request. "And don't say you're sorry."

Silencing himself Connor respected the request. "I won't." Pocketing his coin to ensure he didn't annoy Hank with the nervous tic Connor ran a scan over Hank's vitals and noted his elevated blood pressure that was indicative of pain. "Would you like me to ask a nurse to bring your something for your headache?"

"It'll be fine in a minute. Don't bother any of the nurses."

"You'll be sidelined for two days to recover. Captain Keller will be substituting for you in the meantime."

"Keller, huh?" Hank recognized the name and had no reason to protest. "As far as assholes go, he isn't too bad."

"I'll keep that in mind." Folding his hands together neatly over his lap Connor squared his jaw and asked Hank an appropriate question. "Do I still have to perform the rescue training course next month?"

"...Yes, Connor." Almost annoyed by the question Hank confirmed Connor needed to take the training course, too. "You still have to take the course and have it marked as complete in your file."

"But I saved your life and we've undergone water emergency rescues before. Why should I do the courses in general?"

"Nice try, kid. It's mandatory for everyone, no excuses."

-next chapter-