IN THE FIELD

"I wish we could be there when she woke up." Christa said as she rode her horse.

"We've been summoned to the capital, it's better to leave her there considering they don't really like her at the capital. If we finish up our mission quickly then we can get back there before she comes to." Mikasa added.

"Hai. Squad captain Hange said that she wouldn't be up for a while. Iron poisoning is pretty serious, it's a miracle she survived." Christa hung her head low. She remembered the events that transpired weeks before. Them fending off the titan that they now suspect to be Annie. There's just so much I want to tell her. Is she really safe back at headquarters? There are still people after her.

Ymir pushed through the formation and budged in next to Christa. "Can we please talk Christa. This is becoming childish now."

Christa promptly ignored her and charged forward, leaving Ymir in the dust.

Ymir hung her head in defeat.

"Trouble in paradise?" Eren said with a snicker.

"Mind your business Eren." Ymir went back to her spot in the formation.

"What's going on with her?" Armin asked.

"Christa and Ymir have been on and off since we joined the scouts. I'm sure this is just another one of their phases." Mikasa reassured.

Armin gave his sore backside some relief as he rearranged himself on his saddle. "I'm not too sure about that this time. It looks pretty serious."

"Well, Ymir said it was none of our business so that's that." Mikasa ended that discussion. "I hope Yoni feels better soon."

"I'm sure she's fine. Yoni's not the same weakling from when we were younger, you know. Eren said. "I mean she's still a crybaby, but everything else about her is different."

They all laughed. It was a nice moment between friends. However, it wasn't the same without Yoni.

SCOUTS HEADQUARTERS

A few days later

Yoni's head was spinning. She'd been lying in bed awake for ten minutes, unable to focus her vision. She woke up a week ago, but the pain was so much that she was forced back into her previous comatose state. Today she was able to move around her limbs with little pain. Maybe I can walk today? She slipped her feet out from underneath the blankets. A crisp breeze blew through the window and gave her leg a tingly feeling. She stood up from the bed and cracked her neck, which was much needed since she hasn't moved in such a long time. She saw a piece of paper on her nightstand, from Christa. Yoni felt apprehensive. Her memory of that day was perfectly intact. She remembered exactly what happened and exactly what she said to Christa. It had been in the heat of the moment, but she meant what she said. Yoni was somewhat thankful for her predicament because she didn't have to deal with the repercussions of what she said.

The note read:

Hi Yoni. A group of us decided to write this note in case you woke up before we returned from the capital. Somehow I ended up writing it alone. Anyway, I'm glad you're up. I hope you feel ok. We should be back by the end of the week.

The 104th

Yoni set the note back on the table. She didn't even bring it up. Crap crap crap. She hates me now. Why do I always do these crazy things? I did the same thing with Mikasa and look where that got me.

Yoni put her head in her hands. Another friendship ruined because of my stupid feelings. She looked up at the calendar. Today was Friday. Her friends should be coming back tomorrow. Great I get to deal with all that awkward tomorrow.

Yoni figured that she should try to stand. She was sitting up straight on her own, which was a good sign, she was having trouble mustering up the strength to stand herself up. Again and again, she tried to push herself off the bed. So much it began to make her dizzy and tired. Yoni came to the conclusion that this wasn't going to happen today and laid down in her bed. All that sudden movement made her nauseous to an unheavenly degree. Her eyes went blurry as she threw up her insides into the bucket beside her bed. It was silvery and had a gross metallic smell. It was enough to make her throw up again. However, she calmed her stomach and managed to fall asleep. She would try that walking thing again tomorrow.

The Next Day

The ringing bell echoed throughout the castle, signifying that the scouts had returned from their journey to Stohess district. Yoni winced as she sat up. Her lower back was sore from all that movement yesterday. The stone floor was warm today. She was ready to try and stand up again when she saw that the bucket was clean. Also next to the bucket was a cane. Aniki? Yoni smiles and grabbed the cane. She propped it up between her legs, gripped the top of it with all her natural might and pushed down. She was up. Standing on her own two feet. Yoni breathed a sigh of relief. She took a step forward and felt her whole body tilt to the side. She was falling and she couldn't stop it. A set of small yet strong hands stopped her fall.

"Connie!" she helped Connie back upright. "What are you doing up here already?"

"I really needed to pee. Riding that horse didn't help at all."

"I didn't need to know all of that."

"I see you're still recovering."

"Yeah, it's a process I guess. This is the first time I've been able to stand up."

"Sounds like you need a pick me up. Come outside everyone's down there." Connie walked towards the door. "They need a smiling face after what they've seen."

Yoni was concerned now. "What happened in Stohess?"

"It's a lot." With that, Connie walked out the door.

Yoni took baby steps out the door. She was annoyed at Connie. He just witnessed her fall and didn't even offer to help her walk. She imagined what he would say. "That's what the cane is for." Yoni chuckled to herself.

Finally, she made it to the front door. Wobbly and all. She could hear everyone's outside. I wonder what they're chattering about. As she pushed open the door, she was flooded with light. The chattering stopped. It took a while for her eyes to adjust. Eventually, she saw all of her friends looking at her with smiles on their faces. Even Mikasa was smiling. Christa had a tear in her eye. Even Ymir was glad to see her on her feet. Yoni hobbled down the castle steps towards her friends. Everyone's smiles dimmed a little at this sight. Mikasa quickly switched into mom mode.

"Yoni shouldn't you be lying down." Mikasa walked briskly up to her side.

Eren interrupted before she could answer. "Oi Mikasa give her a break. I'm sure walking with a cane beats laying in a bed all day."

Armin also interjected. "I'm sure that's not permanent. Once she's fully recovered she should walk fine."

"She can recover faster if she's resting" Mikasa stated.

The three of them went on like that for a little. Yoni could only smile and her life long friends bickering over her. Her eyes wandered across all her friends until they landed on Christa. Christa still had a faint smile on her face as she looked at Yoni. When their eyes met, it was as if they remembered everything that happened between them. The almost kiss, what Yoni said during the 57th expedition, and their respective thoughts about each other. Christa's smile turned into a flustered blush. Yoni quickly averted her eyes and turned back to her arguing friends. Ymir didn't miss a second of that awkward encounter. She was boiling with anger but hid it well.

Trying to take her mind off what just happened Yoni decided she should ask some questions.

"What happened at Stohess?"

With that question, the bickering stopped, and a long silence ensued. Their faces drooped.

"It was Annie," Armin stated.

"What was Annie?" Yoni was utterly confused.

Before they could answer Hange pulled her away. "Come on Yoni, try this medicine I made for you."

Her friends could only watch as she was carried away by the mad scientist.

The Infirmary

"Annie was the female titan?!"

Hange gripped her jaw to pry it open. Making it ready to test out her new medicine. "She still is the female titan. Before we could deal with her the enclosed herself in a crystal, that even the corps of engineers can't break."

Yoni's mind wandered to Hannes. She missed her godfather. I should take some leave and go see him.

Hange pulled out a vial of blue liquid. She poured a generous amount of it in Yoni's mouth. Yoni immediately recoiled. The taste was horrible. Hange closed her nose and covered her mouth, making swallowing the only action possible.

"This will probably make you a little drowsy so head straight to your room." Hange placed the vial back into her desk drawer.

Yoni managed to ask a question between her dry heaves. "How long do I have to take that?"

"Well you've recovered well on your own, so it shouldn't be much longer. It should regulate your iron levels so you need to take it daily. Come here at this time tomorrow. Now off to bed."

Yoni wobbled to her room, fully utilizing the cane. The medicine was acting fast, she could feel her eyes getting a little heavy. Up the stairs and around the corridor, her bedroom door was finally insight. Home sweet home.

Her door was slightly ajar. Who's in here? She double-checked that this was her room and went inside. A blonde girl was sitting on her bed.

"Yoni I think we need to talk about some stuff."

Yoni felt like her heart just stopped beating. Christa's blue eyes poured into hers relentlessly as she sat down on the bed. "Yeah, there's a lot to talk about huh?"

"So, about what you said during the 57th expedition."

"I was delirious and I thought I was going to die…which isn't to say I didn't mean it but…" Yoni gripped to the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "What I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry if I said anything that made you feel weird."

"It's not like I don't feel the same!" Christa quickly reassured. "It's just that things are complicated. I still have feelings for Ymir. Is that ok?"

Yoni rolled her eyes. she's been in this situation already and she didn't want the be here again.

Christa saw her reaction. "It doesn't seem like you're ok with that."

"No, I'm not ok with that." Christa never took advantage of Yoni's kindness so this situation was new to Yoni. "You know what I went through with Mikasa, and now you're doing the same thing. I think that's kinda shitty Christa."

Christa was taken aback. Yoni had never spoken to her like that. Christa decided to match Yoni's energy.

"Well, I feel like you put yourself in these situations Yoni. This the second time you went after someone who clearly had feelings for someone else."

"Of course I would purposely fall in love with unavailable people. I just love all the heartache and sleepless nights." Yoni's voice became raised. "Trust me, if I could choose anyone else I would. Save me a lot of trouble."

Christa stood up in anger. "So what? You wish you didn't have feelings for me anymore?"

"What do care Christa, you love someone else. You should go find her, I'm sure she's off killing innocent animals somewhere."

"That fact that you say that shows you know nothing about Ymir at all."

"Well I get all my information from your complaints, so that's your fault."

"Ugh, you're infuriating. Not everything is as black and white as you think it is."

"Actually in this instance, it is. Just choose."

"Why would you make me do that?"

"Cause it's selfish not too," Yoni stated. "It's not fair to me or Ymir."

"If I asked you to choose between me or Mikasa would you be able to do it?" Christa thought she had her stumped.

"Yes, I'd choose you in a heartbeat." Yoni looked deep into Christa's eyes. As deeply as she could from a distance. "I wish that wasn't the case but that's how it is."

Christa was at a loss for words. She had nothing to say back to her.

"Look, Christa, this medicine Hange gave me makes me really tired. I can't do this right now."

"Well, when can we talk about this?"

"We talked about it enough. I said what I needed to say. The ball's in your court now. Goodnight."

Yoni laid down facing away from Christa indicating it was time for her to leave. Footsteps that could be easily identified as Hange's came around the corridor. Yoni and Christa came to attention as she opened the door.

"Oh great both of you are here." Hange pushed her glass back up on her nose. "Starting tomorrow Yoni will be undergoing physical training. We have an upcoming expedition and we need her in top form."

"What does that have to do with me?" Christa asked.

"Well, we need someone to help her. Some senior officers are going to be away, for a little investigating the hole in the wall situation, I included. I decided you were best for the job, you guys have a good rapport."

"But I…"

"Sorry I don't have time, I have to get ready for departure. Report to the training room at seven tomorrow morning, I have the workouts written up and everything." With that, she was gone.

Yoni fastened herself under the covers. " How unfortunate."

"Shut the hell up Yoni." Christa left the room trying to figure out how she was going to get through the next few weeks.