Be Kind (Doctor Reader x Levi Ackerman)

Chapter 34: Josef Olbrich, surgical threads, and steak

Chapter 34 - Josef Olbrich, surgical threads, and steak

Survey Corps Headquarters.

The clatter of forceps on metal trays, the astringent scent of antiseptic, the gentle footsteps of medics to and from the patient beds. This is where you truly belonged. A surgery to start the morning kept your adrenaline high and fueled your satisfaction as a doctor.

You flip a page of 'Orthopaedic Medicine: Foundations and Clinical Applications' as you wait patiently on one of the chairs in the medical ward. You've been waiting for fifteen minutes and that red-headed boy has yet to arrive. You had asked one of your subordinates, Gabriel, to summon Josef Olbrich and you were hoping to chat for him a bit, but it seems like it's taking a while.

Another five minutes passed and Josef finally walked through the doors, along with Gabriel.

"I could have finished a whole book while waiting for you, Gabriel," you closed your book and set it down. What took him so long just to bring over a person?

"Sorry! Josef was all the way in the South post," Gabriel panted, looking like he had run laps. You thanked Gabriel for his help and sent him away.

"You wanted to see me, Section Commander?" Josef asked, cheeks beaming. Sometimes, you wonder how this sunshine of a man could be the sibling of someone like Johanne Olbrich. Two completely different species. One a puppy, another a viper. Well, somewhat used to be like a viper.

"Yes Josef, let's take a walk outside."

–

"Oh, so my sister told you about me?" Josef said, looking a little flustered. "I-I did tell her a lot about how you saved me. Shiganshina really was a dreadful time, I must have trauma dumped quite a lot."

"Why didn't you tell me Johanne was your sister?" you asked.

"I thought it was obvious given our surnames and similar features." Josef blinked.

"I-It's a common surname!" you exclaimed, not wanting to admit to the fact that you had completely overlooked this in the past.

You walked beside Josef and trekked the area near the HQ where there was plenty of open space and trees. You wonder how you should ask him what happened to Johanne. Was it appropriate as a Section Commander?

"How's Johanne been doing lately?" you asked.

Josef ponders on the question, but answers genuinely. "She's well. Johanne seems to enjoy her job and is less irritable about it. She used to complain a lot about the military dorms. Mm, what else... Johanne doesn't tell me much of what she does and we don't meet often since we're in different regiments, but we do meet up and send letters occasionally when we have free time. Although I'm glad her behaviour has gotten better, I still worry for her."

"Why do you worry?"

"Well, you probably already know since you're Section Commander, but my sister got transferred into the Garrison because she caused trouble in the Survey Corps. I don't really know the details of it, but I think she did something bad and the MPs got involved, and tried to harm someone in the corps," Josef said. If only he knew that you were that certain someone who got harmed. It seems like Josef doesn't know about your past with Johanne and just sees you as her ex-colleague in the corps.

"Yes, I recall. Can you tell me more about Johanne?"

"Just curious and I hope I'm not overstepping, Section Commander, but why do you ask about my sister?" Josef asks, his tone kind and genuine. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, not at all. Like you said, Johanne used to be in our Survey Corps Military Doctor team and we worked quite closely. When she approached me to talk about you, I felt like something was... different about her and I wanted to know more about her. Has she always been this way? Shame she had to leave the Survey Corps," you answered, putting up the act that you were simply just her ex-colleague and not her ex-nemesis.