Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of the Abyss in any way, shape or form.
6. Inspection
Of all the times to get sick with a cold, on a trip with Jade to inspect the border patrols of Malkuth had to be one of the worst. There was no way to take a day off to recover, so all he could do was keep a wad of handkerchiefs with him and refrain from shaking people's hands whenever possible.
They were between inspections at the moment, and Guy was taking the chance to sit in a small, unused meeting room, blow his nose, and drink as much water as possible to soothe the painful soreness of his throat. It didn't help the way his limbs ached, or ease the pounding in his head, or get rid of the tiredness permeating his body, but at least he felt a little more human.
The click of heels warned him of someone approaching, and he slowly stood up, already dreading the next inspection. He would be glad when the day was done and he could crawl into his military issued bed.
Jade appeared at the doorway. "You may as well sit back down. The next inspection has been delayed."
Guy gave a sigh of relief and flopped back into the chair, unable to manage anything graceful when he was feeling so horrible. "When are we done?"
"Inspections end at five tonight, so four more hours."
…Four hours. Guy wondered if he would last until then.
He needed a distraction and his cold was making his brain feel fuzzy, so he asked a question he would normally never have dared ask, no matter how badly it was bothering him. "…How come you brought me along? Don't you normally make the rounds with a small squad?"
"Why do you think?" was all Jade said, sounding amused.
No simple answer, then, not that Guy had really expected one. Guy began to think out loud. "…I guess I'm something like an assistant now, because I've been helping out so often… That could be why…" he paused. "…Or maybe because I'm a pretty good fighter, and you know how I work. That might be it, too."
"Perhaps."
Guy tried again, his ideas getting more wild. "Maybe Peony had something awful planned for me, and you're saving me from it." He stopped and gave a weak laugh that quickly turned into coughing fit. "…No, you would have encouraged him."
"Your faith in me is overwhelming," Jade said, pushing his glasses up.
Guy ignored that and continued. "Maybe no squads were available, and I was a handy substitute." He paused, then shook his head. "…But no one's on maneuvers right now…"
Jade gave no indication, besides a slight raising of his eyebrows.
Leaning into the back of the chair, head tilted towards the ceiling, Guy said, "Maybe you brought me because you thought I'd be entertaining. Or because my pants are tight."
Jade chuckled softly. "Who knows?" Out of the corner of Guy's vision, he saw Jade look out the doorway and nod to someone that Guy couldn't see. "It appears they're ready."
Rolling his eyes, Guy stood up and followed after the soldier standing a respectful distance away.