“You should rest that arm for at least a week”, Arcade said after having wheeled the trolley aside and Dylan was about to jump from the stretcher. “I hope that poses no threat to your undercover… work.”
“Nah.” Dylan carefully flexed his fingers. “I’ve been clocked out, yeah, but I’m not there ‘cause I need the money.”
“Good.” Arcade was rubbing disinfectant onto his own hands. “And be more careful around boiling pots in the future.”
“Will do, doc.” Dylan smiled up at him. “Must admit you’ve got a good touch. That hardly hurt.”
Arcade narrowed his eyes. “I know what Vincent told me, and you as well, I gather, but I have to ask you to refrain from training your… frumentarii skills on your doctor.”
Dylan swallowed a remark and shook his head, then got off the stretcher. “Anyway”, he said slowly. “Be seeing you.”
Arcade watched him go with a deep sigh. He didn’t even dare to allow himself to think about if things might get worse in fear of summoning the devil.

x-x-x-x-x-x

When Arcade started his next shift around noon the next day, he was still mulling over his conversation with Dylan when even as he sat there brooding over it with his coffee, the object of his musing appeared in the doorway of his office.
“Hello there”, Dylan said brightly. “Coming to have my arm checked!”
Arcade silently put down his coffee, gestured for Dylan to come in and closed the door behind them.

As he was repeating the procedure from the day before, Arcade finally cleared his throat. “I’m sorry for last night”, he said slowly.
“Well, I wasn’t really subtle either”, Dylan gave back without looking at him. “But… well. When do you quit tonight? We could have a drink or two together.”
“Not wasting any time, huh?”, Arcade now chuckled as well.
“It’s not as if we had all the time in the world with what we’re really trying to achieve.”
“Right you are.” Arcade frowned again. “Just one more thing though before we leave this room.”

Dylan stopped grinning and looked up at Arcade earnestly.
“I’ve talked to the traders here in Freeside, and the two caravaneers that came in this morning. Neither of them had any Legion armour, but one of them mentioned that they had a few bits and pieces in the museum in Primm.”
“Get it”, Dylan replied. “I’d best get over there tomorrow morning, then. Until then that arm here should’ve give me no more trouble than I can handle.”
“I could give you a stim pack”, Arcade replied and was already reaching for his trolley but Dylan shook his head.
“Nah, Doc, leave those for people who really need them.”
Arcade nodded with a certain kind of respect. Few men could resist the offer of a stimpack when in pain.

“So when do I pick you up?”
“Uh… about eight...ish.”
“Eightish?”
Arcade shrugged with a lopsided smile. “You never know with these doctors, if I get an emergency in at seven thirty I might not make it out until eight.”
“Got it. I’ll be here about eightish, then.” Dylan grinned, displaying two fine rows of surprisingly well kept teeth. “See ya tonight, Doc.”
“See you then.” With that, Arcade saw Dylan out of the door and had a look at the people sitting on the benches, waiting for their treatment.

Casting a last look at Dylan leaving the Fort he then asked himself what he was getting himself into, or rather, what he had gotten himself into, and if he was going to be able to get out of this without damage to his mental health. He strongly doubted it. Then he took a deep breath, trying to focus on his tasks ahead.
“Next, please!”

x-x-x-x-x-x