Fred

Fred (フレッド, Fureddo) is an underground doctor who dresses all in grey to hide his scars from World War I. He is first introduced as The Grey Magician (灰色 の 魔術師, Haīro no majutsu-shi) aboard the Flying Pussyfoot in 1931, where he treated the train's injured regardless of their faction.

He runs a clinic in New York where he has treated patients including Jacuzzi Splot, Roy Maddock, and Adele. His assistant is Who.

Appearance
Fred wears a gray coat over gray clothes, has a gray cloth wrapped around his head, and a thick muffler that covers the lower part of his face.

Ladd describes his eyes thusly: "...He's got eyes that look like he could die at any time and be fine with it. Or maybe eyes like a guy who's already dead." (LN#2)

Personality
Fred does not discriminate between those in need of treatment, as befitting of an 'ace doctor'. He treats members of the Lemures, Ladd's men, and Jack aboard the Flying Pussyfoot equally and without prejudice.

Fred has an apathetic view towards death, thanks to his service during World War I. He is not frightened of death, and he is aware of it at all times. He is exactly the sort of man Ladd finds hardest to deal with - though if he were a woman, he'd be Ladd's favorite type (a la Lua Klein).

The doctor often blames himself for losing his comrades in World War I, bemoaning that death could not claim him. He hides his scars under heavy clothing to hide his pain.

He takes an overall neutral stance, and he not willing to involve himself heavily in the affairs of the immortal gangsters. He'd rather prefer to stay in the background, only taking an active role when people have been wounded.

He has a distinct dislike for drug addicts, a feeling that is especially evident when he has to deal with with Roy Maddock's destructive personality. Still, he does not hold Roy's behavior against him, and supports Edith's goal to make Roy a better man.

1931 The Great Punk Rail Road - Book One


Fred appears in the two books as a mysterious grey clad man wandering around the trams of The Flying Pussyfoot. His first encounter with the cast was with Ladd Russo, it was implied halfway through the book that he was killed by Ladd however the latter was talking about another person. Initially, his mysterious bag of medicine and bandages gives the reader the impression that he is the associate of Maiza Avaro, described to be a man of hardship and isolated in nature . His dissonant outlook towards life discomforts Ladd but makes him affable enough for Ladd to allow him to roam the Second and Third Class trams without retribution from his gang. Lemures associates also ignored his presence altogether during the heist. He arrives safely in New York and quietly walks away with an unknown man.

1931 The Grand Punk RailRoad - Book Two
Eventually, in the next book reveals some activities done by him in the incident.

Given free access to the trams thanks to Ladd, he ends up in a room housing Jacuzzi's friend Jack. Fred, owing to his profession as a doctor, treats the young man and parts ways. Later in the night, he encounters Who, a gang member of Ladd's who was heavily wounded by the scuffle and they converse with Lua. Fred convinces Lua that she should not let Ladd go lest he dies to The Rail Tracer. Lua's devotion to Ladd causes Fred to empathize with her and tells her there is yet life in her eyes, Lua soon departs to stop Ladd from facing certain death. Who, is moved by Fred's sympathy and abandons Ladd's group to go with the doctor, working as his assistant. The trip to Manhattan was a quiet one, and the two leave the train unscathed.

Later, Jacuzzi's group ends up at his clinic (depicted in the anime episodes 13-16) while he tends to their wounds.

1932 Drugs and Dominos
The book opens a description of Roy Maddock from Fred's point of view, he feels Roy is wasting his life by consuming drugs but does not hold it against him. He hopes that his girlfriend Edith will finally be able to help him overcome his addiction. Their love story as he says, can be compared to a movie.

Eventually, his clinic was mentioned and him having treated Roy for his wounds after he attempted suicide to escape Begg's plans. He later participates in rehabilitating Roy before he goes to work for The Gandors.

Trivia

 * Fred is German, as described by Who when the gangster was looking at his bag.
 * Fred's participation in World War I makes him quite an old veteran by the time the story occurs
 * Fred's appearance in the story was omitted from the anime. The absence changes the characterization of Lua Klein and Who altogether, with Who implied to have perished and Lua's character less developed in the anime.
 * He has similarities in visual appearance to Shingen Kishitani from the sister series Durarara!!. Both wear clothing that conceal their identity, their professionalism comes first and they are doctors. Fred shares the underground doctor title with Shingen's son, Shinra however.