The sun was in her eyes.
Eiada blinked, winced as her head began to pound. She was standing on the beach, staring directly into the sun barely touching the waves across the sea. The sounds of fighting had ceased.
(.What time is it?)
Eiada couldn't remember what had happened. She'd been fighting, she knew that- she must have just. lost herself.
She shook her head, trying to find her equilibrium. She knew what had gone on, knew where she was and why she was there. She just couldn't seem to reconcile her brain and her body.
"Eiada!"
She turned away from the sun to see Roen slogging through the sand toward her. Little figures bustled around behind him- the medical area, she remembered. She was distracted by the blurring arms and legs, gestures and motions and lives, all around, all waiting-
(Whoa.) With an effort, she focused back in on Roen. The squad leader looked exhausted, sore and bone-weary. The appropriate medical term, if Eiada remembered correctly was 'like shit'. She began to wave, realized her knives were still in her hands. Confused, she began to sheathe them when she realized they were coated thickly with red blood and greenish ichor. Human and monster.
"Hey," she said when he got close enough. "are you alright?"
"Yeah. Just-" he turned to glance at the medical area. "Tired. You?"
"I'm okay." After fighting for her life, mixing her blood with sand and staining her uniform with the blood of others, it seemed childish to say 'My head hurts,' so she didn't. "We won, right?"
Roen gave her an odd look. "Yeah, the Galbadian ships pulled out about ten minutes ago. Remember? This district of the city's been liberated, but they still have the other half, over behind that hill-" he pointed to a high, rocky hill with a spire of dark metal sticking out of the top. "Our latest intel says they may have been after that radio tower the whole time."
"Oh."
"Come on. Let's go check in." Roen took a few steps forward, then turned when she showed no sign of following, touched her elbow. "Hey-"
"Right." Eiada shook herself, trying to focus. "Okay. Yes. I'm coming."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The medical area had evolved from noisy, frantic chaos to exhausted, determined chaos. The perimeter guard had been stripped down to a few key soldiers standing at weary alert, most soaked in body fluids and nursing wounds of their own. The remainder were occupied packing medical supplies, stacking crates on dollys to roll into the awaiting scout ships, and getting their injuries treated. Every few minutes a wounded soldier would pull away from the perimeter to be replaced with a newly-mended one. SeeD was closing up shop.
"Excuse me." Roen stopped a distracted-looking Dollet doctor. "Have you seen Merina Dobbs? She's a SeeD."
"Oh, yes-" the man pointed. "She's over there, with the critical cases."
Roen thanked him and double-timed it over to the intensive care unit, Eiada pulling up her weary legs and forcing them to follow. The unit was separated from the confusion and chaos of the evacuation proceedings by a low wall of crates that was slowly being demolished. The two SeeD candidates paused just outside the wall.
"Instructor Dobbs-" Roen called timidly.
The older woman stood up from her seat next to a stretcher, walked over. Her face was lined and her eyes tired. She cleared her throat as the students came to attention.
"Well done, trainees." Instructor Dobbs rubbed a hand across her brow. "Are either of you injured?"
"Not seriously, ma'am." Roen replied.
Biting off the 'no shit' that came to her lips, Eiada nodded.
The Instructor raised an eyebrow. "I think I could have ascertained that myself, Trainee. Are either of you injured in any way?"
"Uh-" Roen blushed. "Yes ma'am." Extending his left arm, he showed her a slash that ran from shoulder to elbow.
"Ah." Pursing her lips, Instructor Dobbs nodded. "Trainee Connolly?"
"Yes ma'am." Eiada gestured to the nick some now-departed Galbadian had opened in her bicep, along with a jagged gash across her right hip.
"I see. Good." Stepping back, she gestured them into the critical area. "Find Trainee Tayler and tell him you will be moving out."
There was a weary chorus of "Yes ma'am." Saluting, Roen and Eiada made their way past their SeeD mentor and into the medical area.
"Oh, and trainees-"
They both skidded to a stop, came to attention.
"Feel free to use potions on your wounds." The words were casual enough, but the tone made them a command.
"Yes ma'am!"
"Hyne, she looked beat." Eiada muttered to Roen as they made their way through the scurrying soldiers and medics to a relatively quiet spot behind some crates.
"Everyone does. I think we're all ready to go home." With a stifled groan, he sat on a crate and pulled a potion out of another. "Here."
Catching it, Eiada broke it open and sprinkled it over her wounds. The powder acted as a high-speed coagulant and general antibacterial and nutrient boost to the wound and the surrounding flesh. The cuts were still there- just clean, healthy, and looking like they had spent a week healing instead of a minute.
Roen cracked the casing on a potion like cracking an egg on the kitchen counter. "D'you think we can get coffee anywhere around here?"
"I wish." Eiada stifled a yawn. "Now that you mention it, I could use some naptime."
"We can sleep on the boat home. Let's find Arin."
"Whatever you say, fearless leader-guy." She dredged up a smile, stood, and they walked back into the melee.
Arin stood chatting casually with some other SeeD candidates, mechanically filling out and distributing- (Hyne and the saints preserve us!) Eiada's heart leapt with the same surge of joy she got when seeing a loved one for the first time in years- paper cups of coffee to the soldiers from a silver dispenser.
"Roen-" she whispered, clutching his elbow. "Do you see that?"
"Yeah," he breathed reverently. "Let's get some."
"Hey, you guys!" Arin waved cheerfully, looking none the worse for wear from the battle and the almost-nonstop healing the rest of the camp seemed to have gone through. "There you are! Are you okay?"
"That kind of enthusiasm should be dragged out in the street and shot," Eiada muttered, walking over with Roen to meet their Squad member.
"We're fine." Roen answered. "Or we will be, as soon as we have some of that coffee."
"Okay." Arin handed them two steaming cups. Eiada laced hers with four sugar packets and guzzled it down, ignoring Roen's disgusted look.
"Yay." she sighed, putting the cup in the trash. "I'm ready to face Instructor Dobbs now."
"Same." Roen agreed. "Arin, she wants to see us if you're free."
Arin spread his hands in a sarcastic gesture of aquiescence.
The three of them marched back to the Instructor, who was sipping a cup of coffee herself.
"Squad D reporting in, ma'am." Roen said in greeting.
"Good, good." The Instructor leaned wearily against a crate. "At ease, trainees."
Eiada slid out of the single most relaxed 'attention' she'd ever stood in and tried to look attentive anyway.
"Good news is, we've cleared the Galbadian forces out of this area and all the way to the hill where the radio tower stands. Having fulfilled its objective, Garden offensive forces will be pulling out shortly. Bad news is, defensive forces will remain to clean up and search out any wounded townsfolk to heal. We're going to be here for awhile, trainees.
"Your secondary assignment, Squad D, is to patrol inside Dollet to the northeast and assist any walking wounded you find there. They can be SeeD, civilians, whatever. Just patrol until you receive the withdraw order. Failing that, report back to the beach at midnight. Understood?"
"Yes ma'am!"
"Good." Instructor Dobbs managed a wan smile. "Get used to pulling double shifts, people. Every healed head is another bonus for Garden. Pick up medical supply kits and AT packs on your way out. Dismissed!"
Eiada blinked, winced as her head began to pound. She was standing on the beach, staring directly into the sun barely touching the waves across the sea. The sounds of fighting had ceased.
(.What time is it?)
Eiada couldn't remember what had happened. She'd been fighting, she knew that- she must have just. lost herself.
She shook her head, trying to find her equilibrium. She knew what had gone on, knew where she was and why she was there. She just couldn't seem to reconcile her brain and her body.
"Eiada!"
She turned away from the sun to see Roen slogging through the sand toward her. Little figures bustled around behind him- the medical area, she remembered. She was distracted by the blurring arms and legs, gestures and motions and lives, all around, all waiting-
(Whoa.) With an effort, she focused back in on Roen. The squad leader looked exhausted, sore and bone-weary. The appropriate medical term, if Eiada remembered correctly was 'like shit'. She began to wave, realized her knives were still in her hands. Confused, she began to sheathe them when she realized they were coated thickly with red blood and greenish ichor. Human and monster.
"Hey," she said when he got close enough. "are you alright?"
"Yeah. Just-" he turned to glance at the medical area. "Tired. You?"
"I'm okay." After fighting for her life, mixing her blood with sand and staining her uniform with the blood of others, it seemed childish to say 'My head hurts,' so she didn't. "We won, right?"
Roen gave her an odd look. "Yeah, the Galbadian ships pulled out about ten minutes ago. Remember? This district of the city's been liberated, but they still have the other half, over behind that hill-" he pointed to a high, rocky hill with a spire of dark metal sticking out of the top. "Our latest intel says they may have been after that radio tower the whole time."
"Oh."
"Come on. Let's go check in." Roen took a few steps forward, then turned when she showed no sign of following, touched her elbow. "Hey-"
"Right." Eiada shook herself, trying to focus. "Okay. Yes. I'm coming."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The medical area had evolved from noisy, frantic chaos to exhausted, determined chaos. The perimeter guard had been stripped down to a few key soldiers standing at weary alert, most soaked in body fluids and nursing wounds of their own. The remainder were occupied packing medical supplies, stacking crates on dollys to roll into the awaiting scout ships, and getting their injuries treated. Every few minutes a wounded soldier would pull away from the perimeter to be replaced with a newly-mended one. SeeD was closing up shop.
"Excuse me." Roen stopped a distracted-looking Dollet doctor. "Have you seen Merina Dobbs? She's a SeeD."
"Oh, yes-" the man pointed. "She's over there, with the critical cases."
Roen thanked him and double-timed it over to the intensive care unit, Eiada pulling up her weary legs and forcing them to follow. The unit was separated from the confusion and chaos of the evacuation proceedings by a low wall of crates that was slowly being demolished. The two SeeD candidates paused just outside the wall.
"Instructor Dobbs-" Roen called timidly.
The older woman stood up from her seat next to a stretcher, walked over. Her face was lined and her eyes tired. She cleared her throat as the students came to attention.
"Well done, trainees." Instructor Dobbs rubbed a hand across her brow. "Are either of you injured?"
"Not seriously, ma'am." Roen replied.
Biting off the 'no shit' that came to her lips, Eiada nodded.
The Instructor raised an eyebrow. "I think I could have ascertained that myself, Trainee. Are either of you injured in any way?"
"Uh-" Roen blushed. "Yes ma'am." Extending his left arm, he showed her a slash that ran from shoulder to elbow.
"Ah." Pursing her lips, Instructor Dobbs nodded. "Trainee Connolly?"
"Yes ma'am." Eiada gestured to the nick some now-departed Galbadian had opened in her bicep, along with a jagged gash across her right hip.
"I see. Good." Stepping back, she gestured them into the critical area. "Find Trainee Tayler and tell him you will be moving out."
There was a weary chorus of "Yes ma'am." Saluting, Roen and Eiada made their way past their SeeD mentor and into the medical area.
"Oh, and trainees-"
They both skidded to a stop, came to attention.
"Feel free to use potions on your wounds." The words were casual enough, but the tone made them a command.
"Yes ma'am!"
"Hyne, she looked beat." Eiada muttered to Roen as they made their way through the scurrying soldiers and medics to a relatively quiet spot behind some crates.
"Everyone does. I think we're all ready to go home." With a stifled groan, he sat on a crate and pulled a potion out of another. "Here."
Catching it, Eiada broke it open and sprinkled it over her wounds. The powder acted as a high-speed coagulant and general antibacterial and nutrient boost to the wound and the surrounding flesh. The cuts were still there- just clean, healthy, and looking like they had spent a week healing instead of a minute.
Roen cracked the casing on a potion like cracking an egg on the kitchen counter. "D'you think we can get coffee anywhere around here?"
"I wish." Eiada stifled a yawn. "Now that you mention it, I could use some naptime."
"We can sleep on the boat home. Let's find Arin."
"Whatever you say, fearless leader-guy." She dredged up a smile, stood, and they walked back into the melee.
Arin stood chatting casually with some other SeeD candidates, mechanically filling out and distributing- (Hyne and the saints preserve us!) Eiada's heart leapt with the same surge of joy she got when seeing a loved one for the first time in years- paper cups of coffee to the soldiers from a silver dispenser.
"Roen-" she whispered, clutching his elbow. "Do you see that?"
"Yeah," he breathed reverently. "Let's get some."
"Hey, you guys!" Arin waved cheerfully, looking none the worse for wear from the battle and the almost-nonstop healing the rest of the camp seemed to have gone through. "There you are! Are you okay?"
"That kind of enthusiasm should be dragged out in the street and shot," Eiada muttered, walking over with Roen to meet their Squad member.
"We're fine." Roen answered. "Or we will be, as soon as we have some of that coffee."
"Okay." Arin handed them two steaming cups. Eiada laced hers with four sugar packets and guzzled it down, ignoring Roen's disgusted look.
"Yay." she sighed, putting the cup in the trash. "I'm ready to face Instructor Dobbs now."
"Same." Roen agreed. "Arin, she wants to see us if you're free."
Arin spread his hands in a sarcastic gesture of aquiescence.
The three of them marched back to the Instructor, who was sipping a cup of coffee herself.
"Squad D reporting in, ma'am." Roen said in greeting.
"Good, good." The Instructor leaned wearily against a crate. "At ease, trainees."
Eiada slid out of the single most relaxed 'attention' she'd ever stood in and tried to look attentive anyway.
"Good news is, we've cleared the Galbadian forces out of this area and all the way to the hill where the radio tower stands. Having fulfilled its objective, Garden offensive forces will be pulling out shortly. Bad news is, defensive forces will remain to clean up and search out any wounded townsfolk to heal. We're going to be here for awhile, trainees.
"Your secondary assignment, Squad D, is to patrol inside Dollet to the northeast and assist any walking wounded you find there. They can be SeeD, civilians, whatever. Just patrol until you receive the withdraw order. Failing that, report back to the beach at midnight. Understood?"
"Yes ma'am!"
"Good." Instructor Dobbs managed a wan smile. "Get used to pulling double shifts, people. Every healed head is another bonus for Garden. Pick up medical supply kits and AT packs on your way out. Dismissed!"