Doc was so upset that he couldn't even form a coherent sentence when Knox entered the Chop Shop. Nobody could blame him. Knox showed up after a week's disappearance having consumed nothing but blood and water. Win wasn't helping matters by telling him what Knox told him which was – 'out selling his body for caps'. No amount of 'I was kidding's made anything better. Doc had been frazzled for days because he was worried not only because of the potential cure but because Knox was invaluable to Underworld no matter how vehemently the smoothskin denied it. He was one of the many reasons why this place had become more homely. And now Cerberus had announced that Ahzrukhal was dead because Knox's new bodyguard blew his brains out.
"Kill that light," Barrows warned, pointing at the cigarette between the smoothskin's lips. Knox threw it on the floor and smothered it.
"It wasn't my fault Ahz was an evil bastard."
"It's going to be your fault if you died and –"
"I gotta get the caps cause you wanted me to get a bodyguard -" Knox bit down on his lips. Shit. This wasn't what Doc wanted to hear. "I just wanted the cure to work already, dammit." He ran his fingers through his hair, making him realise that he was shivering. Barrows let the shivering carry on a bit longer before handing him a plate of Mirelurk cakes. Knox obediently took one cake and started chewing.
"So the bodyguard?"
"His name is Charon," he muttered between mouthfuls.
"I know his name. He's…a piece of work. Be careful with him."
"He's awesome –"
"And he's not a toy."
"I think I understand the difference between a teddy bear and a killing machine." Ahz made that mistake. He wasn't going to. Knox swallowed the last Mirelurk cake. "So, the tests?"
"When you're all healed up." Barrows pierced his skin with the needle, pulling out an ample amount of blood. "You must rest before going out once again. No arguments." Knox stuck his tongue out at the doctor. "Am I the only doctor who gets this special treatment from you?"
"Only the ones that remind me of my dad." Yes, Doc Barrows was the only one who reminded him of Dad.
"I'm assuming your father was a patient man."
"Very patient." Barrows raised an eyebrow at him. Knox slipped out a cigarette from the packet and placed it between his lips. He didn't light it, just closed his eyes and chewed on the end of it. A memory of James surfaced in his mind. His very patient dad. "He was a good doctor." Barrows squeezed his shoulder and Knox opened his eyes to smile a rare, genuine smile at the doctor. "I'm sorry for making you worry, Doc Barrows."
"It's alright, kid."
Knox got up from his seat on the cot, rolling down his sleeve as he walked to the doors. He beckoned for Charon to enter. The tall ghoul entered the office, planting himself beside Knox in an alert fashion. Knox fought to keep the wave of intimidation down his spine at the proximity and at the obvious way Charon was standing guard in defending him. It bothered him to receive this kind of attention when he was the one usually giving it.
"Uh…Ease up, Charon. Erm. Take a break. Well, fuck. Just…take a seat." Charon merely ran his eyes over the smoothskin again before setting himself down on an empty chair, gracefully placing his shotgun beside him. His hands didn't leave the weapon. Realising that he was staring again, Knox busied himself with the open wounds he had on his body. He stripped out of his clothes and grunted a 'No' when Nurse offered to help him. "Hey man," he called to Charon. "You got any wounds I need to heal or something?" Charon grunted a 'No'. Great. Already something in common. Win entered the Chop Shop, lighting up his cancer stick. Knox still chewed on the end of his own unlit cancer stick.
"Smoothskin, we gotta clear up the shit you left in the Ninth Circle."
"Aww man. It was Charon's mess."
"And you're the master-"
"Don't you use that FUCKING term on me, again, ghoul," his gruff voice echoed in the room. Knox coughed and finally lit up the cigarette between his lips. "Sorry, Win. I'll be there." Knox sighed. "And he's not a dog on a leash. Or a toy. Or a fucking teddy bear." Knox inhaled, and then turned to Charon. The bodyguard was still passive. No expressions marred his face. Their eyes met and still no expressions showed on that face. Knox felt the crawl of unease at the back of his neck. He continued stitching the scratch across his torso, sneaking glances at his bodyguard, who was just watching him.
"At least you didn't call me a zombie, bloodsucker," Win said, sitting down beside his friend.