Chocolate brown eyes slowly fluttered opened, a soft groan escaping the boy as sunlight coming in through the window blinded him. He raised a hand to block it out before slowly sitting up, rubbing at his eyes with a small yawn. He had slept for a long time. The house was practically silent, telling him that he had been left alone again with just the pets to keep him company. He wondered if this was how Collin felt. It was probably worse for him. Connor needed to get out of the house. He had been cooped up inside so long that not even the fear of something happening if he went out was going to stop him. Connor called for Duke, hearing the steady tap of claws on hardwood as the fluffy German Shepherd came trotting down the hall after the small android. He pulled on the canine’s harness and clipped a leash to him before moving toward the door.
Duke was already excited, practically dancing as Connor unlocked and opened the door. Once it was open enough, Duke was jerking the boy outside, barely giving him time to lock it behind them. They were eventually walking down the sidewalk together, Duke, though excited, staying close to his owner, protective and somehow knowing that doing something like this made him anxious. And Connor was anxious. He was glancing around, never letting his eyes linger in one place for too long as someone could be standing just out of sight. Connor held tight onto Duke’s leash tight as they walked, his LED spinning yellow as he tried to keep focus on his surroundings. It was getting hard to do though as he suddenly felt exhausted for some reason, like someone was putting him to sleep.
Connor tried to fight off the feeling, groaning slightly as he now rubbed at his eyes with one of his hands, the other now holding onto Duke as the dog tried to figure out what was wrong with the boy. The hand rubbing his eyes slowly moved to press against his temple with a slight hiss. This seemed to cause Duke to spring into action, suddenly turning tail and pulling Connor along by the leash, trying to get them back home. They weren’t far so he could remember how to get back, but suddenly, Connor was letting go of Duke, his LED now flashing read as he collapsed to the ground with a soft whine, eyes closing. Duke must have noticed as he was turning to look at the boy, sniffing at him and nudging him slightly before practically laying on him protectively. The last thing Connor heard was Duke’s angry growls and barks as the soft sound of shoes scuffing on concrete could be heard. Someone was there but Connor was too tired to get up and run, so he fell into an unconscious state, LED still spinning red.
Connor awoke with a gasp, hands instantly flying to his head and body to make sure he was still in one piece. Two eyes, two ears, a nose, a mouth… He went through the mental check list, eventually looking down at his hands only to frown. He had expected them to be smaller, but they looked almost normal. He was then looking around, taking in how the sky was dark. Night had come. The familiar weight of Duke in his lap was comforting as he gently put his hands on the dog’s back. Another look around told him that he was home, sitting on the porch as if he had just fallen asleep there. A quick dive into his mind palace told him that the memories that had been missing were there, but they were still under lock and key now. He would not be able to just access them freely which was a bit frustrating.
Connor carefully pushed Duke from his lap, waking the pooch from his nap as he tried to stand. Duke himself seemed to be having a hard time, looking almost loopy as he stood next to his owner, tail lowered, legs shaking. Connor’s legs shook, his LED spinning yellow as he tried to keep himself upright. Seems he would have to get used to being tall again as he was used to moving around on shorter legs. He didn’t miss it though. Not one bit. He would be able to go back to work, he would be able to leave the house, to go out without fear. Or so he thought as he looked around in the dark. Now that he was no longer fighting with the emotions that came with a child’s body, he was able to control his fear a bit better. Still, being out here made him nervous.
Slowly, the android moved to unlock the door before opening it, still feeling tired as he let Duke shuffle in before him. The shepherd barely made it to the living room before collapsing on the carpet with a huff, eyes closing. Seems Duke is still tired too. Connor closed and locked the door before moving to sit on the couch, not having the energy to make it to his bed as he lay back, head resting on the arm of the couch now. He didn’t know when it had happened, but his eyes slipped closed, letting himself fall into standby. He’d have a chance to figure out who and why this happened. For now, he could be thankful that he was back to normal.
