After Wrecker regained consciousness, Echo volunteered to be the next to have his chip removed. After that - and after a quick argument - Hunter acquiesced to be next. It only made sense, after all. Tech was the one who knew how to use the equipment and perform the operation.

It did raise a question of how they would remove his chip, but they'd figure something out. Tech wondered with some hesitation if it would be possible for him to remain conscious throughout the procedure, so he could guide one of the others. It wouldn't be pleasant, but the most important thing was getting the chip out.

Then, as Hunter laid down to begin the surgery, Echo walked over to stand behind Tech.

"Shouldn't you sit?" Tech asked, not paying him too much attention. "You did just have brain surgery."

"Show me how to do it," Echo said, nodding at the control panel.

Tech frowned. "Why?"

Echo gave him an unimpressed look. "Who's going to get your chip out, Wrecker?"

"Ah." It did make the most sense for Echo to perform Tech's surgery, out of everyone there. He'd once served on a ship similar to this one, so he could have some familiarity with the equipment. And after Tech himself, he was the best with technology. Wrecker wasn't delicate enough to perform this sort of surgery, Hunter had little knowledge of this sort of medicine, Omega was a child, and as much as Tech liked Rex, he would rather trust a member of his own squad to perform literal brain surgery on him.

"Very well," Tech said, refocusing on the control panel in front of him. "Pay close attention."

"Trust me, I will."

Tech input the commands for Hunter's surgery a bit more slowly than he had for the previous two, aware of Echo's focused gaze on his hands. He quietly narrated his actions as well, explaining everything he was doing in the simplest way he could. Given the looks Echo shot him a few times, he may have been oversimplifying it, but Tech would rather his explanation be simpler than Echo needed than be too complex for him to understand.

Finally, the surgery was over, and the cot slid back out into the room with Hunter on it, vitals stabilizing. "There we are," Tech said. "Any questions?"

"I don't think so," Echo replied. "Except... Well, there is one."

"Yes?"

"Can I be the one to shave your head for the surgery?"

Tech scowled. "No."

He didn't particularly like the idea of shaving his head for the surgery at all, although he knew it was necessary. He knew the bald patch would make him look ridiculous. Echo and Wrecker didn't have to worry about it, since their heads were entirely shaved already, and Hunter's hair was long enough that the rest of it could cover the small bald patch, but on Tech, it would be obvious. He didn't care much about his appearance normally, but he didn't want to look comical.

Given the look on Echo's face, he wasn't entirely sure he trusted him not to make Tech look as comical as possible.

"Oh, come on," Echo said, shaking his head. "You trust me to do literal brain surgery on you, but you don't trust me to shave your head beforehand?"

Well, if he put it like that, it did sound rather absurd.

"Fine," Tech relented. "But don't make it look ridiculous."

"Don't worry about it," Echo replied. "I've gotten a lot better at this since the time Rex asked me to help him shave."

Tech frowned. "What do you mean? What happened then?"

"Oh, it turned out okay," Echo dismissed. "Besides, I think he likes being blond now."

"What? Echo, you're making a joke, aren't you? Echo? Echo?"