Accident Prone - Becoming Human

Infection

It had been a stressful past twenty-four hours on both a physical and emotional level for the two detectives. Connor was sitting at the kitchen table in the early morning hours with the android exclusive first aid kit wide open next to him just as his system indicating his Thirium level had depleted to eighty-four percent as a warning popped up in his visual sensors. The bullet wound he had suffered to his right forearm the afternoon before was still painful to the touch, still healing and, worryingly enough, still bleeding. If the bleeding didn't stop on its own then Connor would need to see a technician to have the damage repaired by a professional to ensure he suffered no permanent impairment to his arm.

With his gray CyberLife blazer and black tie draped over the back of the chair where he sat, and his white shirt sleeve rolled up to his elbow, Connor removed the sling supporting his arm and then removed the old bandages from around his right bicep. Connor grimaced thickly at the sight of the still wet Thirium stains that saturated the protective fabric. Using a clean towel to cushion his arm atop the kitchen table Connor gently wiped away the still leaking Thirium that oozed through the fractures that marred the white plastimetal frame of his plastimetal humerus beneath the damaged artificial skin, then applied additional astringent over the bleeding wound.

A sharp gasp escaped through Connor's gritted teeth as the sterilizing agent made contact with the exposed Thirium lines through the painfully wide fractures of his arm through his wounded bicep. His L.E.D. had been cycling yellow as he tended to his wound, but it flashed to red as he endured the painful sensation that was searing through his entire arm.

"Shit." Dabbing at the wound gently Connor cleaned it up as best as he could before he set about wrapping the damage back up. "...Why am I still bleeding?"

"I wish you wouldn't perform first aid on yourself in the kitchen, Connor." Hank had heard the gasp of pain as he entered the kitchen and watched Connor trying to push through the agonizing ordeal long enough to clean up his injured arm. The red glowing L.E.D. and pained expression on Connor's face gave everything away with a single glance. "Hurts that bad, huh?"

"Yeah..." Connor admitted as he flexed his right hand a few times and watched the components inside his forearm respond through the fractures that outlined his humerus. A few Thirium lines had been repaired beneath his bicep, but others were still leaking. "My self healing program is having difficulty repairing the entirety of the damage and is beginning to cause an ache down my forearm."

Pouring himself a cup of coffee Hank joined Connor at the kitchen table and looked at the blue blood stained limb resting atop the equally stained hand towel beneath it. The consistent but slow seeping of Thirium through the fractures, torn synthetic muscle and artificial skin worried Hank as any bleeding wound; human or android, was prone to an infection.

Leaning over the table to get a better look at the injury Hank shook his head at the appearance of Connor's bicep. "How long has it been like this, kid?"

"Going on two hours, sixteen minutes, forty-four seconds." Keeping track of his discomfort down to the second made the experience feel all the more agonizing. "I must've unknowingly aggravated the injury while I was in rest mode during the night."

Hank took the bloodied towel in his hands and lightly wrapped it around Connor's bicep to stem the bleeding through direct pressure. As he applied light pressure to the affected limb the wounded deviant winced again and his red L.E.D. flashed rapidly in a pained response.

"Maybe you should call off sick today. I don't think Fowler would mind since you've already racked up every possible minute of overtime he's offered to you."

"I'll be okay." Connor promised as he flexed his right hand again. Additional Thirium seeping into the towel quickly and he restrained a sigh. "Besides, if I go to the precinct I'm sure Joel will be able to find a way to stop the Thirium leak."