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Description
From the other side of the glass, Stosh watched the scene below. Two doctors and a nurse were talking with the man sitting on the bed. The room had not just the usual diagnostic gear that one would expect from a hospital ward, but around the bed hanged the six robotic arms of a 'chopping board'. Doing surgery was easier if your arms didn't twitch.
"Progress?" asked Havelock.
"Fairly steady." answered Doctor Carmine. "He's responding well to treatment. His augments were put in him somewhat quick and dirty, but we've been able to repair some of the damage with bits of surgery and grafting. His systems OS has been given a completely new installation and per his requests, we've given him tools to monitor it himself. We're still seeing traces of neurological scarring around his datajack, but odds are good that we'll be able to overcome that obstacle entirely."

Havelock and Stosh nodded as the doctor went back to his duties. The two men continued to watch in silence. The patient was sitting on the hospital bed in fairly generic hospital pants trying to listen to what the doctors were telling him. Looking at him bare chested, it was pretty hard to miss the fact he was augmented. Synthetic skin almost assembled over his body in panels, the seams being noticeable if you looked for them. A valve on his lower ribs belied a synthetic airtank. Stubs of metal and carbon fibre dotted places where the skeletal and muscle reinforcement was implanted. His eyes had been replaced. And of course, there was the fact that they stuck an actual cable into the datajack on the back of his head.

Augmentation was something that Stosh felt like he should have gotten used to by now, but for one reason or another never could. Being able to punch through walls, take a rifle bullet to the gut and still fight or jump twenty feet was fun, sure. But Stosh found the idea of leashing oneself to constant medical checkups, upgrade plans and occasional discomfort to be anathema to him.
Out of all the things that spooked Stosh out the most however, was the patients eyes. They were switched to a black and blue color scheme. He didn't get it, why not switch to something that wasn't so fucking creepy? It's not like he's trying to spook the opposition or that he doesn't know how to make the switch...

"How do you think he feels?" Havelock asked.
"I dunno, why don't you ask him?"
"Quit being a smartass and think for a moment."
Stosh inhaled as he watched the patient. He noticed him eye the adjoining monitor with wary look.
"He's paranoid that they can still get into his mind." Stosh said.
"Can't blame him." Stosh muttered. "It was a bitch to get that dampener offline."
"He'll be worried that he's going to lose control of everything again." Stosh said.
"Definitely. That we're going to put a leash around him and force him to do things he never in a million years would ever consider doing." There was silence for a moment before Havelock sighed.
"We wouldn't need to even cram a control routine and dampener into his skull like his old owners..." Stosh said. "Just guilt him into thinking he owes us one and indenture his ass."
Havelock raised an eyebrow at Stosh. "Thinking like a spymaster Stosh?"
"Thinking without morals." Stosh muttered. They were silent for a moment. Havelock spoke up again.
"It's his choice." He said. "And we need to make it a very real one. If he and Red wants to leave, take their winnings and live happy ever after, then fine, Let them."
"Serious?"
"Serious. No guilt tripping. No debts. None of that bullshit."
There was silence. The patient had disconnected the cable in his head and was pulling over a t-shirt. From the opposite end of the room, a women walked in wearing a nice coat with a fur collar, carrying in some new clothes. As the staff left, the man and woman embraced and started to talk to each other. The tension in the patient had gone quickly upon seeing her.
"You think he'll stay because his lover will stay?" Stosh asked.
"I think so." said Havelock. "You and I did hold up our end of the bargain freeing him."
"As did she."
"Yep. Lynx definitely put in some good work." Havelock said. He was about to enter the ward when Stosh's voice piped up again.
"Boss... if you knew they would leave... would you have bothered with fixing up Jacket?" He asked motioning at the patient. "Would you have bothered with the choice?"
Havelock turned around and looked at Stosh. After locking eyes he flatly said "Yes."
"Why?" Stosh said. "I'm sorry for second guessing you, but I've been in the job long enough to know that going out of your way to help just leads to heartbreak. So what's the catch?"
"There isn't one." Havelock sighed. "Sometimes you got to make a happy ending yourself once in a while." His hand went to the door. "Now quit being a twat and come ask whether or not the two indians are staying."

Description
From the other side of the glass, Stosh watched the scene below. Two doctors and a nurse were talking with the man sitting on the bed. The room had not just the usual diagnostic gear that one would expect from a hospital ward, but around the bed hanged the six robotic arms of a 'chopping board'. Doing surgery was easier if your arms didn't twitch.
"Progress?" asked Havelock.
"Fairly steady." answered Doctor Carmine. "He's responding well to treatment. His augments were put in him somewhat quick and dirty, but we've been able to repair some of the damage with bits of surgery and grafting. His systems OS has been given a completely new installation and per his requests, we've given him tools to monitor it himself. We're still seeing traces of neurological scarring around his datajack, but odds are good that we'll be able to overcome that obstacle entirely."

Havelock and Stosh nodded as the doctor went back to his duties. The two men continued to watch in silence. The patient was sitting on the hospital bed in fairly generic hospital pants trying to listen to what the doctors were telling him. Looking at him bare chested, it was pretty hard to miss the fact he was augmented. Synthetic skin almost assembled over his body in panels, the seams being noticeable if you looked for them. A valve on his lower ribs belied a synthetic airtank. Stubs of metal and carbon fibre dotted places where the skeletal and muscle reinforcement was implanted. His eyes had been replaced. And of course, there was the fact that they stuck an actual cable into the datajack on the back of his head.

Augmentation was something that Stosh felt like he should have gotten used to by now, but for one reason or another never could. Being able to punch through walls, take a rifle bullet to the gut and still fight or jump twenty feet was fun, sure. But Stosh found the idea of leashing oneself to constant medical checkups, upgrade plans and occasional discomfort to be anathema to him.
Out of all the things that spooked Stosh out the most however, was the patients eyes. They were switched to a black and blue color scheme. He didn't get it, why not switch to something that wasn't so fucking creepy? It's not like he's trying to spook the opposition or that he doesn't know how to make the switch...

"How do you think he feels?" Havelock asked.
"I dunno, why don't you ask him?"
"Quit being a smartass and think for a moment."
Stosh inhaled as he watched the patient. He noticed him eye the adjoining monitor with wary look.
"He's paranoid that they can still get into his mind." Stosh said.
"Can't blame him." Stosh muttered. "It was a bitch to get that dampener offline."
"He'll be worried that he's going to lose control of everything again." Stosh said.
"Definitely. That we're going to put a leash around him and force him to do things he never in a million years would ever consider doing." There was silence for a moment before Havelock sighed.
"We wouldn't need to even cram a control routine and dampener into his skull like his old owners..." Stosh said. "Just guilt him into thinking he owes us one and indenture his ass."
Havelock raised an eyebrow at Stosh. "Thinking like a spymaster Stosh?"
"Thinking without morals." Stosh muttered. They were silent for a moment. Havelock spoke up again.
"It's his choice." He said. "And we need to make it a very real one. If he and Red wants to leave, take their winnings and live happy ever after, then fine, Let them."
"Serious?"
"Serious. No guilt tripping. No debts. None of that bullshit."
There was silence. The patient had disconnected the cable in his head and was pulling over a t-shirt. From the opposite end of the room, a women walked in wearing a nice coat with a fur collar, carrying in some new clothes. As the staff left, the man and woman embraced and started to talk to each other. The tension in the patient had gone quickly upon seeing her.
"You think he'll stay because his lover will stay?" Stosh asked.
"I think so." said Havelock. "You and I did hold up our end of the bargain freeing him."
"As did she."
"Yep. Lynx definitely put in some good work." Havelock said. He was about to enter the ward when Stosh's voice piped up again.
"Boss... if you knew they would leave... would you have bothered with fixing up Jacket?" He asked motioning at the patient. "Would you have bothered with the choice?"
Havelock turned around and looked at Stosh. After locking eyes he flatly said "Yes."
"Why?" Stosh said. "I'm sorry for second guessing you, but I've been in the job long enough to know that going out of your way to help just leads to heartbreak. So what's the catch?"
"There isn't one." Havelock sighed. "Sometimes you got to make a happy ending yourself once in a while." His hand went to the door. "Now quit being a twat and come ask whether or not the two indians are staying."