Dickory

Little Chick

Gavin stumbled his way through the doors of the precinct, shivering and hugging himself tightly. It was a little below freezing outside and he'd left his jacket snuggly wrapped around Sandy's small shoulders. Walking back from the scene in only his long-sleeved top wasn't one of his better ideas. He was stiff and achy, teeth chattering loudly as he approached the front desk. The secretarial android looked positively alarmed as she took in his pale skin and weakened form. She couldn't scan the way the RK series did, but she knew that humans shouldn't be out in such cold conditions without the proper attire for extended periods. Her chestnut curls bounced and her LED span yellow as she hurried around to meet him.

"Detective Reed! Your body temperature!" she exclaimed in concern as she gripped his arm and guided him away from the sliding doors. Gavin would have spoken if his teeth hadn't been chattering so badly. Moments later, Gavin noticed a new presence at his shoulder, unsure if he felt better or worse as he recognised Connor. What the phck? I thought I left them at the scene...He was in a daze as Connor politely thanked the secretary, Stacey, for her help. He could see it now on her little metal nametag. Of course it was Stacey. He should have realised it sooner.

"Gavin, come with me. You're freezing!" Connor murmured in a chiding tone as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders and tugged him towards the infirmary. Gavin allowed himself to be led, still shivering as they went. Once inside, Connor grabbed a couple of blankets and wrapped him up in them, sitting him on the edge of his usual bed. "Why did you walk back by yourself? I noticed Nines had returned, so I assumed you were resting somewhere," he fussed as he tucked a third blanket over Gavin's head like a shawl. Gavin would have laughed at how ridiculous he must look if not for how miserable he felt. The mention of Nines made his chest ache. At least he knew his partner had made it back. It sort of hurt that Connor was the one who'd come out to help him though. Nines really has washed his hands of me...

"Nines is...How is Nines?" Gavin asked through chattering teeth, hesitant about raising anything with Connor. Connor tilted his head at the question. Something in his expression almost looked suspicious. "He didn't look too good when he left," Gavin added evasively, recalling the solid red of his LED and the stiffness of his larger body. He wished he'd done something now to soothe him. He wished he'd reached out and stopped Nines from walking off. Phck, I wish I hadn't pushed him back in the first place...If he closed his eyes, he could still feel it. The softness of Nines' lips. The desperation of their kiss. The firm grasp of his hands.

"He's resting...This incident had an adverse effect on his programming. Nines wasn't built to withstand things like emotional distress." There was something sad in his soft hazel eyes. He felt like he was saying something negative about his brother, even if it was true. So many people, human and android alike, would see Nines' inability to deviate as some sort of malfunction, making him somehow lesser. Nines was as individual as anyone else. He just lacked the ability to feel and process emotions as he should. Connor wasn't sure whether deviancy would bring him clarity, but he was certainly struggling without it.

"Phck, I'm sorry," Gavin sighed guiltily, looking up as a gentle hand rested on his covered knee.

"What you did was very brave, Gavin...We may not have succeeded had you not done what you did. Nines will likely understand once he's had time to process properly. When you spoke, he was still overwhelmed by the stress of the situation." Connor's reassurance gave Gavin a little hope. They'd both been feeling pretty raw when they'd spoken earlier. Maybe we both said things we regret...He wasn't willing to let himself dwell on it. He didn't want to talk himself into thinking everything was going to be alright and then find out later that it wasn't. "You shouldn't have walked back. You didn't even have a coat!" Connor chided, unsatisfied as Gavin continued to shiver.