Even through the process of getting the injured prototype into the hospital and taken care of, your tears ran endlessly down your cheeks. At least by this point the hysterics had settled some, so now you were quietly waiting to see him.
Checking his phone, Hank let out a heavy sigh. "Mm, well, Gavin's got the rest taken care of. Shot Merrill in the backs of his knees, but he did shoot first. I can probably get Fowler to forgive that one." He paused. "The, uh, pavement broke his nose. Definitely not a fist. Definitely wasn't punched." When you didn't even try to smile, he tucked his phone away again. "Anyways, uh... he's on his way. Using my car, obviously." Still no response. "...... something you wanna share with the class, sweetheart?" Hank asked gently.
Opening your mouth, a sob threatened to come out, so it was clamped shut again as you shook your head. Not that it mattered; the lieutenant wasn't stupid. You wouldn't be so devastated about Connor being shot if you only saw him as your trainee.
As soon as the nurse gave the okay you flung yourself out of the chair, following him down a handful of hallways before finally showing where they'd put the RK800. When the two of you entered, you saw the android sitting up, looking perfectly fine; he even gave his crooked smile with a little wave of his hand.
His throat was covered with gauze. Not that the blood loss was a concern, it was that the shell had been removed. The gauze was for the sake of his humans, so his inner workings wouldn't be out in the open and causing discomfort at the sight.
Hank hung back a little to let you snatch the chair nearest, drag it still closer, then sink into it, arms folded on the edge of the bed as you let your head rest on them, watching the android from there. You felt like a leaky faucet, which didn't stop at seeing your Roomba. At the foot of the bed, the other human shoved his hands into his coat pockets, looking the other male over. "So no voice, huh?" Connor shook his head. "How long is that gonna take?"
His phone buzzed with a message, the response to his question: [Two hours at most. The repairs would be easier if the module itself wasn't so small.]
Reaching over, you found one of your trainee's hands, squeezing it tightly. The reassurance was moreso for you than for him, but you didn't mention it. "... Connor... I--.... f-fuck, I can't--"
He squeezed your hand three times, which only brought memories of the nightclub. Face breaking, you buried it into the crook of your other arm, refusing to let his hand go.
[Has she been like this the entire time? Getting shot is a brutal sight, but... my damage was relatively minimal.]
In the midst of your breakdown, the lieutenant took a few steps back, choosing to text the kid so the conversation would be more private: [Gavin got the fucker, he's in our custody now. Should be here any minute, he took my car since it was still there.]
The RK800's reply was, of course, instant: [I heard the gunshots, so I assume Merrill is alive, though wounded.]
There was a soft grin on Hank's face. [Connor. He did that for you. Told me he meant to get back at Merrill in the first place, but then you took the shot.]
Before there could be another response, frantic steps approached from down the hall, and the muttered curses meant Reed had finally shown up. He leaned in the doorway with a hand, panting heavily. "Had to.... fffff.... d-drove here like a... maniac... sorry, Hank.... got here as quick as... as I could..." Stumbling into the room, Gavin mostly caught his breath now that he wasn't sprinting to the room.
The first thing he noticed was that the Roomba was fine, minus his throat. It was covered, but the way the gauze was stretched, he knew part of the shell had been removed. The second thing he noticed was how much the shot had wounded you, as well. You didn't flinch at anything, even with the commotion of him getting to the room. The sobs from your mouth came from a much deeper place.
Now that he'd gotten to the android, his anxiety was ebbing away like the tide, but it left other emotions in its wake. Before he could stop it, Reed grabbed a chair and sat on the other side of the bed, head in his hands. At that point he didn't care who was present; this was coming out whether he wanted it to or not. ".... why....? Why'd you fuckin' do it...?" Squirming in the seat, he lifted his head enough to lace his hands together in front of his mouth. Whatever hid the fact that his face was trying to break. "Tell me. Tell me why the fuck you did it, Connor."
Frowning the tiniest bit, your Roomba sent a reply to Reed's phone: [I did it because I had to, Gavin. I knew you didn't realize there was a weapon.]
Checking the text, Gavin scoffed, still shifting around in discomfort and frustration. "No. No, you didn't fuckin' have to. Don't you fucking get that?!" Amidst his freak out, the lieutenant quietly shut the door to minimize the noise. "I didn't know he had a goddamn weapon, okay, I admit that! But goddamnit let me pay for my own fucking mistakes!!" The more he shouted, the more his voice cracked, vision blurring with tears he didn't want to spill.
Now with two upset beings, one on either side, the android knew he could only let his humans cry it out. [I had to, Gavin. You wouldn't have survived.]
"Let me pay for my own mistakes, you asshole!!" Now the tears were spilling, and Reed had gotten to his feet again, pacing and making sudden motions, trying to subdue the frustration but also hoping it would stop the damn tears. "I treated you like absolute SHIT, just like I do everybody else!! But you got it the worst, and all you fucking did was take it!! What makes you think you can just take a bullet for me, Connor?! WHY WOULD YOU TAKE A GODDAMN BULLET FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME?!?!"
[We took an oath. I may have been given the title of detective without asking, and I know you took it the hardest, but I took that oath just as you did. If we promise to protect and serve, that includes you. Gavin, just because you treated me poorly in the past doesn't mean I won't protect you if I can. The oath does not mean you are an exception.]
It was a risk to tell Reed such a thing, since he was more hysterical than you'd been, but he read Connor's explanation several times over before sinking back into the chair. His head leaned on a hand, partially blocking his face, but the trembling shoulders said enough. "I'm not f-fucking worth it, man..." he choked out. "You don't... g-get to fucking shield me... after all the sh-shit I... d-did......"
[You're a friend. So yes, you are worth protecting.]
YOU ARE READING
Comfort Zone (Connor x Reader)
Fanfiction[COMPLETED] "Getting out of my comfort zone I can understand. But there is a difference between comfort and safety, and I won't let you sacrifice one for the other, Detective."
