Fragile (Slow Updates)

Chapter 18: New Reality

"Yes ladies, he's got no left leg and you'll just have to deal with that fact." Vašíček addressed the elephant in the room seeing how all three commanders were staring.

"Best give him space ladies, it never gets easier." Lieutenant General Vašíček informed as she eyed the Legionnaire.

"I can see why he never likes talking about his experiences but to those who truly understand." Commented Williams, eyeing his movements which were lifeless and robotic in nature. Face devoid of emotion, unbothered by the blood staining his uniform or injuries received.

"Ya...but still as friends or even as former colleagues we should still check up on him." Carter suggested, eyeing the former Commander dragging himself forward as Harris and three French special forces operators walked by his side. Kansens shot quick glances before quickly looking away. Carter's phone, already being bombarded with notification in the Eagle Union group chat inquiring about the Sous-lieutenant. Her eyes shifting onto the POWs as peacekeepers escorted them along, hands zip tied and being loaded into the back of a transport truck. Their ships sitting in harbour, several battered. Her eyes then moved onto the Sous-lieutenant's ships which were in a much worse state than the enemy taken aback while eyeing the missing armament and damage to the mast, various electrical and sensor systems along with spent shell casings littering the deck.

"I agree but space is still going to be needed. Though I'm going to have to get Her Majesty off his back seeing as she probably wants to congratulate him despite looking like shit." Evans knew that Queen Elizabeth was most likely to invite him for tea and cake wanting to give him a pat on the back as well as know every detail despite clearly not being in the mood for such things. A small smirk formed as the thought of him sitting there looking like he came from hell itself. Certainly, not a gentleman in view of the Royal Navy standard.

"That's all good and all but what about this." Williams flashing her phone screen filled with unread messages. Carter, already reading through them on her phone, glancing quickly at each message.

"Just tell them to give him space and let him rest. He'll answer any questions that they may have when he's ready to give that answer." Vašíček instructed the three Commanders with a stern look on her face.

The situation in the infirmary was chaotic. Vestal and Eagle ran around trying their best to tend to the injured peacekeepers with the assistance of any available combat medics and Manjuus. The degree of injuries piled up exceed what the infirmary could handle and the degree of injuries exceed what they were trained to handle. Only ones handling the pressure were the combat medics who were doing their best to tend to the wounded.

Sous-lieutenant Vogel sat on an examination table shirtless and staring at nothing in particular while a worried Vestal tended to him. Outside the room, Hariss, Andre, Lucas and Corbin patiently waited, the boys chatting up the Specialist. He just sat there completely ignoring every word that came out of her mouth, unreactive to her pulling out the bullets while calmly puffing away on his second cigarette. It was until she started cleaning his face with a wet towel that he showed a hint of emotion. "Could you not, Vestal, ain't exactly a child anymore."

"Sorry, force of habit I guess." She remarked handing over the wet towel allowing him to clean his own face of dirt, char and blood.

In front of her wasn't a young, naive Commander abused by the deck of cards dealt to him. Now a grizzled Legionnaire who's seen his fair share of battles sat across from her. A faint smile formed at the edge of his lips as she had good intentions just that he wasn't a child who would come running for help anytime somebody beat him up. A child no more but a fully functioning adult according to French law. Does he see himself as an adult is a question in itself.