It felt like a huge milestone.
After graduating the Tirol Aerospace Academy, traveling across the stars, traversing two continents with a band of buddies and with only what we could carry, this felt like an accomplishment.
I was standing, supported only by my feet, along with the four legs of the walker, onto which IO was holding.
I stood for maybe ten seconds. I then had to sit on the bed.
"That's good," said Dr. Stacy Embry, in the hospital room. "It's better than seven seconds."
"Okay," I said.
"I can recommend a physical therapist to help build your strength further," replied the doctor. "You just have to take it one day at a time."
"Well, I'm hungry," I said. "Do I have to eat here?"
I then saw Gabe walk in, pushing a wheelchair.
"I was wondering," he said. "Will you join me for lunch?"
"It's a date," I answered.
Both Gabe and Dr. Embry helped me into the wheelchair. He then pushed me. I looked around at the corridors of the hospital. It had this sharp hospital-like smell.
The last time I was an inpatient at a hospital, it was right after my suicide attempt when I was fifteen. I spent a month in recovery.
Painful memories were arising. I did not want to think of that dark time in my life.
I was pushed to the cafeteria. There were tables and chairs and a serving line. I noticed recruitment posters on the wall for the U.N. Ocean Patrol, with images of submarines and sailors.
"Here we are," said Gabe. A Philly cheese steak wrap." I saw him hold these two wraps.
"What's in it?" I asked.
"Steak, grilled onions, mushrooms, provolone cheese. It originated in this city called Philly."
It sounded like a place of legend, like Asgard or Gotham City or Shangri-La or Planet Namek.
But these wraps tasted delicious. There was nothing mythical about that. During our travels across Africa and Asia, we rarely got to eat food like this. It tasted so good. I washed it down with orange juice.
"I miss Petit cola," I said.
Of course, I still recall the months spent in the deserts of western Asia, where we did not know where we would find our next sip of water.
Gabe wheeled me back to my hospital room.
"You know, after you get out of the Space Marines, maybe you can become a nurse," I said.
"We got to defeat the Invid first," replied Gabe.
Oooooooo
Later that day, I got to meet my physical therapist. He was a young man with brown hair, maybe only a few years older than me. He wore this blue smock.
"I am Vic Yahagi, Licensed Vocational Nurse," he said.
I introduced myself. "Nice to meet you," I said.
"Shall we begin," he said. "We can start by getting used to standing."
"I can't wait to start."
"Eagerness does help in recovery."
Yahagi placed the walker near me. I grabbed the handles and lifted myself up. I counted.
I was up for more than ten seconds. I was ecstatic.
I let go, expecting to stand solely by my own two feet.
I wobbled and fell backward.
"Patience is also required," said Yahagi.
Oooooooo
The day after my first physical therapy session with the nurse Yahagi, Dr. Embry told me I could leave the hospital. I still needed to make occasional visits to her, of course.
I was transported in this van to where Gabe was staying. I looked around. It was an underground city, as Laureline had said. The chamber looked like it was a klick tall. The largest structure was this hourglass-like metal thing that was taller than any of the buildings; I wondered if that was the reflex furnace that powered the whole place. After we stopped by this apartment building, Gabe unfolded the wheelchair and helped me into it. He then pushed the wheelchair as I sat on it.
We went through this courtyard before going through the door. We entered a living room with some couchesdand a flat screen television. There was a kitchenette at the side, with a stove and microwave oven and a sink.
"We have not stayed in a place like this since we were at that Indian king's palace," I said.
"That place was a lot nicer," replied Gabe. "Still, this place is nicer than what the Space Marines offer second lieutenants at the home front."
"Maybe," I replied.
"Allow me to carry you."
"Sure."
And so he did. I looked and noticed I was being carried into the bedroom.
He lay down next to me.
"I have exciting news," he said. "After I reported to the military commanders here, I got a 702 promotion to second lieutenant."
"702 promotion?" I asked. I knew a little of the military from the lower-level ROTC classes I had to take, but not that much.
"It refers to Section 702 of the United Earth Forces Code," answered Gabe. "Commanders in the field, not in contact with their headquarters, may promote subordinates without a promotion board to approve. You are now lying next to United Nations Space Marine Second Lieutenant Gabriel Gashtar."
"Congratulations, Second Lieutenant."
"At least until Space Marine Headquarters gets the word. They may decide I should be a Third Lieutenant after all. But let us celebrate."
"Should we not celebrate with Itzak, Laureline, and Doc?"
"Later," said Gabe, looking into my eyes. "But I want to celebrate with you first. And I can think of another therapy that can help you get better."
Over an hour later, I definitely felt better.
OOOOOOOO
Itzak, Laureline, and Doc did celebrate Gabe's promotion with us. It was at this Chinese restaurant called the Golden Dragon. Gabe and Laureline helped me to our table as the host led our party.
"I never had Chinese food before," said Itzak.
"There is this Chinese restaurant in Primopolis on Planet Glorie," I said. "It was called the White Dragon. It was part of a chain of restaurants. I think there were branches open on Tirol and in Space Station Liberty. My dad used to go to the one on the SDF-1 Macross."
This old man came out to greet us.
"Welcome to my restaurant," he said. "The name is Ling Baoxiong."
"Pleasure to meet, you, Mr. Ling," I said. I introduced myself.
"I'm Itzak," said Itzak.
"We're just celebrating Gabe's promotion to second lieutenant."
"Fighting the Invid, eh?" asked Ling.
"Yes, sir," replied Gabe. "Second Lieutenant Gabriel Gashtar, United Nations Space Marines."
Laurleine and doc introduced themselves.
"I serve a lot of people," said Ling. "a lot from the military.
"You have done well," said Doc.
"I've been in this business tgoo long. "You know, the Golden Dragon has a long history. Our original location was in Yokohama, over thirty years ago. When the Zentraedi carpet bombed the Earth, my dear wife Shigeyo and I were ina storm drain. There was this grate behind the restaurant that connected to the storm drain system. When we heard those alien ships were surrounding the Earth, we went down there. There were hundreds of thousands of survivors in Yokohama, over a million in Tokyo. Bomb shelters, subway tunnels, storm drains- even sewer tunnels. The Emperor at the time of course had his deep underground palace; his granddaughter Reiko now reigns over- or rather, under Japan- from that same palace. So many places to hide from the bombs and beams."
"Do you have any family?" asked Laureline.
"I have my dear wife Shigeyo. I might still have a daughter. She wanted to be a singer, was in love with some flyboy, went out into space during the first colonization missions a quarter of a century ago. Now my employees here are the family I have. Which, by the way, I should have one of my family members take your order."
"Of course, sir," said Gabe. "Any recommendations?"
"The Bright and Beautiful Bell combo.
A waitress wearing a white collared shirt and black slacks came to take our orders, and I ordered the Bright and Beautiful bell combo. It was basically three-flavor sizzling rice soup, chow mein, and chow fun.
"What have you been doing?" I asked.
"Well, I am on leave. The leaders here think I've spent enough time fighting the Invid; hard to believe I've been doing that for nearly one and a half years now. I hope to be attached to Orca Squadron- they are an Ocean Patrol veritech squadron operating from here. Some of them came to greet you when you landed your Beta in Japan."
"And what is the situation here?" asked Doc.
"This isn't the only underground bunker in Japan, though it is the largest. Some of the bunkers in Japan were built in the mid-20th century. This is the only one in Japan- in the western Pacific really- with a submarine drydock, of course. This is also a command and control center as well as a supply base. There are units from the Japanese Imperial Self-Defense Force and the People's Army of China garrisoned here, as well the Ocean Patrol."
And so we continued to eat. It was nice being able to eat at a sit-down restaurant with my friends. It was almost like living in peace.
Or was it the eye of a hurricane?
Ooooooooo
My battle was not with the Invid, but against the hurdles against making a full recovery. I made sure to go to every session with Nurse Vic Yahagi, doing these exercises. Gabe or Laureline would often accompany me.
I told Yahagi about my journey.
"I guess you are used to struggling," he said.
"That does not mean I get tired of the struggle, sometimes," I said. I briefly reflected on the times I could have simply laid low and lived in peace- staying with the remnants of Colonel Eli Wheatley's forces near Lake Kyoga, accepting assistance from the Israelis in settling in Egypt, staying in that kingdom ruled by Doc's old war buddy.
"I've had patients who are spending years in therapy," replied the nurse.
I continued my exercises.
Oooooooo
This was also part of my therapy.
I saw children playing in a makeshift playground. Nearby were some Quonset huts. This was where the Karen refugees were staying.
"I help them readjust to life here," said Laureline. "Not much else to do, as there is no demand for additional people to stand watch against an Invid offensive. Many of them had their whole families slaughtered, like mine was so many years ago."
"At least you have something interesting to do. I just get pushed around these days."
"I don't mind pushing you around."
One of the women approached me. I recognized her as that U.N. Spacy veteran.
"at least you are alive," she said.
"We should all be grateful to be alive," I replied. "I notice something about my clothes. They feel different."
"Anything wrong?"
"They feel clean. I spent over a year wearing dirty clothes. I alsmost forgot what this feels like."
Oooooo
Physical therapy was my major goal. There was spending time with Gabe and the others to keep me company. Itzak was introduced to video games; home video game systems were really hard to come by where he grew up.
I finally managed to be able to walk across a whole room. Nurse Yahagi was proud of my progress.
I only needed a cane to walk.
I of course celebrated with Gabe, Itzak, Laureline, and Doc. And of course I had my own private celebration with Gabe.
Not long after I was able to get around with just using the cane, Gabe took me to this special place. I had to ride an elevator up and we went through this long corridor.
I went out and emerged into the fresh air. Ahead I could see a huge expanse of water. Closer to us there was this bay. Around the bay was the ruins of the city. The sky above was pink,. And there was this lit.
"That is Tokyo Bay," said Gabe. "And beyond that, the Pacific Ocean. I've waited weeks for you to be able to move around enough that we could be here together."
"It's beautiful," I said.
"I imagine people emerging from underground, rebuilding the city by the bay. I imagine ships sailing out of Tokyo Bay, visiting the lands around the Pacific. Listen, you're making good progress. Maybe you will be able to dance by the Ides of March Ball."
"Ides of March?"
"March 15th. That was the anniversary of the Invid Invasion. It will be the thirteenth anniversary this year."
The yellow orb of Earth's sun soon emerged above the horizon. I looked and noticed others were here; this must be a popular spot.
We just enjoyed the morning.
We went back to our place. Sometimes I found it hard to believe that we had our own place, with walls and furniture. We were not planning anything.
Gabe pulled out a piece of paper. And glanced at it. The look on his face all but screamed that he remembered something.
"Remember this?" he asked.
I looked and recognized the scribblings I made on that paper. It was that first Invid dream I had when staying in that cave last year, the cave with the Zentraedi skeleton!
"I know," I said.
"Did you have any more recent dreams?"
I told him about dreaming about the Zentraedi attack on Optera, about how a new Regent and Regess rose to power in the aftermath, hailed by the surviving Hive Lords.
"This can't be random," said Gabe. "You were exposed to these spores, and you are getting history lessons about the Invid."
What did this mean?
It turned out more people wanted to know more about my dreams.
"Some military officers wish to meet you," said Gabe.
And so they did.