Hank Can't Catch a Break

Hank really didn't want to get out of bed. And for once, it wasn't because of laziness or a hangover. All the same, Connor woke him up. Standing outside the door and calling his name, like an overgrown version of Sumo.

"Connor," Hank grumbled, "I'm awake." The android ceased his hollering.

"The current time is 7:45 am," the lieutenant sighed. "If you start getting ready now, then we will only be five minutes late." The younger man's voice seemed to drone on.

"I'm up!" He tossed the comforter aside.

Hank sat on the edge of the bed. Putting his head in his hands, he took a deep breath. With an extreme effort, he got dressed.

The first thing he noticed as he was walking into the kitchen was the time. It wasn't anywhere near 7:45. The time, instead, read 12:00 pm. For a moment Hank wondered how long he took getting dressed. The second thing was the feast on the table. Pancakes, french toast, and eggs sat in the center. A place was set.
 
"Good afternoon, Hank." The sound of sizzling bacon filled the air. Everything looked wonderfully delicious. Hank's stomach turned. He opened the fridge.

"Connor!" He slammed the fridge shut. The rk800 stopped in his tracks. Turning around, he looked at Hank.

"Where's the beer?" He stumbled closer to the android. A look of rueful sadness flashed in Connor's eyes. He turned back to the bacon.

"I threw it out." The sentence to anyone else would have no considerable bearing. Any other day, Hank could be categorized with those people. He had cut down on his drinking ten-fold. Some days, he could go without the smallest amount of alcohol. Today, was not one of those days. He needed booze.

"You what!" Hank slammed his hand down on the table.

"I know what today is." Connor didn't turn to face Hank.

"Good for you," he swallowed. "Put this food away," he paused outside the kitchen, "I'll be in the car.
The ride to the precinct was tense. Hank focused intently on the road ahead. Any attempt at a conversation was shot down by his blaring music, which he would turn up to block Connor out.

"Connor," the android regraded him. "Don't ever bring that day up, again." Without another word, he got out of the car.

The rest of the day carried on as normal, for the most part. Many of his coworkers were tiptoeing around him. As if he were glass. Gavin continued to be an asshole, even more so than usual. Although, his efforts were all directed towards Connor. Who, for the life of him, couldn't understand how he could possibly be related to a toaster. Any other day this would provoke laughter on Hank's end, but not today.

Somewhere throughout the day, it had begun to thunderstorm. The precinct shook with each clap of thunder. Rain pelted angrily against the roof and windows. Hank silently hoped it would stop soon.

The rain only got worse. And by the time, it was time to leave it fell in thick sheets. Hank white-knuckled the steering wheel. His hands shook slightly. For once, Connor didn't mention it.

Usually, the drive back to his house would only take fifteen minutes. On days where visibility was severely limited, it could take thirty or more minutes. Hank, liked to think of himself as a good driver. He had years of experience to thank for that.

"I miss Sumo," Connor was doing his coin tricks again. Hank slammed on his brakes, nearly missing the stoplight.

"Goddammit this is taking forever," he tapped his fingers against the steering wheel impatiently.

"Lieutenant, the light has only been red for 2.5 seconds." The coin jingled as it was past between fingers. Hank reached over and roughly pulled the coin away. He pocketed it. The light turned green.