Disclaimer- Need I even bother? Don't own stuff that's not my stuff and do own stuff that's my stuff.
Chapter 6- Cracked, not Broken
The group stood gathered loosely in the alleyway, the dust settling even as Jae's words fell upon their ears. A laugh, melodic and tranquil, burst from Jae's throat and spread quickly to Armin and the others.
They laughed, covered in grime even while ignoring their bruised knuckles and the unconscious bodies around them. They allowed themselves to lose the heavy burden of the future in the quickly ebbing tide of adrenaline and anger that had rushed over them only a few moments ago, forgetting for only a moment the consequences of such an increase of energy. They were still only children, caught in a world that force-fed them maturity until the rending of their woulds was practically audible, unable to escape the reality of life that was cruelty.
As the final chuckle died out, Jae began coughing spaztically, making everyone pause for a moment and remember the situation at hand. Finally, the silence was broken as Jae slowly forced herself to sit up. Armin hurriedly supported her, keeping a hold on her hand and dragging her into a standing position. Her small size made it easy for even the blonde boy to lift her, and so he confidently moved her arm around his shoulder, letting her lean her weight on him until she got her feet under her.
Jae didn't remove her arm and merely leaned to take a step while the rest of the group followed closely. They had almost rounded the corner of the bathhouses when Jae completely collapsed, forcing Armin to clutch at her to prevent her from hitting the ground.
"I may need someone to carry me." She said weakly. Armin nodded, looking to the stronger members of the group to volunteer. He felt a warm wetness drip onto his arm, and he looked to see blood trailing down Jae's back from a large gash on the lower half of her skull. He inhaled sharply, his mind quickly calculating the amount of the precious red liquid she was losing every moment they hesitated.
"Reiner." He said sharply, his reason winning over any shyness that may have prevented him from ordering anybody around, much less his stocky senior, "Take her to the infirmary!" Reiner nodded, quickly stepping closer to the quickly draining girl.
"Thank you, Reiner, but no thank you all the same." Jae said before he could touch her, "Princess," she continued, causing Mikasa to tense slightly, "you do it." The scarfed girl wondered a little at why she was selected, but shrugged it off quickly. The other boys felt a little miffed, however, and their curiosity was not so easily discouraged as 'Princess' took the much smaller girl into her arms. Sensing the lingering question in the air, Jae decided, after some thought, to answer it.
"She's the softest." Jae said in way of explanation. The whole group accepted it inwardly, glancing at Mikasa from the corner of their eyes. True. They thought, their male minds quickly coming to an agreeable consensus. Jae could only hold in her laughter as the pain in her body began to flood her system once more. As Mikasa ran ahead of the group, she began to make a tally of all the major injuries she had.
Possible dislocated shoulder, multiple cuts and contusions, cracked, possibly broken, ribs, and possible concussion and internal bleeding. She thought, separating herself from the pain by thinking only of what was causing it. Jae was glad she had chosen Mikasa, who was holding her close to her chest and trotting delicately to avoid jostling the small girl further. Soft indeed, was her only thought as she drifted deeper into her mind.
Eventually, they reached the infirmary building and walked in to see two rows of beds with plain, patchworker curtains to divide each area. It was clean and bright and large, mostly on account of the extreme dangers they would be facing while training. Once they started working with the 3D gear, it was not uncommon for trainees to be sent home on the sole basis of injury. Occasionally, people would even die if they weren't treated quickly enough, thus making a large medical ward necessary.
The doctor and nurses on duty looked a little surprised to see the trainees, covered in dirt and, in Jae's case, injuries. The pair had managed to remain unseen by any trainees, since most were either re-cleaning their assigned areas (if they had not met the standards) or hurrying to get dinner. Mikasa set Jae down on one of the beds gently as one of the nurses hurried over, medical instincts taking over. The doctor, however, had a more grounded mindset, and took Mikasa over to the side to discuss what exactly had happened to them.
After hearing of the fight, the doctor sent the other nurse to get superiors, mostly to handle whatever punishment that may be inflicted on them for getting involved in a fight. The rest of the group walked in to see a straight faced Mikasa staring at Jae, who had her eyes closed as a nurse did the preliminary check-through over the girl before quickly getting a medical cart to cleanse Jae's still-bleeding head. The doctor walked over, snapping gloves over his wrist purposefully as he assessed the damage.
"You need stitches." He said, the nurse pulling out string and a medical needle according to his quick hand gesture. The doctor grabbed a needle off the top of the cart, tapping it to rid it of any air bubbles. "You will need to be put under for this," he explained, " because the wound is so near to some vital skull nerves, any sudden movement on your part may severely damage them. This is the anesthesia needle, you'll wake up in a few hours." Jae grimaced, looking at the needle through half-lidded eyes before shutting them once more.
"I'm allergic." She said. The doctor paused, about ready to push the needle into her arm.
"What?" He said incredulously.
"I'm allergic to anesthesia." Jae repeated slowly, lightly guiding the doctor's hovering needle away from her arm. "You will need to stitch it while I'm awake."
"It will be extremely painful." He said hesitantly, speaking like to the child she looked like (and technically was) "We can use alternative means of putting you under, because if you jerk or twitch too much while I'm stitching it could damage your nerves."
"Do it while I'm awake." Jae said firmly, rolling over from her side to her stomach tallow him easy access. The doctor hesitated once more, but took the needle from the nurse and began the stitching process. The wound was actually near the top of her neck, not her skull like Armin initially thought, so there was plenty of skin for the doctor to pierce. The group silently counted each needle movement, watching as Jae remained completely still and silent through the entire procedure. She didn't so much as twitch as the shiny bit of metal tore through her flesh.
The nurse finally noticed the rest of their presence, her face turning strict as she gestured to the door. "You can wait outside," she said, "but don't leave. You still have to report in on this incident." When nobody moved, she huffed slightly but allowed them to stay where they were, much to their collective relief.
They wanted to support the sleepy girl, and even if all they could offer Naptime was their presence, they would offer it in full. In only a few moments, the doctor had completed the stitching, sterilization, and bandaging of the gash. He helped her sit up once more, discussing her other injuries with the nurse quietly.
"It appears your shoulder has been dislocated." He said, pressing gently onto the said arm. "Resetting it is going to be extremely painful, but you'll need to remain still once again." He waited for her to nod, her eyes still shut loosely and her body relaxed despite the intensely difficult flesh-sewing that had just happened on her neck. The doctor grabbed her arm firmly, and the group watched tensely as he slowly straightened it. He then rotated it to the side while her face remained blank. She breathed slowly and evenly as the doctor raised her arm above her head.
With a sickening crunch, the joint popped back into its socket, making more than one member of the group wince. Jae exhaled softly, feeling the newly-aligned joint with her opposite hand as she lowered the arm with her own strength. The doctor looked a little surprised at her lack of reaction, but took it quickly in stride before turning to the nurse to discuss the next wound to be treated. He nodded, slightly taking a slight step back.
"It appears that you have some cracked ribs," He began, "so you will need to remove your uniform to check in order for me to be able to check that there is no internal bleeding or your lungs haven't been affected in anyway. Nurse Joanna can help you if you need it, and we can pull a curtain over this area for your privacy." The doctor looked pointedly at the mostly male group still standing to the side, watching the boys blush slightly.
Jae merely chuckled, however. "I'm not shy... But," She said, "I can already tell you that my lungs are fine." She began removing her shirt anyways, revealing a small, linen-wrapped torso. The boys shuffled nervously, clearing their throats slightly. She was only exposing her shoulders, but her small form could be seen underneath the tan strips of clothe that served as her under armor. She still looked little more than a seven-year old, but it was the mere concept of seeing a girl in her underclothes that made the boys nervous.
The doctor gently placed his hands on her ribcage, his large hands nearly wrapping around to her back as he felt for any damage. The boys could feel their instincts take over as they bristled at the sight of the man feeling the smaller girl's body. Something in them screamed that the situation was wrong, and that a man had no business touching a child's body. Jae seemed to sense their awakening man-pride, peeking at them with a slightly mocking grin on the corners of her mouth.
Armin was the first to avert his eyes, a slightly embarrassed blush appearing on his face while Eren and Reiner merely huffed through their nostrils before turning their heads away slightly. Bertholdt had looked away minutes before, as soon as her shirt had started to come off, a nervous sweat building on his skin. Mikasa looked on shamelessly, aware that as a fellow female there was no real reason for her to look away. She wanted to keep an eye on the injured girl until she was sure that the minuscule creature was not going to begin bleeding or collapsing again. Not to mention the fact that Naptime was being touched by a grown man because even if he was a medical professional, Mikasa never trusted anyone until they had proven themselves trustworthy.
Eventually, the doctor nodded slightly, taking his hands from her slight body and allowing the girl to re-dress herself in a clean shirt before re-addressing her.
"There is no life-threatening injury that I can feel." He stated, and almost everyone relaxed (except for Jae since there was no way for the half-asleep girl to relax further without going to sleep fully).
"However," the doctor continued, "you do have seven cracked ribs, a severe concussion, several large contusions, a recently dislocated shoulder, and a multitude of minor cuts, abrasions, and bruises. You WILL remain in bed until it is certain that your shoulder and ribs are setting properly, not to mention that your concussion is under control and their is no swelling of your brain." His voice was strict, his tone with all the firm immovability of someone who knew the consequences of disobedience would kill the disobedient.
Jae remained as she was, only the slightest inclination of her head suggesting her acknowledgement of the doctor's words. The doctor nodded, striding over to a desk area and beginning to fill out some detailed charts. He left much of the clean-up to the nurse, who worked quickly and tidily, sending occasional glares to the group of trainees that had yet to move from their place. When she finally left once more to put the cart back where it belonged, they all shuffled forward, surrounding the small girl laying prone on the bed.
"You look like crap." Mikasa said dryly, her emotionless face betraying nothing. Jae sat as quietly as ever, ignoring the insult in favor of peeking her eyes open. She smiled slightly at the towering figures surrounding her, winking at them all.
"Don't I always?" Jae chuckled, the pressure making her cough a little. The rough sound made everyone frown, a brutal reminder of the pain she was experiencing.
"What happened?" Eren asked, "Why did those… people…" He said the word loosely, like they did not deserve to be addressed in such a polite term, "Why did they attack you?"
Jae thought a moment, then responded shortly, "I'll explain when the superiors get here... probably" Everyone nodded, suddenly reminded of the other nurse that had been sent out to get said instructors. They briefly wondered if they would get punished for engaging in a fight with their peers, but quickly brushed it off. Jae observed their changing expressions intensely, careful to be as indiscreet as possible.
She realized what their general thoughts were as an air of determination was built up. It's better to be punished for something they did do than regretting something they didn't do. She mused quietly. The group stood there in companionable silence for some time, thinking privately amongst themselves.
Eren, ever filled with impatient energy, began to pace as Mikasa's eyes followed his shifting form diligently. Armin stood the nearest to the bed silently counting the times Jae's chest rose and fell, making himself forget the panic he had experienced at seeing her broken body for the first time. Bertholdt and Reiner began talking quietly between themselves, so Jae amused herself by listening to as much of their hushed conversation as her pounding head would allow.
Sooner than she thought, the door creaked open, and the nurse shuffled in with who else, but Commander Pixis himself and a couple of the other instructors.
"ATTENTION!" He barked, even the supposed sacredness of an infirmary ceasing to quell his apparent love of using his voice at full tilt. The trainees quickly snapped into respectful salutes, their gazes locked with his own steel gray one.
Unexpectedly, the infirmary bed creaked and Jae delicately put her bare feet down. She stood at full attention, wobbling only slightly much to the surprise of the other trainees. Armin scooted a little closer, using his body as a vertical support for her tiny body as she leaned into his shoulder with every unsure teeter. Pixis noted her salute with the smallest of nods, choosing to ignore the fact that her eyes were still stubbornly shut for the time being.
"It seems that you cod-suckers were unable to keep yourselves from a compromising situation!" He yelled, but in more of the equivalent of his "indoor voice" before stepping forward and coming to a complete stop before Reiner, standing chest-to-chest with the large blonde boy.
"Trainee Braun! Report!" He yelled.
Reiner answered as best as he could. "I was walking with fellow trainees Ackerman, Jaeger, Arlert, and Hoover to the dining hall for dinner after completing evening chores, when our attention was drawn to a disturbance in the alleyway between a few bathhouses! When we inspected the source of the disturbance, we saw trainee Deyar on the ground being assaulted by multiple other male Trainees! We then broke the conflict apart, knocking most of them unconscious! After that, Mikasa then ran ahead to the infirmary with Deyar and the rest of us followed to observe her treatment, sir!" Reiner finished. The Commander stared coldly into his eyes, then moved onto the next trainee, Eren, before asking the same thing.
He continued down the line, showing no reaction as each of the trainees repeated pretty much exactly the same situation. Finally, after receiving a shaky, but detailed, response from Armin he reached the apparent 'source' of the conflict.
"Trainee Deyad! Report!" He shouted, extra loud in an almost foolish attempt to get her to open her eyes in wakefulness. Jae stirred a little, craning her neck to meet the eyes of the general.
"It was as your people saw." She said simply.
"These trainees are not my people!" Commander Pixis retorted, callously dismissing the children.
"Not my peers, sir." Jae sighed, "Those two." She said, gesturing towards the other instructors that had come in with the Commander upon his entrance into the infirmary. "They saw everything." Jae had been aware of their presence as she had been caught up in the fight, sensing the presence of lucid people on the roof who watched her being beaten with the cold eyes of a teacher. She knew that they were watching her to see her reaction, to see what she would do in the face of such odds. It had been a main contributor to her sudden apathy as she allowed her body to crumple into a fetal position (the other main contributor was being beaten).
Pixis showed no reaction to her words, staying as stern-faced as always. Jae saw the gears in his mind working behind his green-gray irises, his eyes the only active emotion on his face. He took in her condition, the way she struggled to remain upright and her eyes clouded over with pain before she shut them sleepily. She yawned openly, her soft breathe hitting the underside of his jaw and reminding him to say something.
"Very well," He responded, and Jae noted the surprise emanating from her peers as they realized she was correct in assuming that the whole event had been witnessed, "I will expect a formal written report from each of you if we are to pursue the matter further." He waited for the words to sink in, waiting for them to realize that no one, not even the technical instigators, would be getting punished for the event of the day. Jae sighed heavily.
"Can I decline that offer, sir?" She asked wearily, her voice particularly husky as her breathing became more painful, "I, for one, don't particularly care either way."
Pixis merely turned around and began marching out. "It is your decision to make." He said sternly as he reached the doorway. "DISMISSED!" He yelled at the trainees, watching as they relaxed their stances before leaving.
The trainees turned immediately to the small girl as she collapsed back onto the mattress.
"What do you mean, 'decline the offer?!'" Eren practically shouted.
"You can't be seriously considering letting those creeps get off clean!" Reiner said just as quickly, Bertholdt nodding in agreement.
"They deserve punishment." Mikasa added. Armin just stood there, watching Jae breathe before she responded quietly.
"No more than I." She said, "I hold no malice towards people acting on instinct and alcohol."
Everyone paused, shocked at the finality in her voice. Finally, Armin asked the question that everyone wanted to ask but had forgotten about.
"What happened to you? How did all this start anyways?" He asked softly, phrasing his words carefully.
He could hear the smile in her voice as her arm rose to cover her eyes wearily. She spoke quietly, but everyone heard her just the same.
"They insulted you guys, so I insulted them back."
It was enough for them to begin laughing again.
Commander Pixis rubbed his eyes tiredly, reading the reports written by his instructors once again. He memorized the details in each one, marking which students would or would not probably succeed in some some portion of his mind devoted to the trainees. He added personality traits to the more interesting trainees, keeping a careful mental tally of every potentially great soldier.
He thought back to Eren's success earlier that evening and remembered how quickly a working set of 3D gear made such an improvement to his performance. Eren and most of the people surrounding him were chalk full of potential, and Pixis already had a mental image of how the next few years of training would proceed as he flipped through the next few documents. The commander came again upon the two reports that had come that afternoon reporting the violent disturbance that had come earlier that day.
Deyad. He mused, thinking of the infuriating trainee he associated with the name. Her complete lack of fearful reaction drew his attention, as well as her purposefully low physical training scores. Pixis was a master at determining a trainee's potential, and he would be a fool not to at least be aware of the raging undercurrent of undeveloped energy that the girl had hidden under her sleepy guise. He re-read the reports, examining the parts that noted of her sudden collapse and her words at being rescued. Not a cool head, he thought, but certainly a calm one.
An image flashed through his mind: a small figure standing with her head wrapped in bandages, locked in a proper salute even as she swayed from pain. He brushed it from his mind, pausing to note only her tranquil resilience in his inner note pad before moving onto other reports.
Hours passed, the night quickly slipping deeper and deeper into itself with the Commander still reading the detailed words of his many underlings. He was growing quite tired of the reports of trainees missing food, and he quickly decided to double the security measures on the kitchen storehouse to prevent Potato girl from stealing any more goods. He leaned back in his chair, some of the morning's lesson reports in his hands as he rubbed his eyes and looked out his window.
His offices were located on a small cliff, overlooking the entire camp. His eye was caught by slight movement on the track field, and his sharp gaze quickly zeroed in on the unknown source of activity so late at night. Pixis was a little surprised to find that he recognized the small form.
You shouldn't disobey the doctor, Deyad, especially with your wounds. Pixis thought, a little surprised that the child could even walk without immediately collapsing after the violent beating she had received. He had just about decided to send one of his underlings to send her back to the infirmary when one of the reports caught his eye.
It was the report written by Professor Lehreski on his class earlier that day. Jae Deyad, he wrote in his square, solid script, interrupted my class by ardently refusing to pay attention, choosing instead to sleep at her desk. Though she managed to answer every one of my questions, her insubordination earned her all cessation of meals until four hours of laps had been completed.
Pixis looked once more at the slowly moving figure on the field, rubbing his chin thoughtfully before reaching a final decision to merely ignore the fact that he had witnessed a patient willfully out of bed.
Quietly obedient. He added to her list of attributes in his mind. With the strength to ignore boundaries.
A/N- Hello! First off, I would like to apologize for this late update, I had a slight block on this story which made it hard for me to even think about how to start it. I know that nothing really too exciting or juicy happened in this chapter, please forgive this stupid author *begs weakly*
I hope to make it more romantically and action-ingly inspiring in the next couple of updates... excuse me for my future awkwardness hehe...
THANKS MUCH TO ALL WHO REVIEWED AND FOLLOWED! Shout-outs to Marfo Faura, Calavera Rose, Spellbound Forever, Guest reviewer, and TheStoryTeller231! Your sweet words helped drag me from my block, seriously.
Tell me whatcha want or don't want, I'll try to listen.
high-een-ah ahaahahahahaaahahahahwahwaaaaaaa*cries*
