Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 6
Chapter 2: Tears of the Confined
(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)
I was in the same room I was in as I spotted several onlookers setting up their booths for the winter carnival. With the festivities being set up, I noticed them gearing up for the possible snowball fight, but I wasn't into it after all that has happened four months ago. The stigma of being confined had a strong hold on me as I was trying to be more confident in my struggle to stay sane in this time of war. With the Second Galvanic Uprising still going, it was hard for me to function at this crucial time of uncertainty right now. I was nothing more than a nervous wreck as I went towards the futon and curled up in the covers. I was there in the same room as I doing nothing but stare at the ceiling for the rest of the day. I had nothing better to do but to stare blankly as I heard the door open up with some footsteps approaching. I hid in the blankets as I dreaded the retaliation of the four squatters who were kicked out of the castle three days ago as I was shaking with fear until I heard a familiar voice that kept me from going insane.
"Sammy…, what are you doing in this room?"
It was Reiko as she saw me curled up in the futon I was in. She never expected me to be in the same place that I was four months ago as I was feeling the stigma of the house arrest take its toll on my health. Sitting up, I noticed her feeling at the bruises on my back as she found them to be troubling after I got that terrible beatdown in the form of Jethro and his baseball bat. She also felt concerned for my mental health as she was trying hard to get me out of the shell I was in, for it wasn't good at all for me.
"The winter carnival is starting up after the vendors had their tents set up," said Reiko.
"You go ahead…," I said as I had tears in my eyes. "You and the children need this happiness more than I do..."
"You're wrong, Sammy. You may see what is best for us, but you also need this happiness inside of you as well. Besides, Brother wanted you to make him a pie for the baking contest. You already won some ribbons for your apple ones, didn't you? It'll be a fun time for all of us in which we are out of harm's way for now."
I was swayed by Reiko's words once again as I found it hard to say no to her at this time. She was determined to prevent me from staying in my confinement. Getting up from the futon, I was on my feet as I felt the cold air from outside blowing as the bottom of my kimono revealed the bruises on my legs where Jethro hit me with a baseball bat three days prior. Reiko knew of the pain I had to endure as she realized that I had to take the heat in order to shield her and the children from the captain's wrath in the past four months. I had my reasons to keep everyone out of harm's way as there was a price for what I went through, for it was the worst time that I had in a while…
Kevin was busy overseeing the detail of everyone in the castle as the winter carnival was getting set up without any form of difficulty. After being barred by the four squatters for four monhs, he was glad to be here in our home as he also wanted to keep the peace inside and outside the castle grounds. With many people getting their booths set up, it was colorful as everything ranged from coats to food as it was going to be a great weekend to keep the winter carnival going. Just as he was about to go inside of the main house, he saw one of the four squatters approaching as he wasn't about to give up on the crusade that he had in this ongoing war. It was Aelfric as he refused to take no for an answer in which he was about to be tossed out for all the right reasons.
"You know that you can't be here, Aelfric," said Kevin. "After what Central 46 decreed, you still try to make Sam go under house arrest against his wishes again. If Dean saw you here, he'd do more than just kick your ass in real time, so I suggest that you leave before you get caught."
"You don't get it, do you?" he said as he was seething with anger. "Sam is supposed to be watched at all times and not leave his room until Marshal Braddock says so! We all know that if he leaves again, then we lose this war to the Executive Division and others who support those sick people!"
"Oh, yeah; like Sam's in grave danger right now… You and your comrades did a great job into 'keeping the savior safe' by confining him to a separate room away from everyone. You guys even forced Reiko, the kids, and the servants here to be put under house arrest in which one of the townsfolk got pissed off for keeping them cooped up."
"I won't leave until I finish my duty into protecting the savior, so I suggest that you put him back in that room!"
"I'll do that, but I want you to leave or else I'll sic Dean on your ass, is that clear?"
It wasn't long until I was out in the open as I was dressed up in my winter clothing. I was outside in a long time as I noticed Aelfric trying to pick a fight with Kevin. Luckily, the further latter was skilled in combat while under the tutelage of the late Colchuvar as he caught Aelfric's fist in his hand. It wasn't long until he had the ginger-haired soldier pinned to the ground as he was giving him a warning to stay away from the castle indefinitely, for he wasn't letting him off that easily.
"You don't know what you're doing, do you?!" I heard Aelfric shrieking as he was trying to break free from Kevin's grip. "You're overstepping your authority here!" He briefly stares at me as he was desperate to keep me confined in the room I was in for four months. "And you…, you're being put in harm's way in which you will be taken away again just like before by General Wetzel! I say to you again, Sam, get back in that room before I call on the marshal's son so he can beat you with his prized baseball bat to make you listen!"
"I want you to leave, Aelfric," I said as I was deciding to put my foot down. "You have no place here after Central 46 lifted the house arrest that your superior concocted up. As for the rest of the squatters, they're on separate missions in which they won't be bothering me for a long time now."
"Let me tell you one thing, Sam! I'm gonna reach into my hip holster to call Jethro and have him dish out the baseball bat on your ass for disobeying a direct order!"
"You better lay off of him," said Kevin. "You have your first warning, Aelfric, so I suggest that you go quietly or else you'll be reduced to pickled ginger. And for the record, you're a loose cannon in which you fear the worst since your family got killed last year. You simply have this grandeur of keeping Sam put away from outside friends and family in which it left him nothing more than a battered shell. I say to you again, leave or else you will invoke the wrath of those who have gotten fed up with you confining Sam and his family and cutting off the contact and support that they needed."
Kevin released Aelfric as the ginger-haired soldier was on his way towards the gates. After being pinned down, the latter was leaving in disgrace as he later noticed several townsfolk coming in which they were armed with an assorted form of humiliation waiting for him. He was screwed as he saw some of the townsfolk throw their garbage at him in which he was not in fine fettle for what he was doing in the four months of hell that he and his comrades put me and my family through. When Kevin and I saw him off, we were glad to see him leaving as we were safe for the time being, for it was a relief for all of us to have a lot of sanity returning to the castle.
"There goes the pickled ginger," said Kevin.
"He may be a loose cannon, but he's also a sensitive one," I said.
"Sensitive? The guy should be put away in the loony bin instead of trying to confine you in that room for the rest of your days."
"He may try to do that, but he can't accept the fact that the edict on the fake house arrest on me and my family was lifted."
"Oh, he'll be lifted alright… to Helgaard Citadel on Efrafa, that is… After hearing reports about how some of the townsfolk were turned away by that acne-prone ginger and his comrades, they decided that enough was enough already. As for the report on invading on your privacy in the bathroom for the past four months, that's creepy in which he even takes a shit while you sit in the tub relaxing."
"He had the gall to stink me out several times, but all I tell him is that I would haunt him for doing so while sitting on the toilet."
"Isn't that a little harsh?"
"Of course it is, Kevin."
We turned around as we saw Reuben arriving in which he wasn't too thrilled to talk about Aelfric and his problems of delusional grandeur. Still, he was a member of the Medical Corps as he had every right to scold us with one of his stern lectures, for he now had a reason to diagnose those who had mental problems. After seeing the drama taking place outside with Aelfric getting trash thrown at him while leaving, Reuben wasn't about to let us off the hook as he had a gut feeling that the fiery ginger who got a bad sendoff was about to reach his breaking point if action wasn't called for.
"You sure know how to treat a sensitive man very well, don't you…, you blithering blockheads!" he yelled. "You should be a bit more sensitive to that man after what he's been through in the past year, but all you do is call him names and amuse yourselves to see the townsfolk throw their trash at him!"
"Maybe they should kick him around a little more," said Kevin.
"Aelfric Gunderson may be a loose cannon, but he's also suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, which is a debilitating illness that affects him since he saw Darbus and his soulless dolls arrive in his hometown of Piper Canyon go there and slaughter his family and those who had Jewish or Roma blood in their veins. He is scared to death of seeing another slaughter in front of him in which his actions were motivated by what he saw in front of him."
"Let me remind you that because of him and his comrades that I was confined in an empty room for four months when they concocted up that house arrest on me and my family, Reuben," I said as I was getting testy. "Therefore, I'll be lenient just this once, but if I see him again, I will put him in a body cast if he tries to turn everyone we trust away, including our friends and family."
"The guy's nuts, but he's also someone who suffered a lot worse when he lost his family at the hands of Darbus Toller. Therefore, he's like you, but he doesn't have clinical depression like you do."
At that moment, we saw Reuben go inside of the main house as we were still not too happy with what Aelfric pulled earlier. Still, there would be a time when the ginger-haired soldier would end up going sideways if he continued to stick to the house arrest that he put me through for four months, for he wasn't getting away scott-free anytime soon…
Dirk was outside as he came home from school with Kanna, Gyatso, and Carly in tow. For once, all four of the older children were happy to see the four squatters gone as they were on their way home to see the winter carnival at the castle. It was a relief to be free as they stopped near the statues leading towards Kripke Shrine as they saw a mound of snow piling up. It was a great chance to have them play instead of being on a strict exercise regimen in the four months of captivity as they were busy making and throwing at snowballs at one another, for it was a huge relief to them in a nutshell.
"This is fun," said Kanna as she made a snowball in her hands. "I never expected to see snow pile so high before since the time on one of the arks."
"It's better than dealing with the old bag," said Dirk.
"By the way, how's Sam doing?" asked Gyatso. "I know that he didn't want all of us getting hurt from those people, but we need to help him get back on his feet after what he went through to protect us."
"Those meanies aren't coming back anymore," said Carly. "That ginger man is a stinker! He keeps going into the bathroom where Mr. Sam keeps taking his baths, only to poop and let out a stench!"
"Well, Aelfric can suck it," said Dirk. "I hope that Central 46 shaves the ginger hair off of his head… or perhaps dye it blue so he can look like a Smurf."
"You should be more sensitive towards him," said Kanna. "He's already lost his family, but we can't make it a lot worse. Besides, he's not gonna let us be confined anymore since Central 46 showed up and threw him out with the other three."
It wasn't long until they noticed Aelfric getting paint hurled at him by some of the townsfolk as they got fed up with him squatting in the castle in the four months of misery he caused. The sight of the ginger-haired soldier made Dirk give the thumbs-up as he was enjoying this moment in which he got fed up with the latter who helped into confining all of us in the castle for four months. It was the icing on the cake as Aelfric got what he deserved in which he was humiliated to the extreme.
"Nailed it!" yelled Dirk as he laughed with glee.
"That's what you get, you meanie!" yelled Carly.
"I hope that someone's recording this because Aelfric shouldn't be cutting us off from our friends and family," said Gyatso.
"He did have it coming, but must the townsfolk treat him like that?" said Kanna.
"He got a taste of his own medicine, plain and simple." said Dirk as he saw several more townsfolk stripping off Aelfric's clothes while they were also kicking him in the same place where he sits on. "Anyone up for pickled ginger?"
"Isn't that a little harsh?" said Gyatso.
"How could you insult him like that? Don't you have any respect for a sensitive soldier like him?" asked a familiar Arrancar as he was dressed in wintry clothing. "You four make me sick! And you poke fun at a man who suffered from a lot worse! I bet that Naruto or Sasuke would kick your asses all over the place for showing disrespect for someone who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder!"
It was Noldorin as he wasn't too happy with everyone maltreating Aelfric like that due to what the ginger-haired soldier suffered from. After seeing the humiliation of the latter without his clothes on while having paint thrown at him, he was angry at the children for mocking him as it was deemed an insult to the Alecrian Army altogether. Like anyone who was a member of the Order, Noldorin was a staunch advocate for those who suffered from tragic moments as post-traumatic stress was not a laughing matter at all.
"You should be ashamed of yourselves!" he yelled. "If Sam saw you mocking someone with post-traumatic stress disorder, he would ground you for your misconduct!"
"Well, Aelfric had it coming!" yelled Dirk. "He kept telling us that Sam's better off confined in a room without anyone trying to steal him! He even took orders from the old bag who ran this mockery of a house arrest on all of us!"
"Listen here, you little punks! How would the four of you feel if you were suffering from post-traumatic stress and a bunch of people were jerking you around like that while some bystanders laughed at you on the sidelines? It wouldn't be fun, would it? Now, go over there and apologize to the man or else I'll sic Central 46 on you!"
"Hey! Go easy on them!" yelled Kevin as he saw the children standing near the mound of snow. "They had every reason to poke at Aelfric after what he did to them during that house arrest four months ago. There's no need to add fuel to the fire!"
"And what about that ginger who keeps getting his ass kicked?! He's already lost his family in Piper Canyon, didn't he?! He's even had nightmares about losing his loved ones at the hands of that fucker who had those artificial dolls in his arsenal! He's been through enough already, so knock it off!"
The children didn't say another word as they saw Noldorin walk into a different direction. When they saw Kevin, they had a feeling that they were in hot water as they were also most likely to be under scrutiny the moment they were going home. By the time they followed Kevin towards the castle, they noticed Aelfric being paraded in the streets as several townsfolk and onlookers were throwing trash at him for being involved in the house arrest from hell four months ago. They noticed him in the nude as the townsfolk were not too happy with him for keeping me and my family away from everyone, for they were ready to let the ginger-haired soldier have it.
"There goes the neighborhood," said Kevin as he saw one of the townsfolk pushing Aelfric down and urinating all over him. "Instead of pickled ginger, let's call this one a ginger twist."
"That's enough!"
The sound of my voice was heard as everyone saw me out in without any incident the moment I stood in front of Aelfric, who was covered in paint and urine. The sight of seeing my aggressor humiliated in a very deplorable way made me feel pity for him as I decided to do the right thing by curbing the aggression that the ginger-haired soldier generated. Even though the townsfolk had the right to humiliate him for taking part in the house arrest that I suffered from, I couldn't leave him like that in such a deplorable condition as I grabbed a long piece of burlap and covered his naked body with it.
"There's been enough aggression for one day," I said.
"But he kept us out from seeing you!" yelled one bystander.
"He had it coming when he kept showing his ass to all of us, including the Order of Letters and his subordinates!" yelled another. "That punk had to be kicked around not only for his arrogance towards us, but for his hair!"
"You may have every right to do that to him by airing your grievances towards him, but covering him up in paint and urine?" I said. "You should behave more humble than you already are because of the fact that he suffers from post-traumatic stress and he kept telling me how he lost his family."
"And what shall we do with him?" asked the bystander who urinated on Aelfric. "Shall we take his sorry ass to Efrafa so that the orderlies can make ginger snaps out of him?
"First, he'll be cleaned up in the public bathhouse, then he'll be on his way, is that clear?"
The magistrate here dragged Aelfric out of the public scrutiny as he was led away from the angry townsfolk who got fed up with his attitude in the past four months. When I stared at the children, they were shocked to see the ginger-haired soldier being humiliated like that as they were stunned in their tracks. Still, I couldn't take a side right now as I also didn't want to fall on the level of my aggressors for the rest of my days.
"Let that be a lesson, children," I said to them. "You should refrain from your actions or else you won't get no dessert."
"Well, that ginger dickbag did have it coming," said Dirk.
"After I was out and about, I heard from Reuben about how Aelfric lost his family at the hands of Darbus Toller, only to suffer the traumatic event over and over again. It's not fun, but I he shouldn't be trying to keep us in confinement anymore under false pretenses."
"But that ginger man was being mean to you," said Gyatso. "He wouldn't let us see you in that room that he and those people kept you in."
"I know that I have nothing more than disdain for him, but he got what he deserved after he tried to come here. Sooner or later, he'll learn the error of his ways, but having him get his clothes stripped and have paint splattered on him while being urinated on isn't a way to go right now."
I had a mixed reaction about Aelfric's fate as I still bore a grudge against him and the three others who caused me trouble in the four months of hell I was in. Even though I had to put my foot down, there would be a time when I would overstep my boundaries of being humble to those who rubbed me the wrong way as it would be dangerous for me to do so…
Aelfric was in the bathhouse as he was getting cleaned up after the humiliation he endured earlier. Sitting in the wash basin, he was scrubbing at his skin as he was trying to get the paint and trash smell off of him. Even the smell of urine all over was the worst on him as he was all soapy with what he used. By the time he rinsed off, he went towards the bathtub as he got into it in which he was soaking in the warm water that gave him little comfort. In that brief time soaking in the bathtub, he was reliving the recurring nightmare that he had as the sound of his family's screams were making his head pound with an intense migraine in it. He wanted it to all end as he couldn't take any more humiliation from what he went through. He couldn't let his staunch conviction to keep me under house arrest fall flat as he also didn't want another form of chaos coming to Alecrast again, for he swore that he would keep me here for the rest of my days.
By the time he got out, he dried off with a towel as he put it into the hamper while dressing in a light blue robe. Just as he was about to get out, he was suffering from the torment of his family's screams as he had blood trickling down his nose. It wasn't long until the manager of the public bathhouse noticed this as he was quick to act while grabbing some gauze to wipe the blood away from his nose.
"Are you feeling alright?" he asked Aelfric.
"It's happening again…," he said as he felt the migraine in his head get worse.
"I guess that you're gonna have to go back to the castle 'cause there's an infirmary wing there."
"My family… They're gone… They've been taken away from me..." Tears run down Aelfric's cheeks as he wanted this recurring nightmare to go away for good. "No…, not again… Stop this madness… MY FAMILY IS DEAD!"
Without warning, Aelfric collapsed onto the tiled floor as he was suffering from the traumatic flashback that he had since the loss of his family last year. The bathhouse manager didn't know what to think as he had to do something quick before anything worse happened…
I was in the main hall as I was on my way towards my office as usual. After seeing Aelfric get a sendoff that resulted in him having trash thrown at him earlier, I still bore a grudge against the latter as I had enough of him keeping me under lock and key. Just as I was about to go there, I heard the townsfolk yelling as I ran outside to see Aelfric being dragged by Reuben and other members of the Medical Corps in a stretcher. Still, I wanted to throw something at him as I had nothing more than disdain for the ginger-haired soldier altogether, for this wasn't over yet.
"What's the meaning of this?!" I yelled. "I told him to leave and he refuses to do so!"
"The manager of the public bathhouse saw him pass out in which he had blood coming out of his nose, Sam," said Reuben. "There's no other clinics open because they're closed right now."
"Get him out of here!" I was getting angry as I was ready to attack without pity on the ginger-haired soldier who caused me such misery. "He doesn't belong here, so I suggest that you take him to the gallows!"
"Let me remind you that Aelfric suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and the recurring flashbacks that he has are a symptom of what he's going through, so I suggest that you be lenient to him and show more kindness towards him for once!"
"And you bring back this piece of gutter trash just to keep me trapped in that empty room for the next four months?! He's better off in Helgaard Citadel on Efrafa where he belongs… or perhaps the grave!"
"When are you ever gonna forgive and forget, Sam?! You may bear a grudge against Aelfric Gunderson directly, but he's been through a lot worse! Now, if you'll excuse me, we should get him to the infirmary wing where he can be treated, are we good?! It wouldn't kill you to show a little compassion to those who rub you the wrong way, now would it? You can't just resort to this behavior that is unsettling to someome who is deemed to be on the same level as God, so I suggest that you swallow your pride and hurt or else you will end up getting pulled to Hell by a hellhound, is that clear? We live by the term, 'first do no harm,' and you should do the same, for Aelfric Gunderson is on the same level as you due to what he suffers from."
"We'll treat him for now, but if he ever tries anything towards you or anyone else in our friends and family, he will be tossed out on his ass, mark my words!"
I allowed Reuben and his team in the Medical Corps bring Aelfric inside as I had no other choice but to do so. When I went inside, I followed them into the infirmary wing as they took him into an examination room where they noticed the blood coming out of his nose. Even though I overstepped the line into seeing him insulted and have the most horrendous things done to him, I couldn't let him die in the bitter cold, but the wrath of the townsfolk still remained fresh in his mind. He irked everyone for keeping me and my family confined for four months and now, he was paying the price for his mistake as he was becoming nothing more than an empty shell of what he used to be.
By the time I was about to leave the infirmary wing, I heard footsteps following me as I turned around and noticed Reuben not too happy with the anger I displayed. He was adamant into letting me have it as he wasn't about to let me off the hook just yet. He wasn't about to let me out of the scrutiny anytime soon as he was most likely to be giving me another stern lecture that was coming to me, for he was not too happy with what I pulled for allowing Aelfric to suffer from his folly.
"Are you planning to give me another lecture?" I asked.
"Aelfric Gunderson suffers from more than just post-traumatic stress disorder," said Reuben. "He also suffers from frequent migraines as well."
"He got what he deserved when the townsfolk got fed up with him not letting them in to see me, Reuben. He's nothing but a deplorable worm with a confinement complex in which he's not about to stop until he sees me confined and cut off from everyone I care about."
"And you want him out in the bitter cold to suffer for his folly?"
"He had it coming when he and the three other squatters kept me under house arrest! That is unforgivable and I would rather have the townsfolk rip a new one in him instead of being there to invade on my personal space all the live long! And during his first attempt to take me back here, he called the twins little bastards when we were all put in there in the cargo area of his ship. I have every reason to hate him in which he's better off stewing in Hell for his insults."
"That man is a soldier who got dealt with a wrong hand since he saw his family murdered, Sam. If it were you mourning the loss of all of us, you would be suffering the same way as that man who is mainly the whipping boy because of the hair on his head. Instead of hurling insults at him, you should take pity on him after what he went through. In other words, you need to show compassion or else all that anger will consume you if you don't let go of the resentment towards your aggressor."
I decided to go into the examination room as I saw Aelfric dressed in a hospital gown while being laid on a padded bed. I saw him to be in a poor state as I really was overstepping my limits in which he kept crying in pain. At that moment, I found myself in a vision as I saw Aelfric arriving towards his hometown of Piper Canyon. He was glad to see everyone until he spotted Darbus Toller standing in front of him with his artificial creations causing widespread slaughter in all over the town. I saw the fear in him as I followed him to what was known to be his home in which he saw his older brother dead with his head severed and placed on a pole. The sight of it all made me realize that Aelfric was suffering greatly the moment I heard Darbus' voice coming from the kitchen.
It was at that moment that I noticed Aelfric seeing his father killed with a sword through the heart as he was horrified at what he saw. The sight of his mother killed on the floor with her legs spread open was an image that made me want to gag after that as it was unbearable for me. The real terror came when I saw Aelfric spotting Darbus shooting his sisters in the head the moment they fell to the floor in which he was also shot in the shoulder while falling onto the floor and hitting his head. The latter who arrived with his artificial dolls was exuberant as he stood in front of Aelfric when the women in his entourage circled around him only to agree with what he said.
"You Roma trash are all the same," he said as he smirked.
"Yes, yes you are," said the women in unison.
"I just had to silence your friends and family here after hearing them still pining for the false savior who stopped the Elect, but it will all change when I gain status that will shake the entire galaxy."
"Yes, yes it will be true!"
"You bastard…," said Aelfric as he was up on his feet. "How could you do this to my family?! They did nothing to you and you kill them for your own amusement!"
"They were an inconvenience when they said Sam Winchester's name, so they all had to die sooner or later..."
"No…" Aelfric saw Darbus and his entourage leave the pool of carnage in his house as he was seething with anger and grief of what he saw. "Damn you, Darbus Toller! You're dead! You will pay the piper for what you've done! You killed my family! You destroyed the ties that I had…! YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!"
The last moment brought me back to reality as I saw Aelfric shaking from the recurring flashback that he suffered from. There was a hint of guilt about me leaving for Shiganshina as it pained me dearly the moment I saw that awful vision of Aelfric's family murdered in front of him. In a certain way, I now had pity for the broken man as he suffered the worst that was put in front of him, for he needed all the counseling that he could get in this moment right now.
"What are you doing here? Are you here to mock me like the townsfolk did?" he said to me as he opened his eyes. "I deserve to be mocked anyway after what I put you through and now I pay for my mistakes..."
"I know why you suffer the worst now," I said. "You lost your family in which Darbus invaded your hometown for no reason but to wipe those with Jewish or Roma heritage out and bring in his Master Race to thrive in, wasn't it?"
"When I came back home after my tour of duty, I was expecting a warm welcome from my family, only to see them slaughtered… After that, I went after Darbus Toller and those deplorable women who surrounded him, only to see several others in Piper Canyon killed all because of what we were: Jews and Romani who lived here for centuries after we landed here on this planet… All this time, I vowed to find you and keep you here for your own good, but-"
"Do not try to overstrain yourself right now… For the record, I should've helped you instead of living in exile on Shiganshina, but I had no choice. As for what you're suffering from, I'll contact Marshal Calvert and submit your discharge papers so you can get the help that you need. You suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and it does more harm than good to see you suffer that way. I also get it now when one suffers from what you have, it causes more problems than it should in which one resorts into using drugs, drinking heavily, engaging into risky behavior, and/or having suicidal thoughts. It's not fun and being in the Alecrian Army for far too long isn't healthy for you due to your mental health."
I saw Aelfric get up as he was feeling unwell of what he suffered from. He was ill both physically and mentally as he was in dire need of dealing with the post-traumatic stress disorder that was crippling him to the extreme. By the time he was about to be escorted into one of the hospital rooms of the infirmary wing, I heard footsteps approaching as I noticed Reuben yelling at someone who was not too happy with Aelfric trying to ditch the army so readily.
"You can't just pluck him from the help that he needs!" I heard him yell.
"Aelfric is a soldier and no member of the Gunderson family is deemed a pussy!" yelled a middle-aged man as he rushed into the examination room. "How's it going, nephew? Are you still willing to do your duty for the Alecrian Army?"
"He's in bad shape, sir," I said.
"You don't know who you are speaking to, do you, tree? My name is Arlo Gunderson and I serve the Alecrian Army proudly with duty and honor! When I heard of my older brother, my sister-in-law, my other nephew and nieces all cut down by Darbus Toller, it was hell like walking into a slaughterfest that the Army of Cain concocted up. Yeah, Aelfric suffered greatly with the post-traumatic stress and all, but having him leave the army is a grave dishonor to the family he was born with!"
"No…," said Aelfric as he was shaking with fear. "I'd rather be discharged than go into the battlefield all broken!"
"Listen here, Carrot Boy!" I see the middle-aged man grab the ginger-haired soldier by the scruff of his hospital gown as he wasn't about to let go. "The Gunderson Family have served the Alecrian Army for generations and that's not gonna be stopping us soon! Sure, you lost your folks, but what would they say if they saw you now. They would ostracize and shun your ass, plain and simple, so I suggest that you get your act together and get back in the game. We are fighting a war out here and there's no stopping those people who support the Executive Division and the Tollers in which they've spread into other planets! Are you in or are you on the verge of being-"
At that moment, I used my raw power to stun the middle-aged man who barged into the examination as he was stunned in his tracks. Even Aelfric was shocked to see me defend him in this crucial hour of need as I couldn't let him be subjected to yet another form of traumatic flashbacks that he suffered from. By the time Reuben came into the examination room, I stopped as I saw him fish out a document from his labcoat in which it had the seal of the Alecrian Army on it, for it was a document of discharge that was there for a reason.
"You can't let this continue," I heard him say as he was standing in front of the middle-aged man who was ready to take Aelfric back into the lion's den. "Before you even think about disowning your nephew, Arlo Gunderson, you should take a good look at what his superior procured to get him out."
"A document of discharge?" he snarled. "My ginger-haired nephew really did become a pussy after coming home. Hell, he's gone full-on weakling in the wuss department for not serving his planet and the many men and women who go and bust their asses just to keep it safe."
"You don't know the full extent of your nephew's plight, do you? After a tour of duty, he not only suffers from post-traumatic stress, but from migraines that came from a head injury. He's also prone seizures if he is subjected to much worse trauma than what we know. As for his discharging from the Alecrian Army, he had full approval from Marshal Calvert in which he even had to heed the advice of the Medic General of the Medical Corps as well. It can't continue in which Aelfric's mental health should be put first instead of adding fuel to the fire. You know that his mental state should be dealt with instead of being put on the back burner, is that clear?"
"It's fine by me, but if I see him out and about again, I'm gonna start calling him a pussy for the rest of his days. Serving in the Alecrian Army is a mandatory duty for us Gundersons, but we don't cut and run. Let me remind you that the service of the army trumps any other obligation in the end, you got that?"
At that moment, we saw the middle-aged man leave as I had nothing but disdain for him after belittling Aelfric earlier. Even though I wasn't too thrilled to have the ginger-haired soldier here at first, I couldn't let him take any more abuse that was hurled at him as he was still reeling from the night terrors that crippled him to the extreme. Still, he may have been one of the squatters who forced me to be in a room for four months, but I couldn't hold a grudge against him forever. When I took the discharge papers from Reuben's hand, I looked at them as they were also a court order to go towards a rehabilitation center to help Aelfric's recover from what was done to him. I was also elated that the rehabilitation center was none other than Chateau de le Mer on Essos itself as I was glad that it was there for a reason, for someone who lived near the beach was there to help him recover from his mental state sooner or later.
"Looks like there's been a change of heart here," I said.
"Where am I supposed to go now if not here?" asked Aelfric.
"From what I gathered, Chateau de le Mer on Essos has a rehabilitation center for troubled people like you in which a reinstated member of the Medical Corps is in charge now," said Reuben. "Luckily, she had to be convinced at the last minute the moment Sam ripped off that black armband of shame that she wore."
"It had to be Kotori…," I said. "I'm grateful that she's there to console those who endured dangerous trauma and it won't be the last time that we hear from her."
"Sam!"
I saw Dirk sprinting into the examination room as he noticed Aelfric laying on it. Even though he wanted to laugh at his folly, he refrained from doing so as he wasn't doing too well right now. With all that has happened, I noticed him fish out a letter as he handed it to me. Opening it up, I saw that it was a letter from the Alecrian Army in which my services were needed right now, for it was a grave one so far. Even though I was in house arrest for four months, I had to act as I saw a picture fall from the letter in my hand. Picking it up, I saw the same picture of Aelfric's house in Piper Canyon as it was newly cleaned up and refurnished, but I sensed that the scars of tragedy were refusing to leave right now.
"This house in Piper Canyon may be the ideal setting, but something's wrong," I said.
"That's not all," said Dirk. "I looked up in the papers that anyone who stepped foot into that house and other places in Piper Canyon either end up dead or fleeing."
"Then we'll look at it directly." I briefly look at Aelfric as I was most likely to be taking him to where he had no other choice but to face what was put in front of him last year. "You may suffer from post-traumatic stress, but we all have to face our fears directly. Your home is haunted, but it can also be healed as well."
I was honest towards my former aggressor as I had a mission to undertake in this time of trouble. As for what would happen next, I had to tread carefully as the war that the Executive Division started continues to rage on, regardless of how it ends in the long run…
To be continued...
