robot son makes grinch's heart grow 3 sizes in one day. news at 11
Connor wasn't wrong to assume Hank would remain skeptical upon is return. In Hank's experience, anything that seemed too good to be true usually was. That's how credit cards got charged after a so-called free trial ran out. And like most people over the age of fifty, Hank had never owned a laptop without downloading a virus or two (dozen). It didn't matter how innocuous something looked at first glance. There was always the potential for it to do harm.
But he was trying so damn hard. It was admirable how the world kept knocking Connor for a loop, and he kept coming back for more. Hank almost wanted to inspect the room Connor had procured for hidden cameras or death traps. Even so, he said nothing of his reservations. Both Sumo and Connor were content with their new lodgings and that was good enough for Hank. For now, at least.
The way Connor looked at him reminded Hank so much of Cole it hurt. Of having to pretend to like some God-awful crayon drawing or macaroni art. Was the room too bright and colorful? Hell yes. Did he feel like the rug would be pulled out from under them at any moment? You're goddamn right he did! But it was as his ex-wife used to say. A little positive reinforcement could go a long way.
"I'm all outta gold star stickers, but you did good." Hank substituted a shiny reward by patting Connor on the shoulder in passing. Wasting no time making himself comfortable, he toed out of his battered loafers. His jacket came off next, flung in the direction of the nearest chair. It missed and landed messily on the floor. "You mentioned folks have been stuck here for almost a month. We're getting to the bottom of this, you mark my words."
Hank's earlier fatigue hadn't diminished. But once he got rolling, it was hard to switch off his detective instincts. "We'll start asking around in the morning. In person," he emphasized. "None of this network bullshit. There's gotta be some correlation somewhere. A way back home. I didn't work this damn hard to enter a forced retirement in some knock-off Disneyland resort." Following a thoughtful pause, he concluded, "You've got a lot on your plate too. Markus wouldn't have made it without you."
If you loved something, you had to prepare yourself to let it go. Connor would benefit from the company of his fellow androids. There was only so much a grizzled old cop could teach. And considering Connor's ability to download the latest information, his knowledge was negligible.