Accident Prone - Becoming Human

Bruises and Bruised Egos

Having endured a fire together just the day before the two brave and wounded detectives were put on temporary leave not only to recover from the effects of the fire and from the thick smoke, but because the precinct itself needed to be rebuilt and remodeled from the extensive damage caused by the fire itself. Those who had been caught in the fire were all put on the injured reserved list, while those unaffected where temporarily reassigned to other precincts to ensure the city wasn't suffering from a sudden shortage of police officers. The story of the self destructing deviant burning down the precinct spread like appropriately metaphorical wildfire, and as a result the officers still on call were swamped with paranoid complaints from nervous humans and deviants alike.

Throughout the restless night after being cleared from both the hospital and the facility Connor sat in a chair beside Hank's bed as he pressed a small bag of ice against the Lieutenant's feverish forehead. By all account both detectives were given the clear after enduring numerous tests that showed no further sign of physical distress from the fire, which of course meant Hank suddenly falling ill hadn't been anticipated by the ever attentive deviant.

After discovering Hank was suffering from a serious fever in the late hours of the night, Connor had begun pining for himself and Hank to have been sent to other precincts rather than having to deal with Hank's sudden illness. Regardless of his feelings Connor was determined to help his best friend recover from his debilitating fever.

Hank muttered something indescribable under his breath as he opened his glassy blue eyes and stared blankly at the bedroom ceiling overhead. The cold sensation against his forehead grabbed his attention as he slowly became aware that someone was in the room with him. "...C-Connor?"

"Yes, Lieutenant." Connor confirmed as he ran yet another scan over Hank's ill body. There was an alarming amount of congestion building in the lower lobes of Hank's lungs and his body temperature, as well as his heart rate, were much higher than what was considered healthy for a human. "I'm here with you."

"...Wh-What happened?" Speaking in a hoarse tone Hank swallowed once to clear an uncomfortable sensation from his throat that was lingering courtesy of smoke inhalation. Studying his own ceiling as if he couldn't recognize his surroundings Hank asked another question in a raspy dry voice. "...Why am I in bed?"

"I found you unresponsive and suffering from a high grade fever shortly after ten o'clock last night. I proceeded to treat your elevated temperature with ice and monitor your vitals while you slept."

"H-How long... How long have I been out?" Hank's eyes blinked sluggishly before opening again. "...It feels like I've been asleep for a year."

"From when I found you you've been asleep for six hours, twenty-two minutes and forty-eight seconds." Connor removed the ice from Hank's forehead and pressed his right palm down to check Hank's temperature more directly. "You're still running a fever of one-hundred and three point four degrees. Hank," Connor retracted his hand and put the ice bag back in place over Hank's too warm forehead. "you require hospitalization to treat your infection and prevent potential brain damage."

"N-No fuckin' way..." Hank refused adamantly despite his voice being frail. "I hate hospitals."

"Understandable, but in this case I believe you need to be under a doctor's care."

"I don't need a doctor-" The senior detective stopped short and wheezed as his lungs started to ache from strain. "J-Just let me sleep it off, all right?"

"Sorry Hank, this isn't a simple cold or hangover that can remedy itself in a few hours." Not wanting to risk Hank's health considering the senior detective had been living a life of a poor diet, little exercise and excessive alcohol Connor knew Hank would require medical attention in order to recover properly. "My sensors indicate that you're suffering from lower lobe pneumonia."