Back at the Stables...

[ravery]

Keeping a hold on the boy\'s arm, Julius snorted softly at the expression on the squire\'s face. He was fairly sure that Dee was jerking his chain again, but he was really just too glad that the boy was better to get angry with him again. “Oh, I\'m hurt at your lack in faith in my researching skills, Dee. Truly. My heart breaks into tiny little pieces.” He accompanied his words with a pretend swoon, clutching at the front of his doublet before grinning slightly, shaking his head and nudging the boy forward again. Leading him towards the doors, Julius tightened his hold on Dee\'s arm gently, allowing the boy to take things as slowly as he needed.

“Yes, you probably should have,” Julius agreed, nodding quietly, “but at least you know now. And I really am sorry for taking my anger out on you that way. I realize that your... interaction with Doctor Galen could not have possibly been your fault. You wouldn\'t happen to know where I might find him, would you?”

[w0rmy]

Dee laughed gently at the joke Julius had made. He had not expected that, especially coming from a knight. Then again, it wasn’t as if he knew the man that well. The two barely spent anytime together despite being squire knight. Dee hoped that would change, he was beginning to like Julius quite a lot. “Oh, I am sorry, Sir.” Dee laughed again, amused by the situation.

“I know where Doctor Galen lives however I imagine he works at the apothecary or medical centre. I-I’m not sure.” Dee felt terrible for supplying this information to Julius. It wasn’t as if the boy hated Galen! Oh no, it was the complete opposite! And he dreaded thinking what Julius might do the doctor. All kinds of thoughts revolved around his mind and none of them were pleasant. Dee hoped desperately that Julius wasn’t going to do anything rash… or anything that concerned Galen’s wellbeing.  

“You-you aren’t going to hurt him, are you?” Dee asked slowly. He hadn’t dared to ask the question for the last ten minutes. He gripped tightly on Julius’s arm, fearing what the answer may be.

[ravery]

Rather pleased with himself that he was able to make the boy laugh, Julius shrugged, grinning slightly and leading the boy out of the room and down the hall gently. Even if they didn\'t always get along, he still enjoyed Dee\'s company immensely, and the fact that he was able to pull that sort of reaction out of the boy was gratifying in a strange sort of way. Adjusting his hold on the boy, he shifted, settling his arm against the small of Dee\'s back to better steady him. "Of course you are," he said with a wry grin, shaking his head and brushing the hair away from his eyes with his other hand. Damn it, he really needed to get a hair cut too.

Heading down the hall, he blinked at the change in tone of the boy\'s voice, raising an eyebrow and looking back down at Dee. He wasn\'t entirely sure why the boy looked so worried at the possibility that Julius might hurt this Galen fellow (and hurt was probably too weak a word for what he wanted to do to the man). Mistaking his expression to be one of fear, Julius frowned, brow furrowing as he tightened his hold on the boy gently. Dee was probably worried that Galen would take it out on him, Julius thought to himself. Well, he just wouldn\'t let that happen.

"...I can\'t promise anything at the moment, Dee" Julius said slowly, frown deepening as the squire gripped onto his arm. "Why do you ask?"

[w0rmy]

Dee swallowed rather hard and thought quickly. What would be a good way to answer that without sounding suspicious? He didn’t want any harm to come to the doctor Galen but Dee wasn’t about to say he had some feelings towards the man. Julius would not be pleased without a doubt. Dee could clearing imagine Julius’s reaction and the thought sent shivers down his spine.

Dee bit his lip and finally spoke. He decided it wouldn’t look good if he kept silent any longer. “It wasn’t as if he hurt me, is it? I am not hurt or anything of the sort. But.” The boy trembled a little, “I just don’t think you should hurt him. He’s not a bad man, Sir. Doctor Galen is a gentlemen, you can ask anyone that.” Dee tightened his grip on the knight’s arm as he stumbled, “Whoops!”

[ravery]

Julius was more than a little surprised at the fact that Dee would talk about this Doctor Galen like he genuinely liked the man. That couldn\'t possibly the case, a small voice in the back of his mind scoffed. Oh no, he must simply just be worried for his own safety.

Biting the inside of his lip out of habit, Julius frowned at the feel of Dee trembling, steering the boy towards the doors gently and keeping his arm against his back, nodding at the nurses as they passed. He didn\'t like seeing the boy this nervous, and he hated the fact that he\'d allow something like that to happen in the first place. He would do all he could to turn things around, Julius decided. It was his responsibility, after all.

"I think I\'ll have to believe that when I see it, Dee," he said as gently as he could, blinking as the boy stumbled. He paused for a moment to help straighten the squire, adjusting his hold on the boy\'s blouse a second time and watching him quietly. "Are you all right?"

[w0rmy]

“Yes, I’m fine, Sir.” Dee said and smiling slightly. There was no point in arguing with Julius. The man wants to see Galen and it would be impossible to stop the meeting from happening.  He sighed slightly but otherwise said nothing else. He didn’t know what to talk about.

“I won’t stop you, Sir...” Dee said slowly, looking up at Julius. He stared at the man briefly before returning it forward. There was nothing else to say and if there was more talking, without a doubt, it wasn’t anything important… oh, for example the weather? The walk home took longer than usual but Dee didn’t mind. He liked spending the time with his knight, it was nice. Very nice in fact.