Chapter Text
As the doors of the infirmary were shut and barred with a stray cart of medical supplies, a collective shudder made its way through the group of mercenaries. It was amazing, the variety of reactions that could be elicited from different people to the same stressor. Scout, for instance, always had busy feet when anxious, tapping along to some silent tempo that only he could hear. On the other side, Engineer soothed a gloved hand over the back of his neck, hardhat pressed to his chest with the other. A good lot, though, had the same distant expression that said they resigned to whatever fate awaited them.
Oh, and the variety of reactions that could be elicited from very same people from moment to moment! For instance, the way the seven men turned to stone as Medic turned to meet their gazes.
"Men, I am slow to anger. Quite the necessity for my role, of course, all a part of the job. I am aware you cannot prevent my every death, use my every Über to its absolute fullest, I am aware, you are only men. But TODAY."
The lot couldn't help but wince. Yes, That Thing That Happened Today was, well, to terribly understate, not very good.
Thus, the mercenaries were subjected to a long and winding rant, greatly consisting of calling them a number of colorful non-English superlatives. But that did eventually come to its conclusion, and with a pause the Medic began again.
"After That Thing That Happened Today… I won't take it anymore. I demand justice, and so…"
The entire room, it was as if the walls held their breath.
"No more weed from me." he announced with an air of finality.
The tension, the dam with which all the pressure in the room was held broke and crashed in an instant.
"Man, you're KIDDING."
"Wait, wait now, that's just for the smoking stuff, right? Me gummies are safe, right?"
"Now that's just not right."
It was quite the scene to just drink in, all seven—wait, seven?—
"Oh, and no crack either."
—ahh, there. Eight. He felt the hands wrap around his leg before he could see them, but in an instant the rest of the Spy manifested before him, groveling at his knees. "Docteur, have a heart!" he said, complemented with eyes round and pleading like a dog's. A good look on him, Medic could admit, but of course it wouldn't sway him.
Someone at some point had shouted something over the cacophony of protests, something that sounded like "Isn't there anything—?" And after the seed had been planted, the group had taken a new tune, despair replaced with begging.
"Doc, isn't there some way we could make it up to you?
"I'm sure we could make this right doctor, just let us try!"
"Doktor, Team will do anything!"
Well, if that was the case…
The Medic straightened, barely brushing the look of pride from his face before addressing the group once more.
"Hmm. At least it does seem like you all have a little regret for That Thing That Happened Today. If you are really so sorry—"
"We are!"
"Very!"
"—ahem, then you will prove it with your actions." As if scanning a butcher's rack, Medic's eyes flitted this way and that across the team, though he may also have been looking around his own room. "You know, I've been terribly bored these days, but my better ideas to entertain myself require a second person! If, perhaps, any of you would find it in yourselves to pay me a visit, indulge in some of my extracurriculars, perhaps I could find it within myself to forgive you."
There was no question about it then.
"Hey," the Engineer started softly "I know the Doc's our only plug out here, but the look in those there eyes… makes you wonder what sort of extracurricular activities would take for him to forgive That Thing That Happened Today just like that."
To that, Scout tilted his head and shrugged. "I mean, you know him. Yeah, yeah, don't get me wrong, the dude's fuckin' insane, no shit his whatever thing is gonna be insane. But if you think about it, the not knowing is the worst part, and we already know! Being torn up and stuff ain't nothing when you got our jobs, right?"
The Engineer just smiled, and let his arms fall into a comfortable cross. "Well, when you put it like that, I reckon we ought to be just fine."