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Post by Watt Johnson on Sept 10, 2013 16:08:58 GMT -5
(( Click for emo music)) The battle with the Arrncar had taken its toll on the Court Guards – and nobody seemed to feel it more than Squad Four. Medics were rushing about, desperately applying quick-fixes to patients in various conditions, with worse coming in by the hour. There were regular switches and schedules, people working for longer and far harder than normal – this kind of calamity hadn’t been seen for decades. Even some of the field medics had had to be called back from the front lines. Not only to heal those currently in the infirmary, but to keep them from dying. The Soul Reapers would need every available pair of hands that could heal. Watt Johnson, one of the more trusted members of staff, had just finished operating on the captain of squad ten. His reaction to having the man wheeled in was fairly neutral – Jin was just another patient, and his wounds were just something to heal. But, he noted while doing his work, the fight had obviously been a tough one. For a captain to be so badly injured, and to even be out cold when he came into the infirmary – it was probably an Espada. And, though a little part of him hated himself for it, Watt was secretly glad that he had been pulled back. As his shift was over, Watt decided to stay by Jin, at least until he woke up. He knew from experience what it was like to wake up in an unfamiliar room, with nobody around to tell them what the hell was going on. And, though he usually preferred to keep himself detached from patients so he could perform his work more efficiently, he knew the value of keeping a patient calm. After all, the man needed rest – not just the fixes he had provided. He looked briefly at the young captain, wondering why it was always the young that got the worst of it – or maybe he was just too old to notice what the worst of it was. |
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Post by Jin Hoshigawa on Sept 11, 2013 17:45:30 GMT -5
Words: 523 Notes: Sad puppy is sad. Tags: Watt He's not an upright Dog But an on all fours dog !
Though no one could see it, Jin's eyes were moving rapidly at the moment. His body was out cold, but his mind was still racing through the memories of his last fight with the ninth Espada, the man known as Rudianos, the Arrancar of Calamity he called himself. There wasn't a moment in that fight that Jin didn't wish he had done differently; a killing blow when he was obviously to tired to move, a different kidou, a stronger strike, faster reaction, or even being more reserved. Each moment of the fight was playing over and over in the young captains dream, and it pained him like none other. One moment in particular; The pop. The sight that his friends head had just been crushed , bone and brain matter spreading around the ground. There were moments that Jin sometimes wished he wasn't a captain, moments when he felt like he shouldn't be as strong as he was because he just couldn't hold on, or save everyone. It was in these moments that he felt the most vulnerable, the most irritable, and most definitely when he was most angry. Had he still been there, he may have gone mad.
But that was in the past now, his body jolted awake, his eyes scanning the area as he tried to move his torso. Unsurprisingly, it was a failure. Jin wasn't able to move a single part of his body without unbearable pain rushing through his bones. He was sure that the only reason he felt the pain was because of how tender he was, he didn't know it, but he had just gotten out of surgery and that it had probably saved his life. The bastard of an Arrancar escaped, his friend lay dead in the battlefield without a proper burial. Everything was pissing him off, but there wasn't a thing he could do about it just yet. Looking from his left, to his right Jin noted a man sitting by his side. He was probably the doctor that had healed him, and while he was still furious, Jin managed to hide it away to at least properly thank the man for saving his life.
"Thank you. I'm sure you're tired of seeing jar-heads like myself in here, making your job a living hell." Jin tried to manage a smile, his face even hurting all to hell. If there was anything he hated about being in here now more than being unable to do his job, it was the fact that grinning hurt so damn much. Still, he hid it away behind his features. His head turning toward the sealing closing his eyes and letting the words formulating in his mind brush along his lips until they found their voice. "How many deaths have we sustained so far? And how long will I be here before I can go back out?" He may have hated himself at the moment, and he may have doubted his legitimacy as a captain, but he needed to continue to do his part. It was his job, and perhaps he could at least save one shinigami from such a fate.
HAN: 18 REI: 15 HAK: 12 SEI: 13 BUK: 18 HOH: 18 |
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Post by Watt Johnson on Sept 11, 2013 18:14:08 GMT -5
“I’m over five hundred years old, sir. I’m not the oldest around here, by any means, but I’ve dealt with enough injuries to get used to this sort of thing.”
Watt put a smile on, but it was a hollow one. If he was honest with himself, rather than the years of experience doing him good, it only made things seem worse. To know that he healed people up, only to send them to what could be their final hour, always pained him. He saved lives, yes – but how long would it be before he was performing an autopsy on the same person?
“Our losses? Well, we’ve had plenty of injuries, but nothing we can’t handle. The death toll on our side isn’t anything serious, but-“
Watt stopped himself, and shook his head. This was a captain he was dealing with, not an unseated soldier. The man needed to know what was going on out there, even if he couldn’t do anything about it. “No. That’s not right. Those deaths are serious. Every single one of them. And, well… Look, you’re a captain. You deserve to know what’s happening.”
Watt steeled himself, looking Jin directly in the eyes. This kind of thing was never easy – but he was the fourth seat. He had to say something.
“We’re in a bad way. We’re pushing the Arrancar back, but the way things are going, it looks like it’s going to be a Pyrrhic victor. It’s gotten to the point where they’ve had to recall most of the field medics so they could take care of the Soul Reapers here. I hear the captains and lieutenants have been given permission to engage, but I’ve been here for too long to know. I can’t tell you the exact death toll, but the way things are going, I wouldn’t be surprised if they took out a good chunk of our troops.”
The look in Watt’s eyes was one of exhaustion. Not just of the physical kind, but one of mental and emotional exhaustion as well. He had seen the battlefield, and he had seen what it did to people. But something on this scale, so close to home – that wasn’t what he had signed up for. Still, he had a job to do, and there was nothing to do but that.
“As for you getting up… I wouldn’t count on it. We’re doctors, not miracle workers. You need rest, or you’re going to open up some wounds. But, if you don’t mind me asking, what happened out there?”
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Post by Jin Hoshigawa on Sept 12, 2013 19:07:36 GMT -5
Words: 563 Notes: Sad puppy is sad. Tags: Watt He's not an upright Dog But an on all fours dog !
Jin laughed to himself as the doctor consoled him about giving them trouble. That was good at least, and it gave him a reason to continue to hide his pain away. Still, it wasn't all sunshine and butterflies flying over rainbows with glitter falling from the sky. The doctor, while probably still in the routine of speaking to unseated officers quickly stopped in his tracks with his obvious lie. Jin knew it, and so did he. Death was an inevitable part of war, and while this wasn't a war the young captain wanted, it was in fact a reality. He shook his head, turning away from the other man and mumbling to himself.
"God dammit." While death wasn't his favorite topic, the pain that could be heard inside of his voice was more than normal. He hated the concept of death, which as Ironic as it was because of his zanpaukto, he just couldn't get over it. Still the man soon changed the topic. While he wasn't happy about not leaving, he wasn't going to complain too much. He was given a free pass to laze around and do nothing while the scars earned defending his home were healed. However, it was the choice of discussion that came after that really took Jin back a bit.
It wasn't any better; in fact it was most clearly worse. His head turned toward the doctor, a look of horror almost taking over his features. Jin now had to forcefully go back to the events that had just transpired. He sighed, forcing himself to sit up in the bed, his back leaning against the wall. He looked over the bed from side to side until he saw his blade. He grabbed the hilt and lifted it to his side, running his hand along the sheath before looking back toward the fourth division member.
"What didn't happen? I was here not too long before after a fight with the Primera. Just a check up, but then I felt the strength of another Arrancar." He started, his head dropping back as he just set the blade on his lap. "That didn't both me too much, it was what followed that made me leave. My seated officer, Lee-yu was there. He was taking on an Esapda. Brave to the end..." A chuckle escaped the white haired shinigami's lips. An obvious attempt at hiding the pain away.
"I tried to get there in time, but the injuries I had taken up to that point weren't ENTIRELY healed, and I was too late." Sadness was a strange emotion for the shinigami to feel. While it was rare, he did feel it from time to time with each time seemingly more painful than the last. He turned away slightly. "For all of my skill, I wasn't fast enough. The Arrancar had killed him. Right in front of me, and anger flooded my senses. I let it alter my judgment slightly; so much so he..." This was probably the worst part of the entire tale; had he won and killed the Espada, it would have still hurt, but he would have done his job properly. That wasn't the case though, the damn beast had... "Escaped." Jin's head turned back toward the other man. "He escaped. I let the enemy get away...because I let my emotions jeopardize the entire war."
HAN: 18 REI: 15 HAK: 12 SEI: 13 BUK: 18 HOH: 18 |
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Post by Watt Johnson on Sept 13, 2013 10:31:19 GMT -5
Watt simply kept a solemn expression and nodded – this was nothing he hadn’t dealt with before, personally or professionally. Deaths weren’t a surprising occurrence, given the opponents that they faced. Sure, the Soul Reapers were made out to be some elite fighting force, but in reality, a lot of them were just inexperienced, weak, or a mixture of both. Deaths may have been played out as shocking, but to those who knew how things really were, a few funerals a month was hardly something to think too much about. And there were few knew it better than the healers of squad four.
“Lee-yu was a soldier,” Watt replied, his voice flat and his face expressionless, “And he wasn’t stupid. He knew what he signed up for when he joined our ranks, and he probably knew what he was doing when he took on an Espada.”
Watt didn’t bother with trying to comfort anyone. While most would have a problem with this, Watt argued that this wasn’t his job – his job was to heal people’s bodies, not their minds. It was hard to tell whether he actually cared about Jin’s subordinate perishing or not, but his frank remarks would make a change from the nurses’ softly-spoken words of comfort.
“And, listen… I’m not going to pile all that crap about honour and ethics on you. This is war, not a training exercise, or a trip to the human world. People die out there, sir, whether you like it or not. You couldn’t save him, he couldn’t save himself, and nobody else managed to save him. That’s just how it goes out there, sir. You can’t save everyone. Believe me, I know.”
Jin would have little reason to doubt this statement. Watt was a field medic – if there was anyone that knew about getting somewhere too late to save someone, it would be people like him.
Watt snapped back to reality after his momentary lapse, and he continued his blank look of complete neutrality. It was, to some, slightly unnerving how he could say such things without any hesitation whatsoever. Maybe he was practised. Maybe he was just that unsympathetic. It was hard to tell, sometimes.
“Oh, and your emotions? I’m not going to say anything sympathetic, sir. Letting your emotions get a hold of you was stupid. I can’t tell you how many patients I’ve had in here because they got the knickers in a twist. And that’s not counting the ones that died before I even got there.”
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Post by Jin Hoshigawa on Sept 14, 2013 4:40:19 GMT -5
Words: 601 Notes: Sad puppy is sad. Tags: Watt He's not an upright Dog But an on all fours dog !
Jin would feel it. The fire in his gut was starting to rise up again; but not because he was angry. No, this was a flame of guilt, and shame. He wanted to be angry at the other man for being so cold, so...calculating with his statement. Lee-yu was his friend, and a good soldier, but he was right. He knew what he signed up for when he joined the shinigami, and when he decided to stay in the ranks of the shinigami. He knew that someone more powerful than he was would easily kill him, but perhaps he stayed because he thought he would be saved, perhaps he stayed behind he wanted his captain to save him. Jin clenched his fist, the only thing stopping his nails from digging into his palm being a soft white sheet. Jin knew the other man was right, but that didn't make it any easier to hear.
And like clockwork the man rattled off more and more calculating statements, something that Jin himself did from time to time. Sure Jin could come off as crazy, spontaneous, fun, and aloof, but he was far from that, truly. He was engaging, strategic, and just like this man, calculating. He used logic and reason, as well as deduction to solve most of his problems. And maybe that's what made it so hard to hear, maybe he was seeing himself in the other man, and while he was older than Jin, Jin was a captain. He needed to be the example, the one thing that gave his subordinates a reason to fight on. Still, Jin couldn't do anything not nod along in agreement. The other man was right. A war was war. There was nothing good about war, there was no honor in war. There was only but death, and destruction. And like a wise man once said, once both parties enter into war...they are both evil.
"I hear ya." It was the only thing Jin managed to mutter outward. He tried to move, but he only managed to cause himself some pain and a rough chuckle escaping his lips. There was definitely no way that he was going to get out of this bed within the next few days, and even then, managing to fight was probably going to be tough. Still, he needed to get better, Still Jin turned to face the other man. He was still listening, but a thought crossed his mind. He never caught his name. "I know, but I need to know something from the man that saved my ass. What's your name?" He chuckled, brushing the back of his head. "I know that seems strange, but hey, I try and stay personable to everyone. You know...open door policy and all of that."
He lifted his sword, unsheathing it and looking along the blade, as well as the hilt. He seemed to be fine, no major damage along the blade. Oh good. He nodded to himself before sheathing the blade, the click the sword made as the hilt and the top of the sheath connecting making Jin grin widely. Everything seemed to be in working order with Zetsumei at least. Without turning to face the other man, Jin spoke once more. "You're good at your job, I'll give you that....but you don't seem particularly happy about it. What made you so...cold?" The question was blunt, but it was necessary, he thought. The man was obviously beyond beating around a bush, at least when it came to Jin, so why not be as direct with his own questions?
HAN: 18 REI: 15 HAK: 12 SEI: 13 BUK: 18 HOH: 18 |
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Post by Watt Johnson on Sept 16, 2013 16:23:59 GMT -5
Watt was actually fairly surprised at how well Jin was responding to his harsh words. Normally, a dead patient’s friends and/or family would look at him incredulously as he spouted off why their sentimentality was pointless, and that they should just suck it up and accept the death that would have happened sooner or later. Were he not so preoccupied with forming some sort of response to this instead of the usual that he delivered when a patient kicked the bucket and he said sorry half-heartedly, Watt may actually have displayed some sort of emotion bearing a vague resemblance to surprise.
Watt shook his head a little, and maintained his monotone way of speaking.
“I’d prefer to remain anonymous. Makes it easier to do my job. You’ll find me if you look through a list of seated Squad Four officers if you’re desperate, though.”
Watt didn’t want to go too much into it, but there were better reasons than that. One of them being that he was not one of the more popular officers on staff – despite his ability. His bitter, cynical way of going about things made him highly efficient at what he did, and though it alienated him, he saw this as a price worth paying.
What made you so cold?
“It’s a funny thing called life, sir. It’s got a special way of raising you up, just high enough to touch something good, and then making you fall further than you’ve ever gone. I watch people die, sir. It’s got a way of making a person jaded.”
Watt hoped that this would be an ample answer – he could have gone on, but that was about as concise as he was going to go. The strange thing was that he said this without changing tone once. No conviction, but no sense of doubt either. He just remained neutral - as if he was resigned to his fate.
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Post by Jin Hoshigawa on Sept 18, 2013 17:28:58 GMT -5
Words: WHDC Notes: Sad puppy is sad. Tags: Watt He's not an upright Dog But an on all fours dog !
Jin arched a brow; anonymity was a strange thing. It was valiant, it was a beautiful thing. Jin spent so much time handing out congratulations to those that deserved it, and even more to those that didn't. There were so many people looking for praise, to move up the chain of command that didn't deserve it, to see something as humbling as what this man displayed, it was a breath of fresh air. But still, Jin didn't plan on leaving this building without learning his name. He was going to thank the man that saved his life, not some nameless grunt. Jin poised himself, taking in a deep breath before speaking softly. "Excuse the abuse of power, I don't normally do this; but for too long have I given out hand shakes, and smiles to those that piggy backed on the success of others. To see someone do their job and do it well, but not ask for proper thanks. Well, you know..."
He was sure, almost sure anyway, that the other man would be confused. Jin had apologized for abusing his power, but he hadn't done anything. Yet. "Shape up soldier. I'm gonna need your name and rank." Jin tried to sound as stern as possible, his body upright before laughing softly, and falling back onto the bed. His hand clenched around the sheath of his sword. He was almost certain that once they were both healed from the battle Zetsumei would talk at Jin. Not with, but at. He was much more stern and straight forward than his shinigami counter-part, but that's what made the two of them work. A grin seemed to slither across his face. It lasted for but a moment, when the man returned an answer to his somewhat intrusive question.
His response seemed more personal than the rest of his standard, cookie cutter answers. Obviously this was felt deeper than even telling his name. Jin could see it, he could feel it, but was it his place to push? He didn't really give it much thought, to be honest. Jin felt like he knew the feeling. He knew that sensation. This went back to a time when he wasn't a shinigami. A time when he was human. Most shinigami forgot everything from their past life. but his memories were seemingly stored within his zanpakuto, for a time when he was ready for them. "I know that feeling. When your zanpakuto is, in essence, death incarnate it makes you despise the act. Life has always been precious to me. It's why I became a captain, to protect that which is most impossible to protect." Jin sighed. "If you don't like seeing people die, why do it?" He felt like he already knew the answer, and was simply asking the question to receive an answer.
HAN: 18 REI: 15 HAK: 12 SEI: 13 BUK: 18 HOH: 18 |
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Post by Watt Johnson on Sept 19, 2013 10:17:02 GMT -5
Watt furrowed his brow at Jin, when the captain spoke thanking people and those who did not get enough credit for their actions. He honestly, truly didn’t care. In fact, if it wasn’t for him being obligated to stay and listen to Jin when he could have just made sure he woke up and then left, Watt would have been straight out of the door as soon as the conversation got any deeper than a child’s paddling pool. However, he was stuck now, so with a comprehensive – if subtly disinterested – expression plastered upon his face, he sat still and kept listening.
He promptly wished he had walked out as early as possible even more so, however. Jin was pulling rank, in order to force him to tell him his name. granted, they weren’t even in the same squad, so he could take it up with his own captain if he had a problem, but there were few ways he could get out of the situation quickly that didn’t involve just granting Jin his wish. So, through gritted teeth and in a grumbling tone only audible to the two of them, Watt spoke.
“Watt Johnson, fourth seat of squad for, sir.”
A subtle emphasis was placed on the last word of the sentence – evidently a sign of disdain.
Watt paused for a moment, despite the fact that he knew what his answer would be. He’d had to answer the question many times before, but he thought a captain would at least understand.
“I hate seeing people die, that much is true. But, despite what some of you like to believe, we do actually save some as well. It’s kind of in the job description, you know.”
It was a fairly standard answer, but at the very least, it was true. He hated death – and his job prevented it. It exposed to copious amounts of it, yes, but at the very least, he managed to save most of the people who he came across.
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Post by Jin Hoshigawa on Oct 1, 2013 15:16:58 GMT -5
Words: WHDC Notes: Sad puppy is sad. Tags: Watt He's not an upright Dog But an on all fours dog !
Jin clapped both of his hands together as a large smile began to spread across his features. He could hear the disdain, the upset tone, and even the way he emphasized the title he gave him. Sir...haha The thoughts trickled and bounced through his mind over and over again until they metaphorically faded into nothingness. His large smile faded and was replaced by a simple grin that only partially pushed his lips upward, his head turning away. "I understand wanting to keep yourself detached. But that's not how I work. It would just eat away at me, I'd look up up your name, and come back to thank you anyway. This just makes it easier..."
He rambled on ever so slightly before the the man answered his question from before. Jin sighed to himself slightly, that wasn't exactly the answer he was expecting; perhaps it should have been, but it wasn't and it baffled him. "I know you guys do your job well. No need to try and convince me but... He started, his fingers gradually playing working it's way up and down the hilt of his blade before grasping it and pulling it out. What else were he to do while he laid here in bed? He looked back to the man. "You didn't answer my question. Why do YOU do this? What makes this job worth so much heartache? I can tell you're closed off, at least a little bit but...."
He stopped. Shrugging and leaning back into the bed. His eyes staring off into the ceiling as if it were the star lit sky at night. "At times I wonder why I became a captain. Why I put myself through the struggle of keeping up with the paperwork, training our recruits, and keeping everyone in line." His actions were random, short, and contained within himself now placing his hand behind his head, propping his head up slightly higher than it had been with the pillow under him. "And then I remember being tested. The feeling of a successful mission, or seeing my people grow. I do it for the people, and I have a feeling you do the same."
HAN: 18 REI: 15 HAK: 13 SEI: 13 BUK: 18 HOH: 18 |
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Post by Watt Johnson on Oct 1, 2013 16:05:31 GMT -5
Watt looked to Jin, with eyes that practically screamed disdain for his profession. And yet, in them, was the kind of spark that you only saw in the most passionate of people. This wasn’t hate, though – it was passion for being a saviour, pure and simple. It was strange, though, to see such a thing on such a jaded face, with that one drop of love for his comrades drowned out by his hatred of himself, and of the fact that he couldn’t save everyone. He sighed, and shook his head. This was never easy. And yet, once he started, it was always difficult to stop.
“Why do I do my job, sir? Why do I do it, when it turns me into… into this? Well, sir, the answer is simple. It’s because I have to. There’s no tragic backstory, no dead parents or children, nothing. Just the knowledge that I’m no warrior, and I’m certainly no leader. But every life I save as a doctor, every ungrateful swine I cart back to the barracks, every single twit that jeers t me when I have saved their comrades time and time again, is a life saved nonetheless. Tell me, sir. You can see what I’m like, knowing I could have saved so many people if I was just a little faster. How do you think I’d feel, if I quit, and learnt that more people were dying, because I couldn’t help them?”
“That’s why I do things, sir. It’s because I’m needed. I don’t do it because I enjoy. I mean, really, there are countless other things I’d rather do. But field medics aren’t exactly ten-a-penny, you know.”
Watt just sat there, waiting for a response. He didn’t really expect anything much, if he was honest. He just wanted Jin to know why he did what he did.
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Post by Jin Hoshigawa on Oct 10, 2013 18:44:39 GMT -5
Words: WHDC Notes: Sad puppy is sad. Tags: Watt He's not an upright Dog But an on all fours dog !
Jin pondered for a moment the question that was posed to him. He wasn't entirely sure, to be completely honest. If there was ever a time that Jin needed his wit with him, it was here and now. This man knew what to say, he seemed to have an answer for everything Jin threw at him; sure, it wasn't particularly enthusiastic, nor was it passionate, but it was an answer all the same. He understood the feeling. No matter how much he wanted to deny it, Jin knew what this man was talking about. His position remained, but with his hands moving along the shaft of his sheath. His eyes peering over to the man, and back again to the blade.
"Perhaps you'd feel the same way I would. I was gifted with this power, despite how young I am compared to some, and yet if I leave...I wouldn't be able to live with myself." He spoke mostly toward himself, but he was sure the words would at least resonate with the other man. He didn't know if it was acceptable, or if there was ever a chance that there'd be a life outside of this one. He wasn't sure if he could ever be anything more than a shinigami, but eh was fine with that. He knew that as long as he fought the good fight, he'd be doing more than some. Even still, it took him back to the day before.
His lips closed, his hands clutching around his sword. His eyes showed the memory of his soldiers death, but he tried his best to keep his face clean of emotion. He needed to be strong, and doing so would involve not talking about it any longer. No matter how much it pained him.
HAN: 18 REI: 15 HAK: 13 SEI: 13 BUK: 18 HOH: 18 |
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Post by Watt Johnson on Oct 16, 2013 15:23:13 GMT -5
Watt surveyed Jin once he had registered his answer, attempting to judge the captain's sincerity. he knew there was no good reason for him to do so, but given his age, and his experiences, it was pretty much a policy of his to only trust people to not be trustworthy. There was also what he considered to be Jin's naivety to consider. He saw Jin as someone that, while they shared similar ideals, he could never fully get along with. As much as he hated himself for it, he was a little glad that the man's subordinate had been brutally murdered in front of him - he figured a hefty dose of reality would bring the captain down to his level.
"You're right. I wouldn't be able to live with myself. My work is my life, and I couldn't think to abandon it."
Watt kept his tone flat, but there was a twinge of bitterness to it - as if he regretted what he said, and what he did. Nevertheless, he continued. "But you still seem pretty optimistic about things. Believe me, sir, that doesn't last for long in this business. You'll end up wanting to quit. You'll take a rest one day, and think about what'd happen if you just never got back up. You may have felt it already. And if you haven't, you will."
"I know you know never to quit. You didn't get this job by being spineless. But, let me tell you this - you don't get to keep your job without looking at things like I do."
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