[COMPLETE] Purple Hearts (Connor x Reader) Detroit: Become Human #Wattys2019

Chapter 18: Rebuilding

Many androids were lost in the attacks. Jericho lost more than half its residents, and with you being one of the few who knew how to heal androids, you were overloaded with work. Android after android was brought to you, broken and battered with damaged components, missing limbs or huge amounts of thyrium drained. You and several other androids worked night and day to recover as many androids as possible, but soon you realised there was only so much thyrium and biocomponents to go around. You did all you could, but when there were so many injured, there was only so much you could possibly do. Not only had many lives been lost; hope had been lost too. With Markus's death, androids turned to you for help, much to North's distaste. You insisted they go to North, but they still were determined to treat you as some kind of 'saviour', even though you had once hunted deviant androids yourself.

Connor stayed by your side during those late nights. You knew he was tired too, but he insisted on staying awake for your sake, being your source of comfort in the times when there was no hope.

You worried for the future; but most of all you worried for your friends. Those androids you had traveled with; Nox, Bec and Jade were no where to be seen. No one saw them during the attacks. No one saw them in the newly established 'Jericho' either. You hoped that they had managed to escape alive, but after seeing all the damage caused to the androids, that thought seemed delusional.

You stood in the abandoned church now, the place where all the androids had turned to for shelter. They still dragged in damaged androids, remaining from what was left of the old freighter. Connor rested a hand on your shoulder as you watched them brought in on stretchers. Perhaps deciding to blow up Jericho was the wrong choice. You cringed at the thought.

"We did the right thing..." Connor whispered, seeming to read your mind.

"But what if we didn't..." You voiced your concern. "Maybe if we didn't blow up Jericho, more androids could have escaped."

"And be slaughtered by the soldiers?" Connor furrowed his brows with concern. You looked up into his russet brown eyes. "If they die here, they die free... and the ones who have survived still have a chance." He gestured around at the few androids still left in the abandoned church. "We still have Jericho." You followed his gaze. Androids hugged each other, sadness heavy in the atmosphere. Yet in some of those eyes, you could still see the determination to survive.

"But they have started rounding up androids Connor..." You whispered, gripping his shirt. "They are rounding them up and destroying them one by one. We don't have enough androids here to fight against them..."

"No one would ever guess you were a human..." Connor smiled, brushing your hair off you face.

"Sometimes I wonder if I wasn't meant to be..." You muttered. Connor opened his mouth to reply, but you were both interrupted at the sound of more androids being carried in. Some androids sitting on the benches look up at the sight of a particular android, whispers filling the air. You moved over to investigate the cause of the disturbance.

Lying on the stretcher, damaged beyond repair but still active with a red LED was Markus. Your eyes widened in shock. He didn't notice you were there, in a place far too painful to comprehend the world around him.

"Markus..." You whispered. Connor stepped behind you. The androids continued to carry Markus's body on the stretcher, towards a boarded off area of the abandoned church. You rolled up your sleeves, moving towards them.

"Where are you going?" Connor murmured after you, following close at your heel.

"I'm going to do what I can."

---

You don't think Markus noticed your presence during the time when you desperately worked to heal him. Connor sat beside you mostly silently, as you stitched the damaged synthetic skin on Markus's head, transplanted what little thyrium there was left, and removed the bullet that had embedded in his leg, not his chest as you had first assumed when you saw him fall. His body was badly burnt from an explosion no doubt, but still functional. When you were done, his LED turned amber, but he still remained in rest mode. You wiped the sweat off your brow. You turned to Connor beside you. He had also finally fallen into rest mode, after forcing himself to stay awake day by day by your side. You brushed the dark hair off his forehead, and smiled slightly. He seemed so peaceful when he was resting. You rested your head on his forehead, and let yourself drift slightly. After forcing yourself to stay awake for so long, it was no wonder you were tired. You closed your eyes and let yourself fall asleep, feeling the warmth as you leaned against Connor's shoulder.