Marlowe
Wrench's full recovery took another month of careful, gradual reintroduction to work, Preacher monitoring his exertion levels with the particular stubborn vigilance of a medic who'd clearly grown genuinely fond of his patient despite their constant bickering about proper rest.
By the time he'd cleared to return to the garage full-time, something had shifted permanently in how he approached the work — less hands-on with the heaviest physical labor, considerably more focused on teaching, overseeing, passing along the accumulated wisdom of twenty years to the two apprentices who'd grown, in his absence, into a genuine partnership he clearly took enormous pride in watching unfold.
"Time to make it official," he announced one afternoon, gathering Reid and me together with a formality
