"Don't worry, you're going to make it! You'll be fine!" A woman, branding the well-known Schnee snowflake on her chest, was hovering over the child. A few medics surrounded her, getting to work on the little girls' war-torn body.
'Fine…?' She thought, recalling just the few hours before now.
She recalled her father and brothers fighting, but being overrun and torn to shreds.
She remembered the look on her mother's face when she was crushed by a Goliath, turned into nothing but flesh, blood and bone.
'How will I be-' Summer was unable to finish the thought, her mind exhausted and body in agony.
Trying her best to keep still, Summer breathed hoarse, short, staggered breaths. She realized that her throat wasn't working properly. The memory of the Beowulf that slashed and clawed her throat came flooding back to her. The child began to panic, tears seeping out of her eyes and streaming down her sore face, as more pain was brought to her attention
Her left side was searing; 2nd degree burns ran from her rib cage down to just below her hip and throbbed with every passing second. Gashes and cuts riddled her back and shoulders, two gunshot wounds throbbing in her leg and too many bruises to count.
"Work faster! I think the pain medicine is wearing off! Just-Just put her under again!" The woman screamed at the medics.
Summer wanted to say no, to run away from these strange people. She was sure she would never wake up again, but before she could begin to protest, everything went dark.
As suddenly as she fell asleep, her eyes opened again. A groan escaped the little girls' lips as her body reminded her of her wounds, aching and throbbing with no sign of stopping soon. Summer took in her surroundings with her eyes, unable to move any other part of herself. She was in a giant room, surrounded by blue hues and white decorations. The Shnee snowflake was on the ceiling, decorated the drapes and linens, and was an overall cold presence in the room.
Summer heard the shuffling of feet and footsteps coming closer to her. A woman with white hair, pale skin, and deep blue eyes looked down at her.
"Oh good, you're awake!" She cheered, her eyes scanning Summer's face. "You look so exhausted, little one. I can't believe we made it to you in time! I can't believe you're alive! We-we were just flying past when I saw the smoke and heard the screams! When we finally landed, there was just fire and ash. All of a sudden, I found you among the wreckage and-" The woman continued her rambling, seeming so happy. Summer didn't share her enthusiasm. Even if she could show it, she would have to actually be excited or feel blessed to be alive.
She didn't feel either of those things. All she felt was pain and loss.
"You've been asleep for a week, child."
Summer didn't flinch. She wasn't really surprised. What surprised her was her survival. The Grimm ambush and a ghostly figure that glided through her thought-to-be hidden clan. 'It was going to happen eventually', Summer thought to herself, grief washing over her. She began to drown in her thoughts, in her pain and sorrow. 'Daddy always said it would happen sooner or later…but…'
Summer began to cry silent tears.
"Oh! Don't cry, sweetie. Let me help you." The woman grabbed a few tissues and wiped them around Summer's eyes in an attempt to dry her face. It only seemed to make way for more tears, however, and Summer was just beginning to let them out.
She thought of her parents and siblings, of her uncles and aunts, of her clan leader, her cousins and best friends. All of them were gone? The woman had emphasized 'you' when she was addressing Summer, and all she could do in response was prepare to grieve for her entire family; her entire clan.
Summer turned her head slightly, in an attempt to get the woman's attention and ask her if she truly was the sole survivor.
Nothing came. Not even rasp. She couldn't feel the proper muscles to get her voice to work. Her throat, she realized, was starting to feel foreign. How could she be lost in her own body? Did she forget how to speak from the shock? Was her voice going to be gone for a while?
"Honey…"
Summer looked up, seeing concern cross this mysterious Schnee's face. She realized she must have looked like she was going to throw up or something to that affect in trying to activate her voice.
"Listen, little one, your throat was badly damaged. It looked like a Beowulf had attacked you from the claw marks. What I'm trying to get at is that we could save you and repair your throat, but—" The woman paused, exhaling and inhaling big breaths. She seemed very upset.
"You're going to heal…mostly. You didn't lose an eye, any limbs, fingers or ears. You'll likely carry a lot of these scars once you've physically recovered, but that shouldn't bother you too much. Your voice, however…is not coming back. You'll never speak again, sweetie."
Summer couldn't even utter a thought beyond 'never speak again'. She was a mute? She was a mute. She was a mute. A mute?! A mute! She could never speak to people again! The final straw broke within Summer and she began howling and crying silently, throwing her arms and legs wildly. She wanted to scream and shout, to relieve her pain and to ease the stress that she has to now endure. Hearing her voice echo through the room would do something to that effect. Her anger and sorrow could be released into the air and left behind. She could begin to grieve. That was impossible now.
"Sweetie! Stop! You're opening up your wounds! Medic! Medic! Get in here!" The woman screamed, trying to hold Summer down from her fit.
Dizziness began to take hold of her and before she even saw the medics, her world went black.
Summer awoke again, seeing the woman once more watching her out of the corner of her eye.
"Are you going to stay calm?"
Summer breathed slowly in a rhythmic fashion, feeling truly calm and serene. Her brain felt foggy and she nodded slowly in response as to not get sedated again.
"I had them give you a sedative to calm you. Listen to me, child, you are the only one we found from that wreckage. Little to nothing else stood that wasn't chard or a pile of ashes. Including…well…"
Summer understood. Her people. Her family. It was all gone and never coming back. She shifted slightly, doing what she thought could be seen as a nod, hoping it would stop her. She was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the woman's presence. Surprising to Summer, she did stop. Whether it was because she was just trailing off or saw the girls' movement, she didn't know.
"I am Mary Schnee, and you're welcome to stay here as long as you'd like."
Summer looked off into space, past the walls of the big, empty room in which she laid in.
"I'll leave you to rest, dear." Mrs. Schnee walked out of the vast bedroom, leaving the girl alone with her thoughts.
She sat, pondering her next move beyond healing. The woman said she was welcome, but that would only be a terrible decision. Summer knew she had to leave as soon as able. If word got out that a SEW was still alive, that woman…that creature, would be back to finish her off. She didn't want any harm to come to the kind woman who found her and fought against Summer's own body to keep her alive.
She decided right then that as soon as her wounds healed, she'd leave. She had no idea where she'd go, but it had to be away from everything. Maybe Vacuo would be a good place to hide out.
For the rest of the night, Summer slept a deep sleep. A new resolve was going to keep her going for as long as she could. She could do at least that to pay back Mrs. Schnee's kindness.
5 Weeks Later
Mary Schnee was a busy woman with a tight schedule, working day and night corresponding with her husband about her company; The Schnee Dust Company, talking with her sister-in-law and daughter, who was visiting on holiday, and taking care of business with young General Ironwood and the Atlesian Army. Somehow, the woman found time after breakfast to always visit her injured guest.
Walking into her room, she stopped dead in her tracks. The bandages were all over the floor and steam was coming from the bathroom.
'She has been moving around more these past three weeks, but to get up and go to the shower on her own?'
She knocked on the door, hoping the child wasn't passed out or hurting in any way.
A moment passed before the young girl walked out with dry hair, new clothes, and a bandage around her neck.
"Oh, you're okay! You feel well enough to be doing these things on your own?!" Mary sounded a little freaked out, seeing the results of wars and battles for herself being a retired Atlas Specialist, she knew how long it usually took for people to heal from drastic wounds, yet this girl, not even 12, could walk around with ease and function by herself.
Summer nodded, smiling back at Mary. She made a grimace and pointed to her side.
"Well, those were 2nd degree burns! They'll take at least another two months before they stop being tender."
Summer walked back to the bed, picked a piece of parchment up from the nightstand and gestured for Mary to take it.
She walked over and took the paper from the girl.
Hello Mary, my name is Summer Rose. Thank you for everything you've done. You have helped me physically heal and recover these past few weeks and I couldn't be more grateful. I will be leaving in about two weeks as I need to find a new life for myself. Don't worry about me, I plan on staying with friends of my parents in Vacuo.
Mary looked up from the paper, eyeing up the girl. "Very well written for a child of your age."
Summer only smiled back.
"Well, I assume that if you're going back out there, you know how to fight?"
Summer nodded, which only made Mary laugh.
"That was a joke. You're not leaving yet, my dear Summer. When you leave, you will be leaving with a weapon and the ability to hold your own."
Summer looked offended and pouted out of frustration.
"I don't doubt you know something about fighting, but you're going to learn from me. We'll start in two hours, considering how eager you seem to want to leave."
Summer stared at the woman for a few moments before giving in, bowing slightly in order to gesture a 'much appreciated' or 'thank you'.
"Go eat, then. We have a lot of work to do."