Disclaimer: I don't own strike witches.
This is the final chapter in the "Recovery" cycle. One more cycle left to go...
Thank you to everyone who has read, commented, followed, and favorited. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I do writing it!
"That's it, just take it easy. One foot after another... just concentrate on taking the next step."
"It feels so stiff and wobbly!"
"That's to be expected. You experienced major trauma. The healing is faster, but the recovery steps remain the same."
Yoshika lent a supporting shoulder to Eila as the Soumi witch took tentative steps down the corridor leading away from the medical unit. The Fuso healer had come in early in the morning and spent half an hour applying her healing magic and running the violet eyed witch through elementary movement excercises: rotating her ankle and wrist, bending her knee and elbow, rotating her shoulder and wiggling her fingers and making a fist. Satisfied with the results of the exercises, Yoshika had Eila stand up and perform knee bends, balance on her left leg, and pick up increasingly heavy objects. Yoshika observed her through the glow of her healing magic, applying where and when necessary to speed the recovery.
Finishing the initial excercises, Yoshika led Eila down the hall on her first walk. Having discharged the pale-blonde, Miyafuji asked the attendant to have Eila's things brought to her quarters. Eila chose to bring the stuffed animals with her.
Wearing her blue military coat over the knee length hospital gown, Eila followed the Fusan witch down the corridors until they reached the bath.
"Oh, yes!" the Soumi witch sighed heavenly. After a week of sponge baths, she was ready for a deep, cleansing shower and soak in the o-furo.
"Take all the time you want," said Yoshika. "And call me if you need anything." She waited patiently in the dressing room while Eila scrubbed herself clean from a week of sweat, oil, dirt, and dead skin, then luxuriated in the hot water of the o-furo. Yoshika could hear snatches of Eila's humming Sanya's Song while she cleaned up.
Eila dressed in the fresh uniform waiting for her in her bin. When she finished, she gently pinched Yoshika's cheek. "Thank you!" she said, sincerely.
From the bath, they made their way to the briefing room. The other witches were beginning to take their seats when they entered the room.
"Eila! Bentornato!" sang Lucchini, clapping her hands.
The witches stood up and crowded around their recovering squad-mate, welcoming her back. Perrine and Lynne each gave her a friendly hug, Shirley clapped her heartily on the back, Barkhorn and Hartmann patted her on the shoulders and beamed with pride at her return, while Lucchini jumped with joy in the back. Sanya made a bee-line for Eila and embraced her. "Dobro pozhalovat, Eila!" she gushed.
Minna and Mio stood at the front of the briefing theater, beaming.
"Welcome back, Eila!" called Mio over the din. Minna nodded.
The witches began making their way back to their seats. Sanya led her girlfriend to their usual spot. After they sat down she wrapped her arms around Eila's left arm and leaned her head against her shoulder. Shirley pulled a five karlsmark bill out of her breast pocket and handed it to Erica, making a mental reminder to never again bet against Sanya's best friend.
"Welcome back, Eila! You've been greatly missed," said Minna, starting the morning briefing.
A second wave of agreement and congratulations quietly rippled through the room. Once it subsided, Minna continued. "To celebrate we will be having high tea on the terrace at 1600 hours." The witches were elated by the news.
Minna continued through the day's schedule and announcements. Because she was not able to fly patrol, Eila was assigned to assist Miyafuji with laundry detail, Perrine with lunch detail, and Erica and Mio with command center duty.
Minna went on to announce the patrol roster. Quietly, Sanya motioned with her nose the stuffed animals sitting on the tabletop in front of them.
"Those are very cute! Where did they come from?" the Orussian witch asked.
"Tomas gave them to me," said Eila with a small touch of wonder.
"Oh? So his grandmother finished it already!" Sanya whispered happily.
"Wha...?! You knew about it?" said Eila, surprised.
"Yes," replied Sanya quietly. "He asked me what your familiar was so she could sew it."
"Ah," Eila said, surprised. She hadn't realized that Sanya knew the ground crew. She felt a tiny pang of guilt for not making an effort to memorize their names before.
"Other items of note: We received notice from Soumus that:," Minna reached down and picked up a sheet of paper. "'In consideration of her being hit by friendly fire, and in consideration of her placing her life in danger to save the life of a fellow witch and her wingmate, the Soumus High Command hereby declares that Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen was not technically shot down, and therefore continues her impeccable record of zero losses.'"
Minna picked up another sheet of paper and quieted down the other witches. "And a second notice from Soumus High Command: 'In recognition of her exceptional bravery on the field of battle and risking her life to ensure the safety of a fellow witch and her wingmate, Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen is hereby awarded the Iron Cross, First Class.'"
The other witches cheered the announcement. "We'll have the award ceremony prior to commencing tea. We will also present the Soumus Cross of Liberty at that time." Eila proudly blushed at the attention, but smiled and thanked her wing-mates.
Minna dismissed the assembled witches. They began breaking for their duties, detouring to welcome their teammate back once more.
As Sanya braced Eila's arm to assist her back to their room, Minna came over to see them.
"I thought I'd let you know that the Soumus High Command has informed us that they are sending replacement strikers to the base. It will be delivered by one Gustav Laakkonen." Eila startled with recognition. "I checked his dossier, and it turns out he's from the same city as you. Do you know him?"
Sanya looked expectantly at Eila. The Soumi witch realized both witches had noticed her reaction. "Yes. We went to the same school together," she admitted.
"That's wonderful, Eila," smiled the Orussian witch, clapping with excitement. "You'll have so much to talk about!"
"Yeah, it's great," the long haired blond replied, feigning enthusiasm.
As Minna headed off to her administrative duties, Shirley came over to the couple on her way out of the briefing room. "Don't break her, Sanya! We still need her," she said with a lewd smile.
Sanya blushed crimson, which set Eila off growling through her own vermillion blush. "Why you little jackrabbit...! Don't talk about Sanya like THAT!"
Shirley laughed heartily as she dashed off, knowing Eila couldn't catch her... yet.
Back at their room, Sanya quietly shut the door. As always, the curtains were drawn to block the sun so the night witches could sleep. Eila limped over to the seance table and braced against it for balance. Her leg still hurt, and she became tired quickly trying to walk on it, but Miyafuji had said that would soon pass.
Putting the fox and cat on the table, Eila looked about the room as if for the first time. Their bunk sat in one corner, Sanya's cat-penguin propped up on the top, black velvet pillow with red cat silhouette on the bottom. The seance table with crystal ball and her hand-made tarot deck. The wardrobe with her and Sanya's uniforms and other clothes. The writing desk with the ever-growing collection of black and white porcelain cats. The small tea-table with the charcoal-fired samovar that Eila had picked up for Sanya while they looked for traces of the Orussian witch's family in Sankt Peterburg.
Such simple things, she thought to herself. And yet I missed them so much! Eila realized that she had been taking her time together with Sanya for granted. Almost losing Sanya made her realize every moment with her silver-haired angel was a precious gift. She resolved to never do that again.
Turning to Sanya, she said, "It's good to be back h..."
"How could you!"
The Orussian witch pounded on Eila's chest with her small fists. "How could you do that to me? I thought you were going to die! I thought I'd lose you!"
Eila embraced her girlfriend, pulling her closer. "Shhh... it's fine now," she said, trying to calm the silver-haired witch. "I'm okay now, everything will be fine..."
"It's not fine!" replied Sanya, pushing away from Eila. "What were you thinking? You almost got yourself killed!"
"I was trying to protect you..."
"...Oh, Eila! Why did you do that?! What if you had died? What then?"
Eila started opening her mouth to reply, but Sanya continued right over her. "I lost my home! My family! I couldn't bear to lose you too!"
Sanya finally allowed Eila to pull her back, melting into the taller witch's embrace. Eila could feel her tears soaking through her uniform. "I almost lost everything that night," Sanya cried into Eila's chest. "Please, don't ever do that again..."
Eila stood in silence, stroking the smaller witch's hair. How could she explain to Sanya that she felt the same way? That losing her angel would be losing everything? That she would gladly trade her life for Sanya's?
Instead, she mustered all the sincerity in her being and said softly, "I'll never leave you. We'll be together forever."
Teary green eyes looking up into Eila's limpid violet eyes, Sanya asked, "Promise?"
"Always."
Sanya kissed her long-haired lover tenderly, then began unbuttoning her uniform. Slipping off the light blue jacket, she removed Eila's shirt slowly, one button at a time. Shirt fluttering to the floor, she moved the taller witch's hands to her own tie, gently loosening it. Tie snaking to the floor, Eila fumbled with the tiny clasps in the front of Sanya's black corset, then, as it tumbled to the floor, she moved to unfasten the buttons on Sanya's shirt, one by one. In unspoken choreography, they removed each others' clothes; braziers unclasped, leggings peeled off, panties eased past hips to slip down past ankles.
When they were both finally naked, Sanya led Eila to the bed and gently lowered her down. Stradling the pale-haired witch whom she had thought she would lose forever, Sanya made passionate, tender, desperate love to Eila.
She didn't break her.
Eila missed her assigned duties for the day. She wasn't disciplined for the lapse, and Shirley was another forty karlsmark richer.
