milliways_bar | (no subject)

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"Well can you please find his prosthetic leg so that this poor gentleman can engage with physio?" Guppy is asking, as he comes through the door. "They're not cheap, you know."

He closes the door and shakes his head. How can you lose a prosthetic leg, of all things? And the junior doctor looked terrified, as if it was her fault. Something to check on later, he reckons.

He sits down in his usual spot and puts up his clinic sign.

Free Walk-in Clinic
The doctor is in

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Jack walks in to the bar, clutching his upper arm with his left hand. He looks pleased to see the bar, at any rate.

When he spots Guppy and his sign, he walks straight over.

He's wearing cargo pants, thick walking boots and a t-shirt that looks charred on the right arm, just above the point where he's clutching it. He's also wearing a FDNY Precinct 17 helmet.

Oh, and he's also swearing under his breath. The target of the insults does seem to be himself, if that's any consolation.

"Hi there." Guppy looks up. "Can I help?"

"Hey Guppy. Burn relief."

Might as well get straight to the point. Jack had been going to just stick it under cold water, but this seems like a much better idea. He lets the arm go, and shows it to Guppy. It's clearly not a major burn, but it still hurts like hell at the moment.

"Frigging waterfalls," he mutters under his breath.

"Do you want it fixing completely so it doesn't show or treating so that it's still realistic in your world?" Guppy asks, taking a look.

Jack considers for a moment. Max already knows about Milliways, and no one else knows he got it, which makes the decision easy.

"Completely. The one person who saw me get it already comes here." Which does make things much easier.

"Do you work with Tommy?" Guppy asks. "Hold on a sec."

He disappears into the infirmary, and comes back with some kolto patches from Atton's world.

"This is kolto, put the patch over your burn, should be done in a couple of minutes."

Jack shakes his head, it's not a name he recognises. "No, don't know a Tommy. Not here, anyway."

He follows Guppy's instructions, feeling the effects almost immediately. "Thanks."

"No problem. What happened?"

"Got too close to the flaming waterfall." Yes, he does mean that literally.

"Got through the rest of it fine, even after, but..." he trails off, realising that Guppy may not necessarily have followed that, it did assume certain knowledge of what he does.

"Wait. Let me back up." He thinks for a moment. "Indiana Jones mean anything to you?"

"Flaming waterfall?"

Guppy thinks for a moment.

"I think he used to come here but I've not seen him in a long time."

Jack is, somehow unsurprised that Indiana Jones comes/came here.

"Well, I'm a archaeologist in his vein. This was a training run that Max somehow set up, one of the traps involved a waterfall of oil that was set alight. I got too close and wound up splashed with a little bit." Hence, his arm.

"Oh, wow." Guppy nods. "That'll do it. Might want to look at your safety gear."

Jack nods. "Speed's a factor though, can't afford to lug safety equipment, when not making mistakes will keep you as safe, and be faster."

Oh how he's learning to hate time-and-speed traps.

"That too. Though could you wear gloves or lightweight body armour?"

Jack nods appreciatively for the ideas. "Fine work's a bit harder with gloves on. At least, any gloves that'd be worth wearing, anyway. I'll probably have to insist on body armour when other parties start getting involved anyway, but for one man against the clock?"

Armour always slows you down. Unless it's powered, and even then...

"I wear a lightweight vest - also from Atton's world - which looks like cotton but works against knives and punches." Beat. "My workplace is quite dangerous."

Jack raises his eyebrows. "I'm not particularly worried about knives and punches. My line of work's more alligators and boiling oil."

Among other things. And, no, don't ask how the oil is still kept hot after three thousand years.

"What kind of archaeology involves maintaining live alligators?"

"The kind where you're going to be working alongside them, in the same river. At least, probably. Also, bullets. But they'll be coming from competitors, rather than the trap systems themselves."

At least, he hopes so, anyway.

"Oh, I was thinking people were leaving them as traps." Guppy says, feeling a little stupid.

"Lift the patch, let's see your arm?"

Well... Some people do. Jack's just not aware of them, yet.

"Not that I'm aware of. But, working in Egypt, it's a good bet we'll meet a few Nile crocodiles along the way."

Jack lifts the patch up so Guppy can see. He's aware it's definitely not hurting as much as it was, but he's not sure whether what remains isn't yet healed, or is just phantom pain.

"Hm, needs a few more minutes."

Guppy nods. "I've never been to Egypt. Do you keep all of the artefacts, or do they end up in museums or sold?"

Jack settles the patch down again.

"Neither have I. Not yet, anyway, but I know this project is going to involve work there," Jack admits.

"Officially, all artefacts found on Egyptian soil, are property of the Egyptian state. Much like a lot of countries."

"That must make it difficult to finance your trips."

"Finance isn't something I'm worrying about," Jack admits. "I'm still on an Army salary, indefinitely. I'll survive."