Tags:

Connor | RK800 & Hank Anderson

Connor | RK800, Hank Anderson, Amanda

Emetophobia, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Conscious Medical Procedure, Non-Consensual Medical Procedure, Non-Consensual Touching, Autistic Connor | RK800, Severe Injury, Throat Trauma, Mouth trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Panic Attacks, Body Horror

The 'Blue Screen of Death' is the error that often displays after a very serious system crash.

Heat build-up can damage an Androids hardware or cause it to become unstable and show a BSoD, often becoming irreparably damaged in the process. Newer models will often shut down and refuse to operate if it reaches a potentially unsafe level of heat so it may be recoverable in the future.

Thanks for sticking around for BSoD. I'm sorry it's taking so long xxx

Jasper offered to do art for this chapter, I got blessed with not one but two art pieces. Which can be seen if you view this fic on ao3.

I highly suggest you read this on AO3 (Archive Of Our Own) instead (It's under the same name). AO3 fully supports indents which all my fics are written with, blank lines, and pieces of art which add to the story, all these make the story much more appealing to read. It's also more easily read on AO3 as it's not the long block of text it is on here.

I'll keep updating on .Net because I know there are some people here that don't touch AO3 but just know that how you read it on this site isn't how it's supposed to read.

Thank you.

[Chapter Six] Enucleation

Enucleation is the removal of an eye that leaves the eye muscles and remaining orbital contents intact. This type of ocular surgery is indicated for a number of ocular tumours, in eyes that have suffered severe trauma, and in eyes that are otherwise blind and painful.

Hank had known Connor the grand total of just over month. Not a long time for him, not a long time for any human, but for an Android? An Android who had only lived for three months beforehand? It probably felt like too long.

Too long with an alcoholic wash up in his fast-moving Android world of binary.

Sometimes Connor would look at him with nothing but confusion in his eyes, confusion at things Hank would never think twice about.

He didn't talk like he was four months old, he didn't look like he was four months old, and he didn't think like he was four months old. And then he'd do something, say something, that would make Hanks eyebrows raise and remember…

Connor was so young.

And Connor was a machine through and through.

But whenever Connor would stop, listen in on Hank talking, trying to avoid the gazes of other humans by moving behind him, he'd take out his coin.

It would take eight seconds of idleness, always eight, before he reached for his breast pocket and rolled the coin over his fingers.

A further ten seconds and he would flick it back and forth.

Another fifteen and he would stop standing straight, leaning back and forth between his legs, rocking up onto his heels and back.

After another twenty he would look around, always to Hank first, then to the person Hank was talking to, to the sides of himself, behind him, then above and below. His brown eyes tracking over every detail, sharp as ever, coin still going back and forth.

Then he would start from the beginning, do it over and over until he deemed Hank 'done talking.'

It would never change.

And that's why this Connor wasn't right.

That's why nothing about this Connor was right.

They stood in front of the waiting room and the few people waiting there, beside the sign-in-desk.

Hank started down at the holo-pad form that'd been handed his way, the lady talking slowly to him and dragging her finger down the plastic before tapping the signature box.

Luckily his shaking hand didn't disrupt the muscle memory of the awkward scribbled 'Anderson' and the 'L.' it went back to the front to write.

This employee, bouncing with bright aged eyes and a wide smile that wrinkled at the edges introduced this husk as Connor. All fixed up shiny and new, hours of work and effort put into him.

He leaned forwards, trying to meet Connors eyes with his own, but no matter what he did Connor's eyes remained blank, staring through him.

No spark of curiosity in his brown orbs. No flickering in his pupils as he scanned. Nothing.

And Hank was tired, he was so tired, of this, of everything. The first person he'd meet each morning, greeting him with a smile, either wide or sluggish.

Hank had just begun to smile back.

And now that person, that Android, was gone, all whilst standing right in front of him.

'His eyes are wrong.' That was it, that was the only complaint he could muster. Anything else and she'd look at him, questioning him. She didn't know Connor.

Take him back, fix him.

She only smiled, 'The mechanism that held up the left eyelid was jostled out of position, but it's only aesthetic, and the department coverage it has doesn't apply to aesthetic fixtures,' When Hanks tired blank face deepened into a frown her smile fell.

She lowered her eyes slightly, 'sorry.'

The silence was uncomfortable and thick, Hank pretending he was still interested in the electronic forms in his hand, this woman was left only to stand awkwardly, letting her head rest in her hands in a seemingly more comfortable position.

Waiting.

'It – It has defensive programs, right? It's able to fight?' It was whispered from underneath a hand, her arm propped up at the elbow by her other, a clear attempt to look casual but small.

The sleeve had slid down, heavy and fresh bruising peeking out, the shapes of finger tips and the palm of hand clear. His time with the police shouted abuse signs at him, but no, she was smart, she was showing him these marks deliberately.

Connor had done this, probably on her other arm too.

He thought over his words closely before responding with a similar whisper, 'yeah, he can fight.'

The pitying and apologetic emotion on her face left quickly, leaving way for a frown, but eyes mixed with confusion.

Looking down she continued, 'It attacked me when I tried to fix it, not attack attack, but, it grabbed my wrists, asked me to stop, reconsider, that's more than any Android should be able to do under defensive measures.' She paused for only a moment, 'especially against a mechanic.'

'Yeah, well, he's special like that, Lady.' It almost sounded like he cared… 'He is state of the art after all.'

'…Yes, of course.'

But Hank immediately noted the dissatisfaction in her voice, she'd been reaching for something, an answer to something and he'd ever so helpfully not supplied it.

He couldn't tell if he'd just dodged a bullet or walked right one.

'You call it a he, why?' Her eyes showed genuine curiosity for a question he didn't know how to answer.

After a hesitation he shrugged shoulders, letting her continue; 'I didn't really like the pronoun guidelines either, but… I guess it's hard to think them human when you know they're all wires and hydraulics inside.'

For her it was probably like working on a broken computer, clearing out all the dust for a customer, something normal, something regular.

Looking at an Android and knowing exactly how it's moving all its fingers.

'It's got a weak point also, a sort of kink, in the back of its neck.'

Now that properly got his attention. Connor, a high-tech Android designed to go up against Androids and humans of all types, designed for pursuit and attack, had a flaw, and an obvious one at that.

'Why? CyberLife doesn't seem the type to overlook something so large.'

'They didn't overlook it, just made an unnecessary design choice by the looks of it. Connor, turn around.'

Connor did so without hesitation, no response or snarky refusal, Hank averted his eyes slightly, gone are the days of Connor insisting he only took orders from Hank himself it seemed.

She loosely placed her hand on top of his head, pushing it forwards slightly. Brushing her thumb up his neck pushing synthetic hair upwards.

Thirium was almost stained on her sleeve, layers and layers of evaporated thirium leaving blue marks.

'The shell plates don't interlock correctly, I thought it was a problem on our end, our fixes, but nope, looked up the specifications and they just don't… Interlock. See?'

Pressing a thumb down and up into his nape the overlay retracted over the neck and shoulders. It was now completely open, his frame somehow seemed even smaller like this, standing shorter than both humans present.

Hank could barely keep his eyes forwards looking at him.

'Look. Even to an untrained eye that can't look right. It's just open.'

He agreed.

What Hank knew to be a charge point was completely uncovered, wires running from the head to the rest of the body could be seen, pulled taut through the also open inner frame, and the joints of the neck unprotected.

'Why they chose a four-prong charger I really don't know and that's not the only problem.'

Firmly she pushed Connor's head forwards and down, the white plates of his neck slid roughly over each other, slipping down and apart, leaving an even larger gap to the sides when Connor's head got to his chest.

'No wonder it moves so stiffly the whole setup around the shoulders and neck are made to act against it.'

She pushed up underneath a small lip on the upper plate, arrow and all, the whole plate easily sliding up with barely a sound. The lower was also pushed down much the same way, leaving Connor's entire neck exposed.

He could feel the air cooling around Connor, condensation collecting on the electrical and clear thirium wires.

'They didn't even mark it up to basic mechanical-fixture signs.' She muttered under her breath, clear that she wasn't going to elaborate further.

Running her nail down the interlocking spinal plates she explained, 'it looks fine with the overlay but as soon as it goes It's a mechanical nightmare. This is its spine, that gets damaged, the rest of it kaputs, it's not supposed to be like this it –'

'It's unprotected and it shouldn't be, yeah, I know basic Android anatomy, I'm not an idiot.'

Scowling she pushed the pieces back into place again, curling her hand into Connors hair and pulling his head back up. The plates were once again forced into one another, pressing and almost bending before the higher snapped into place over the lower, the edges still grinding against it.

Hank decided he'd have enough time to quiz Connor on this later, what he wouldn't do was leave this woman pulling and pushing Connor around like this.

'You can let go of him now.'

The look in Hanks eyes made her pull away from the Android, his overlay redrawing itself over his neck.

He didn't turn back around.

Looking her dead in the eye when she spoke, 'it must have been very unlucky to get hit exactly where it's the weakest, by? What was it again? George never did finish that questionnaire.'

Hank gave a low sigh, 'he wasn't hit on accident and no, I can't tell you more.'

'No, it's fine, I understand, I'm not about to dig my nose in places I don't belong. Have you signed everything?' she lazily tacked on a further, 'Connor you can turn around now.'

'Yeah, here.' He handed it over and she checked it quickly before flicking the screen and then shutting it down, probably sending it somewhere. The Department maybe?

'Now you and your Android have been nothing but trouble for me and this building. It's not normal, it assaulted me, CyberLife screwed it up deliberately for god knows what reason, there's something you're not telling me, I probably won't get to the bottom of it. But now, please, leave.' Without another word she turned on her heel away from them.

And so, he was left with Connor, and the realisation he'd been standing talking about him, like he wasn't even there. He hadn't even questioned it.

Connor's face was still blank, looking just beyond Hank slightly upwards the eyelid still drooping and lagging when he blinked.

Every two seconds and on the third he'd blink twice.

Something inside him wanted to so desperately wrap his arms around Connor, hold on tight and to not let go. He quickly squashed that want.

He swallowed before telling Connor to follow him.

The Android did so without hesitation.

Almost like normal.

The front doors that led to the streets clearly showed the rain also. Puddles already forming and small rivers being washed away into the road drains and grates.

The rain pattered on.

Though the clock had said nine in the morning it certainly didn't feel it. The murky clouds overhead blocked out any light, the glowing signs of stores beyond as clear as when they had walked in last night.

Those stores were empty though, and the road almost dead, no cars or signs of headlights.

Not even his car anymore.

When it had been clear Connor wasn't going to come out when the employee had said he'd moved his car off the opposite pavement to the actual small parking lot of the walk-in.

It's not like he'd brought an umbrella or anything with him, so he simply stepped out into the rain with Connor, the automatic doors closing and sealing behind them.

The lip of the building will cover them both for a bit until they got the parking area at the side of the Walk-In. No rush.

'She's right you know.'

Hank startled slightly at the words, it'd been the first time he'd heard Connor in a while.

'I'm sorry? She's right about what now?' Hank worried for a few seconds, maybe that had come out too aggressive? But he quickly pushed his worry aside when Connor responded.

'You shouldn't use male pronouns for me. I'm not male, I don't have any male genitalia.'

That was a new one, not exactly a surprise to Hank though, 'Yeah, well, you look male enough to me, doesn't matter if you have a dick or not Jesus Christ, and I can't just call you an "it".'

'You called me that before with no problem, why have you changed?'

Why had he changed?

Hank didn't know, it'd just sort of… Happened. One minute he was calling Connor an 'it' the next complaining that the CyberLife people had called him that. Fucking… Idiot.

'Reasons.'

'Is it because of Cole?'

Now, Hank had enough of listening to Connor, but instead of simply snapping at him he let out a breath and picked his words calmly, 'Cole has no place in this conversation, Connor.'

'I say Cole does have a place in this conversion, Hank.'

He turned around, 'I don't want to fight about this in the street, wait until we get to the car.'

'No.'

'Now you're just being fucking childish, Connor.'

'You're avoiding the question.'

'Yeah, because maybe it didn't occur to you I don't want to talk about my dead son.'

'Well, I do.'

'You're an Android you don't want anything.' He ground out.

And Connor did that stupid stupid lip twitch he – it always did when it was irritated. Good, getting underneath the stupid Androids skin, or overlay, whatever.

'I remind you of Cole. That's the only reason you've put up with me, am I right?'

'Connor I'm not going to fucking argue with you on the side of the road, give it up.'

Connor only pressed further, eyes narrowing, 'It is isn't it? You don't really like me, you liked Cole. You're just making me act as his replacement.'

'I'm not making you do anything Connor.'

'Implying that you are using me as a replacement for your son, ignoring guidelines like this.'

'I don't care about fucking guidelines, Connor, Shut the fuck up!'

'This is only proving my point, Lieutenant. You never did get over your poor child's death did yo-'

Connor feet almost left the ground as Hank grabbed his uniforms collar, dragging him forwards and up.

Connor stumbled along with the action bring up his hands to brace on Hank himself, trying to push away, but only being yanked forwards further.

'Don't you fucking dare, talk about Cole like that. You don't even get to say his fucking name you plastic piece of shit.'

It was almost instant, the way Connors now bright and emotionful eyes blanked right in front of him.

Turning glassy and almost rolling up.

'Please refrain from touching CyberLife property, Lieutenant.'

Loosening his grip Connor slid easily from him, not even giving him a second look as he went through obviously scripted checks to himself and his uniform.

Hair, face, shoulders, sleeves, tie.

This wasn't Connor.

Hank stood feeling like he was staring into nothingness, letting the rain patter down on him, the two of them somehow moving out of the buildings lip in their argument, soaking them both through even more.

Plastic synthetic hair turning shiny but staying the same.

He turned and started towards the parking lot calling out behind him, 'If you're not at the car by the time I start it up I'm leaving without you.'

Too fucking kind to that fucking Android for his own good.

This was supposed to go up days ago but my nerves got the better of me when editing it, I just couldn't get it right and I still don't like really like it, sorry.

Why did Hank get pissed about Connor and Cole when he didn't in actual canon? Well in canon Hank had finally taken the steps to seal over the wound and realise it wasn't the Androids fault. Here, he hasn't, it's still a festering cut that Connors poking.

Also, Vex dragged me into Borderlands so maybe possibly expect a short Borderland fic soon oof