Chapter Text
Graham was just finishing stitching up a knight when a soldier with a bleeding arm stumbles into his office. He paid him almost no mind, just gesturing for him to go take a seat on one of the benches. Maybe he's a new recruit, but it doesn't really matter to him. He treated them all the same, being the only on-base surgeon in Bunker Alpha allowed him to not worry about his bedside manner.
Only when he ushers the knight away and turns to his next patient does Graham really start to think. The soldier was… big. He was at least 6'3 and padded generously with fat. His face was heavily scarred with burns that started over his left eye and extended well onto the side of his head. The scars were old, but his dark curly hair was still struggling to grow back in the area. The man smiles at him and waves awkwardly and Graham feels his face flush up.
Only when someone clears their throat from the doorway does he realize that he's not alone. It's a squire that he knows, a medic. Probably one of the worst medics in the ranks, named Shaky. He doesn't know how he got to be to be a squire.
"I'm only here to make sure you don't be a bitch to Moss, alright?" Shaky said, crossing his arms and huffing.
…… Moss?
His name was Moss?
"Okay… It's nice to meet you… Moss . Please come sit on the table over here." It was easier to have better bedside manners when an ex-raider was seemingly threatening his life.
This "Moss" quickly complies and gets up from the bench to go and sit on the examination table while Graham grabbed his medical supplies. "How did this happen?"
Moss paused for a long moment before speaking hesitantly, clearly struggling to get the words out. "Ah.. End mission.. raider ambushed…." He motioned being stabbed for a few moments before he found the right words, "spear! with ah... serrated blade."
Graham's concern for this man only grew, how had he managed to get into the brotherhood? Were they that desperate for soldiers? He tried to focus on the task at hand, lifting the man's sleeve and gently unwrapping the hastily wrapped bandages.
The wound was jagged, as he expected with the serrated blade, but didn't hit anything major thankfully. Raiders usually had terrible aim, they never change. The bleeding had slowed, but not stopped. Definitely would need stitches. "This will need stitches. Do you need anything for pain or something to bite on?"
Moss smiled at him, making Graham's heart skip a beat, and shook his head. "Ah.. think okay. Was… ah, always toughest."
Usually, he'd doubt that. He'd heard that from plenty of new recruits who became absolute babies as soon as the needle went in. But something about this man's scars told him otherwise. So, he didn't worry about getting any Med-X from the safe in the back of the room. He just grabbed some biodegradable sutures, a pack of needles and a bottle of antiseptic.
When Graham started to apply the antiseptic, Moss just tilted his head and watched him work to clean out the wound. The only time he showed any reaction was when he put the needle in, and he just narrowed his eyes a little before relaxing again as Graham began stitching.
Only when he was done did he realize that Shaky had come into the room and was watching him work with a skeptical look. Good. He might learn something for once. "Let me find something to help quicken that healing."
Looking back in the safe only made him sigh softly to himself. Lots of healing powder, some poultice and absolutely no stimpaks. He glanced back to the cute man sitting on his table and closed his eyes for a moment. Just because he was cute doesn't mean he gets special treatment. He grabbed some of the powder.
Moss openly showed his distaste for healing powder, frowning and speaking up. "Hate powder. Ah.." He motioned vaguely to his scar, "makes head weird."
"It can have some effects on perception, but we want this to heal as fast as possible." He cleaned off the stitches gently with more antiseptic, in case Moss has touched it while he wasn't looking, before applying the powder as carefully as he could so he didn't disturb the stitches. Next, was wrapping them which Moss complied with easily even if he was scrunching his nose up at the smell of the healing powder. Graham had become nose-blind to it by now.
He picked up Moss' file and began to write a release. "Keep these bandages on for 2 days and then come back to me to get the stitches checked out. Replace them every morning and if you see-" He paused, staring at the file.
Moss Bishop.
Moss… Bishop.
Moss Bishop!?
Moss was related to Knight Elijah? Senior Knight Elijah Bishop?
He swallowed, pushing away his nervousness before continuing where he had abruptly stopped "Uhm... Replace them every morning and if you see any discharge or redness come straight to me. Alright?"
Moss smiled brightly at him and shook his hand. "Yes, ah thank you. Most.. ah, doctors…" He struggles for a few moments, looking frustrated with himself. "Most doctors, not, ah, nice."
Graham immediately understood what he meant. He tried his best not to discriminate even if he was wondering how Moss got into the brotherhood. He would still treat him.
"Come on Moss, we gotta let Dillon know what the status is before he blows a gasket." Shaky said, putting his hand on Moss' shoulder. The large man smiled and thanked him again before following the ex-raider out of the office.
That left Graham there standing alone, worried about the safety of this strange man and wishing those two days would pass.. so, so much faster.