reflections | detroit become human

four.

growth

The brunette's eyes open to a bright, white light surrounding her. It's so intense that she's forced to squeeze them shut, and slowly open them to adjust.

The faint sound of a heart monitor appears to her right, which makes her turn to look, and see the noise match up with the rhythm's.

A few moments later, Tessa sees the medical department around her, as she lies in a tightly fitted bed. A stranger is found in the same position opposite her – however, they seem to be in a much worse condition.

The García girl's eyes travel down to her right, where she finds a familiar face passed out on a plastic chair.

"Peter," She croaks out. "Peter, wake up."

A snort comes from the boy, making Tessa sigh in defeat as he remains asleep. Only until she sticks her foot out of the covers and shoves his leg with it.

"Fucking–!"

The Blake boy suddenly sees the hospitalised girl staring back at him, creating a look of relief to wash over his face. "Tessa! Oh, I'm so happy you're alright!"

He lurches forward and embraces the girl tightly, making her squeal.

"Sorry – are you still in pain?"

"No. No, I feel fine," She replies, as he pulls back and gives her a worried glance. "What happened, exactly? After I fell?"

Peter sits back in his seat, letting out a large breath. "Well, you didn't hit the ground – thank god. We got there just in time."

"We?"

"Connor and I. It caught you."

The same butterflies that Tessa had previously experienced rush back into her stomach, only this time, they were much more intense.

"It saved your life, Tess." Peter says in a calm tone.

The arms she felt before she passed out – they were Connor's. And she could've died. Or suffered serious injuries at least. A thousand thoughts were flying around her mind.

"Where is he?"

Peter opens his mouth to respond, only to stop himself to stare at the girl. "Wait, what?"

"I said, where is he?" She repeats, her heart pounding in panic.

The boy continues to stare, his head tilted with an indecisive expression. Finally, his face relaxes and is joined by a wide grin.

"What?" Tessa asks, extremely confused by her friend's change of emotions.

"Tess," He begins to speak, leaning in with bright eyes. "You called it a he."

–

To Tessa's surprise, she was released from the medical department later that evening after her nurse did some further tests to discover that she was recovered enough to leave.

The girl heads back to her room accompanied by Peter, who drops her off with a goodnight. After she shuts her door, the girl goes straight for her bed to lie down on her back.

As she's about to close her eyes, multiple rings come from her phone on the beside table, making the girl groan as she reaches over for it.

Dozens of messages and missed calls come from her family, making Tessa assume that they know about the incident. A soft smile plays on her lips as she scrolls through the loving and supportive messages shining up at her, feeling extra appreciative of them.

She quickly responds to her parents, telling them that she'll call them in the morning after she gets some rest. After their reply gives her a confirmation, she turns it off, and returns to her previous position – reaching for the light switch.

But before she can, a knock comes from the door.

The girl swings her legs off the bed, letting out a heavy sigh as she walks to her door to greet the knocker – probably Peter, who didn't stop asking her questions about her condition while he walked her back.

However, as Tessa opens the door, she pauses for a moment to stare at the figure in front of her.

Connor almost mirrors her expression – looking lost for words, but with a hint of relief.

"Connor?" Tessa says with a quiet voice.

"Tessa," He responds, a struggled smile appearing on his face. "I'm glad to see you've recovered from the incident."

"All thanks to you."

The brunette steps aside to let the android into her room, returning the much needed smile. She softly closes it after he walks in.

The García girl goes to sit on her bed, pushing herself backwards so her back is pressed to the wall. When she pats the spot next to her, Connor instead sits on the edge with a space between them.

"I came to confirm your condition. I hope you're glad to know that you'll be able to continue with the training tomorrow – after a good night's rest, of course." He tells her, looking over his shoulder at her.

She nods in response, glancing away to create a silent tension in the room. Tessa hated the anticipation leading up to what needs to be said. It always took a push from her subconscious to just get the words out.

"Thank you for catching me, Connor. Really – if it wasn't for you, I might not be here."

"You had a high chance of survival – however, there was a substantial injury probability if I didn't get there on time. So I made sure I did," Connor explains, making the girl look back at him. "I couldn't risk you getting hurt – you wouldn't of been able to continue your training."

A hot blush washes over Tessa's face, her cheeks hurting from the smile she gives him. Scooting forward, she sits beside him so their shoulders touch. "Well, I'm very appreciative of that. I owe you."

"You don't owe me anything, Tessa."

The girl reassuringly places her hand on the android's knee, glancing up at him with doe eyes.

"Just keep it in mind." She kindly tells him.

Tessa only breaks eye contact when she feels heat emerge from underneath her hand, making her look down in curiosity.

Before she can ask Connor, he suddenly stands up to face her, his LED flashing yellow.

"I – I should head back to my post. Submit the report," The android stammers, avoiding eye contact with the recruit. "Again, I'm pleased to know you're okay. Rest well."

She watches him head for the door with her lips slightly parted. "Goodnight Connor."

He stops as his fingers wrap around the door knob, glancing over his shoulder to see the brunette girl. "Goodnight."

After he leaves, Tessa finds herself frozen in her spot, her need for sleep suddenly vanishing. The girl leans back until her head hits the surface of her bed, her face bright and warm.

All she had to figure out was if Connor had just displayed a human emotion – and why she felt so happy about it.

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