Here's chapter 2! Apologies for the delay (and the shortness of this chapter), I've been so busy for the past two weeks and I've re-written this chapter twice XD. I'm still not happy with it so I may go back and fix it at a later date once I have more chapters up though :)
Thank you to everyone who has followed and reviewed so far! I didn't actually expect any on my first chapter :')
The doctor's hands were rough as he inspected the wound on my head, it was my second day in this strange place and I had been taken to the infirmary for a check-up. There was a mirror in the corner of the room which I laid my eyes on as I kept still for the doctor. Taking a good look at myself, I noticed my strange appearance, my hair was long and white, and my eyes were slightly different colours, one bright blue and the other green. I didn't know if it was normal, but it would explain some of the looks the guards kept giving me, surely, I couldn't be the only person to look this way. No matter how long I stared at myself I couldn't recognise anything, I noticed the paleness of my skin, almost sickly looking from being too stressed to eat or sleep.
"A deep wound like this, it's no wonder you're having trouble with your memories." The doctor finally spoke, breaking the awkward silence in the room.
"Do you know what caused it?" I asked with a small voice.
"From the looks of it, it appears you were shot," he answered rather plainly as he started re-dress the wound.
I sat there in disbelief, someone really did want me dead. I lowered my head to my hands once the doctor had finished with the bandages, he was talking but the words barely reached my ears, all I could think about was why would someone do this to me.
"I'll have the nurse come in and give you a quick check over, we need to note down any other injuries and scars you have."
I nodded slowly, as he left the room. I barely noticed as the nurse that came in, she was an older woman with a stern face. "take off your shirt," Her voice was very demanding, but I complied without protest.
I unbuttoned my shirt as quickly as I could, wanting this to be over with so I could lie down and try to get some rest from these thoughts of mine. The nurse mumbled about my thin body as she wrote something down. She then proceeded to walk around behind me and sighed, I could feel her cold hand on my back moving around as if she was counting.
"What's wrong?" I enquired as to why her hand was still on me.
"There are many scars on your back," her voice almost sounded sympathetic as she answered. "And you don't know how you got them?"
"How many?" I stood up abruptly and tried to look in the mirror. I couldn't see the whole extent but the were large thick scars littered across my skin. I couldn't even speak, I just stood there with a million thoughts running through my mind. I grabbed my shirt and started to do up the buttons, but the simple task became increasingly heard with my shaking hands. My breathing suddenly became erratic as my head started to spin, a strange feeling started to arise in my chest and my heart seemed to almost be jumping out of my chest.
"I… I need to lie down," even my words didn't seem to make sense as they reached my ears. I stumbled forward to the nearby desk to steady myself, but I lost my balance and collapsed onto the ground, knocking the equipment off the desk and onto the ground with me. I curled up, trying to breath but there was something forcing me to only gasp at the air, I heard the door burst open but I was too preoccupied with trying to stay conscious and control my breathing to notice the people staring down at me.
"What the hell is wrong with her?"
"She's gone crazy."
"Get out of the way! She's having a panic attack, you fools," a familiar voice said. A gentle hand touched my arm, I looked up to see Hange smiling at me, "everything's going to be okay now."
She grasped my hand with her own and told me to concentrate on my breathing, it was hard, almost like learning to breath right from the start. Painfully long minutes passed but I finally felt myself relax and I managed to control my breathing enough to stand up. I must have looked pathetic, my face was wet from the tears I didn't know I had cried, red faced and tired. "What are you doing here?"
"I just came by to see how my new friend was doing?" She answered in her usual chirpy voice. "How are you feeling?"
"Weird..." I mumbled, still finding it hard to keep focus. "I think I need to rest."
"Come on then," Hange led me towards the door.
"I still need to carry out some tests," the doctor started to protest. I raised my heavy head to the other people in the room, I hadn't even realised the doctor and the guards had come back in, I felt useless and pathetic standing in the state I was in.
"Oh, I'm sure they can wait, doc. Can't you see she's tired?" Hange replied back as she hurried me out of the room.
I was glad she was here, out of everyone she had shown the most kindness. I didn't care if it was simply because of her interest and curiosity, I needed a friend right now and she was the closest thing I had.
"Are you feeling any better?" she asked as we reached my cell.
I nodded, "thank you."
She helped me to the bed, with me being so shaky from my panic attack, I could barely walk on my own. I felt so helpless, like a small child that couldn't do anything without help. I curled up on the small bed and closed my eyes.
"I'll let you get some rest then," she almost sounded motherly the way she talked, or maybe I was just too tired.
I closed my eyes and instantly saw a hazy image, I woman walking away from me, only to look back and smile. Her hair was as white as mine, her hazelnut eyes were kind but tired-looking. "Get some sleep dear, we have a long day tomorrow." Her voice was so familiar, just as her face. I wanted to call out to her, ask her to stay but the words refused to leave my mouth.
I opened my eyes, hoping the woman would still be there, that this cell I was in was the dream. I was alone though, I hadn't realised Hange had already left, I could here hear her footsteps in the distance and I shut my eyes in an attempt to bring the strange memory back. Much to my efforts, all I saw was a black emptiness and I was left with even more thoughts, more confusion.
The rest of the long week consisted of interrogations, tests conducted by the military police to find out if I was lying about not remembering anything. I was finally free of my concussion but not from my cell, Hange often visited and Commander Erwin came to see my progress now and then. Levi accompanied him once or twice, but he seemed to be the wariest out of all of them, from the way he spoke he wasn't convinced. I was too tired to argue, I stayed in bed most of the time often coming up with theories about my life, some good and others not so good. Being a prisoner was nothing compared to being a prisoner of my own mind, I was mentally exhausted and the military police were close to ruthless in their attempts to find any clue I was lying about my amnesia even with the doctor telling them the extent of my injury.
It had been a long day of interrogations and I was curled up on the small bed trying to force myself to sleep when I hear a door creaking open. I sat up to look less pathetic and straightened my clothes for the visitor.
I watched as Commander Erwin came into view with Captain Levi following. "Are you feeling well today, Freya?" Erwin asked with a smile as he unlocked the cell door.
"Yes, thank you… What's going on?" I raised an eyebrow. "Are you taking me somewhere?"
"The military police have agreed that you are to be under the careful watch of the survey corps," he answered.
"I'm being released?" I beamed, excited that I might be able to leave this place. This was the first time I had felt happiness, I could finally begin to live. At that moment, a small thought entered my mind, the possibility that this was a lie to test me or break me even further. I couldn't let them know how I was truly feeling so I forced myself to keep up the act and continue smiling.
"We will have to report your progress and you will still be under our guard, but yes, you will be granted more freedom." He chuckled at my sudden bout of happiness as I jumped off the bed and grabbed his hand to shake it.
"Thank you so much, I won't let you down," I told him gratefully.
"It's good to see you so cheerful," he placed his free hand onto mine. "while you will be with us, you are required to go through training. New cadets would usually endure three years in the training corps before graduating into the military, however, with your situation and the requirements of us keeping a close eye on you, your training will be supervised by Captain Levi."
I turned to Levi, still unsure of him but I held out my hand. I almost didn't think he would respond but he raised his own hand to mine, "I look forward to working with you."
He seemed to smirk slightly in response, "We'll see once we get started."