Time Heals

There's No Place Like Home

When Hank joined the police force in 2015 he had high ambitions. He wanted to make a name for himself, to be known as a man who got things done. Graduating top of his class only motivated him to push harder. The sleepless nights and unpaid overtime would have crushed most others, but Hank just kept pushing. It all paid off when he was promoted to lieutenant, the youngest in DPD history in fact. He had plans to become captain, and from there chief of police, but then Cole came into his life. The kid was like a 7.7 pound, 20-inch wrecking ball in Hanks career, and on days like this, he couldn't be more grateful for that.

He watched Jeffrey age ten years over the last few days. The FBI and CyberLife were breathing down his neck as the city went from run-of-the-mill, to police state, to civil war in just a few days. Then there was the additional pain of losing all their android employees, essentially putting them at a third of their staff.

Hank was hunched over his desk, trying to focus on the files in front of him. He'd made a deal with the Captain to take on the shitty paperwork no one else had the time or patience to deal with if it meant he could go home as soon as it was done. Of course, Jeffrey tried to give him a lecture about his responsibilities as a lieutenant, but Hank pulled the 'my son is home alone' card. This had only worked on the Captain less than a handful of times, but it had extra weight today seeing as the city was on the brink of collapsing into total chaos.

"Is everything alright, lieutenant?" a familiar voice asked. Hank looked up and saw the only remaining android in the precinct looking at him with concern.

Cyberlife's crowning achievement, The RK-900 in all it's deviant-hunting glory.

"Just peachy, RK, thank you." He returned his eyes to his computer screen, hoping the android's behavioral recognition software would notice his subtle hints telling it to fuck off. Normally, Hank didn't mind talking to the thing. It was typically far more polite and pleasant than many of his co-workers, but right now he just wanted to focus.

"A change in your regular behavioral patterns leads me to believe that something is wrong," it said.

"Change?" Hank eyed the android.

"You normally say good morning to me."

Hank couldn't argue with that. He always acknowledged the RK-900 the same he would any of his human coworkers. He greeted the android receptions in the mornings, and replied "You too" whenever an android clerk told him to have a nice day. Despite the weird looks he'd get from other people, he couldn't help himself. He'd been raised by strict parents, who taught him to be polite. Say please and thank you. Hold eye contact. The works. It wasn't something he could unlearn just because androids weren't human. They looked like people, they talked like people—that was good enough for him.

He also had a theory that being a dick to something that looks and behaves like a person was a slippery slope to becoming an indiscriminate dick.

"Good morning, RK," Hank said. He leant back in his chair, taking in the sight of the android. There was still a part of him that wished he had taken Jeffrey up on his offer to make the thing his partner. He gave his typical excuses. I'm overworked, I'm under-qualified, I can't be taking on any extra night shifts. While that was all true, his real reason was knowing he'd never be able to bring any harm to a deviant, not after one saved the only thing that made his life worth living.

"Good morning, Lieutenant," the android replied with a slight nod of its head. Suddenly, Gavin came bursting through the front doors with his normal hungover disheveled look and signature scowl. ' Speaking of indiscriminate dicks' . " Good morning, Sargent Reed." RK said as Gavin approached them. "How are—"