The smell of iron and disinfectants woke you with a splitting headache. How long was I out? Struggling to sit up, a pain shot up your left thigh like a hot needles to refuse to relent. Your mouth gaped open in a surprised gasp, hands flying to cradle your knee.
But there was nothing below the knee.
Tears swelled instantly in your [e/c] eyes, secretly hoping that the last expedition was just a nightmare that wanted to take it's time before letting you finally wake. You had had some great times with that leg, walking, running, dancing, the occasional stubbing of the toe, taking it for granted. Now it was gone and the expedition was over and real, there was no getting your leg back.
Lying back down, you stared up at the ceiling, chest heaving with each sob that it was really gone. All you could remember was firing a flare to warn the squad of a horde of titans, that unfortunately, had spotted it too. Levi appeared with Mike and pulled you from the jaw of a titan before it could bite off the next limb.
That was practically a week ago, and you'd only woken once when Eren came to see you. He'd sat at the other side of the room, watching you sleep and talking to you at the same time. His voice was low and sorry about something but you couldn't make out what he was saying, or why you were seeing bright green swirls and fireworks.
The heavy oak door creaked open and revealed a vibrant Hanji, smiling a genuine smile towards where you lay.
"Hey you're awake!" She greeted, taking a step forward, then glancing down to the ground as she tried not to step on something, "Someone else is here to see ya too!"
"I don't wanna see anyone," You muttered into your sleeve trying to hide your tears from the doctor.
A small thump landed on your stomach followed by a warm purring and whiskering tickling your ears.
"Hey cut it out!" You laughed lightly and gently pushed the creature away from your head. Sitting up again, the animal's full size came into view and your heart sank, "He only has three legs."
Hanji sat on the corner of your bed, nodding earnestly while she stroked the golden cat's silky fur, "Wasn't always like that, he got it caught in the crank meat grinder one day, hadda take it off, poor thing, didn't cry once though, he's a tough little guy."
You nodded slowly, watching the three legged cat do that cat thing that every cat does as he paced cat-gleefully around Hanji's arms and swished his tail against her. She laughed softly and scratched the base and under his chin simultaneously. His eyes half-lidded as his big lion-esc head turned to you for a new victim.
They were brighter than blue eyes, even so for a cat. You had once heard rumors of cats that were pure white and blue eyed that were always born deaf. Perhaps it was luck that he was gold as the sun and could hear every word that you said next as he walked over to be petted.
"Why did you keep him though? He can't hunt mice anymore, he can't run from danger, he's useless."
The brunette woman frowned and snapped the blanket over your leg up, staring at it curiously for a moment, "Maybe we should just get rid of you. There's no way you can use the 3dmgs like this, you can't ride a horse, hell, you can't even stand up straight anymore without falling over." She stood and slapped the stump that was you now, "I'll go tell everybody your decision."
You cringed as the hot needles returned, gasping painfully without noticing the cat stare intently at you, grinning a catty grin.
After a moment he padded back up your body and planted himself firmly on your chest, nose to nose he continued to stare. His purr grew louder as he tried to drown out your own muffled cries of agony. He tentatively reached out his only front paw and batted your face, sick of your whimpering, eyes narrowed, not irritated but an almost sad.
"What?"
He smiled his cat smile again and the purr returned, rubbing his head against yours to be stroked. While running a hand through his surprisingly smooth fluffy coat, you other hand found something metallic around his neck. A small green pendent produced itself with two little dangly pieces off the bottom the clinked together quietly.
"Erwin," You read the hand-engraved name scratched on the back, he perked up at the sound of his name and licked your nose.
Maybe he wasn't that useless.
*time skip*
A few days had gone by now and both you and Erwin had become fast friends, while it seemed like none of your human ones bothered to stop by. Hanji had made herself scarce, only once showing up while you were still sleeping with a piece of rope and then just leaving the moment you woke.
The golden cat had made a great source of entertainment as he hobbled around and did his best to scamper after his little wicker ball that you two played fetch with. At night, he would sit himself on the window sill and swiped his tail over your face.
He never seemed to stop purring, as if it was his only goal in life was to run out his purr-er just for you and only you. One day, out of boredom, you had decided that it was time to stand up and walk around. Only, it resorted in immediate collapsing on the floor with a loud crash that took out the night stand.
Erwin had done nothing, merely jump down with his amused cat grin, and sit down on your back, mocking that he could walk and you couldn't, but almost pleased that you had tried anyway.
After what seemed like less than a minute, Levi slammed the door open irritable, scanning the room and realizing that you'd disappeared from the bed. You stared dully at the knots in the wooden floor panels and listened to his boots make that aggravating echo-y heel toe noise until he made his way to where you lay.
"What are you doing brat?" He had hissed before shooing Erwin away and pulling you back on the bed.
"I just wanted to move again," You muttered without looking at him.
"Don't," Levi called over his shoulder as he shut the door without checking to see if you were properly situated.
"Napoleon bastard," You whispered softly as Erwin nuzzled your hand to be stroked.
*time skip*
A loud metallic crash slammed next to your ears, yanking you out of your slumber and back to the real world.
"Holy fucking shit!" You swiped the bedsheets away to jump for the attacker, just to be greated with your fellow soldiers all standing around excitedly.
Erwin carefully landed next to you and curled up waiting for the new announcement as you got your bearings.
"W-what's going on?
"We got you a gift!" Sasha exploded excitedly.
Blinking the sleep from your eyes, realization set in as you looked at each of their faces.
"A gift?"
She nodded with a wide smile and parted the group to reveal a large box wrapped up in one of their capes. Jean flashed a grin as he and Connie gently set the package at your single foot and very obvious stump.
You glanced up suspiciously as you slowly pulled the cape off the box and removed the lid, everyone leaning closer to see your face as you realized what it was.
Erwin purred as he came up to sniff the gift, tears streaming down your face as you clutched the thing.
"Don't you like it?" Armin asked curiously, "It was Hanji's idea, the rest of us pitched in to get the measurements right."
"No," You paused between sobs, "No it's perfect, I love it, thank you."
"Try it on," Sasha demanded eagerly as she motioned for Mikasa to help you stand.
"Can I," You asked fearfully as Eren tightened the belts around your stump, "Can I use the 3dmg again?"
"After some practice, yes," An older woman's voice told from behind the crowd, "The hard part was calculating the correct weight of your original leg and shaping this one so it just wasn't a peg leg. You'll be on a cane for a while but you'll get used to it."
"I will," You smiled boldly as tried to take a fresh new step, just to slump over against Mikasa, "Doesn't have to be right now does it?"
"No," Hanji laughed, "But I think a walk through the courtyard would be a step in the right direction."
A chuckle went ran through the room as you smiled brighter up at her, "Yes ma'am!"
The group quickly filed out of the cramped recovery and out of the building for fresh air. It was soon forgotten that you were paralyzed as everyone took their turns to catch you up on the current developments for the Survey Corps and personal lives. Eventually you were cleared to fight alongside your friends again as if nothing had ever happened.
The golden friend sat perched in his window sill, watching you pace about on your newly found wings, purring to himself that you had survived, perfectly content with himself. Levi sat down on the bed quietly, joining the smaller creature for the show as he gently petted him.
"Nice work Erwin."
Erwin purred louder and looked up at the man with his catty grin, "As if you doubted me?"