SENTIENT

Attrition

When Connor offered to drive the way to the hospital, AJ refused. Truthfully, she was impressed by how smooth he clutched between the gears and he also heel-toed downshift perfectly each time.

Except this time, AJ wanted Connor strapped to his seat when she asks him, "You want to tell me what happened in there?"

Connor sat still. Calculating what he's about to say next.

She kept driving, "You scared me in there. I mean, you were shaking and I thought– How did that happen?"

"When I probed his memory, the deviant was resisting. That's all that happened," he explained.

His explanation wasn't enough. What he didn't understand was how virtually identical he was made to look like a human being and sometimes human will feel pain even if it's not theirs. They have to tune it out to be able to function from time to time, whether it's crying it out or consumption of nicotine for each hour of the day.

"Honestly, don't– I mean, you were obviously hurt. You could've stopped."

"I don't think you understand, detective," he said. "Any physical damage could weaken my system to a slight degree but I don't feel–"

"You obviously felt something. Look, just don't do things that damage your system, is all I'm trying to say."

She has conditioned her mind to look past the violence in the crime scene photographs, so she's not squeamish, but suddenly when it comes to her partner getting hurt – that's outside of her comfort zone.

It took him awhile to figure out how to process that command. Without putting his condition on the line, he may not be able to do his job well.

He asked, "I've seen you eat your lunch while you looked through crime scene photographs of the Blueblood Ripper victims. You smoke a pack of cigarette each week. Your alcohol consumption is–"

"What are you trying to say?" She interrupted.

Connor watched her eyes rapidly studying each lane. She's looking for her opening to pass each car while avoiding collision. This time, she merged hastily into the highway lane.

"We all have our self-destructive tendencies, detective," he said. "But we can't do this job if we let it get to us."

She scoffed. 'This job' she thought.

A job she thought would make everyone proud of her. She thought, that was how she will be happy, by seeing the people she loved smile.

If only that was the case, because when she hugged her mother for the last time before leaving Detroit, there were only tears in her eyes. Now, she's trying to not let it get to her like Connor said.

The news about little Denis's improvement has spread like whitebait in warm waters. Journalists are quick to feed off engagement through headlines like 'Child Witnessed Father's Homicide Just Recovered at Local Hospital' or 'Local Boy Witness to Father's Murder Ready to Testify'.

AJ deleted the news feed off her tablet page. She said, "This is a desperate load of crap."

Inside the Pediatrics Unit, Renee impatiently stood by for their arrival. She was still clutching onto her cardigan tightly. She peeked into the glass opening of the door repeatedly to check on her son.

"Renee, what's going on?" AJ asked once she found her pacing back and forth.

"I called you the first thing after it happened," said Renee. She walked the two of them inside the unit.

Denis was lying under his blanket, still weak, but awake. Renee caressed the boy's blonde hair saying, "Sweetheart, go ahead and tell the detectives what you said to me. Go on."

AJ and Connor stood at the end of Denis's bed, waiting for the words to come out. It was somehow the equivalent of missing your child's first steps, when you missed your main witness's first testimony.

Connor kneeled by the side of Denis's bed and he spoke softly, "Hi, Denis. I'm so glad that your mom called us. She said you're doing so much better."

Denis didn't reply. The boy was still staring ahead emptily.

He continued speaking calmly to Denis while assessing his reaction at the same time, "I promise that the bad guy who did this cannot hurt you anymore."

Denis looked up at his eyes and he knew instantly he was progressing.

He continued, "Denis, I need you to be brave again – like that night."

"I was scared," said the little boy.

"I know you are, but I'm here with you," Connor gently held his small little hands. "Can you close your eyes for me, Denis?"

The boy does as his android friend told. His tiny fingers wrapped tightly around Connor's larger fingers.

He told Denis this time, "Slowly, alright? Let's go back to that night. Daddy put you to bed. He let you sleep in the big bed, didn't he?"

Denis nodded. His little grip began to loosen and relax at the last memories of his father. Alive and well.

"And then what happened next, Denis?" Connor guided the boy.

"Talking," said the boy. "Yelling."

He didn't say much more, but it was clear that the boy was awakened from his sleep shortly after the altercation between the assailant and the victim.

The boy said again, "I'm scared."

"I'm right here, Denis. You're doing so well. What do you do when you're scared, Denis?" Connor felt the boy's tightened his grip again. The stress began to visibly show on his little face.

He asked, "Who was yelling, Denis?"

Denis envisioned himself quietly sneaking out of the bed and crawling into the closet. He remembered the next thing that happened, "Man." He spoke.

"Who is the man?"

"Small man."

"What did the small man do next?"

"Big man coming," Denis cried. "Big man hit daddy."

The last thing he saw played repeatedly in his mind. It was hard to see but the boy remembered everything. At the time, he wanted to scream but he was paralyzed. Now, that he's experiencing this for the second time, he finally screamed.

When the boy opened his eyes, Connor was the first thing he sees. The boy reached out his arms. He cooed, "Daddy!"

Somehow Connor knew the right thing to do was to take the boy in his arms. Let him feel the hug that his father would've given him if he could. Renee couldn't hold back her tears at the sight of this, but AJ was there to comfort her once again.

A child's innocence was ruined. As much as AJ wanted to not let it get to her, sweet little Denis will never be the same again.

She excused herself outside of the hospital. She needed that cigarette break now. Five minutes later, Connor followed her to the Chevy.

"So, there was verbal confrontation that escalated, indicating the suspect definitely knew the victim personally," he started.

"I can't even look in that boy's eye," she confessed. It was implied that while she can't, Connor could and he did – but it had nothing to do with the case, so Connor decided to not answer.

She blew smoke out of the window crack and looked into her blue-eyed partner, "You're telling me you look at that boy and you don't feel anything?"

There was a pause, like a loading screen inside Connor's system, and then, he broke eye contact. "I'm just trying to solve this case, detective," he returned.

"You will," she nodded, wondering if his perfect steel and polymer casing will ever break. She asked, "Where to now, detective?"

Connor's LED flickered blue and yellow. He received a response to their APB. Police officers are on foot now, chasing after Michael Simonelli, who had just been spotted trying to leave the city via bus.

By the time AJ and Connor arrived back at the station, Simonelli was already apprehended and taken into custody under reasonable suspicion of a personal vendetta against his step-father that led to the murder.