CHAPTER XXXIV
At least half the task is ready, the woman said to herself while she continued to check and sign every report issued that day. Given she was the one in charge of the group, her approval was also required to state these men and women were in good conditions for the mission that'd finally take place within four days, the same everyone in the city was so looking forward to, for now most people supported the Survey Corps and had high hopes in them. How rare… she thought, right before a knock on the door interrupted her train of thought.
"Come in" she said without raising her head to see who it was, focused in reviewing the penultimate report from the considerable pile she'd had two hours ago.
"Sorry to interrupt you, Gris" it was Elia's voice, who opened and poked her head round it to make sure she was alone "Jane told me you needed to see me" her protégé came inside and took the seat in front of her.
"That's correct, dear" the older nurse replied, placing the file on the desk. She then got up and went for a glass of water and offered one to Elia, but she politely declined it "As you well know, we had to run the physical examinations for the entire Scouting Legion today..." she began to say, getting a single nod coming from the healer.
"How did everything go?" she asked as she tried to conceal the disappointment in her eyes, but Griselda saw right through her. She's still a bit down for missing it, the older woman thought, recalling she'd entrusted her duties at the hospital for the day to her.
"In general, great" the lady responded with a half-smile "Notwithstanding our knowledge about the number of officers, fifteen minutes with each is not enough. Therefore, Commander Erwin and I agreed to continue tomorrow to do this properly" she shared and recognized her protégé's excited gaze "So, I wanted you to join me and the group tomorrow".
"What about the hospital?" she was thrilled but also worried; she'd been unable to go with her because the person supposed to be in charge got sick at the last minute, and the other senior nurse was out of town.
"My other colleague came back this evening, so she'll cover me here".
"That's great! Of course, you can count me in" Elia exclaimed, and then looked down, a little embarrassed "Sorry. It's just..."
"Don't worry, dear" she assured as she walked back to her desk, saving her from the explanation "I may not share your enthusiasm, but I respect it. I know they mean a lot to you" Elia met her eyes and finally smiled, grateful for this "By the way, I forgot to thank you for giving me a hand here".
"Anytime, Gris" the healer replied in earnest.
She'd done right to trust her with her work; disappointed and all, Elia was incredibly committed and reliable.
"Excellent" she gave away a smile of satisfaction before getting onto the last file "I'm counting tomorrow will go smoother, and quieter".
"Why is that? Did something happen?" Elia enquired, curious and a little worried, fearing Levi had something to do with it yet she doubted it; it's the first thing her friend would have complaint about.
"Working with the youngest groups wasn't easy" explained the woman as she rubbed her temples and sighed "Both recently graduated cadets and young experienced soldiers are exhausting to deal with, boys specially" she snorted "I forgot how childish some people can be at that age, and the silly jokes they play on the others… can you believe I wasted fifteen minutes trying to calm down one that'd been told he was going to get injected?!"
"I do, but the truth is they are young. We just don't think too often about it because of the things they face" Elia commented, half-lowering her head. Still, Griselda got to see her thoughtful expression; she seemed to be recalling on something, which she confirmed when she saw a wistful smile once she looked back up "However, I'm sure you got to work with a couple others mature enough, right?" the healer added, thinking about one of his subordinates, the red-haired lad that was quite the gentleman. Levi's squad, or his kids, as she liked to consider, surely behaved well that day; it was that or having to deal with the embodiment of strictness later.
"Fortunately, yes" Griselda agreed and covered her mouth, unable to suppress a yawn.
"How long 'til you go home? I can stay and help" she offered, looking at her slightly worried.
"I'm alright, dear" the older nurse assured and signed the last report, closing it to stare back at her protégé "I just need to recheck the list of officers that are ready and that's all for today" she wasn't going to say she needed to organize the groups left. In any case, it wouldn't take her longer than half an hour.
"Okay. I'll stop distracting you then" she said and stood up "What time should I arrive in here?"
"Around 06:30, please. Examination starts at 8AM but getting everything ready takes some time" Elia nodded and headed to the door, unaware that the cheerful smile on her face called her attention. It's always like that when she knows she'll see him, she thought, remembering all troops were stationed inside the city now.
"Go home soon and have a good rest, Gris" was the last thing Elia advised, to what she responded with a wink.
I wish your happiness could last for much longer, dear child, she said to her on the inside as soon as she watched her disappear behind the door.
Despite never mentioning anything about it, it was undeniable that the spark of joy she'd been seeing in her eyes over the past months was because of her romance, one that had also help Elia truly heal the pain of being left alone in the world. You helped too, Gris, her voice in her head said to her, and she knew that wasn't a lie but still, a much deeper kind of connection was different and more effective, because her protégé was the type of person that poured all her love on the people and things that mattered to her, or as her late husband would say, she surrendered her soul completely. And she was glad the feeling is mutual;no mere adventure or one-sided affection could make someone this strong, she was certain. Even when she hadn't spoken about him at all, well, at least not referring to their relationship, but Commander Erwin evidently made her happy and that'd only increased her admiration for him. Besides, it actually made sense for them to keep it from everyone; being both discreet folks, they probably didn't want to feel society's pressure, even less with what was coming his way.
The lady signed the last document and filed them alphabetically inside a container, the same that would be delivered to the corresponding authorities once all officers got their clearance. As she finally moved to organizing the four lists, from 1 to 4, to split the work among two colleagues, Elia and herself, an idea crossed her mind, but to carry that out, sacrifices were necessary. Griselda chewed on her pencil and pursed her lips before letting an exasperated sigh out, annoyed and resigned. She grabbed the list she'd be responsible for and added the name of that unpleasant excuse for a human. There was no other way if she took into account the Commander's request: to put him, Officer Hange Zoe, Officer Dirk and that man to be part of the last four to have their medical at 4PM, once their meetings concluded.
At first and since the girl showed no aversion for the man but mere respect, she logically put him in Elia's list, but if she wanted to grant her some extra time with the man she cared for and who might never see again, she had no choice; entrusting that individual to any of the other nurses was out of question. Most of Trost citizens may now idolized him, yet that wasn't the case with her colleagues. She was positive he wouldn't let them do their job, ordering them to simply approve his papers and leave him be, which was unacceptable; whether she liked him or not, that horrible man was important and a good soldier, if not the best, so they had to make sure he was indeed, healthy.
Ack, whatever... although she was still conflicted about this, Griselda went on with it. It wasn't that bad when she just loathed, not feared him.
"Puny Nile just couldn't believe we're leaving at sunset… either that or the stodgy expression was him constipated" he commented as they went upstairs now that they'd arrived at HQ, after the last meeting of that day inside MP's premises. The three still had twenty minutes, so Erwin decided to make a brief stop.
"You always assume people has digestive issues, Levi" Hange chuckled "Maybe it's you the one with a problem, huh?"
"Tch" the man exclaimed and brush-off the observation to continue "Gotta admit going there wasn't a total waste of time; it was amusing to hear him accuse you of having lost your sanity along with the arm" he looked around and noticed the building was quieter than hours ago "Just when you think someone cannot get any more stupid… Honestly Erwin, he brags about knowing you for years and yet refuses to see that you don't gamble unless you have an ace up your sleeve".
"I'm afraid Nile's mind is just not ready to go further, Levi. Not for now" his friend conveyed, showing his usual deference and excessive consideration.
"To accept risking their lives based on theories, let's say is just hard for people like him" Hange remarked, shrugging "Being narrowminded is not a crime, only a misfortune. And the fact that the idea comes from a fifteen-year-old soldier doesn't help".
"Intelligence and wisdom are not things that always come with age" the Commander said the instant he turned the key and opened the door to his office.
"Or doesn't come at all" Levi pointed out, leaving his things on his friend's desk, next to Hange's "I've known too many shitheads to believe everyone learns something".
"Arlert was born with a privileged mind and has been a great asset to our ranks" the brunette stated with a smile full of excitement, but it soon turned into a pout "Although it's not fun when he gets ahead and voice an idea I just had" Hange complained, pulling her hair as she pretended to cry, acting like the lunatic she was.
"I consider myself very fortunate to work with several talented people, each in their own field" his friend expressed, thinking about Eren and company, as well as his two friends there and other comrades "I'm positive none of us is as smart and strong as all of us together".
"Absolutely" Hange agreed as they both watched the blonde placing his journal and notes inside his library, separately.
"We should be heading to the east wing. I hate being late" Levi caught their attention after checking the time at the clock on the wall behind his friend "I want it to be over already".
That was true but the impatience wasn't for himself; he couldn't care less about it. What he wanted was for Erwin to go through this and be told by medical staff that he wasn't allowed to go on a mission. The idiot had tried playing down on his situation, but the slowness and limited movements hadn't gone unnoticed; perhaps if he'd trained for years and made sure the lack of a limb was no longer a problem, but little over three months wasn't enough, so this instance was the best chance stop him from leaving Trost.
As they headed out of his office, Erwin glanced at him, giving the impression that he could read what was going through his mind at that moment. At least, the tired sigh he let out said so.
"What list were you on?" the Commander asked as he recalled seeing his name at the bottom of the fourth "1 and 2 were instructed to go to the basement, whereas 3 and 4 to the first floor".
"Levi was on 3, but my name was on 2, so I better run 'cause I need to pee first" Hange replied, stepping outside before his friend could "I'll be seeing you two later" the brunette waved goodbye to both and rushed in the opposite direction to where they were supposed to go.
As soon as she turned in the nearest corner, the soldier and the Commander got on their way to the designated area for this procedure. It'd have been crazy to have all the Corps at the hospital for this, especially if they didn't want to risk getting sick.
"You made a good call when you informed Trost was our starting point" Levi suddenly said, thinking about the latest strategy discussed during the recent meeting "We'd have wasted a lot of time had we departed from Karanese, not to mention exhausting the horses unnecessarily".
"It made sense if we want to take advantage on the protection darkness provides us with" the blond commented as they reached the right floor.
"Guess we won't be making stops then" Levi said, estimating the hours that'd take them to get there "We could cover some miles by going on foot".
"Thought so too. It's a good idea but only possible while we're not in the open" taking his hand to his chin, Erwin calculated the risks before making a decision "However, we'll still need a small break once we reach 70% of the trip".
"A short one, I suppose" Levi said, "Enough for all to take a shit before engaging the battle".
"Half an hour tops" the Commander specified, adopting a stern, solemn expression now that he thought about the lives they'd lose; after all, it'd be the last moment of peace many will have for the last time. And judging by the frown on Levi's face, the soldier saw right through him but merely stared at him somewhat mad.
Neither said another word on the matter after that. And the instant they arrived their destination, the men took a seat on the chairs that had been placed in front of two different doors, with their respective lists pinned to the wall next to them. Three minutes later, Hange's voice distracted his rumination and made him turn.
"The basement is downstairs, you know?"
"Is it?" she replied with the same sarcasm but winked at Erwin.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Levi asked.
"I'm afraid the one in charge of my group had to leave around an hour ago, so I was told to come up here. The lady that's going to examine you oversees the whole group, so she'll see me as well" the brunette explained and moved to go stand to his right, leaning her back against the wall to wait.
"How annoying…" he mumbled, ignoring the slight punch in his shoulder at the comment. Immediately after and crossing his arms, he lowered his head and shut his eyelids to wait the couple minutes left.
Nonetheless, Levi got distracted when he heard the swing of the door to his right, the one in front of Erwin as it slowly opened. Without thinking, and out of the corner of his eye, he looked.
"Thanks again, Miss" seeing Marlene making her way out and turning to bend in gratitude wasn't rare. The problem was the unmistakable voice he heard in response to that, one he'd hadn't expect to find there.
"Thank you, officer" as soon as she said that, Hange pretty much jumped in elation when she realized it was Elia, for which he was glad about, or else, the stupefaction in his own face might have betray him; the dilated pupils were surely more than enough.
Fuck! he cursed, refraining himself from getting closer, as he deep down wanted to.
He figured he'd have known about this had he just went to see her last night, but after being done with the mission's logistic past 2AM in an attempt to ease Erwin's workload, he opted to wait until tonight. Levi knew she didn't mind if he arrived that late, but training started at 5AM so he also imagined what she'd have said about having a proper rest.
The soldier discreetly watched until Marlene was out of sight and the healer turned to greet his friends. It was then Erwin stood up and tilted his head respectfully at her, and got a similar salutation from her part. A rather common exchange, one that wouldn't have bothered him until he noted a stupid smile, of both surprise and true satisfaction, showing up in his face and that felt like acid inside his guts.
"It's been a while, Miss Stoltz" he heard him say, getting a smile back; a polite, kind gesture that was natural in her. Sadly, that didn't placate the agitation, nor the pit growing in his stomach "I never imagined I'd have the pleasure of your presence here today".
Erwin, you piece of shit! The soldier growled on the inside, gritting his teeth, and all of a sudden, it was like reliving those days he used to wait outside his friend's room while she tended his wounds and all he wanted was to go interrupt whatever happened in there. It was bad then, when he hadn't allowed himself to have the woman, and now that things were different, the anxiety was worse. Even when it was clear nothing happened between them, he couldn't help the fury at his delight to see her and being able to talk to her this freely. Why couldn't he do that? Why was he the one that should stay away when she was his? He wondered as he concentrated on breathing to calm his spirits, which was easier thanks to Hange, who'd joined them without an invitation. You're doing this for her, moron. To keep her safe… his inner voice answered, helping him manage to quiet his thoughts, stopping his desire to send everything straight to hell and go grab her hand to take her anywhere else.
"How have you been, Commander?" the healer enquired with courtesy and then smiled warmly at the brunette, that just took her hands in hers to greet her, brimming with energy "Squad Leader".
"Hey, I told you you can call me Hange!" she complaint, getting an apologetic nod in return.
Levi sighed, aware that she couldn't offer any gesture to him, not when he hadn't moved an inch from his seat. Besides, Erwin was incredibly sharp and already suspected something, he was sure of it. As for Hange, considering how curt he'd been to Elia at the orphanage, treating her differently would seem strange now.
Right in the middle of his musings, the door near him opened and the distraction deprived him from hearing what they were saying. Captain Locke was just leaving, but it was the person walking after him who got his attention, for that was also someone he didn't expect to see that day, let alone be examined by her. This shit gets worse and worse, he hissed when he met those dark bug-eyes that, despite concealing it, hated the sight of him.
"Captain Levi..." the woman began to say, and he got on his feet, but before he could speak, his friend's voice aroused her interest.
The soldier followed her gaze and saw Elia saying something to Hange though Erwin's eyes were on her, with a pesky, enigmatic grin in his face. Hoping the worst was over and determined to ignore it, he returned to the older lady a few steps away, but his countenance darkened considerably in view of the evident pleasure to see them together, unconsciously reminding him of that morning he heard her telling Elia how perfect Erwin and her idiotic friend were.
"Levi" he wondered if his friend somehow perceived his rage or maybe the vein throbbing in his throat. Whichever was the case, he refused to look at him "Hey, Levi" he insisted, and so did he.
"The Commander is addressing you, Captain" the old nurse finally turned to him, serious but respectful. Apparently, she'd practiced how to disguise her disgust of him "We should take a look to your sense of hearing later, sir".
"My ears are fine. I just feel like ignoring him" the soldier said with narrowed eyes in a monotonous voice that got her perplex for a couple seconds.
Griselda had noticed the close friendship between the Captain and the two officers talking to Elia, so she wasn't understanding his behavior. Guess the bad mood is for having to go through this with me, of all people, she concluded.
"As you wish, sir" she replied, remaining neutral and deciding to be the mature one today "We still have three minutes before our appointment so, whenever you're ready" she offered with a polite nod and went back inside.
The soldier took a deep breath and then exhaled in exasperation before finally giving in and turning to face Erwin, who'd called him once again. If this is just to make me go say hi, I swear…! he expressed hostility with his eyes but the instant he did, it vanished when he realized he was alone. Elia surely was waiting for him, just like the other nurse, although it seemed Hange was inside the room with her; her babbling wasn't hard to distinct.
"Please, Levi, don't forget this is important" the blond reminded, begging him to behave and avoid a confrontation "I'll see you later" he said as he observed the brunette coming out, before giving a nod their way and closed the door behind him.
As if I had other options, he grunted and pinched his nose in defeat, trying not to overthink. The one thing that helped his friend redeeming himself was the fact that his surprise to see her there had been genuine, so he clearly hadn't organized this crap.
Tired and discouraged, he approached the chair he'd sat before, where the brunette was now waiting patiently.
"Oi, Hange, get up" he uttered.
"Why?" the brunette whined "I'm won't be standing here until it's my turn, Levi" she added with a hard shake of the head.
"That's not what I was gonna ask you, moron" he cleared up, gesturing towards the door he was going to knock "You'll be next, so get in there with me".
"Uh? Why would I do that?" Hange tilted her head in confusion but then her foolish expression changed to that wiseass he often wanted to kick "Is this for moral support?" she asked, glancing sideways "Never pictured you as the antsy kind over doctors and stuff, Levi".
"Even with those fours eyes in that big head, you're one blind dork" he riposted before giving in and explaining things to her "It's the same nurse from the orphanage. And frankly, I can't stand the idea of five minutes alone in there with her".
"Oooh, I get it!" he saw her scratching her neck, weighing things. Until she shrugged innocently, and the silly grin ensured, she was willing to help "Alright. No problem for me, but let's hope she doesn't object".
"She won't but I'll do the talking" he indicated as he finally called on that door and entered.
"Good afternoon, Captain" the woman greeted him formally. However, he could tell she was puzzled to see someone else coming in after him "Umm, how can I help you, Officer?" she spoke directly to Hange.
"This..." she started saying with an apologetic smile, not truly knowing how to explain her presence there "Urr…"
"She was reassigned to your list" the soldier intervened. After all, she was the one doing him a favor "Hange was told downstairs to come here..."
"Oh, I see, I see" she nodded rapidly and then smiled warmly at her "Indeed, I'll be the one running your medical, but I first need to work with Captain Levi".
"I don't mind her waiting in here" he said, nonchalantly. As the patient, he wasn't breaking any rules.
"I strongly advise you against it, sir" he disliked the older woman's tone, just as she disapproved his hard-driving attitude "For starters, you'll have to remove most of your clothes so I can examine you" she explained.
"I'm fine with that" Levi stated, shrugging off her suggestion "We've seen each other naked countless times".
"Oh" Griselda said, and by the look she gave to Hange, it was easy to gather she misunderstood his words, but he honestly couldn't care less.
"No, no, ma'am" this time, it was the brunette the one who finally interjected, waving both hands in front of herself frantically, telling her to hold her thought right there "He just means in our line of work it's hard to keep such privacy when we're on mission, specially out in the field" she clarified with a stupid, hesitant smile, making him roll his eyes in exasperation.
"I get it, Officer, don't worry" the lady spoke in a much friendlier tone to his comrade, then turned to him and adopted a stoic face, although she wasn't happy to see nothing would change his mind "Alright, sir. It's your choice" she said and offered Hange a seat next to the window.
His comrade walked there and turned the chair so she could stare outside, with her back to them, granting Levi some space. The request he made had surprised her, yet she could see why he did it; the lady, despite her professionalism, truly disliked him.
"Right. Well, I'm Mrs. Green" the older nurse introduced herself after taking a file in her hands, one that had been on top of the small desk in the corner opposite to Hange "Today, I'll be in charge of your physical, therefore, I'd like to kindly ask you to cooperate..."
"...so it doesn't take longer than necessary" he interrupted and finished her sentence in his own way "I enjoy your presence just as much as you enjoy mine, so let's skip formalities and get on with this ASAP, shall we?" his jutting chin and the defiance in the way he folded his arms told her he wasn't joking.
Griselda didn't say anything at first, but merely looked at him with a bit of curiosity; that had been tremendously rude though it didn't shock her, not coming from him.
"Very well, Captain" keeping a steady eye contact, the older woman nodded affirmatively, accepting an unspoken temporary truce between them "I need you to remove all your garments, excepting your underwear, please" she instructed, writing something down in his file "I'll check your weight first" this time, she pointed to the mechanical beam scale beside the desk "Then your pressure, breathing, reflexes, senses, and we'll finish with a couple of routine questions".
Keeping his usual poker face, Levi proceeded as told, wanting it to be over soon, especially now that he realized Erwin would have to do the same in the other room. It was killing him, but his rational side kept reminding him, this was a health examination, so he better drop it or he'd go mad and ruin everything. Which he managed to do during the first sixteen minutes, obeying in silence to the lady's instructions, who continued to write things in his file while his friend paid no attention to them, but his patience ran thin when he suddenly heard Erwin's laughter coming through the wall; a guffaw that was making his blood boil. Stay right there, his inner self warned when he'd been seconds away of getting up. He wasn't having any fun with all this, so his pleasure made no sense. What the fuck is he doing? he wondered, keeping his rage at bay because if he went there, he'd see Elia's disappointment, not anger, which he didn't want, not when these may be their last couple days together. Yeah, besides you don't hear her laughing, you idiot, his voice pointed out, helping him quiet his spirits. Unfortunately, he heard his friend for a second time and, to corroborate that he wasn't losing it, he scanned his surroundings, noting happiness in the lady's face as she putted that handheld diagnostic device called spirometer back inside a wooden box.
"Seems the Commander is in a good mood today" Griselda said without realizing it, until she heard a snort coming from where her patient awaited on the examining table "I'm sorry, I think I said that out loud".
Had she stared his way instead of the last piece of the machinery, she'd have noticed the raw fury in his gaze, for he was starting to take this personal, even when the lady had no clue about his relationship with her protégé.
"It's okay, Mrs. Green" the female officer interjected, without turning yet her reflection in the glass was looking at her "Is good to know he remembers to have some fun. It's been a while since the last time I heard him laughing this carefree".
Given they were focused on each other, both women were oblivious to the way he gripped the edge of the furnishing he seated on, or the murderous glower he was giving to the door to his right, the same he wanted to knock down and go punch the blond; if he was right and Erwin suspected them, there was no doubt he was enjoying this torture on him.
"Are we done here so you can go on about Erwin?" he said in an apathetic tone, trying to feign his absolute indifference towards everything in spite of his vexation "I want my clothes back on".
"My apologies, sir" Griselda responded, a little ashamed for the slip "You may get dressed but we still need to cover a few questions. You may go after that" Levi raised one of his eyebrows at her, showing mistrust and reluctance.
"Fine. Go ahead and shoot then" as he got dressed, he also peeped at the clock on the wall behind her, thinking this past half-hour had been one of the longest, most tedious ever.
"How old are you?" the woman commenced, careful not to beat around the bush with this man, not when she'd still have to deal with that awful temper of his.
"Thirty-two" he replied, keeping the icy demeanor, yet slightly more relaxed now that there was silence.
"Do you have siblings? If so, how many?" she asked as she kept on writing "Do any of them or your parents have any unusual illnesses?" Griselda eyes were completely focused on the file, reason why she missed the subtle bewilderment in his eyes at this.
"No other family than my mother" the soldier answered in all earnest; the pig who impregnated her maybe had kids or not. No clue and he didn't care anyways "She got sick and died when I was four" his reply was rather dry, although the older woman read between the lines; he wasn't going to share anything else.
"I'm sorry, sir" she muttered, and for the first time, Levi sensed something different to her despise towards him.
At first, he thought it was pity and that maddened him, but then he recalled the day Elia told him this lady's story, how she lost both her son and husband, which is why she comprehended what was like to be left alone in the world, like her. So, he simply nodded in acceptance of her condolences, and she decided to continue.
"Now, how would you describe your hygiene habits on a regular day?"
"The normal" he glanced in her direction, at ease with this kind of question "A cold shower after waking up, then brush my teeth, which I repeat after meals and one last before bedtime..." he leant back on the thin mattress and looked up, trying to remember all. It was odd since they were things he did without giving much thought "And I wash my hands before and after eating. That's about it".
The nurse nodded, yet right before she could write anything down, both turned to the space near the window where someone chortled.
"What's so funny, Hange?" there was no doubt the man was rebuking his colleague, but the goofy grin from her told Griselda enough about their relationship; they may not be a couple, but they were close.
"Come on, Levi. That answer is clear as mud and doesn't cover your obsessions" the brunette said, throwing her head back, in amusement. She smirked right before getting really serious and turned to her "Aside from all what he said, truth is he's one absolute clean freak. He left out the baths after every single training session, even when he's only supervising and hasn't sweat at all but either way, he'll go wash at the thought of grime. He won't consider putting back the clothes he'd been wearing 'cause that's like throwing filth on himself, which is insane!" she exclaimed dramatically "And I could write an essay on how obsessed he is on having places spotless… I'm positive he'd be hunting dirt and germs if we didn't have a bigger plague to deal with" she made a stop and her expression told she was pondering something "Besides that, he's constantly harassing us to do the same".
"I wouldn't bother if you all had the decency of not letting others smell your stench" he retorted, not minding all she'd said.
"Well, I was just explaining why your appreciation of normal doesn't fit with mine" she shrugged, and he shook his head, exasperated.
"Though it's a bit unusual, I'd say it'd be nicer and safer if most people were that concerned about hygiene as well as their surroundings" Griselda decided to step in, and she could tell he was surprised for her stance on the matter, given their mutual dislike. "Of course, going too far is not good and it could lead to a skin condition or disorder, out of a dehydration or worse. Therefore, one bath per day should be enough, unless extremely needed".
"Noted" he said, folding his arms and apparently, not quite prone to follow her counsel "What else do you need to know?" he asked, tapping his arm with his fingers, impatient to leave.
"Do you suffer from any allergies?" she moved on, not caring whatever he did; she'd complied with her job by sharing the information.
"No"
Griselda continued to ask several other things about his health record, including his digestion, which he answered mechanically, not even flinching as many other officers did, embarrassed to discuss it. No, she noticed he didn't care, and that lead her to believe he might not mind the following and last topic. Nevertheless, in clear view of his eagerness to leave, she decided to save the last question of that section for last.
"Now, sir… Have you been having intercourse in the last couple weeks?" the nurse asked, remaining stoic. However, she got startled by the loud crash behind her.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" the brunette, who'd fell off the chair, apologized while trying to pick herself up, though she managed to see her purposely hiding her face from him.
"What do you mean?" Griselda turned back to the soldier. He'd seem bemused before, but his colleague's recent mishap had made him wary. And the ill-concealed giggle was no help.
"If you have been having sexual relations in the past weeks, sir" she insisted in case he were eluding this.
Okay, that wasn't fake. He honestly hadn't understood her previous words, for now she was really getting to see a reaction from him. It was actually hard to believe such question would have him showing so many emotions at once; bored and pissed were the ones she got used to since meeting him. And now, she witnessed surprise, bafflement, shock, ire, discomfort, uneasiness, annoyance, and resistance, all in less than a minute. Perhaps he'd never... she mused, imagining this was plain timidity, considering he was avoiding at all costs to stare at the window now.
"You're shitting me, aren't you?" he said, infuriated by her lack of fear to his murderous, squinted, blue eyes "Why the hell is that relevant to you?" he growled as he stood up, not moving an inch further but still ready to leave.
"Pardon me, Captain but I wasn't joking. This is relevant because it's precisely your entire organism what I'm analyzing so, I'm afraid I must insist" she was trying not to sound irritated, but it wasn't easy with those lowered eyebrows, expressing how unwilling to collaborate he was "I don't mean to meddle in your affairs, much less your privacy. I'm just doing my job, sir" she emphasized, and decided to hand him the sheet she'd been filling.
"What's that?" the frustrated look on his face suggested he was having an internal fight as to whether leave or stay.
"As you can see here…" he barely glanced to the file and did not take it, so she respectfully held it in front of his eyes and pointed to the corresponding section with her pencil "…all the questions were determined by the doctor, for every adult officer. It's not personal; I'll eventually ask the same to your partner here" this time, he took a brief look at the brunette.
"Oh, I don't mind answering that ma'am" at the mention of her, Hange couldn't help but turn her head to a side and intervene. They didn't know but she'd been biting her tongue not to laugh and make Levi go berserk "I've had it for the past two years. Although, I wonder if it does qualify as intercourse when there's not precisely penetration all the time, yet still having an orga…"
"Argh, shut your hole!" the man cut her off. It was hard to tell if the flush spreading over his features was out of mortification or outrage; his eyes looking daggers at her suggested the last "I won't listen to whatever shit you and Moblit do" Yes. He was mad.
"Hey, you don't have to get so cranky" she snapped back, pretending to be offended "I was sharing that to show you it's no big deal".
"Don't care" he barked and looked away, to the door with a deadpan face "Your sex life is one of the many things I have no interest whatsoever".
Griselda observed the interaction in silence until two minutes passed and decided to try again but it wasn't easy; with any other people, a good laugh would have contributed to relax the patient, but with him, better not daring.
"Sir, please do take a sit and answer the question" she addressed him and got an angry glare before giving up and obeying. The other officer simply turned.
"Tch!" he exclaimed, averting his eyes, and then grunted in resignation. She saw him looking sideways at his colleague and knew right then how much he regretted his decision. But a proud, merciless man like him most definitely would never admit it.
"Captain?" she pressed.
"Yes. The answer is yes, goddamn!" the soldier said quite grudgingly.
"Right… Umm, when was the last time?" Despite she truly didn't care, the nurse couldn't help enjoying a little the mental pain this caused on him, for his face was as red as a tomato now. But no matter how threatening his eyes were, she didn't falter.
"A week ago," he answered through clenched teeth. All troops had returned to Trost the night prior to the check-ups, but Elia's time of the month had just started two days before that.
The older woman nodded and by the way she cleared her throat and peeked on him, he gathered this torture wasn't over yet.
"Tell me, sir, are you monogamous?" she inquired as she wrote something down, not noticing the puzzled look towards her. Why the fuck the fancy words? Is she even talking about sex now? he wondered, not in the mood to ask.
"Ahem..." the sound came from the window "What do you say to that, Levi? Are you only seeing one person currently?" she said in a farcical tone, not turning her face but he got to see the mischievous smirk in her reflection.
He snorted and cast his eyes aside, which pretty much confirmed Hange's hunch about his limited vocabulary; albeit he knew many things and words, including thousands of insults, it wasn't the same when talking about a matter of this kind, because that had never interested him. Or so she thought.
The soldier on another hand was thankful for the help but he would never say it; that'd give her a chance to discuss this, and just to imagine the hell he'd have to suffer once no third parties were around, was enough already.
"I'm no pig" he hissed and closed his eyes, running out of patience within each second. Hell, he wanted to get out of there, but doing so meant failing and he hated the idea of yielding to this woman.
"I'd appreciate you don't put words I have not said in my mouth, sir" the lady warned, raising an eyebrow to let him know she was still waiting for a proper response, and that only exasperated him more.
"Just one" Levi muttered acidly as he held her stupid gaze with defiance, the same she ignored by simply nodding while taking notes. And we fuck hard, long, and shamelessly, he added in his head, saving that for himself, though he'd have enjoyed shouting that at her, because she'd never picture scum like him with somebody like Elia.
Is he making that up or does that person really exists? Griselda deep down wondered. With him it wasn't regular secrecy; the man guarded both his life and emotions so meticulously that she couldn't tell for sure. But in case it was no lie, she asked herself what sort of woman could possibly like this brute, insensitive subject. A prostitute, perhaps… she contemplated.
"And do you practice oral sex?" she continued, avoiding casting her eyes away from her notes.
"Next question" that was exactly like hearing I'm not answering that.
"Alright…" she peeped and the indignation in him told her to take that as a yes anyways.
Fortunately, only two more questions and that'd be it. Problem was the next was the worst yet highly important, especially if her surmise was right; the fact that he could be seeing exclusively one harlot didn't mean she had no other clients.
"Have you ever suffered from a sexually transmitted disease, sir?"
"No" the surly officer retorted after a very awkward silence in which he looked askance at her, and then dedicated a menacing glare to his comrade, who hadn't move but she noted her face in the glass seemed to be staring at him. And she was definitely smiling.
"Now, Captain…" Griselda stepped in, taking a deep breath to finish the questionnaire soon "Have you ever been unable to have sex?" she posed the question rapidly.
"What kind of moronic question is that?" he crossed his arms and frowned; his severe blue eyes full of mistrust "It's obvious we don't when she's with her period" as soon as he said that, she heard his comrade chuckle. She'd comprehended perfectly, but the soldier's throbbing veins in his neck and clenched fists were a clear sign that he'd ran out of patience.
"My apologies, sir. Wrong choice of words" she attempted to distract him, and it seemed to work when she smiled apologetically "Ur, what I tried to say was, if you've suffered from sexual impotence while being with your partner?" she said and quickly added "Losing an erection I mean".
"Fuck this and fu...!" the impetuous way he got up manifested how livid he was, though he never finished the sentence because the other officer somehow materialized in between them and tried to cover his mouth with her hands. Scowling, he grabbed her right wrist to stop that, which she deliberately overlooked, turning to her with a mortified expression.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Green" the brunette apologized, laughing nervously. She kind of shrieked when her comrade brusquely let go of her to head out "Err… could you please move on to any other question?"
"I'm afraid I can't. As I said, these were instructed by the doctor, and they're important. This, for example, may tell us if the Captain suffers or will suffer from any heart disease, if his blood vessels might clogged at some point, or his blood pressure is high... among other possibilities" she clarified with professionalism and that made him stop, right when he'd put his hand around the handle, with his back to them.
Despite his awful overreaction, she got surprised to see her explanation had partly worked, although it hadn't calmed the disturbance inside him.
"I haven't" he spat and unlocked the door but stood still and silence for a whole minute "You may come up with whatever shitty answer you want if you have more to ask. I'm outta here" he declared, opening it.
"But sir, I..." Griselda stuttered, two seconds before he disappeared.
Her shoulders slumped in dejection for failing. She'd mentally prepared herself to be on her best behavior and not let her feelings cloud her judgement, not taking into account how unpredictable, nearly impossible, the man was. The only thing she was certain about, was that he wouldn't come back.
"Uh, ma'am? I can help you with that if you want" the other officer's voice brought her back to present. She was sitting right where he'd been five minutes ago "What else do you need to know? Not sex related, of course" she stressed.
Hange nearly said, him having such thing was still unbelievable, but that'd be unfair to her friend. Better save the teasing for him… and if we make it back, she thought, not truly wanting to torment him days before the mission. Making him grumpier wasn't smart and judging by the way he'd kept this for himself, she suspected it was a significant kind of relationship. One he definitely didn't seem eager to share, and it was no surprise; after all, it was Levi, and being open about his emotions wasn't his strong suit.
On the other hand, Griselda slightly tilted her head to ponder the option, giving up shortly after. Rejecting it meant she'd have to withhold his case, thus, send that man to see her boss at the hospital to get his clearance; an absurd decision since he was physically healthy.
"I needed to know about his diet" she said, mentally exhausted by now.
"Great!" the brunette exclaimed and concentrated, scratching the back of her head "He eats whatever is served at the barracks, which is surprising if we bear in mind how picky he is for most things. I'd say he likes fruits but the one he always goes for are apples, so no for the rest. However, his biggest addiction is black tea. Don't think he could go on a day without at least five cups of it".
"Thank you, Officer" Griselda said in all earnest "Please grant me five minutes to add a couple notes and then we'll proceed with you" she smiled politely when she got an enthusiastic nod in return.
While she was on it, the nurse peeked in her direction, noticing a slight close-lipped smile in the officer's pensive face as she stroked her chin; it looked as if she was either going through a fun memory or planning something. Spontaneous, the older nurse thought, going back to business. She may not knew her much but that lively spark of hers was very charming, making impossible not to like her. So, how does people like her or Commander Erwin, manage to put up, and she daresay even befriend, somebody like Captain Levi? That was simply beyond her understanding.
In view of the fact that Jane decided to wait outside in the cart with most of their equipment, she went back inside and headed to the wing where her friend appeared to still be working. It's already past five, Elia mused as she checked her pocket watch, estimating she should have finished by now, considering each appointment took around thirty minutes tops. But she examined Levi, her brain reminded as she kept walking through the halls, unconsciously biting her lip, worriedly.
He hadn't been particularly excited for this, but assured he'd go through it nonetheless, yet that was no guarantee of a situation without incidents. To be honest, she'd wondered all morning how he'd react once discovering Gris would work with him; with no need to peep on him back then, it was certain he'd be far from delighted.
The healer looked around but didn't spot him at all, and by the time Commander Erwin was done and left, Griselda's door was closed, so she had no way to know if he was there or Hange. Surprisingly, now that she reached the same hallway, the door was opened wide.
"Excuse me?" she asked, before daring to enter in case Gris was gone.
"I'm here, dear" Elia walked inside at the sound of her voice and watched her putting her apron inside her bag "Are you done?"
"Yes. So is Jane" she informed, as she walked in and moved fast to carry the spirometer's container; it was too heavy for her friend. Better for her to get the box with smaller equipment and doctor's bag instead "She's waiting for us outside".
"Oh" the older nurse looked to the clock on the wall and only then seemed to notice it was late "I'm sorry but your friend's conversation was very interesting. I lost track of time".
"Hange's charisma is really something" Elia agreed as they left the room, knowing she probably remembered her from the orphanage "I'd have loved to work with her too".
"It was a pleasure" her friend stated, but then crinkled her nose, displeased, and she instantly foresaw the following words "Unlike that man" she said, making sure no one was near "He didn't even let me finish his proceeding, can you believe it?"
Elia stopped right there and looked at her with wide eyes, for she knew that meant his clearance had not been approved. She'd feared this the instant she checked the questionnaire, well aware of how Levi would hate to be forced to disclose intimate things. And to Griselda no less. So, she reckoned she'd probably have to talk to him that night, or more like convince him to go to the hospital to resolve his situation and avoid stress before the Legion left in three days.
"What happened?" the healer enquired, to have a better idea as to what she'd need to say.
"Don't be so alarm, child" Gris assured, looking somewhat offended "I promise I treated him with professionalism" her friend was being honest, she knew. The fact that she accepted such designation, without quarrel, proved it "Even when he didn't follow my piece of advice and brought Officer Hange along".
"What?!" Elia was beginning to understand what surely went wrong there.
"I honestly tried to dissuade him, but the man said he didn't care. Though I'm sure did by the end".
"I guess, but he wasn't the only soldier reluctant to answer everything" Elia reminded her, trying to be discreet "Men are not particularly inclined to be that open about such things".
"You bet" her friend agreed, as both waited by the counter near the entrance, needing to have their temporary work permits signed. The receptionist officer wasn't there but he left a note asking to please wait "And in front of someone else… worst idea ever. I'm sure dying sounded better than accepting I was right".
"That bad huh?" Elia muttered, but her thoughts were interrupted by the image of a familiar face a few meters away, carrying a box about the size of his torso, filled with several objects.
Griselda obviously noticed that and turned to see what happened. It was then Elia witnessed bewilderment and anguish in her senior's gaze.
"The boy" she mumbled, as both watched him walk towards the area where they'd come from a minute ago.
"His name is Ted" the healer told her friend, placing her left palm on the lady's right shoulder "A little girl at the orphanage told me".
Griselda said no word right away but by the furrow in her forehead, she was very upset to see him there.
"I was hoping they'd change their mind at some point" she heard her say, and Elia figured she was convinced that he'd be dragged along with the other soldiers for real.
Right when she'd been about to point out his name hadn't been on the list provided by Commander Erwin, their attention was compromised by a curious situation.
The boy visibly struggled to carry that thing, as his sweaty hair and red face showed, but he still persevered. Something that surely called a young soldier's interest, who simply started following him quietly, until the kid eventually tottered. It was then that person spoke to him and drew his attention long enough to take the container off his hands.
"Where is this supposed to go?" the dark short-haired teenage girl asked him, not really paying much attention to how he froze nor the visible blushing that came after.
"East wing, downstairs" the kid replied, looking the other away to hide it "Give me that. I can do it myself" he told, haughtily.
"Me too" she said, adjusting the object's weight in her arms and looking at him "The Captain told you to help us. That didn't mean doing all by yourself before we came back from getting supplies" she was scolding him, not really sounding mad but more like concerned.
"I don't care" he replied sulkily, arms crossed and avoiding her.
The young woman simply sighed and resumed the path the boy had been taking while shaking her head in exasperation. The kid finally stared at her, dumbfounded. His flushed face gave the impression that he was abashed for having to accept a girl's help but as soon as he snapped out of it, he followed her close behind without saying a word.
"At least there's decent folk among the ranks" she heard her friend saying, as she turned back to the counter "Kindness isn't common inside these walls".
"That's Mikasa Ackerman" Elia informed with a melancholic smile "She's a nice person, and one of the many good soldiers here, Gris".
"Sure. Like that 'charming' Captain" she commented sarcastically, earning a sad look in response "Alright, he wasn't that bad today. He actually acted quite civil compared to his normal self, but I guess he was pissed for his mistake and the questions, which was weird. He's so harsh that I never thought he'd be troubled by it".
"As I said, he wasn't the only having such response, Gris. And you should have let me handle the situation with him" the healer insisted, thinking that she would have told him about the questions but given she was the one he was with, she'd have spare him from having to answer. Or maybe she'd have teased him, making it fun for both.
"What makes you think you could have done a better job with him?" a suspicious Griselda raised an eyebrow at her.
"I have nothing against him, Gris" she pointed out after shrugging and moving the equipment to a side, just for the sake of doing something and not end up blushing like the kid for what'd just went through her mind.
"But I did behave and acted neutral".
"Yes, but you and him don't get along. You've declared your antipathy for each other very clearly, so that's still not good. I believe you when you say you did this like a pro, but he had no way to know, so he was on the defensive".
"Maybe you're right" she conceded "And his pride made this worse".
"What are you going to do about it then? Since he left before you finished, I mean" Elia enquired, trying not to sound that much interested "All the rest are ready to go" she added.
"Nothing, really. It was only one question we didn't get to discuss, so Officer Hange offered me the piece of information in his stead" Griselda explained, then looked around them to make sure no one listened "I know you won't divulge that but still, please keep it as a secret. Sending him to see Doctor Nowak over one question is embarrassing".
"Okay?" the younger nurse agreed, a bit confused. Hange answered one of the questions concerning his intimacy? That made no sense; they were a secret to everyone, well, everyone except Garrett "Although you shouldn't be taking that lightly, Gris. How can you tell the information is accurate? If he reacted like that to the questions and having a witness, it's hard to believe she knew the answer".
"No, no" Griselda said and smirked "I miraculously managed to get all that information myself. She just helped me with his diet, which I saved for last" the woman explained, and Elia simply smiled, glad and relieved.
At that moment, the Officer at the entry point finally returned and her friend, as supervisor of their group, did all the necessary paperwork so they could leave. In the meantime, Elia turned and observed her surroundings, lost in thought. She wondered how this place would look a week from now, what kind of things all these soldiers would have to deal with in Shiganshina, and the hardest question of all, how many of them would come back safe and sound. She sighed, preoccupied; she feared for Levi, but she also did for all of them, people that meant so much to Ilva, and who'd be sacrificing their lives for the greater good, as Commander Erwin said to her an hour ago.
She walked to the nearest window and looked up, at the sky. He's going to die, she thought, dispirited, knowing he'd come to terms with that and was ready for it. The one who hadn't was Levi, but to be fair, hadn't she had this chance to talk to the blond, she probably wouldn't have comprehended neither. She truly hoped the man to be mistaken, but his eyes said otherwise.
"It'll be a terrible blow for everyone" Elia whispered to the clouds she was contemplating. Clouds that often blocked the sunlight, depriving them from warmth and light. But the sun is still there, to shine at some point after every storm or cloudy day, her father once said, at her grandfather's funeral. And so will Commander Erwin, the healer said to herself, for he also is a great man. His legacy of bravery and dedication to the cause, their strive for freedom and a peaceful life would live on in the people he trusted. That was the hope he'd given to her.
To be honest, this chapter was different, but I got an idea after overhearing a stranger talking on the phone (is not my fault some people are extremely loud) and so, they ended up having a physical before leaving to Shiganshina; thought it'd be fun to see Levi in such situation, hehe.
Before I go, I'll be sharing a picture of Elia on my Instagram account (beerockstark) in case you want to check that out.
As always, many thanks!
Namárië