Canard glared at her. As usual, he and Laurelai were going bneak to beak over a problem, and neither would back down.

"He's a thief and a liablility," Canard gritted. Laurelai stood before him, an implacable wall, her arms crossed and her eyes cold.

"He's got skills we can use, Canard, and you know it. We need all the help we can get," she stated calmly. As usual, her refusal to lose her temper infuriated Canard.

"We can't trust him!"

"How do we know that?"

"He's a thief!"

"So you've said. Why must you always assume that someone who thinks differently from you is not only wrong, but your enemy as well?"

He could betray us."

"I don't think he will. It's not his style."

"What do you mean, 'it's not his style'?" Canard stormed.

"Duke L'Orange has never been a cruel person, I don't believe he's killed another duck in his entire career. He's looking for a challenge, he revels in his skill. He's done everything he could to excel at what he does. Everything I've ever seen or read abouthim tells me that if we give him a chance to put his skills to *good* use, he'll become a valuable ally to us."

"I won't risk people's lives on your intuition, Laurelai!"

For the first time since their conversation began, anger crept into her voice. "Why not? You risk them on your intuition all the time. And then, if by some miricle they survive, you send them to me to be put back together again until you have other some fool idea in mind to get them killed!"

"Do you think it's easy for me to take those people out there and--"

"No, Canard, do *you* think? Do you think I enjoy seeing these soldiers--these *children* suffer? I became a doctor to stop suffering, not to contribute to it! But everytime someone walks out of my infimery, that's exactly what I feel like I'm doing! I'm sending those kids out to die! When a soldier is carried in in so much pain that he's barely concious, I feel *relieved*! Because as long as he's with me, he's not out there getting slagged! So don't talk to me about the dangers of intuition, Canard, I see the results of yours all the time!" Her voice had crescendoed to a shout by the time she was finished, and her eyes snapped dangerously. Canard took an involuntary step backwards. Laurelai turned away, visibly trying to compose herself.

"Put him in the infimary with me," she said at last. "He can't do any damage there, and if seeing what I see every day doesn't mend his ways, then he truly is a hopeless cause."

"Fine," Canard growled, "But you are personally responsible for him."

"Understood," she consented. Canard stormed out.

Laurelai went to where the prisoner was being held. The guards glanced at her as she approached.

"I've been given charge of the prsioner," she told them.

"What?" The younger soldier stared in disbelief. Her eyes slid from the handcuffed duck to meet the guard's astonished gaze.

"Something wrong with your hearing, soldier?" she asked cooly.

"Uh, no ma'am." He straightened. "He's all yours."

"Thankyou." she turned to the most notorious thief on Puckworld. "The commander has decided that you'll help me in the infirmary. We need all the hands we can find. You're on your honor not to leave the infirmary without escort. Break my trust and you'll be put in for a summary trial and, in all likelyhood, executed. Do you understand?" He nodded. "Good. You won't need those, then." She nodded toward his handcuffs. He handed them to the guard, who stared at them and then at him dumbly. Laurelai wasn't surprised in the least. "Let me have his weapons."

The guard handed over what looked to be a gold sword hilt. She dropped it into the wide pocket of her lab coat and turned her back to him. "Follow me."

He did so. When the infirmary doors shut behind him, she turned quickly and set a knife against his throat. She held up the sword hilt. "Use this on any of my patients, and I will personally make sure you die a very slow and painful death." She lowered the knife and handed him the saber hilt. "You're just like anyone else here. You do the work your given, quickly, and without complaints that I don't have time to hear. Even Canard isn't stupid enough to argue with me in here. You stay out of there," she pointed to an unmarked door, "And there," she pointed to one marked 'intensive care,' "Unless you have permission or directions *from me* to do otherwise."