Doc Barrows was depressed. Each time Knox entered the Chop Shop, Nurse gave him a sheepish smile while pointing at the doctor who stood still in front of the glass, hands poised in the middle of writing something. Knox spent a couple of hours each time just standing beside him, trying to coax him out of it. His strategy was to ask questions like 'can a ghoul's dick rot and fall off cause a nose can totally do that?' Does ghoul meat taste different from human meat? Is it gross to kiss another ghoul? I'm sure it feels damn fucking awesome, right? Are there baby ghouls? Have you done it with a ghoul, Doc? Did it feel any different from doing it with a smoothskin? Have you even done it with a smoothskin? Doc Barrows usually would just tell him to leave and that actually meant that Knox had succeeded in bringing the good doctor to the present. Somewhat. Cause it took a lot to get Knox to leave. He left only when Doc started to read a pre-war book and the Chop Shop felt peaceful again. The smoothskin would then return to Win and his bodyguard in the basement.
Watching Win and Charon, Knox was convinced that they wouldn't find a cure of ghoulification in his lifetime. The whole fucking world on his shoulders. A frustrated sigh left his lips and he watched Win whistling as he banged away at some sheet metal. Knox spared a glance at his bodyguard to find the pale eyes already on him. He knew Charon felt the shift in his emotions even though it didn't outwardly show. They were alike in some ways, weren't they? Charon picked up the packet of cigarettes between them and opened it for Knox. Knox thanked him as he placed one stick between his lips, rolling it around with his tongue.
"Hey, man."
"What is it, Boss?" Knox cringed at the term but opted to ignore it.
"You know, I asked Doc Barrows a couple of things but he never answers me -"
"Shit, smoothskin. You know Barrows got a lot on his mind to try and babysit you -"
"Fuck, Win. It's not like I cling onto him or something. It's just a couple of questions."
"It's you. Your questions aren't answerable." Win snorted. "Asking your bodyguard won't be any better." Okay, so Win had a point. Knox glowered at his lap, staying silent for a long time before he felt the ghost of a touch over the back of his hands. He looked up and saw Charon watching him intently, the cancer stick still between his lips. Knox leaned over and touched his cigarette to Charon's burning one. He noted that Charon didn't even flinch at the closeness this time, merely letting his employer light his cigarette. The air between them shifted again into something tenser but lighter at the same time. Knox closed his eyes as he took a deep inhale, feeling turmoil in his guts. His fingers flexed as they recalled the feel of broken flesh.