"So this is what those med techs have been fussing over this whole time?" Fahz jerked his head at JD's right arm. "Looks…flimsy."

Kait tilted her head to one side as she examined his arm. "How's it feel?"

JD lifted the arm and flexed his fingers into a fist. "Feels fine. Little itchy, but they said that's just the new nerve endings growing in."

The medical sleeve, which had served as his substitute epidermis for the last several months, was gone. The raw muscles of his arm were covered in a new layer of pale, blemish-free skin. It was smooth and just slightly more transparent than normal skin, clearly showing the blue lines of his veins.

JD didn't understand all the science behind his treatment, but the young doctor had been excited about the procedure when he had explained it to him. Very experimental the doctor had said, practically vibrating with enthusiasm.

It was similar tech to what Baird used in his lab to print three dimensional parts and tools, only it had been adapted to use living tissue. Lab-grown cells—grown from samples collected from JD a week prior to the procedure—were fed into a bio-printer and printed out in precise careful lines down the exposed musculature of his arm.

The process had taken several days and several sessions to complete, but the result was fresh baby-soft skin covering his whole arm. The lines showing the printer's path were still visible, but they were fading as the skin expanded and grew atop its new home.

The new skin was so smooth there weren't even any creases along his knuckles, and the hand was void of fingerprints. There were small ovals near the end of each finger where fingernails were beginning to grow in. In a few months, the doctor had promised, the skin would toughen and tan and there would be no obvious signs the limb had been injured in the first place.

JD had been skeptical in the beginning, but he couldn't argue with the results. He had been convinced the medical membrane was going to be a permanent fixture in his life, or that he would have knotted scar tissue running up his arm like Paduk. It seemed like a better result than he deserved.

"It's amazing." Kait marvelled, grasping his wrist and turning his arm over to examine the underside of his forearm. JD relaxed his arm and let her manipulate it.

"Apparently I was their first human trial. I didn't think it would actually work."

"Is that what you've been up to these last few weeks? Playing lab rat?" Fahz snorted.

"Not really up to me." JD shrugged. "They told me I was the perfect candidate to try it out, and after the spiel they gave me, it was impossible to say no."

Phrases like This could help advance the field of emergency medicine by decades and Think of all the good that could come from this and There's nothing to be lost by trying had been thrown at him by all sorts of doctors and medical techs. The real deciding factor for JD had been the promise of the technology helping other people. He didn't care so much if he was left scarred from the Hammer blast, but if being a test subject meant helping others down the line then he couldn't say no.

The only real cost to him had been his time and his deployment with Delta. If the treatment had failed, then the printed skin would have been removed and his medical membrane would have been reattached. Nothing about it was threatening, and all it took was him staying on base for a few weeks.

To give the skin time to bond to his tissue and properly adjust, JD had been on strict light duties. Anything too strenuous risked tearing the new delicate epidermis, effectively undoing all the work his excited doctor had done. It meant he couldn't join Delta on patrols or missions for a few weeks, and he'd barely seen the others in that time. Their mission to Vasgar was to be his first normal work in what felt like ages.

"Since it worked on me, the doctor's hopeful they'll be able to use it on more people. They might even be able to use it to print and repair muscle and organ tissue." He explained as Kait finally finished her examination of his arm. "If it works, it could mean healing up in days rather than weeks."

"That would be incredible." Kait said with raised eyebrows.

"It could make a big difference in war time, that's for sure." JD agreed.

"So how much paperwork did they saddle you with while you've been on this vacation of yours?" Fahz asked cheekily.

"You wouldn't believe how much." JD groaned, slumping back in his chair. "Did you know I had to inventory the base's ammo supply? Do you have any idea how many bullets that is?"

"A metric shit ton?" Fahz offered with a smirk.

"A metric fuck ton." JD corrected, grumbling. "You have no idea how excited I am to not have to count something."

"Speaking of counting things," Kait said. "I count zero drinks on this table where there should be at least three. You promised drinks."

"The free alcohol was just a clever ruse to get you to hang out with me." An impudent smile spread across JD face.

"A ruse? Better not be." Kait scoffed.

"But I've been so lonely."

"Nice try. Booze. Now." She slapped her hand on the table demandingly.

"Alright, alright!" JD raised his hands in surrender and laughed. He pushed up from their small table and walked to the bar.

As promised, JD returned with the first round; beers for three. With the COG thrust back into war, inventory of non-essential goods like alcohol would disappear soon as supply efforts were focused elsewhere. With that in mind, the three enjoyed their pints while they lasted.

They spent the time chatting and catching up after their few weeks apart, Kait and Fahz filling JD in on the patrols and evacuations Delta had been assigned to. JD felt fortunate that he hadn't missed anything terribly exciting while on inventory duty.

Fahz, despite being the brunt of every joke JD could think of, ponied up for the second round. JD and Kait each choked back their shots with a wince and a cough, while Fahz downed his with a laughing shout, thumping himself in the chest when he finished.

It was Kait's selection of drink that was the worst.

"What is it?" JD asked, his face twisted up in distaste as he stared at the milky white drink in his glass. It was sour and sharp in his nose, and he hadn't dared try it yet. Fahz appeared equally distrusting of the liquid in his glass, swirling it to watch it shimmer in the light.

"Kumis. It's an old Outsider drink." There was a twinkle in Kait's eye as she spoke.

"Yeah, okay. But what is it?" He asked again.

"Telling you would ruin the fun." Kait sipped at her own white liquid casually, her face giving JD no indication if the drink was actually good or not.

"Is this something I'm gonna puke up later?" Fahz pulled the drink up and sniffed it, and JD cringed as he saw the other man's face crinkle up.

"It's not that bad." She insisted, taking another drink to prove her point.

"Somehow," JD sighed and lifted the glass. "I doubt that."

Before he lost his nerve, JD tilted the cup and took a big mouthful of the drink. The foul flavour hit him immediately and he fought the urge to spit it back into the glass. He sealed his mouth shut and forced himself to swallow, pounding his fist on the table as he did.

"Kait! The fuck?!" He said when the liquid had slipped down his throat. Kait nearly spit out her own mouthful and snorted in laughter. She quickly swallowed then threw her head back and laughed. "Ugh…oh man. That shit's awful."

Fahz looked horrified at JD's reaction and stared warily into his cup.

"Why does it—" JD tried to force back a gag and was only half successful. "Why does it taste like…like…fuck!" Kait cackled, her face bright and red with laughter. "Gross." He muttered, using the bottom of his shirt to wipe at his face and get rid of any residue that stuck to his beard. The scent of the liquid was still in his nose, tingling unpleasantly. "You're up, Fahz."

"And you made it look so appealing." The Vasgari mumbled.

Just when JD thought he was going to chicken out, Fahz snapped his head back and chugged the drink. Milky white rivulets slipped from the edges of his mouth and dripped onto his shirt as he mechanically downed the liquid.

"Oh damn." Kait's eyebrows shot up and she glanced at JD, looking impressed. "He put you to shame, Fenix."

Fahz gasped as he dropped the empty glass back to the table, panting and wiping his mouth with the back of his arm. Then he paused and JD watched him grimace and finally acknowledge the taste.

"What did I just drink?" The words came slow and suspicious from Fahz's mouth, making Kait laugh again.

"Kumis. It's fermented horse milk." She grinned.

JD sputtered. "Is that…is that why it tasted like…like…"

"Yogurt, mate?" Fahz offered, looking far less disturbed than JD. "Sour alcoholic yogurt?"

"Oh god…I think I'm gonna be sick."

"JD, I think you're actually turning green." Kait teased. JD gave a sickly cough and raised his hand to catch the bartender's attention and place another order.

"Milk's not half as bad as what I thought." Fahz said, looking thoughtfully down into his empty glass.

"Do I want to know what you thought it was?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"My dad used to tell me of this nasty drink from his days in Vasgar. Distilled with a raw chicken in it." It was Kait's turn to look horrified. "Supposedly it gave it quite a unique full bodied flavour." Fahz smirked at her expression.

"I'd still take chicken liquor," JD croaked. "Over this nasty Chuzz juice."

"Speaking of which, you have to finish that." Kait gestured at his glass, which was still near full.

JD gave it a forlorn look. "Do I have to?"

"Hey, we both finished ours." She turned her cup over and two drops splattered on the table. "And if we did it, then you have to too." A hand plucked up his glass and pushed it squarely in front of him.

JD stared at it miserably, knowing he would receive no leniency from the two of them. "Shit."

With a defeated sigh, he forced himself to ignore the acidic smell and the churning in his stomach as he raised the drink to his lips. The tart, unpleasant flavour hit his tongue and JD tried to mimic Fahz's tactic of chugging it all back in one go. As much as he wanted to stop and spit it all back out—maybe go vomit into the bar's single toilet—Kait's laughter spurred him on.

He held is breath and demanded his mouth and throat work, pushing the liquid down without pause. If he stopped he knew that would be the end of it and he wouldn't be able to finish, and Kait and Fahz would torment him about it for weeks to come.

After what seemed like forever, the liquid stopped flowing into his mouth and he made his last swallow. JD lowered the glass and bared his teeth as he let out his breath with a low groan.

Kait gave him a hard pat on the back in congratulations and JD gripped the table as his stomach jostled. The kumis was trying to crawl its way back up his throat and he closed his eyes and willed his roiling stomach to calm.

"Shall I clear the way to the toilet?" Fahz teased.

"Just…stop talking." JD held up a hand, his eyes still closed.

How was it he could wade waist deep through putrid Swarm pods and rotting corpses without so much as a sniff, but a little sour milk threatened to do him in?

There was set of footsteps and the sound of more glasses being added to the table, and JD knew his drink order had arrived. He forced himself to swallow and wiped his face with the hem of his shirt again before opening his eyes and staring blearily at Kait and Fahz's smirking faces.

"Never again." He managed through gritting teeth.

Three shots lay before them, a faintly yellow alcohol brimming in each. JD's hand lunged forward and he jolted his head up and back, savouring the hot burn as the alcohol drained down his throat and to his stomach.

Before the others could reach for their shots, JD grabbed the two small glasses and drank them both in quick succession.

"You're gonna regret that in the morning." Kait mused.

"Don't care. Just as long as I get that taste out of my mouth."

"You big baby. It wasn't that bad."

"It was and you know it." JD burped and he covered his mouth with a fist, his eyes clenched shut again. "This better not give me…dysentery or something."

"You'll be fine." Kait waved his concerns away with a smile. "But be sure to sit next to the bathroom on the flight tomorrow."

"Please don't make me think about that." He uttered around his fist.

"S'it coming back up, Fenix? I thought it was soothing on the stomach really. It'd go nice with a bit of honey in it, maybe a biscuit or two." The cheeky smile was evident in Fahz's voice.

"Stop talking." JD hissed, then more weakly, "Direct order." He heard Fahz snicker.

Several sets of boots approached and JD heard the other two chatter away with the visitors. He ignored the conversation and tried to keep his breathing steady. With Kait and Fahz distracted he was able to focus on calming his stomach. Straightening his posture helped relieve the pressure, and he hiccuped once, twice and felt some relief. At some point he heard barks of laughter, and he realized belatedly they were laughing at him.

The voices faded away and he heard Kait say her goodbyes, then JD dared to crack his eyes open.

"Feeling better yet?" She asked, less teasing and more gentle than before.

"Work in progress." He said, then hiccuped again. "Who was that?" He nudged his chin towards the retreating group of soldiers.

"Oh, just a few Gears who are never going to respect you again." She said with a sly smile.

"Fantastic."

"Who's up for some more?" Fahz asked cheerily, reaching over to give JD a hard slap on the shoulder. JD responded with a feeble groan and tried his best to swat Fahz's hand away.

"I'm done. Never fly with a hangover." Kait said sagely.

"Aw, but you've barely had anything!" Fahz protested, already flagging down the bartender for another round.

"And I'm going to keep it that way. I'm done." She said again and pushed herself back from the table. "So is JD." Kait tossed a thumb at the groaning soldier, whose recently repaired arm was wrapped around his middle.

"Oh he's definitely done." Fahz agreed with a grin. "I'm going to get myself a little sloshed, seeing as how we're all gonna go dig our way into our tombs." He gave JD another firm slap on the shoulder as he walked passed and toward the bar.

"I think I have a rough night ahead." JD muttered as his stomach contents swirled, the alcohol mixing poorly with the fermented milk. He took a moment to get his feet under him before he stood, gripping the table shakily.

"If he dies during the night, I call dibs on his room." Fahz called out, another two shots already gripped in each hand.

"Wouldn't that be great. Killed by a bad batch of…of…yogurt." JD made a face and threw a few bills on the bar and gave an unsteady wave to the bartender.

"We'll bury you with the Allfathers." Kait chuckled. She slipped her arm through his and encouraged him to lean against her for support. "Come on, you're looking at little pale. Let's get you to bed."

With Kait's help they made their way into the hall, and JD wrapped an arm around her shoulders to grip her a little tighter. It was less an affectionate gesture and more of a desperate hold to prevent himself from toppling over.

"You actually like that stuff?" He asked, noting with a frown his speech was sounding a little funny.

"The kumis? Yeah, tastes like home." Kait's voice was soft and reminiscent. "Mom used to make it."

"Oh. Yeah." Despite the three shots he had downed, JD could still taste the kumis on the back of his tongue. "Just tastes like shit to me." He said with an apologetic smile. Kait laughed lightly.

"Yeah, it wasn't as good as the stuff Mom used to make." She gave his arm a tug and they rounded a corner together. JD tried to look around and get his bearings, but both his head and stomach were spinning. "She used to say you get bad kumis from milking the male horses instead of the females."

It took him a second to process the thought, but his stomach beat him to it. Bile rose to the back of his throat and JD locked a hand over his mouth with a startled, strangled groan. His vision darkened at the edges and his focus narrowed down to the few steps in front of him and Kait's hold on his arm.

Kait was laughing again. "Sorry. I'll shut up now."

A few more weak steps and they were standing in front of a door. His door. It took him three tries to enter his code, but eventually it slid aside and he stumbled from Kait's hold to crash onto the bed. With some nauseating effort he managed to flop onto his back and laid sprawled and panting through his nose, his hand still holding his mouth shut.

Kait was watching him with a smile, her arms across her chest as her hip leaned on the wall near his feet.

"You know," The chiding lecture was coming, JD could hear it in her voice. "If you hadn't had those extra shots, I bet you'd be feeling a lot better right now.

"Yeah, yeah. I know." He grumbled after his hand fell away. Then he waggled his feet back and forth on their heels. "Pull my boots off, will you?" As though it was an afterthought, JD added, "Please?"

Kait chuckled with a shake of her head and pushed off from the wall, then reached out and opened the latches around his calves and ankles. A few tugs later and the boots thudded to the ground, one falling over with a thump.

"Pass me that." He waved a loose hand at a jar sitting out of reach on his bedside table. "That blue thing." JD's speech was starting to slur a little.

Kait picked the heavy jar up and unscrewed the cap. A thick medicinal smell wafted out and she crinkled her nose.

"You have to put this stuff on your arm?" She asked, handing the open jar to him. JD let the container sit on his chest as he used his left hand to scoop out a dollop of pale pink goop.

"Every day, three times per day. Stinks, doesn't it?" He slathered it on his forearm and the medicinal smell grew stronger in the room. His movements were clumsy, and it was a clear struggle to keep his arms up.

Kait sat on the edge of the bed and grasped the wrist of his left hand. She ran her palm over his fingers to swipe up the lotion, then she let his hand fall away. JD obeyed without a word when she reached for his other arm, letting her cradle the limb in one hand while the other worked the goop into his skin.

Her fingers felt warm but rough against the sensitive new skin, her calluses rubbing against the inside of his elbow and moving down to his palm. She paused for a moment to scoop out more lotion from the jar still propped on his chest, then her fingers began massaging over his knuckles and the lines of his tendons. She was gentle as she rubbed around his new fingernails and down between his fingers.

It was all very calming, and JD watched with blurring eyes as she worked. More than once he dozed off for a few seconds, then his stomach would churn and he would wake again to a wave of nausea.

When she finished coating his arm with the medical lotion, she rested his hand on his abdomen and sealed up the jar. She set it aside and looked back down at him, her hand on his thigh.

"How's your stomach now?" Her voice was much quieter than before, and he blinked up at her.

"Not great." He said, suspecting he looked a little pathetic. A cold sweat had started, and he could feel his shirt become sticky and uncomfortable. The room felt simultaneously too cold and too hot, and JD knew the next few hours would not be kind to him.

Kait nodded and retrieved his small trash bin and placed it on the floor at the head of his bed.

"Just in case you need it." She said. Then she grabbed the clock sitting on the beside table and set his alarm for the next morning. The final touch was finding his canteen and filling it with fresh cold water from his room's small sink, and placing it next to the clock. "There. Now try to sleep off some of those stupid decisions you drank."

JD chuckled, then groaned at the way his stomach stirred. He rolled onto his side, his arm sticking to his shirt from all the lotion.

"S'all your fault." He muttered, trying to smile to show he had no hard feelings. The gesture came out as an involuntary grimace as a shiver ran through him.

"I'm the worst." She agreed with a smile, pulling up the military-grey wool blanket and draping it over his body. JD grasped at it and tugged it under his chin, feeling it scratch against his beard. "If I don't see you at breakfast, I'll assume the kumis killed you and I'll be by to help Fahz move in."

"Please don't make me think about food right now." JD mumbled, burying his face into the blanket and scrunching his nose. Her footsteps walked away from him, and he aimed a small wave in her direction. "Night."

The lights flicked off and JD let his eyes slip shut as he heard his door open and then close again.