| “ | You got tuberculosis. I’m really sorry for you, son, it’s a hell of a thing. | „ |
| —Joseph R. Barnes to Arthur Morgan |
A Fork in the Road is a mission in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Story[]
Once Arthur arrives near the quest's area, in Saint Denis, he (will dismount if he's on a horse) starts coughing heavily until he passes out. He wakes up to find a stranger dragging and helping him to the local doctor's office, where he is greeted by a spooked receptionist, prompting her to call on doctor Joseph R. Barnes, who brings him into his surgery room. Before he starts examining him, he asks for a payment in order to help him, which Arthur quickly gives.
After an examination of his ear, breathing, and mouth, Arthur is then given the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Upon hearing the bad news, Arthur expresses disbelief. The doctor informs him that tuberculosis is a progressive disease, and gives Arthur advice to go somewhere warm and dry. Arthur responds with sarcasm and says it isn't possible, then begins to get up and leave.
Before leaving, Dr. Barnes injects a syringe with steroids into Arthur's arm, in order to give him "a little bit more energy" for the day. Arthur subsequently exits the surgery and falls into a trance, remembering various quotes from people that differ according to Honor level.
High Honor: The colour scheme of Arthur's trance is golden yellow, reflecting sunlight. The quotes Arthur recalls are positive, reassuring and reflective, with somber music. At the end, Arthur sees a buck in the distance that gazes at him before running away and disappearing.
Low Honor: The colour scheme of the trance is grey, reflecting fog. The quotes that Arthur recalls are negative, foreboding and defeatist, with ominous music. At the end, Arthur sees a coyote gazing at him in the distance before scarpering away and vanishing.
Gold Medal Objectives[]
- Complete within 3 minutes and 5 seconds.
Video Walkthroughs[]
Background Music Played in the Mission[]
- "Doctor's Opinion" - Played when Arthur is diagnosed with tuberculosis.
Trivia[]
- Once this mission is completed, Arthur will be sick with tuberculosis for the remainder of his playthrough, which will increase the core draining speed by 20%. He will also gain a limited amount of benefits from food and drinks, resulting in only coughing and a pop-up reminder of being sick if he has too much. The only way to fully refill any cores if fully empty while sick is to sleep. Additionally, Arthur will lose his stocky appearance and will look underweight, even at perfect weight, after this mission.
- During this mission, when Arthur discovers that he has tuberculosis, Dr. Barnes comforts him with a line that Arthur will remember on his final ride in the "Red Dead Redemption" mission if his honor is high: "I'm really sorry for you, son, it's a hell of a thing."
- One of the lines that Arthur remembers in this mission if his honor is high is "If we don't stop soon we'll all be dying", said by Hosea in "Outlaws from the West." However, Arthur wasn't present when Hosea said this, so he therefore wouldn't remember it.
- If Arthur does not have any money on him, the Good Samaritan will give him ten dollars so that he can pay for the doctor visit.
- This is one of the only missions that isn't marked on the map. It is triggered when visiting Saint Denis, typically as the player is attempting to meet Sadie Adler for the mission "Icarus and Friends.”
- The name of the mission is a metaphor for a deciding moment in life or history, when a major choice of options is required.
- If the player returns to the Dr Barnes’ clinic, after Arthur’s diagnosis, Barnes will regularly ask Arthur how he feels.
Lines Recalled in Previous Missions[]
High Honor[]
- "If we don't stop soon we'll all be dying." – Hosea Matthews to Dutch van der Linde, in the intro to "Outlaws from the West"
- "I understand if you don't wanna help me, but... but... I think of you often." – Mary Linton, convincing Arthur to help her in "We Loved Once and True II"
- "He didn't have a choice. He was good and he did good." – Edith Downes, about her husband Thomas, in "Sodom? Back to Gomorrah"
- "We can't change what's done, we can only move on." – Arthur Morgan to John Marston, in "The Battle of Shady Belle"
- "Sometimes I wonder if things are ever the way we remember 'em, if we were ever who we thought we was." – John Marston during "The Battle of Shady Belle"
- "You have it in you, I can tell." – Brother Dorkins to Arthur, in "Help a Brother Out"
- "Well, she was a fool then, Arthur." – Mary-Beth to Arthur at the beginning of "No, No and Thrice, No", about Mary Linton
Low Honor[]
- "Don't make me beg you, Arthur." – Mary Linton, in "We Loved Once and True II"
- "You will die... savagely... all of you!" – Agent Milton to Arthur about the Van der Linde gang in "A Fisher of Men"
- "Turned into a bunch of killers, I mean it." – Hosea Matthews to Dutch van der Linde, right before "A Strange Kindness"
- "And you've as good as killed him yourself..." – Edith Downes, about her husband Thomas, in "Sodom? Back to Gomorrah"
- "Who made you the messiah to these lost souls?" – Agent Milton to Dutch van der Linde, in "The Battle of Shady Belle"
- "It feels like... like our luck has turned... you know... and it ain’t turning back." – Arthur on the return from Guarma, at the end of "Paradise Mercifully Departed"