A few have days gone by-- I'm home--Home at last. I felt like a soldier returned after war. I was thankful, over-joyed, and yet.. it didn't seem the same. Something didn't sit right within my hard-drives. At the moment, however, I didn't want to put this feeling anywhere near the front of my mind. I just needed to focus on what was infront of me, I told myself.
I took a deep breath, letting out a sigh as I lay sprawled across the grey leather couch in the living room. Hank had made it very clear: No activity of any kind until I was fully repaired and functioning. I feel, I'll be lucky if he doesn't wrap me in bubble wrap the next time we leave the house. I let my eyes trace the grooves in the old plaster ceiling. Moving my view about the room I found my gaze settling to a familiar photo on the wall. Hank and Cole, both smiling and happy. Seeing Hank that way makes me miss Cole, even though I've never met him. I know the lieutenant sees some of him in me, though I will never understand what. I wonder what Hank thinks about his death now that the world has changed so greatly.
With a gentle hand I scratch Sumo's head, which rested lazily next to my hip on the couch as the dog leaned against the couch from the floor. I listen to a bird in the tree outside the window. --It really is an amazing world I live in. To think that any choice could have lead me down a very different path, even to a vastly different world. I'm glad I ended up here. I'm happy. Though.. maybe there is more to life than this? Maybe I should do more? Travel the world? Fall in love? But.. is that what I want to do? I like the way things are. Its so hard to put these thoughts and emotions to order.. Maybe Hank will know what to make of it?
I decided to sleep. I didn't have much else to do. I closed my eyes and lazily drifted into sleep mode. ...
I open my eyes and I feel.. cold. A familiar sort of emptiness seems to seep in from the outside. Confused I sit up and look around.-- A gust of bitter wind blows up my industry standard jacket and I shiver. Around me is a snow storm-- a spinning cloud of white. Through the weather, it's hard to see where I am, but I feel I'm in a familiar place. I stand slowly, pulling my jacket around me in attempt to keep out the frigid wind. I hold out a hand to block the blowing snow, trying to see where I am.
"Hello?" I cry out into the white oblivion.
I'm filled with an eerie nostalgia as I find myself pacing across a courtyard.
"Is anyone here?" I yell and I can heard my voice echo throughout the storm around me.
--"Connor! I'm home!" Hank's voice yelled, ripping me from a deep sleep.
I sat up quickly only to slide down. Water beat down on me from above. I groan put my hand up to block it, only for my arm to slip out from under me and I hit my head with a thump against the fake porcelain tub of our cheap bathroom shower.
"You okay Connor?" I heard Hank stop outside the bathroom door.
I took a few quicked breathes, and I absorbed in my disorienting surroundings. I was laying, completely nude, in the bottom of our tub, the shower was running. Water beat down on me and spilled out past the shower curtain covering the bathroom floor. I have no idea how I got here or why.
"Yeah. I'm fine." I answer, catching my breath. "Just dropped something." I added to make it more believable.
Hank paused briefly before responding. "Okay then, I bought stuff for dinner so I'll be cooking in the kitchen!"
"Okay! I'll be out soon."
I remained still until I heard Hank walk down the hall and enter the kitchen. Then, I slowly pulled my feet underneath me and stood, turning the water off. I stepped out into the puddle of water on the bathroom floor. I wasn't sure what else to do besides wipe up the mess with a towel.
-- Running internal diagnostic.--
While I waited on the results from my internal scan I put on a tee-shirt and sweats. I took a shaky breath, and collected myself before leaving the bathroom and walking into the kitchen.
"Hey Hank."
"Hey, Con."
Hank had his back to me chopping vegetables. I crossed the kitchen and opened the fridge, retrieving another pouch of blue blood, moving quickly to stay out of Hank's way. I stepped around the counter taking a seat at the stools on the other side.
"How was work?" I asked, desperate to fill the silence in the room.
"Oh you know.. paperwork.-- Trust me, you didn't miss anything." Hank remarked. "Everyone at the office wishes you a quick recovery though!" He added.
I stabbed a straw into my blood bag, taking a small sip. "That's nice." I stated absent mindedly.
Hank gave me a sideways glance. "You okay?"
"Yeah. I'm fine." I reassured him.
Hank nodded, thinking over my answer as he dumped his cutting board full of vegetables into a skillet on the stove. "You must me bored out of your mind." He concluded, "That's your second shower today, right?"
I gave a nervous half-chuckle. "Yeah.."
"As long as you don't run the water bill too high!" He teased, and I forced a small laugh.
--Diagnosic complete- No system change since last scan.--
I furrowed my brow. I had hoped that would give me some answers.
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