General Gong escorts Rob to the room where Xander is recovering; there, they find the wolf is being put through a series of diagnostic physiotherapy checks.
"I was buried for nearly three days, and you're the one getting all the attention," Rob jokes; his tone is warm and light, though his expression is melancholic at best.
"They're just checking I still work right," Xander replies; his own smile fails to mask the darkness in his eyes.
"I heard you got involved in a bit of action trying to escape the city," Rob continues.
"We were being chased by that peregrine," Xander explains. "He kept throwing impact grenades at us. We avoided most of them, but one managed to blow me off my bike and through a bus shelter. Broke almost everything that could be broken, though somehow my head remained intact."
"Only because there's nothing in it to damage," Rob teases.
"Hey, there may not be much in there, but it's helped you out a few times," Xander teases back. "Plus it helped me convince Maria to continue alone. I take it you've heard about…"
"Yeah," Rob nods solemnly. "Lilac broke the news to me."
"I can't imagine finding someone like Maria was. She's got an iron constitution to see something like that and still act normally."
Rob blinks in disbelief. "Lilac found Maria?"
"Did she not say?"
"No!" Rob pauses a moment. "But then that would explain how she knew Maria's state in that level of detail…"
"I know this probably sounds silly to you, but I pray to the Ancients that they guide Maria to recovery."
"That's not silly in the slightest; I pray for her too."
The two friends share a moment of silence.
"How's Danny?" Xander asks.
"Not seen him yet," Rob answers. "I thought we'd both go see him, then all three of us can visit Maria together."
"That would be the right thing to do," Xander agrees. "Hey, doc, are we done yet?"
The doctor overseeing the tests consults his charts. "There's a couple more tests I'd like to run still, but they can wait."
"Thanks doc." Xander attempts to stand, but he's still weak, and he slumps back in the chair. "Gonna need some wheels," he sighs.
"Of course," the doctor agrees, signalling to an orderly to fetch a wheelchair.
"The doc warned me this might be the case," Xander explains to Rob. "I didn't really understand a lot of it, but basically my bones are where they should be and in the right numbers of pieces. The muscles will take a bit longer to sort themselves out; should be fine by the afternoon though."
"I take it you've received elixir?"
"Just enough to mend my bones; there's those who need it more than me."