After weeks of waiting Freddy was finally feeling well enough to leave the medbay for the last time in the foreseeable future! And while he was somewhat miffed that Teddy did away with Sam without him (with an incredibly risky plan), he was relieved that they were gone for good. That was one less serious threat to his brother's (...and his own) safety to worry about.
Unfortunately, his plans of hunting down a new, quiet place to settle down in the vents were shoved aside when he checked his bank account. What happened to the hazard pay he was supposed to get for getting stabbed while he was (for all his superior knew) cleaning the ductwork? Hell, where was the paycheck he was supposed to get for his pre-medbay work!?!?
It wasn’t actually a mystery. Freddy knew exactly why his funds were drier than they had any right to be. And fixing it had become a routine battle with bureaucracy.
So here he was, sitting in the crowded double-decker WR waiting room while listening for his number. Except now he had to struggle through a battle of endurance as his position put pressure onto his still tender internal organs.
“As if losing a kidney wasn’t bad enough,” Freddy disgruntledly muttered while carefully helping himself to his feet. He needed something to keep his mind occupied anyways.
Simply standing, chatting, and taking a double-dose of ibuprofen did wonders for Freddy’s physical and emotional state. He hung around the entrance as he greeted people and pointed a few first-timers in the right direction.
When Inspector Heath stepped in Freddy realized that there may be one member of WR he should avoid at the moment. But it was too late now. She already spotted him and excusing himself now would only seem suspicious.
“Heya Pat!” Freddy greeted her with a sunny smile and big wave. “Any progress lately?”
“Fraid not. How’re you?”
“Eh. I’m here, aren’t I?”
Both of them shared a friendly laugh. Pat gave him a rough pat and he grimaced for a moment before returning to his previous energetic expression.
When the laughter died down Pat wiped a tear from her eye before briskly saying, “I’ll prod accounting to see if they can get you out of here a bit faster this time. Just tell me if you have any leads, alright?”
Freddy awkwardly rubbed his head. Part of him wanted to share his theory about Dawn’s case both to bring her justice and to resolve a potential threat. But now wasn’t the time. Any Glornch investigation would risk exposing Teddy’s secret.
“Thanks. But, eh...” He shrugged. “All I can say is that the medbay has been pretty crime-free these last few weeks...”
“Oof. Well, I’d say I’ll see you later but I wouldn’t want you to be stuck here that long.”
Freddy gave her an impish grin. “Then I’d hate to see you too, Pat.”
They laughed together again before going their separate ways. Pat went in the office door while Freddy refilled his water bottle at the drinking fountain.
