❝We're going to have to.❞
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"What do you mean?"
(Y/n)'s voice didn't waver but that didn't mean she wasn't scared on the inside.
She could feel and hear every beat of her heart because of the anticipation of what her senior is about to say next.
Instead of directly answering her question, Keith throws her one of his. "How was Levi doing these past few days?" Then he crossed his arms. "Anything... strange happening with him lately?"
Calm down (Y/n). Just be natural.
"There were minor problems here and there but nothing really worth taking note of."
"Are you certain?"
"Mhm."
He doesn't look very convinced, the psychiatrist continues to wear her usual expression on so not to lead Keith into getting dubious of her. What happened while I was gone?
"Mikasa should be done arranging the files. Take a look at them, would you?"
Keith leads the girl inside the lab. Levi had his back turned so he doesn't see (Y/n) enter. One of the nurses hands a black folder to Keith and he immediately gives it to the confused psychiatrist beside him. "Here."
As told, (Y/n) reads the contents of the file. When she reached the bottom, she goes over the paper again.
It didn't look like anything changed.
"Not much difference, right?" Keith's grave voice speaks all of a sudden. "Now, watch this." He holds a bright screen to the younger doctor, subtly examining her face as her eyes focused on the gadget in front of her.
What's going on...? (Y/n) squints her eyelids in attempt to get a clearer view of the video. It was Levi, Mikasa, and Keith the two were talking to the patient whilst he was strapped in his seat.
"How's your relationship with Doctor Zackley?"
(Y/n) sucks in a breath after hearing Keith talk in the video. She reminds herself not to move and keep her attention on the device because of Keith's scrutiny. He seems to know something already and just observed the girl to confirm his suspicions.
"... We're close."
"That must be nice. Being inward with her. Well, her kindness isn't new to anyone. It's good she's treating you like how she treated her past patients."
Levi doesn't speak after that.
"It's your third month here, so we have... less than a month more until the roster rotates."
What roster? (Y/n) moistens her lips as her brows almost clash together. Despite the small puzzlement, she continues to listen to the video recording.
" 'Roster rotates'? What are you talking about?"
"Our doctors are going to have to follow a new set of schedule. They're also going to be tasked to tend to a new set of patients. In short, someone else would be in charge of you next month. Did Zackley not tell you this yet?"
Her jaw tightens as the next events played out on the tablet's screen. Keith turns the device off and faced (Y/n), his glare unchanging.
"If I hadn't told that lie I wouldn't have seen that inner... monster he was hiding."
So he knew, (Y/n) pressed her lips together, did Erwin tell him?
"Why'd you ask me about replacing Levi's doctor when you already knew?"
"I was--" the male lowers his voice, wary of the intense stare coming from the seated ravenette meters away from him, "I was simply making sure. Erwin had mentioned the idea of replacing you with somebody and after weeks he finally talked to you about it."
Something in the older man's eyes gave away the lie he was trying to hide from the psychiatrist. She easily saw through it though, given the fact that she's an expert when it comes to deciphering body language. What Keith said wasn't the complete truth; the questions he asked Levi were too specific, as if he knew about Levi's weakness beforehand and purposefully exploited it.
Someone must've told him. Or maybe gave him some sort of a hint about it. But who?
There was no one but Hanji who knew Levi's forbidden feelings for (Y/n). The brunette wasn't in the lab, maybe she spoke to Keith about it before the checkup?
That can be the reason why Keith went here when he wasn't required to be. (Y/n) bites her tongue to prevent herself from voicing her skepticism out. She could investigate the matter on her own anyway, she won't need to question anyone.
"I'm not diagnosing him anything yet, but I'm sure there's something new that isn't recorded in his file."
"Like I said a while ago, Erwin won't change anything apart from the schedules."
"Do you realize how dangerous that is for you? It won't be long until that maniac starts to attach himself to you. It'll be hard if you don't let go of him as soon as possible."
(Y/n) casts her eyes away from her senior, her mind now filled with distraught. She had thought about abandoning Levi before, she just couldn't bring herself to do it.
Because whether she liked it or not, she was attached to him too.
"It's for your own safety, kid. You understand, right?"
You're just concerned mainly because of my father. Yes, that was the truth she knew. Everyone taking care of her because of her family and their reputation. She's still grateful though, it's better than receiving not an ounce of care from the people around her.
"I know... But he's been steadily improving, at least think of what can happen if I get replaced so suddenly."
"That shouldn't be a big issue, Zackley, unless I'm mistaken of your relationship with each other?"
(Y/n) releases another sigh as she shakes her head to the sides. She remains calm on the outside as though she was queasy within. "That's just plain outrageous, Keith," she defends herself, "I'm just worried for whoever comes after me. My first days with Levi wasn't smooth; even I struggled to handle him. He's not your typical prisoner, after all."
The psychiatrist had a point, and Keith acknowledged that. (Y/n) Zackley is the best in the psychiatry department, which was why they left the manic criminal in her care. Keith had no reason to doubt her abilities too since he himself was one of her mentors. After taking everything into consideration, he deems the best choice was to keep the young woman with her patient, though he's still hesitant because of the nagging thoughts in his head.
"Well, Erwin made the decision didn't he? It's not like I can do anything to change it." Keith pats the top of his former student's head. "Just take care of yourself too, kiddo."
The female psychiatrist beams at his affirmative response, Oh thank God.
"I will, I will. Come on, let's fix up."
Levi's glare gradually softens as soon as Keith and (Y/n) finally moved after minutes of talking. He couldn't hear a single word from the long talk, but he assumed that maybe it was something about him.
No, it was definitely something about him.
It didn't take long before his psychiatrist makes her way over to him and speak to him like she knew nothing of what had happened just minutes ago. She smiles at him as she voices out her concern for his well-being. Levi responded positively, nothing out of the ordinary because he didn't want to cause her any worries.
"Alright, let's take you back to your room!"
Levi's guards goes inside and assist him with his straitjacket once again. (Y/n) only observes her patient, searching for any traces of his outburst in front of Keith like from the footage her senior showed her. Strangely enough, the dark-haired man was calm and collected. He didn't appear distressed whatsoever, just normal.
"What did Keith talk to you about?" Chirped Mikasa from behind (Y/n). The psychiatrist shoots her friend a smile, "Nothing much, just some advice and small concerns. By the way, I ran into Eren before I returned here. He said he wanted to talk to you about something."
At the mention of the brunet, Mikasa's expression lights up. "Oh, Eren? Okay, I'll look for him later once my team and I are done here." The ravenette's gaze lands on the restrained Ackerman surrounded by guards. "You taking him back?"
"Yep! I'll escort him back to his cell, then let's get snacks after, what do you say?"
"Sounds perfect, I am a little hungry. See you later then."
"Alright!" (Y/n) waves at Mikasa as she walks away, going in front of Levi and the wardens to lead the way back to cell 30. She turns around just in time to miss the hard glare the medic was sending towards her patient. Mikasa was clueless but Levi felt the threatening gaze on the back of his head while he walked closer to the exit of the laboratory.
With his head bowed down, he smirks.