"Hank...? Hank I'm bleeding ag--g--gain---"
There’s a time when Hank ignored the sound of his namecoming from those lips; dismissed it as probablynothing that interests him and almost definitelywork-related. But that seems like another life away—now, he has a new Connor (at work, anyway ) to ignore. And at home?
He’s told the replacement android that under no circumstances is he to visit Hank’shome. Not for a case, not for an emergency, not even for—okay, maybe if Sumo isin trouble Hank will make an exception, but that’s all.
Because at home, Hank has… well, he has Connor. The Connorhe remembers. The Connor that chose to end his own life over fulfilling hismission. But it didn’t end, did it? Almost—perhaps by now, if not for Hank, hereally would have been gone. Shutdown.
Because androids can’t‘die’, right?
But deviants sure as shit can.
And these days, all Connor ( Coin, as they’ve both adapted to calling him, since every now andthen the replacement will come up inconversation ) can do is avoid death one step at a time. Hank feels guilty on sight of the damaged machine.He wishes he could do more, but hesimply doesn’t have the knowledge. One day, he won’t have to use that as anexcuse, but learning how to perform complex repairs on a machine he’s avoidedmost of his adult life isn’t as easy as reading a book or watching a damnYouTube video.
He’ll get there—he’s gettingthere—but it all takes time. He knows Coin has no other option but to waitpatiently for that day to come ( and small achievements along the way help todull the ache of impatience ) but he wishes it would arrive sooner. For now,they do what they can to keep him at least operational.
That’s why, as soon as Hank hears his name, the book he’sreading is placed down ( the book is new and the stiff binding protests atfirst ) in favor of the lieutenant pushing himself to his feet. He hasn’texactly been working out on a regularbasis, but he’s been taking better care of himself as of late and so hisreactions and movements are just thatmuch quicker; not enough that he’s about to run a marathon, but enough for atleast Hank himself to notice.
“Have a seat—let me see your leg, too.” If the thirium leakwasn’t so pressing, Hank would ignore it in favor of trying to learn how torepair Connor’s leg, but they must have priorities and they both agreed thatrunning out of thirium is much morerisky than not being able to walk properly.
He’s not in a panicked mode, but he’s moving quickly. Even if there’s no immediatedanger, he doesn’t want to risk it; he still doesn’t quite know enough to knowwhere the line is drawn between ‘needing help’ and ‘about to shut down’. Heassumes Coin will tell him if the latter state is a threat, but they’ve alsorecognized that all of his diagnostic systems might not be working optimally.
It could go bad at any moment without either of them havingfair warning.
Hank absently grabs for a glass from the dish drainer whilehis attention focuses on opening a drawer filled with various containers ofblue blood. It’s not neat nor organized, but every mismatched, plasticcontainer—largely, he’ll admit, gained from takeout food—is filled with life. He could care less how it looks.
The thirium is drained into the cup and set on the table infront of Coin before Hank kneels down to get a better look at the shoddy tapejob he’s done on the damaged leg. He grimaces,but he knows it’s better than nothing.
“One day, I’ll get you fixed up properly. I know it’s beenslow going, but I’m getting better.” He won’t relay the horrifying things he’shad to do ( he’s sure Kamski is having a ball with it ) just to gain thateducation. The androids, half-alive and still begging for life, that he’s had to work on. All in the name of repair, of course, and more and morethey somehow come out a little improved from his sessions, but at the startthere were many ( he can still seethem all ) that weren’t so lucky.
Probably for the bestis what Kamski had concluded every time Hank accidentally made a fatal error.He didn’t see it that way. Not when he knew Coin could just as well have beenin the line-up.
He smiles up at the damaged android. It’s all for him. And Hankwill do anything.
“I’ll make sure I do. So you can get better, too.”