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) during The Flying Pussyfoot incident and revealed to be The Doctor who treated Goose's traitorous associate, Neider. He runs a clinic in New York where he has treated patients such as Jacuzzi Splot, Roy Maddock, and Adele. His assistant is Who, originally one of Ladd Russo's gangsters. He was completely omitted from the anime adaptation however his clinic was shown in Episodes 13 - 16, where Jacuzzi was taken in.

Personality
Fred does not discriminate whoever comes his way if wounded or in mortal danger and who is in need of treatment, citing his professionalism as an ace doctor in the Baccano universe. He treated both factions of Lemures and Ladd's in The Flying Pussyfoot and actually manages to sway Ladd Russo from killing him. Such personality is shared with Lua Klein, the two can be compared to be suicidal or void of life due to his experiences in the war. As a result of his apathetic look towards life, he is often mistaken for the Grim Reaper in many occasions due to his desire to be one with death.

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

He is often neutral and not willing to involve himself heavily in the affairs of the immortal gangsters, preferring to stay in the background unless there are wounded individuals.

He has a distinct dislike for drug addicts as seen with Roy Maddock's destructive personality, however he does not hold it against him. He is supportive Edith's attempts 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, descibed 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 Great Punk Rail Road - 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 Jaccuzi'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 animes 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.