I woke up with a start.
I looked around myself and noticed that I was in a car with my soldiers. I was still in Mark's arms. He had put the gas mask on me which had probably saved me.
"Ethan?" Mark said slowly and I took off the gas mask.
"I'm here." I whispered and sighed. At least I could still talk.
Mark was crying. I slowly moved my hand up and wiped the tears on his cheek. Mark smiled at me. I could see that the gas had taken its toll on him. He looked run down and his voice was hoarse. Just like mine, probably.
I sat up but stayed on Mark's lap. I looked around and noticed that almost all of the team leaders were here.
Almost.
"Peter, report." The green team's leader straightened up as I called them.
"Most of our troops made it out in time. Some team leaders chose to stay with their troops while we chose to stay with our Chief, Chief!" I smiled at them and at all the soldiers present in the car.
"To how much has the loss been estimated?" Peter frowned.
"We've counted fifty plus before leaving, but I'm not sure it's the right number considering how fast we left. And we don't know the effects of the gas yet. Soldiers could be dying as we're speaking. That's all Chief." I nodded at them.
"I know the gas. I created but discarded it because of its effectiveness and hard nature to contain. I know how to make an antidote." Or at last I think so.
My soldiers sighed in relief. I looked at Mark and he kissed my forehead.
I relaxed into him. That was nice.
I woke up to Mark gently shaking my shoulder. "We're here, blue." I rubbed my eyes but winced as it stung.
Right.
The gas.
I got up and stretched a bit. "Where's everyone?"
"I told them to regroup in the infirmary. Well, as well as they could anyway." I nodded and started walking to my tent to start working on an antidote. Mark was following me which was good.
"We counted everyone. We've lost 129 soldiers." I stopped walking at that and took a deep breath.
"I need to get working on that antidote or that number'll keep growing." Moping would get me nowhere.
I got under my tent and immediately started working. I got my material out and started searching for my blueprint of the gas.
"Is this it?" Mark asked slowly and I looked up to see him holding up the exact blueprint I was looking for.
"Yes. Thank you. Place it here please." I said while pointing at my work station.
Mark could help me.
"Do you have a good memory?" I asked quickly while studying the blue print.
Right. I remembered now.
"I'm a fast learner." Was Mark's answer. "Good enough."
I collected the chemicals I needed to make for the antidote and laid them out in front of me. "Ok. If you've got questions, ask them immediately and I'll try to answer. This stuff seems pretty logical to me so I'm not great at explaining." Mark nodded and I smiled at him.
"The gas hurts your throat and damages your esophagus which causes internal bleeding as well as suffocation. To undo this effect, we will need to trigger vomiting in the subject to relax the throat -yes that seems weird, but rust me. We will also need to patch up any sore throats as well as eyes. Nothing some honey and salted water can't do." Mark furrowed his eyebrows.
"Then what are all those for?" He said, looking at all the chemicals I had gotten out. "To make us all immune to it." I said while smiling at at Mark.
He was looking at me in awe again.
Damn him.
"What's my job then?"
"You could bring people in one at a time. But first let's cure ourselves. Then we'll start working on an antidote."
"God I love you." Mark whispered and I blushed.
Damn him.
I injected the antidote on the last of my soldier and sighed. Now we were done.
Thankfully, no one had died during my intervention. And that all thanks to Mark. I looked up at him and smiled tiredly.
Mark walked to me and kissed me on the side of my mouth. I smiled even more. "M'tired..." I mumbled while stretching out. Mark sat next to me and I rested my head on his shoulder.
"Chief?" A soldier asked me and I groaned. "Yes?" I said without looking up.
"The people are scared. You need to reassure them." I sighed.
"I know."
Mark kissed my hair. "I'll come with you?"
"You better."
I got up, shortly followed by Mark and started walking towards the public place. Halfway through our walk, Mark had taken my hand, single-handedly giving me the strength I needed to reassure my soldiers.
Everyone was talking to everyone.
But once I got on top of the stage (that we hadn't bothered moving), they all quieted down immediately; almost eerily so.
"Soldiers... No. Friends. Family even. Today was a hard day for us. Everyone has lost something. Let us grieve today and tomorrow." I marked a pause and closed my eyes for a second.
It was during times like these that being the Chief was the hardest.
"You will be welcomed to report to Nate or me the name of our fallen friends. They will not be forgotten. Let their death be a source of motivation for future fights. Just like when we lost out Chief and her partner. Let us grieve, but most importantly, let us fight." I felt it important to mention Chief and her partner since I hadn't had the opportunity to say some proper words about them.
"From now on, we will now all be wearing gas masks at our belts so that this can never happen again. Everyone that's helped me in my studies in the past is welcomed to join me to help build these gas masks. Just make sure your usual work is done by someone else. We can't let the camp go berserk just because we need to arm ourselves. This is war. And we'll win it."
I had expected everyone to cheer at that point but they were silent.
Suddenly, someone raised their fist in the air. They were soon followed by someone else and soon, everyone had their fist raised in the air.
I felt like crying.
This gesture meant everything.
I raised my fist in the air and tried to look at every single person in the crowd.
"Thank you." People nodded and lowered their fist.
I wiped a stray tear that had fallen from my eye and smiled as I felt Mark's arm around my waist.
That reminds me.
"On another note, it is due time that I take a second in command." People seemed to agree and even seemed eager to know to who I had given the honor of becoming my lieutenant.
"My new right arm will be Mark here." People seemed shocked. Some cries of protest even started ringing around the crowd.
But I silenced them with my hand.
"I know that not all of you trust Mark. I didn't either a few weeks ago. But since then, Mark's helped me and has been there for me just like a lieutenant would for their Chief. He also has risked his life multiple times to save me or other soldiers." I saw people nodding.
"I trust him. I love him. And I think that he will be a great right arm, if not a great Chief if something were to happen to me." Mark tightened his grip on my waist as if telling me not to speak like that. But I had to.
"To those still reluctant, please, at least try to get to know him. We all know how sudden our Chief's death was and that just because I'm the Chief doesn't mean that I'm immortal." Mark squeezed my waist again and, this time, I turned to look at him.
"I love you." He murmured to me and I smiled at him.
I turned back towards my soldiers.
"If I do end up giving my life during a battle, I don't want to go out knowing that my team will crumble simply because they don't trust their Chief."
Almost everyone was convinced by now. And I knew that those who weren't would give Mark a chance and try to get to know him first.
After all, everyone trusted my decisions since they were always good.
"Now. We will rest and grieve until tomorrow night. After that, the fight continues. My tent is still open to those willing to help me work or to those who wish to speak with me. Now let's sleep." I said, dismissing everyone.
Mark went in front of me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I lifted my head up to look at him since he was slightly taller than me.
He didn't have to speak, his eyes were already showing what he was thinking. I'm proud of you. I could almost hear him say it.
I got on my tiptoes and pecked his lips.
Thank you.