Chapter 37 - Together
As expected, the Survey Corps could not hide the truth about Eren's disappearance for long. Eventually Hange disseminated the news to the Military Police and Garrison officials. Nobody was happy to hear about it, and the Survey Corps were held responsible for 'losing' Eren during the recon trip to Marley. Fortunately, Premier Dhalis Zachary and Commander Pixis were able to spare the corps from any harsh punishment from the Military Police.
For now, all you could do was just await further letters from Eren while strengthening the military. Perhaps when the right time comes, you could revisit Marley to search for Eren again.
Waiting did not take long, because Hange received intel months later that Eren was still lurking in Marley. For what? No one could tell for sure, but you also knew that Eren had some sort of plan that had to do with an upcoming festival in Liberio. It was a chance the Survey Corps had to take if they wanted to bring Eren back. Yelena and Onyankopon confirmed the legitimacy of the intel and strongly urged the corps to put plans in motion. It seems like collaborating with Zeke Jaeger has become a necessity.
"We must set up a base in Marley if we want to get Eren back," Armin suggests. "There's no telling what he would do, and we barely know anything about the festival. We must be there to gather more intel and to facilitate communication with him."
"I agree. We need to familiarise ourselves with Liberio as well if we are to be of any help," Hange fixes her glasses. "We must have plenty of supplies, gear, food, medics."
"Then we must make preparations soon," Mikasa said.
Hange wasted no time briefing the Survey Corps on the Liberio plan, pulling the core team and squad leaders into a meeting room. Raindrops began to fall, pattering heavily on the windows. Thunder and lightning ravaged the outdoors, distracting a few heads during the meeting. It felt like a bad omen.
The plan required at least five Military Doctors to be stationed in Marley along with several other Survey Corps members. You had been picked out as the Section Commander in-charge of the Military Doctors in Liberio, since you've been in Marley before, along with your experienced members Luca, Gabriel, Catarina, and Josef. As usual, Niko Schultz holds the fort back in Paradis, along with Johanne and the other Military Doctors.
You didn't like the way Levi was looking at you with lowered eyebrows and splintering eyes during the briefing. Something tells you another storm was about to unleash on you the moment you exit the doors.
"You are not going to Liberio," Levi demanded.
"Hange already decided the deployment of manpower in the briefing," you said. As you anticipated, Levi had stopped you outside the hall after the meeting.
"I'll talk with four-eyes. You must stay in Paradis, let the rest of us handle the shitstorm in Marley," he retorted as if his word was not to be argued with.
"Levi... not this again," you mutter. You remember the way Levi used to show this kind of protectiveness with you back then, you haven't seen him this triggered in a while. It's true, this conflict has everyone on edge, but that doesn't mean he can act based on selfish reasons.
"What do you mean 'not this again' ? I'm doing this for your own good."
"Are you really? Have you thought about how I would feel about this?"
"How you feel doesn't matter. Just do as I say, as your Captain."
Lightning flashes outside, the storm outside grows stronger.
"Excuse me?" Anger was starting to bubble up in your chest. Levi was trying to keep you out of things, again. Though you understood where he was coming from, it was unfair to you. It also felt like he was simply agitated by this whole situation and was taking it out on you. "You know, this is kind of insulting. You wouldn't say that to me if we didn't have this kind of relationship, and if I was just any other doctor or soldier," you said, feeling an uncomfortable lump in your throat.
"I don't care, I'm going to tell Hange right now to rearrange manpower," Levi said and was about to storm off, but you gripped his wrist hard to stop him.
"Stop this. I am a Military Doctor, a Section Commander! My team needs me and I have my own duties to honour."
"Fuck that, you could be the Commander for all I care and I still don't want you to go to Liberio."
"Is this because of my skill? Almost four years in the military and you still don't think I'm capable?"
"You... we... we haven't engaged in a real battle in nearly three years," Levi grew impatient, eyebrows furrowing. "We haven't fought a single Titan or person in way too long, and don't you see that we're about to plunge into a fucking war in a matter of weeks? You're unprepared."
"The same applies to everyone else!" your expression contorts, hands balling into fists.
"You don't have to be the one to go, let Niko Schultz be the Section Commander in-charge in Liberio."
"It makes the most sense for me to go considering I've actually been to Marley and Niko has not."
"So what?" he spat, eyes turning wilder by the second. "He can adapt. This mission is too dangerous and we know nothing of the enemy. Anything could happen."
"What kind of Section Commander am I if I choose to stay behind, just because of personal interest?"
"Even if that personal interest is me?"
Your eyes shoot open and for a moment, you're at a loss for words. Levi is being irrational.
"Please. Please just listen to me," Levi pleads, his voice turns from anger to desperation. "I can't lose you in Liberio. I'd never forgive myself if I let you go to Liberio and you... you die."
"And I'd never forgive myself either if I willingly choose to stay where it's safe, while you're out there in enemy territory fighting for us!" you quaked. "I could lose you too."
"No..." Levi brings his hands up to his face. "We are not... the same."
A loud thunder cracks. Anger flashes in your eyes.
"You are not going to Liberio," Levi repeats.
"You can't just decide things for me."
Another thunder booms, breaking the long silence between the two of you. It's getting late, and you had plans to visit your parents today. You must leave now if you want to make it back to HQ by night time. Besides, you hoped that by giving Levi some space, he'll be able to cool his head and come to his senses.
"I have to go. I'm going to see my parents," you mutter and turn on your heel.
Levi has half a mind to stop you from leaving, but the heaviness in his heart weighs him down. He doesn't know what else to tell you, or how to stop you. Should he even still stop you? Would it be the right thing to do?
—
You rode your horse to Sina in the storm, uncaring about wetting your clothes or the dangers of riding in the rain. Your head was far too muddled and angry at the thoughts of Levi not trusting you enough to be on the Liberio mission and his attempt at dishonouring your role as a Section Commander.
Your own people, Luca, Josef, Catarina, Gabriel, were all going to be in Liberio. How could you even think of staying safe within the Walls of Paradis knowing this? Eren was still out there too, and you care about his well being. You want to find him too.
You arrive at your parents house, and when you see how much healthier your father has become, your negative thoughts about Levi are washed away. He has regained most of his energy, and was no longer coughing each minute. Your father even went back to his hobbies, and your mother was smiling again. Both you and your father no longer have to take the Siloprazole tablets daily, and only keep stock of the canisters in case of relapses.
"Mom, Dad... I am leaving for Marley soon. The Survey Corps are establishing a base and I must be there," you announced. Worried glances were exchanged, but they understood what this meant for you.
"Be careful," your father mutters, pulling you into a warm hug.
"We are so proud to have you as a daughter, please come back safe," your mother says in tears.
"I will try my best," you said, feeling relieved that at least you had your parents' blessings to go.
After having dinner with your parents, you decided to pay Prof Em a quick visit too. He was also surprised to hear that the Scouts were making a move into enemy territory so soon.
"I'm so glad to hear that your father is doing so much better," Prof Em says.
"It's all thanks to your research and drug trials," you thanked him. "Also, will you ever tell me more about that creepy blue liquid?"
"Hallucinon?" Prof Em quirks a brow. "I'm afraid not, my dear."
"Thought so," you sighed. Perhaps it was a secret he was going to take to his grave. "Be well and stay safe, war is coming soon."
—
When you come back to HQ, you know you have to do the inevitable. You don't plan to ignore Levi or leave things hanging for long, doing so would make things worse for someone with abandonment issues like him. With your head a lot cooler, you hope Levi feels the same way.
It's late when you reach Levi's room, and you weren't surprised to see him still wide awake. His eyes are slightly red, face paler than usual. Had he been crying?
"We need to talk," you announced, standing in front of Levi while he remains seated on his couch.
"Yeah," he croaks out, but remains motionless. He looks more devastated than angry, and you can't help but feel a pinch of pity for him.
There was momentary silence, and in that entire time, Levi only looked at you with concealed panic in his steel grey eyes.
"Sit," he says quietly, and so you did. You took a seat next to him.
"I'm... I'm going to ask you one more time, to please not go to Liberio," Levi says. When Levi feels the weight in the couch shift and realise you're getting up, he immediately scrambles to tug on your shirt and make you stay.
"I didn't come here to hear that all over again, Levi," you sighed.
"Fine, okay, I won't ask you of that again," he replies, with a slight tremble in his voice. Lately, you've been seeing more and more of Levi's vulnerable side and it pains you a little.
"It's just... you do realise this time will be different right?" Levi trembled. "I received intel from Hange and Onyankopon that there is a high chance war against Paradis will be officially declared in Liberio. There's this noble bastard that's going to talk on stage, and the whole world will rain their attacks on us. And we will be there when it happens."
"And I must be there when it happens," you said. Levi's heart shatters. Those were the exact words Erwin said to him before the final battle in Shiganshina happened.
"No, that is exactly why you cannot be there," he responds. "You know what else is in Liberio? The Cart Titan, The Jaw Titan, The Warhammer Titan, all of which we have never encountered in a real battle before. On top of that, Marley's military forces, which are much more advanced than ours."
"What was the reason Erwin started the Military Doctors in the first place? We are meant to be your supporters, your healers in the Survey Corps. And if something huge like this is going to occur, Levi, I must be there."
"But-"
"And who's to say that I'll be completely safe while in Paradis? What if while you are all in Liberio, Marley or another nation comes to strike us?"
Levi tenses upon realisation of that possibility. He had been so caught up at the thought of you in Liberio and having everything focused in Liberio, that he forgot about all the other possible scenarios that could happen. He would be devastated if Marley or another nation brought the war to Paradis and he would be helpless in Liberio.
"Levi, we do this together, okay?" you beg him, taking his cold hands in yours. "We are a team, you and I. You can't just tell me to go off and do this... war on my own, and neither can I to you."
"Right... together."
"If anything happens to you, I can heal you. If anything happens to me, you'll be there to fight for me and save me. But we can only do this if we are together, and you can only protect me when I'm with you. We need each other if we want to save each other."
There is hesitation in Levi's eyes, but you can tell he is thinking about it. You meant what you said, and you could never imagine what you would do if Levi was away from you and you found out he was injured. He would be in a much worse state as well if you ever enter a situation where you're in danger and he's not around.
Finally, Levi sighs. "I owe you an apology for the way I acted this afternoon. I didn't mean to undermine your skills or dishonour your role. You are... very capable, and of course I know that."
You nodded, and accepted his apology.
"I'm just..." Levi stammers, his eyelids drooped and his lips quivering. "I just... you... you are everything. Everything."
Your grip around Levi's hands becomes tighter, and you feel a pang of sadness and gratefulness in your chest. To have the affections of someone like Levi to this extent, was truly a privilege and a blessing.
"Come here you," you sigh and hug him. You have one arm on his back, and one hand caressing his soft, black locks gently. He has so much concern for you in his heart, and tends to communicate the wrong things to you.
"I don't think I can live without you," he says quietly.
"Oh Levi..." you mumble, letting him melt into your arms and touch, maintaining the embrace for as long as he needs.
"I'm sorry. I love you," he buries his face into the crook of your neck.
"I love you too. We do this together, okay?"
"Yes, together," he breathes. If you die, I die with you.
—
Lady Kiyomi has an available building in Liberio, which the Scouts are able to use for establishing a base. A total of nearly fifty Scouts are to be sent to Liberio by ship in two weeks, setting the Liberio plan in motion. Things are happening so quickly, you could barely keep up with the pace. Soon, you're all set to leave for Liberio tomorrow.
Today, you're checking on boxes and boxes of medical supplies, uniforms, and ODM gear for the Military Doctors to be sent to Liberio by ship. You take out a sample of the new ODM gear and uniform to take a closer look at it. It's a full black jumpsuit now, much tighter than your previous versions. Instead of brown leather straps, now you have metallic, bullet proof chest plates and light grey straps. Fortunately, the uniform and ODM feel much more lightweight than before.
You see Mikasa and Jean loading thunder spears in well-protected metallic cases into the ship, and Sasha dragging a bag of potatoes.
"Sasha, they have potatoes in Marley," Armin commented. "Besides, Lady Kiyomi will ensure all our meals are taken care of."
"This is for us to have while on the ship!" Sasha retorted.
"Captain, where should I place the cleaning supplies?" Connie asked.
"Under the deck, near the medical supplies," Levi responds, helping with the thunder spears. Only Mikasa and Levi can carry 8 thunder spears at once, while everyone else's limits are at 4.
Before leaving, you give a short briefing to the rest of the Military Doctors.
"The Liberio Mission will last for one month and possibly longer. While I'm away, you will report to Doctor Niko Schultz and your duties will resume as per normal," you announced in the meeting room with your Military Doctors gathered. "Everyday we still receive training casualties, sick soldiers, and Marleyan refugees. Although they are Marleyans, I want to keep reminding everyone that as doctors, we are to treat all humans and we must give the best of our abilities, always. The Marleyan refugees are under our care, so treat them like how you would treat our fellow soldiers. I don't want to hear any reports or complaints of us Survey Corps doctors refusing treatment or acting discriminatory. Is that understood?"
"Yes, doctor!" the entire room responds.
"Your medical training resumes as usual, under the supervision of Doctor Kohlmann. Same goes for your daily military and physical training, we must always be in top shape. That is all from me, thank you," you saluted, and the whole room salutes back.
Once the room empties, you catch Niko Schultz to discuss some admin matters.
"You've gotten pretty good at speeches," Niko notes.
"I learn from the best," you smirk, thinking of Erwin and the way his stern speeches inspired you. "Thanks for holding the fort here while I'll be away,"
"No problem, be safe out there with the rest," he nods.
You join the rest of the Survey Corps for yet another round of long briefings and meetings. It was necessary to properly guide the soldiers involved in the Liberio mission. Things such as daily curfew, rules, the way each person must act to minimise suspicion, and even the map of Liberio. Going undercover was dangerous and tricky business.
"Section Commander, what's Marley like?" Josef asks you.
You struggle at putting it to words. "Very... different. It's huge, and new. You will see for yourself."
"I can't wait to see what the outside world looks like," Josef smiles excitedly.
"Hey, this isn't a vacation," Luca rolls his eyes.
"Do you think they still ride horses there?" Josef asks.
"Yes... they do. And something else," you reply, thinking about the time you saw a car.
"What else?" Josef asks.
"You will see. Also, Johanne is alright with you going right?"
"She's not, but she'll live. She tried to stop me, but I refuse to listen to her. I've always wanted to see the outside world anyway," Josef smirks.
Somehow, you could relate.
"When we get there, please stick by the rules. I don't want any of you running off and me not knowing where you are, okay?" you remind them.
"Roger!" they said.
"And please, don't go around saying 'inside the walls' this 'outside the walls' that. Sasha and Connie did that plenty," you sighed and your team let out chuckles and laughs.
"Do you think we'll get to eat Marleyan cuisine everyday?" Gabriel's eyes glitter. "I loved Niccolo's seafood platter so much."
"I don't know about that..." you murmur.
"Have you tried on the new uniforms? The black suits are so cool, don't you think?" Catarina beams. Your team sure are enthusiastic about the Liberio mission.
"I have," Luca said. "I feel like a fucking sausage. Why is it so skin-tight anyway?"
"Yeah, I feel like it presses too tightly on my crotch." Josef comments, and laughter erupts from the team.
"Am I the only one who likes it?" Catarina scratches her head. "I feel cool. And you know who else looks cool wearing it? Captain Levi!"
You nearly choke on your spit. Shit. You haven't seen Levi in the suit, but you could already tell he'd look so fucking handsome in it. That skin tight suit with a high turtleneck, and all black too.
"Are you fucking drooling?" Luca snorts at Catarina. "What are you imagining?"
"Am not!" Catarina yelps.
You let out a sigh. You're just happy that this team is getting along well, especially considering that you'd have to work closely together while in Liberio.
When you actually arrived in Marley, things were not as chaotic as you thought it would be. Things moved quickly and soon, the Scouts were already settled in Lady Azumabito's spare building.
Sleeping arrangements were tricky. The building doesn't have enough proper bedrooms, so everyone slept in makeshift sleeping beds and mattresses. Luckily, the building had running water, electricity, and stoves for bathing and cooking.
Soon, several weeks in Liberio have passed.
The Scouts spent most of their days going undercover in Liberio — spying, scouting areas, and looking for further leads from Eren. It was important for everyone to familiarise themselves with the territory.
Word from Eren came quickly in the form of letters. He's here. So close yet so far. From what you've heard from Hange, he plans to show up during that festival and has instructed the corps to be on standby if they want to fight with him. The way he wrote, he made it seem more like an option than an instruction.
Furthermore, Hange has also been receiving letters from Zeke and how he plans to escape to Paradis on that same night. He plans to get in contact with Eren as soon as possible, and needs a way to get out of Liberio. Of course, that creepy lady Yelena was more than willing to help.
What you know is that Zeke plans to let himself get captured by Levi and the Scouts, and taken away on the airship. Right, the airship. Onyankopon plans to hijack an airship and have the Scouts escape on it. Insane. Then, you would have Armin stationed at the harbour and ready to transform as the Colossal to slow down Marley's attacks. Even more insane.
As for the Military Doctors, luckily, all you five need to do is to act as support and focus on bringing away injured soldiers to designated safe spots for treatment. The main goal is to minimise the number of Scout casualties and save as many as possible.
You let out a sigh, and put your hands around your eyes to massage them. A part of you is glad that your main goal isn't to kill, but you know you would have to pull your trigger when it comes down to it.
"Is it tomorrow?" Gabriel, one of your Military Doctors asked.
"Yes," Luca responds.
"It's so much sooner than I expected," Catarina sighs.
"Remember the plan, okay? Practice the straps and hooks so that when you're hauling someone to safety, you can do it within seconds," you remind them. "And stick close to your team, and don't engage in battle. Focus on rescue and support."
"Got it!" your team nods.
"You look anxious... it's going to be alright," Luca reassures you. "We've gone over the plan multiple times."
"I know... I feel heavily responsible for your lives since I'm the Section Commander, and I want to make sure all of you make it to the flying boat tomorrow," you murmur. It's true, you've been having trouble sleeping the past few days due to fears of your comrades dying in Liberio.
"Our squad leaders are competent, we have Mikasa, Jean, Sasha, Connie. And of course Captain Levi!" Josef encourages.
"Right... yes," you say quietly.
"Trust us, Section Commander," Luca smiles.
"Yeah, we can do this!" Josef nods.
You smile back and thanked your team for the support. You engage in casual conversation with your recruits as you all prep yourselves for tomorrow.
Afternoon falls quickly and you decide to take a walk outside, just to survey the surroundings once more.
The town looks ordinary. The streetlights turn on and workers are starting to make their way home for dinner. Upon walking, a vehicle passes by the street. There are Marleyan soldiers on it, making a big commotion and yelling at people to get out of the way. It looked like a bigger version of a car, what was it again? A truck, you think. The truck looked heavily guarded.
"Make way!" a soldier bellowed. Something tells you they were guarding something very important. Perhaps military equipment.
You can't really tell what was inside the cargo as it's covered by some fabric flaps. However, a swish of the wind caused one of the flaps to open wider than it should, and you were able to catch a glimpse of what was inside. A flash of glowing blue.
You become momentarily frozen on the spot, processing what you had just seen, wondering if it was the same glowing blue you saw at Professor Emeritus' lab. That creepy glowing blue liquid... it can't be the same one? Wait, perhaps it wasn't even a liquid that you saw in the truck. It could have been something else.
You remember how your professor wouldn't reveal the origins of the liquid or how he got his hands on it. Perhaps it was a common or naturally occurring chemical found everywhere else in the world?
You had half a mind to follow the vehicle and see where they transported the cargo, or ask a Marleyan soldier what it was, but for the sake of your and everyone's safety, you dropped the issue.
When you returned to the base, looking a little shaken, Levi was quick to point that out.
"You look like you just saw a ghost," Levi mutters.
"No, I did not. But I did see a similar-looking creepy blue liquid that I saw at my professor's lab."
"That illegal chemical you told me about?"
"Yeah," you hum. "I wonder if the Marleyans know anything about it."
"Don't go poking your nose where it doesn't belong," Levi says and gently points his finger on your nose.
"I almost followed a secret Marleyan cargo truck today."
"Are you insane? I knew I shouldn't have brought you here."
You crossed your harms and feigned annoyance.
"You should eat, the soldiers are starting their seafood feast already," Levi ushers you to the dining hall. "After that, tomorrow we will..."
You soften your gaze, and interlace your fingers with his. "Tomorrow... together, okay?"
"Yes, together," Levi follows. "Don't die."
"I won't."
–
"If Hange's intel is correct, Eren could show up any minute now," Mikasa whispers.
Night time has draped itself over Liberio, blanketing buildings, civilians, and fifty Survey Corps members hidden in the dark. Streetlights flickered, crowds were restless. There was a huge crowd gathered in the square where Willy Tybur was giving his speech. You're assigned close to Mikasa's unit, carrying your usual ODM gear and blades.
However, instead of thunder spears, you carried a first aid kit and essential medical supplies. You also carried an extra strap and hook around your waist, for when you need to carry soldiers with you and bring them to safety. All Military Doctors had this special customisation to their gear.
Luca is assigned to Jean's team. Josef is with Sasha and Connie's team. Catarina is with Floch's squad and Gabriel with another.
Mikasa is anxious, her breathing heavier than usual.
"Mikasa, focus," you remind her. "Eren will show, and we'll get him out of here as fast as we can."
"I know," Mikasa gulps. "I'm just... worried about what he will do. I really hope he doesn't..."
A flash of yellow lightning blinds you and Mikasa, followed by a thundering roar and the sounds of a thousand boulders breaking. Too late. It's happening.
The noises are unbearably loud, it sounded as if a large bomb had dropped in the square. Your ears ring, your heart pounds rapidly against your chest. Eren's Attack Titan rises from the ground like the undead, screaming and roaring like his life depended on it.
No... fucking way. He really did it.
What Eren does next is unimaginable. Eren dives into the stand of Marley's military generals, killing them in one blow with this Titan body. You hear screams, cries, bones breaking, buildings exploding. It was horrible.
"Eren, what the fuck," you say under your breath, witnessing your comrade commit mass murder. Is this... the Eren you really once knew?
"Eren..." Mikasa grits her teeth, her voice sorrowful and in disbelief. "We... we have to go."
Then, Mikasa zips into the night to aid Eren as he engages in battle with the Warhammer Titan.
–
Levi finally spots you. Ever since Eren let hell loose in the middle of the square, he had been searching for you frantically. You were assigned to Mikasa's team, so you must be wherever she was. Mikasa has shown herself, perched on Eren's shoulder. So you should be...
He sees you, perched on the rooftops of one of buildings next to several other Survey Corps members. As instructed, you kept a low profile and made sure you hid in a location with a good view of the battlefield. As a Military Doctor, you had to stay behind in order to be able to save soldiers when needed.
He grits his teeth, readying himself to tear anything that bears a threat to you to shreds. If any enemy soldier dares lay a hand on you, he would see it that they meet a gruesome death by his own blades. Although his main mission tonight was to slay the Beast Titan and protect Eren, he would not hesitate to bolt to your side the second he senses things are going bad for you.
A loud roar catches his ears, and Levi clicks his tongue when he sees that the Jaw Titan is here. Wasn't it supposed to be trapped by Yelena? What happened to the plan? He decides it was time to take action, before the Jaw eats Eren alive. Levi jumped into action, slicing the jaw's mouth open and rendering it useless. Eren is safe, and now his comrades are able to jump in and help. Levi checks on you again. Still hiding in the building, good.
Suddenly, the sound of gunshots rips through the air and Levi's eyes widen. The Cart Titan! Why is it here too?
The Cart Titan rains bullets with some kind of automatic gun on its back, aiming them straight at the Scouts. Shit! One down, two down. The Scouts' formation was scattered and two soldiers were falling from the air.
Levi sees a shadow bolt out above him, and you grab the body of one of the soldiers who had been shot. Shit, shit shit. This is a bad time for you to be out in the open. Eren is still rampaging at the Warhammer, the Jaw is about to recover, and the Cart is raining hellfire at everyone and everything. Shit, please!
Levi sees you strap the Scout to your body, and use your ODM to get out of the battlefield. Another Military Doctor, Catarina, grabs the other Scout's body with her. Together, you disappear somewhere to get the bodies safe and Levi no longer has a visual of you.
Fuck! Please, please be safe. Whatever happens, please.
–
You landed on the flying boat with a tumble, and carefully set down the injured Scout who was strapped to your body. You should be the last Military Doctor on the ship. Immediately, you scan the airship for your team members.
Please be safe, please be alive.
You spotted Luca, one.
Gabriel, two.
Catarina is tending to soldiers with them, three.
Josef...?
Fuck, where is Josef?
"One more... where is Josef Olbrich?" you begin to panic.
"He's there!" Gabriel alerts you.
You spot his crown of red hair by the corner of the ship, hauling bandages.
Thank God!
"You all made it..." you breathed a sigh of relief, burying your face in your hands. You brush away your initial anxiety, and decide it's time to get to work.
Six injured soldiers, one dead. You were unable to save one Scout as he was shot in the head and died on the spot. Still, you managed to retrieve the body to bring it back on the flying boat.
Gunshot wounds were the most expected type of injury in the Liberio mission, and all your six casualties turned out to be gunshot injuries. You, Luca, Gabriel, Catarina, and Josef worked together to save the six soldiers, who are now safe onboard the flying boat.
You hear more thumps on the flying boat, which means more of your comrades have boarded. You look up and see Levi, his intense eyes slowly melting to relief when he sees you safe on the flying boat.
"How many did we lose?" Levi asked.
"One," you said sadly and shifted your gaze on the body covered by a blanket. "We couldn't save him, died on impact."
"I see... but we saved six?"
"I hope we will," you said, and continued working on stopping the bleeding of the Scout under your care.
"Good work," Levi commends you and the Military Doctors before heading to the head of the flying boat to meet Hange and Zeke.
Shit, he's losing a lot of blood. The soldier has a bullet lodged in his knee, and it's causing him a lot of pain.
"What happened, is he going to be okay?" a Scout asks.
"His kneecap is likely shattered, I need more time to confirm if there are any torn ligaments or fractures," you shake your head. This injury could be career-ending for the Scout, but at least he is alive.
You inject more morphine into him to ease his pain.
"Hey, you're doing great. Just breathe in with me, breathe..." you said. "Breathe out... I'm going to slowly take out this bullet, luckily it's not lodged in too deep. You won't feel any pain, okay? I've numbed the area, you'll just hear a few clicks."
The soldier nodded weakly, and closed his eyes tightly.
The Scouts are getting rowdier, already starting to celebrate today's 'victory'. Floch apparently caused more civilian casualties than he was supposed to, and Jean had scolded him for it.
"Who cares! This is the first time we are fighting them back!" Floch retorted. You want to wince in disgust at the way he seemed so proud of murder.
Suddenly, you heard another thump, followed by a loud gunshot. You jumped in fright, nearly nicking your patient with your tools. Who in their right mind would fire a gun in the middle of a flying boat?
You whipped your head to find the culprit and then you saw... a kid? She was holding a gun and the person she had shot was...
You let out a loud gasp. Sasha had been shot.
What happened next was a blur. Connie and Jean rushed to Sasha's side while the rest of the Scouts jumped the kids, beating them up to a pulp. You glanced at Luca and the rest of your Military Doctors. You knew you had to act fast.
"I'll take over for you, you and Josef go get Sasha!" Luca yelled, and you immediately jumped to action.
"Sasha! No!" Connie cries, fear dawning on his face.
"Sasha... s-she's been shot!" Jean yells.
"Move, I need space!" you jumped to Sasha's side.
"The hole is deep, we need gauze," Josef grunts and begins stuffing gauze to her gunshot wound to stop the bleeding.
"Sasha, Sasha! I need you to stay awake," you said and began patting her cheek repeatedly to keep her eyes open.
"O.. okay," she mumbles weakly. "It... hurts."
"We need to perform immediate surgery on her when we get back to Paradis," Josef cries out.
"Yes, she's losing too much blood. Can we get blood transfusions?" you instructed. What would have happened if there were no medics on board? You would have no hope for Sasha, along with the other injured soldiers. Your heart thumps against your chest rapidly, blood rushing in your ears. Sasha's condition is fatal, and you can't lose her now!
Some time passes, and Josef was able to get Sasha's bleeding under control. She has stabilised for now, but she will need proper surgery the moment she lands in Paradis. Here on the flying boat, you don't have the proper tools or sanitary environment to perform a full surgery.
When you finally set your tools down and take your gloves off, Connie and Jean approach you with glassy eyes.
"Thank you for saving Sasha," Connie breathes out, unable to hide the tremble in his voice. "Thank you, thank you. I'd say it a million times, thank you!"
"We're so grateful that you Military Doctors are here with us," Jean stammered, looking truly shaken for the first time tonight. "Fuck, thank you. Thank you."
"If... if Sasha didn't make it, I don't know what I would have done," Connie choked. "She... she means everything to us."
"Shall I throw them off the boat?" Floch hisses, pointing at the two beaten up kids. Is he insane?
"No!" Jean cries out. "They're just... kids."
It's a blond boy and a brunette girl, both tied down by ropes. How did they even manage to climb on the flying boat? Their injuries look bad, they are bleeding from their noses and will probably get tons of bruises too.
"So? They shot Sasha," Floch growls. "They're still our enemy."
To throw kids off an airship would be cruel. You would not stand for it.
"Bring them here, they're bleeding quite badly," you said all of a sudden, drawing a heinous look from Floch.
"Huh? You're going to treat the kids who nearly cost Sasha's life?" Floch sneers, encouraging words of protest from other Scouts who were thinking of the same thing.
You ignore Floch, and you decide to approach them instead. Floch tries to interfere, but Jean was quick to hold him back. Jean has a higher rank now that he's a squad leader, so no one dares to intervene either.
The brunette girl looks rather difficult to deal with, with the way she's staring at you with so much hatred and disgust. The blond boy, on the other hand, appeared calmer, though just as scared.
"Don't touch me, you devil!" the brunette girl cried out. "I'd rather die than receive treatment than you!"
You can't help but narrow your eyes at her. It seemed as if every Marleyan had been programmed to say the same thing, over and over again. Some Marleyan refugees said the same thing to you back then when you tried to treat them.
"Stay still or that nose isn't going to heal itself," you reach out to clean the blood from her, but she moves away from your touch. You try again, this time, reaching for her injured hand, but she kicks your hand away and you wince in pain.
"Touch me and you'll regret it," she hisses.
"Gabi! Stop it! She's trying to help," the blond boy scolds quietly.
"No! She's probably trying to trick us, she'll hurt us even more. Look, Falco, that syringe in her bag is probably a sedative so that we'll fall asleep!" the girl retorts. So her name is Gabi and the boy is Falco.
"Can't you see she's a doctor?" Falco says.
Gabi is being uncooperative, so you move on to Falco instead, who's bleeding from the head.
"Hey, kid. Don't be afraid, I'm just going to clean off the wound on your head with this antiseptic liquid, it will sting a little," you say as calmly as possible, reaching for his head.
"Get away from Falco! I won't let you touch him with that filthy hand of yours!" Gabi screams.
You ignore her too, and begin to clean the wound on Falco's head. She continues to yell profanities at you, hoping you'd finally get the idea and leave you two alone. However, your conscience won't let you ignore them. Although they are enemies, they are still kids and they aren't immune to infections from open wounds. In the end, you weren't able to touch Gabi at all, but you were able to relieve Falco of his open wounds.
It wasn't long before the kids were taken to the head of the plane, where they met Zeke Jaeger and the rest of the crew. According to Zeke, they were his "miscalculations" and he had no idea how or why they came onboard the ship. As for Gabi and Falco's fates, they are to be detained by the Military Police back in Paradis.
You're not sure what else happened at the front of the ship, but you heard that Levi kicked Eren and an argument ensued. It seems like Eren will be detained as well for his unforgivable war crimes.