Hesitation 18+🔞

Chapter 33: What Happens in Stohess

Noah opens the door for you and grabs your bag, greeting you with an enthusiastic hey. You smile and slowly lift yourself from your seat as a grunt escapes your lips, it's clear that you're in some pain and that moving around is difficult for you. Noah catches on to your body language and offers his arm as support as you exit the vehicle. Once the driver is away, he asks

"Are you feeling alright? I'm surprised they let you come here in this condition."
Concern is written all over his face.

You remember in Erwin's report he mentioned that typically injured soldiers aren't approved for travel, to make something up that Noah would believe, making sure to not bring up the corrective procedure.

"The door was locked that night... I fell getting to my room, I'm getting better though, I must've knocked my ribs into the right place. Just a bit sore."

"Well lucky for you, the guest rooms are on the first floor. I'll help you to settle in."

He walks you through the pristine lobby, filled with MP cadets chatting amongst each other and walking to their destinations. Once you arrive at your room, he closes the door behind you and shows you around. It's huge, even bigger than Levi's room. The furniture is extravagant and the room is laced with tasteful decor, and there's a vase of flowers on the table in the center. You approach the table and lean over, taking a whiff of them and closing your eyes. You could get used to this.

"Here's the bedroom, (Y/N)."

You turn to face Noah, there's an entire separate bedroom.

"This place is sick. Does your room look like this?"

He shoots a charming smile at you.
"It wasn't at first, but, not quite as fancy as this place, for sure."

You take a seat on the bed and he places your bag on the chair in the corner, before turning to you.

"This bed is so comfy, Noah." the excitement in your voice grows.

"So, what brings you here? I haven't heard from you all week, so when I got the message yesterday I assumed it was about Gwen. Do you know where she is?"

"Where she is? What do you mean where she is? I came because I was worried about her and wanted to know if you knew anything."

"I wrote you Wednesday night, the letter is probably just arriving to your box right now. Gwen is missing, her mother frantically reported to the Trost MP unit and... well I have an idea of where she might be."

"Really? How?"

Noah begins pacing as he recounts his week.
"I spent last week in the underground escorting the citizens of wall Rose back up, and on my last day, I ran into Gwen's father. I ran into.. a few people down there, but I'll get to that after. He has citizenship above ground but he chooses to spend his time down there gambling. Now, I don't have any solid proof she's down there but it makes sense that she would be. Easier access to drugs, her father is an easy ticket into making a dishonest way of living. I'd hate to see her on that path but in her mothers report, she included that Gwen had taken a packed bag with her, so it was immediately tossed out as a runaway."
He combed his finger through his blonde hair and paused, trying to read your reaction.
You take a big breath in before saying.

"So we go down there."

Noah crosses his arms and scans your posture, raising one eyebrow.

"Do you really think you'd be able to go down there? I mean.. how bad is it?"

"I heard that there's incredible medicine in this city, so let's start there, see how I feel."

"There's a place not far away, I'll grab you some things while you unpack.. but before I leave, there's more."