Accident Prone - Becoming Human

Cold Reception

It took almost a full week for Connor to recover from his street fight with Rampage, the leader of the anti-android gang, but he had healed well and was getting eager to return to the precinct to resume his work. Hank had also recovered from his cold but he wasn't cleared for active duty for one more week due to his mild concussion he suffered after he and Connor had been ambushed at the pier nine days earlier. The two detectives stayed inside the warm house on the cold, winter day while Hank got lost in an old book that he had read almost a hundred times before and Connor sat on the floor running a brush through Sumo's thick fur.

Being able to do something simple, quiet and peaceful was a welcome change in comparison to all the carnage and mayhem that the two detectives often had to handle while on the clock. Even just sitting around while enjoying one another's company was a warm and welcome change.

"I don't recall Sumo being so lazy throughout the day." Connor noted as he brushed a massive clump of tangled fur from the dog's side. The simple motion was enough to pull on Connor's upper chest and make his healing 'broken ribs' ache slightly. "I don't think it's from the cold, either."

"Sumo's old." Hank replied curtly without ever looking away from his book. "And he's just going to keep getting older. Arthritis is tough all year round, but it's a real bitch in the cold weather."

"Sumo was already considered old when I first met him, but he didn't act like this."

"Yup. Like humans, not all animals will show their old age in the same manner or in the same time frame. My guess is his old age is finally catching up to him."

"Is there anything I can do to make him feel better?" Connor asked sincerely as he resumed brushing Sumo's fur and the dog lifted up his head and rested it atop the deviant's knee with appreciative affection. "Is there any medication I could give him?"

"Trust me, if I knew the secret to feeling better in spite of age I wouldn't be spending a majority of my free time indoors. And getting Sumo take a pill is more difficult than getting you to admit when you're hurt."

Cleaning the loose fur from the brush Connor looked up at Hank and asked the Lieutenant about his current mindset. "Do you miss being active?"

"I miss a lot of things. My wife, my firstborn son, my first car, playing basketball in the spring... But that's the problem with time; everything changes and it's not always for the better and there's nothing we can do about it."

Connor finished grooming Sumo and gathered up the massive clumps of fur from the floor to throw away. Carefully he stood up from the floor without moving Sumo too much as the large dog settled back down on the floor even without Connor's knee as his pillow and to keep his sore chest and abdomen from aching in the process of moving.

While Connor walked into the kitchen to throw the fur in the trash Hank lowered his book just enough to peer at Sumo over the top of the pages and gave him a quiet compliment. "You're a good boy, Sumo."

Sumo's tail thumped along the floor happily as he wagged it in response to Hank's acknowledgement.

Connor returned to the livingroom and sat down on the floor again next to Sumo as the dog resumed resting his chin over Connor's leg.

"Connor, you don't have to sit on the hard floor because of Sumo."

"He doesn't have the energy to jump up onto the couch anymore," the kindhearted deviant defended as he ran his hand down Sumo's back gently. "and I don't want to pick him up if his joints are sore."

"Yeah, well, sore or not he's still going outside to take care of his business. I'm not putting up with a bunch of wet newspapers or training pads all over the house again. He hasn't needed 'puppy-training' in a long time and that's one of the few things I don't miss."