Lara (Long-Fic Levihan | Armin Arlert X OC)

Chapter 87 - Rumbling

Hange still looked very scared. Lara crouched beside her.

"Mom," she tried to keep a calm tone, "let's remember what the doctors said? Talking will help you relax faster."

Hange nodded, meeting her daughter's eyes. Lara took off her mother's goggles and placed them aside.

"Right," said Lara. "First, I need you to take a deep breath," Hange did it. "Good, you're doing great," Lara stroked her mother's hair and Hange asked her to hold her hand, "Now, repeat to me what we would need to do if these bleedings happened."

Hange pressed her eyes together, letting a tear fall.

"Th-The doctors said that this bleeding could really happen, yeah... And that when they happened, we should look for them immediately, because it was not a good sign..."

"Exactly," agreed Lara, nodding. "But, we cannot do that now, 'cause we're practically fugitives and we'll be in danger of being captured by the Jaëgarists. So what's 'Plan B' if we couldn't make it to the infirmary?"

"To take the medicines your father had put in the kitchen cupboard," answered Hange, "And stay on bed rest."

"Good job, Mom," Lara gave her a kind smile. "I don't think it's wise to go home right now, for it could worsen your condition. Let's wait until you get a little better. For now, we're doing 'Plan C'."

"We have a 'Plan C'?!" asked Hange, surprised.

"I had to make it up now," Lara tried to smile. "You mustn't get up from here and you need to try to stay calm," she ran a hand over her own face, "I'm sure it was because of your high blood pressure and stress that you started bleeding." Lara squeezed Hange's hand, "Tell me, how's Tiny-Human-Bean doing?"

Hange concentrated, placing her other hand on her belly.

"It's moving around a little, but it seems fine," she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good," replied Lara, blinking slowly. "That's it then. Let's take it one step at a time. You now need to rest and lower your blood pressure."

With a sad smile on her lips, Hange nodded. Before Lara could get up to get another blanket for her mother, she felt her wrist being grabbed by Hange.

"Baby..." she said, with another tear coming out of her eyes, "Thank you so much... I don't know what we would do without you..." Hange then got a dark expression, "Lara... Your father and I can't act on our own anymore," she gazed at Levi, sorrowful, "Please, I beg you... Take command!"

Lara straightened her back, astonished.

"C-Command?!" she stuttered, staring at her mother, "Of... The Survey Corps?!"

Hange gave her another sad smile and felt a sob coming from her throat.

"No," she replied, convinced, "I'm asking you to take command of our lives." Hange squeezed her daughter's wrist a bit more, "Look at me, and your father... He can't make any decisions right now, and my thoughts are so troubled, I'm so distressed, that I can't think clearly either... And if I really need to be completely on bed rest now, I cannot do anything else... Please... Tell us what to do!"

Lara's eyes widened, swallowing hard. Hange looked down, sad.

"You do know that I didn't want to be the Commander... Erwin should've never chosen me..." She sighed and gazed at Lara, "Sweetheart, you know very well who should take on this role right now, don't you?" Hange pressed her lips together, "I can see now that he's the ideal person for it. He has always been."

Only one name came to Lara's mind: Armin.

She narrowed her eyes and nodded in agreement.