"He mentioned the scar," the Chief offers. It came up when Wash explained to him about Freelancer, and he sort of doubts Wash would've done it if he'd known York might actually show up one day. The Chief knows the project was an experimental disaster, that it broke its agents, and that most of them died. York died.

It's a lot to know about somebody and still have no idea what they're like as a person. It's not how this is supposed to work. The best the Chief can do is try to avoid tipping his hand about the worst of it.

...He also may or may not be making a note to himself to ask Wash about Casbah. You know. On a significantly better day.

"I'd give him a week," he says, because that's how long he plans to leave it before he goes to check on Wash himself. Then he hesitates for a second over how to say the next bit. The Chief has never been good at this sort of thing.

"He told me you were dead."