What Once Was Broken is Now Gold | Reed900 [Rewriting]

3. Progress

Gavin wouldn't have been surprised if someone robbed him during his long absence. Not that he had anything valuable to take-he kept anything like that in his locker at the DPD, the key to that locker hidden in his desk.

But Nines unlocked the door to his apartment, no signs of a break-in. The android walked into the entryway, Gavin following as best as he could on a single crutch. The bruises and scrapes scattered across his skin burned with every step.

Gavin lumbered toward his couch and ignored Nines, the android probably scanning the messy apartment now coated in a thin layer of dust. After all Nines had done so far, it wouldn't hurt to have him clean this place up a bit, too. After all, Gavin could barely walk. Taking advantage of a high-tech plastic maid didn't seem too bad.

He slid down onto his couch and rested his head back against the cushion with a heavy sigh. God, this was hell. All of this was hell.

Nines came up beside him, hesitating for a moment before sitting down on the couch, his back straight and the prosthetic case in his lap. He glanced toward Gavin, and even without closing his right eye, the man could see Nines wanted something. Wanted him to ask about the prosthetic again.

"Fine," Gavin whispered, a hint of fear in his tone.

Nines opened the case and pulled out the silver metal plate. "Show it to me."

Gavin nodded, heart pounding in his chest. He shuffled off his coat and, with trembling fingers, pulled his shirt sleeve away from his stump. Nines lifted the curved plate and held it to the stump, bandages long gone, not that Gavin checked that himself.

Detecting touch in a place that never should be able to feel such a thing was...unnerving. Gavin gulped, the sensation more unpleasant than painful. He chanced a look at his arm, Nines' hand retracting from the plate now held in place.

"Is it uncomfortable?" the android asked, eyes soft, unguarded.

Gavin hesitated before shaking his head. "When's it gonna, uh, sync up, or whatever?"

"In a few moments. It was created unique to you, so it shouldn't take too long, nor will it have to ever be removed." Nines paused, as if waiting for Gavin's input. The man made none. "The material is thin enough that oxygen can cycle to your skin, while it is also composed of antibacterial threads of fabric to keep the area clean. It can be removed if you so wish, but it was created with prolonged wear in mind. Under most circumstances, it cannot be removed with ease, to prevent the prosthetic itself from-" He stopped, gaze following the tears rolling down Gavin's cheeks.

"Yeah?" Gavin snapped, wiping away the wetness from his cheeks. "I'm listening, tin can."

Nines' lips parted, but didn't let out sound yet. "-from being removed," he finished.

"Awesome." Gavin wiped at his eyes, then wiped his wet hand on his shirt. "Put that shit on me, then; get it over with."

Nines continued to stare at him, and Gavin felt his knuckles tingle-both real and phantom-as he thought about how satisfying it would be to punch the dumb android in his sharp jawline.

"Do you have a cat?" Nines asked, and the backlash from the question made it feel like the android had slapped Gavin instead.

"The fuck-? Don't fucking scan my house." But Gavin couldn't lie. "But...yeah. She's feral, but she climbs up from the gutters and hangs out here for a bit."

Nines nodded. "What's her name?"

Gavin bit his lip and glanced to the side. "Uh.... Well, uh, her name...it's, uh, J-Jojo Siwa."