Nanami left her uniform off for the run to the infirmary. On the way she also peeled the bandages off her hand. Salt-water soaked bandages were probably not the best thing for a wound, so she tossed them in the garbage.

When she got into the infirmary, she saw 5 girls in beds, two of whom were passed out. The smell of antiseptic was strong, the room sterile, the lights all encompassing. Nanami's breathing began to speed up, her heart pounded, but she did not know why. She began to walk away to calm down when the room in front of her faded and suddenly she was strapped to a gurney, an O2 mask fitted over her face.

There were so many people around her, moving about, bringing instruments to check various vitals. Everything hurt, her whole body burned. Most importantly her chest felt like a knife was being stabbed through it. Why was she so small, or was everyone else big?

Suddenly there was a surge of fury and spite within her for these doctors and techs around her. They took something from her...what did they take? It was so important...it was hers. She would slaughter all of them to get it back.

They don't deserve to live for what they've done. I'll tear out their throats, she thought venomously. But what was it they did again? Why would they hurt her? Why was she in so much pain?

"All her readings are spiking! We need to sedate her again!" She heard someone in the room say.

"RAAAAAAAGHHHHH," she screamed through the mask. She would not go under again. She began to struggle and strain against the restraints. They began to groan under the stress.

She was almost out when she saw uncle Frank...he was in his scrubs. His face calmed her, reassured her everything would be fine. Then she felt a prick and the world went black.


Once Enterprise and Amagi had finished assisting with triage and transport, Amagi led Enterprise to the side of the dock-warehouse.

"Take a look at this," Amagi said, gesturing to a dent in the plating of the dock-warehouse. Enterprise stepped up to look, and noticed a considerable dent in the steel. The darkness made it hard to see it well, so she reached up and touched it to gauge its depth. She pulled her hand back in shock. These steel plates were equivalent strength of battleship armor.

"What did...no...she did this? How?" Enterprise asked incredulously.

Amagi smiled at her shock, but nodded her head, "She lost her temper and punched it right after sending you on that first sortie." Enterprise's eyes widened further.

"She did this by punching it? I don't think I could do that..." she trailed off, before continuing, "What kind of super-woman is she?"

Amagi laughed before responding, "I am not sure. I would say she was one of us, maybe larger even a super-capital size ship, but she knew nothing about us. And she is pretty small for that." Enterprise furrowed her brow as she thought.

"Doesn't that almost make it worse? Someone so small can cause so much damage?" she asked the fox-girl

Then she posited, "Could she have amnesia?" Amagi shook her head.

"Amnesia only removes memories. It doesn't give you memories of a full life as a human. Unless someone somehow imprinted a full life's worth of false memories in her," the Sakuran shot down the idea.

"Well, whatever she is, we can agree she needs to be protected. She is our Commander, and a hidden weapon," Enterprise replied.

"We do agree there. She is important, in many ways," Amagi slyly answered.

"She's incredible," Enterprise breathed quietly, but Amagi's ears picked up on it easily.

"That she is," She laughed in agreement, causing Enterprise's ears and face to burn for what felt like the hundredth time that night. Before she could explain herself, they heard running. Turning to the source, the found it to be Zuikaku.

"The Commander just passed out in the infirmary and hit her head pretty hard."


When Nanami came to, she was on a gurney, but it wasn't the same one. She was in the infirmary. Her head pounded, and there was a single point of intense pain. On top of that her right arm burned with pain, but when she looked at it it was completely bandaged from top to bottom, including the hand.

Looking down she saw an IV in her left arm, a saline bag and a nearly empty blood bag was hooked up to it, hanging beside her bed. She sat up to look around the room. It clearly wasn't too long after she had that odd vision, a couple hours at most.

It had felt so real, like it really happened, but...that didn't make sense. She didn't have any memory of being in a place like that. Sure she spent a lot of time in hospitals after Puget Sound, but never a room like that. Never with so many people. Never with so much anger. She could never remember a time she felt that angry.

She had been so small in the vision, but that would mean it happened after Puget Sound. But...she had been in a coma after Puget Sound...for eight full months. If it hadn't been for uncle Frank, they would have pulled the plug long before she came back to the world of the living. Thinking about him made her throat constrict.

Uncle what am I doing? I am not ready for this. It is day 3 and my orders have resulted in casualties. Why would you recommend me, was it nepotism? She asked the void. Her self-pity was short lived, and she hardened her heart again.

No, I am sorry for thinking that way uncle. I know I earned this position through my efforts, she reassured herself. As she was wrestling with these thoughts, Vestal noticed she was awake.

"How are you feeling Commander?" the repair ship nurse asked.

"I am doing fine, apart from a bit of pain in my head and arm," Nanami admitted. Vestal looked at her with concern and then narrowed her eyes.

"Don't put on a strong face with me Commander. If you need help managing the pain, tell me. You lacerated your arm fairly badly doing whatever you did in the recovery operation. And you smacked your head on my floor after fainting," Vestal began explaining to Nanami what had happened.

She continued, "It was likely a mix of blood loss and extreme acute stress, which isn't a surprise considering your position. Thankfully you were wearing your tags on you, even if you weren't wearing much else, so I was able to easily get you some blood. I am the repair-ship Vestal if you have not gathered, thank you for sending Enterprise to get me." Nanami grimaced at the news of her injuries. She also ignored the repair ship's comment on her advanced state of undress when she came in.

Luckily, she would probably be okay in time for the mock battle, but she would still have some bandages.

"Thank you Vestal, I appreciate your care. Am I able to get up and move around the ward?" she inquired.

"No. Sit. Stay. You have visitors, I will go get them," Vestal ordered Nanami in a way that left her confused.

Why do people keep treating me like a canine? First a wolf, and now a dog, she wondered in amazement. Vestal returned quickly with Enterprise and Amagi.

"Here they are. I have to go tend to the other patients. Enterprise behave yourself," Vestal warned Enterprise before heading off. Enterprise looked at her in confusion, much to Amagi's amusement.

"We're glad you're okay Nanami," Enterprise told Nanami rather sheepishly. Amagi laughed at the Enterprise's understatement. When she found out that Nanami had lost a decent amount of Enterprise had rather forcefully volunteered her own blood before being put in her place by Vestal. Amagi realized now that Enterprise had quite the intense personality, not unlike most of the Sakura carriers.

Maybe it's a carrier thing? She thought completely oblivious to her own intensities and quirks.

"Yes, we're very happy to see our Commander is conscious," Amagi chimed in, teasing Enterprise by really stressing the very. But in reality Amagi was just as happy to see her, even if she had bandages all over her arm and head.

"I am glad to see you two as well. You have already done so much to help me adjust. I apologize for repaying your kindness by getting myself injured," Nanami apologized in her overtly formal manner.

Before she could be answered, she asked, "Did Akagi and Kaga go back to the dorms to get some sleep?"

"We sent them to the office to work on paperwork so you wouldn't immediately go do that as soon as you woke up. And Nanami, you got hurt pulling Choukai out. No one blames you your injury. Besides, that dive was rather impressive," Amagi teased Nanami to lighten the end of her statement.

Nanami beamed, a genuine smile, "Thank you both...I mean it. Now, let us see if we can get Vestal to release me. I despise hospitals." Enterprise rushed off to get Vestal, hiding her rapidly reddening face, and Amagi smiled once more.

"So you are capable of emotions other than rage. I was worried about you for a while there," she teased Nanami again. Nanami however missed it completely.

"Yes...rarely and in small amounts I can experience a wide range of emotions," she replied flatly. Amagi wasn't sure if she was being toyed with, but figured the safe bet was no.

"Nanami dear. I was teasing you. I've seen you get angry, shed a tear, beam, blush, and all range of emotions since you have arrived. It's just...you're usually so stoic that it is sometimes hard to get a read on you," Amagi explained why she said what she did.

Nanami nodded in understanding, "I apologize for misunderstanding. I have been called 'emotionally unavailable' and 'ice queen' quite frequently. I assumed you were making a similar comment. That was not fair to you." Amagi moved forward and hugged Nanami as best she could without hurting her.

Just how did this poor girl keep moving forward? The loss of her entire family, watching as one home burned to the ground and another burned overseas. And she still found the energy and effort to push through it all, Amagi was absolutely stunned at how resolute Nanami was. She was ten when Puget Sound happened. TEN! It made Amagi tear up a slightly just thinking about it. When she pulled back, Enterprise was returning with Vestal in tow.

"I want to keep you overnight, but physically you are good enough to go. Let me disconnect the IV, I don't want you bleeding everywhere again," Vestal sighed. Enterprise smiled at Vestal's attitude. Partially because it wasn't directed at her, and partially because she got cranky when she didn't get her sleep. She learned that the hard way during the war. Many emergency nighttime repairs had to happen in the field.

"Thank you Vestal. May I ask where Shoukaku is?" Nanami inquired politely. Vestal breathed deeply and pointed to the very end of the ward where the curtains around the bed were shut. Then Vestal handed her uniform over, and Nanami took it graciously. She thanked Vestal once more and turned to the others.

"You do not have to wait for me, but I need to talk to her. I do not want her thinking I abandoned her due to what happened," Nanami explained to her advisers as she dressed.

Amagi smiled, "Nanami, we'll wait." The pair of them proceeded to leave the ward, and Nanami turned around to head to the end. As she walked, she saw each of the girls that was hurt, and her chest felt tight.

Choukai was asleep or passed out and had an oxygen mask on. At her side was the elder sister Atago. She was asleep in a chair, her head on the bed. From here Nanami could see the streaks on her face. Takao and the fourth sister weren't there.

There was Kongou, her body bandaged and an eye swollen shut. Then came one that made her anger flare once more. It was a destroyer. She didn't remember the girl's name, but she was covered head to toe in bandages.

I already knew their tendencies to not care for children...but to see it again, Nanami silently lamented before continuing the thought, Now I will kill this Siren slowly, painfully, and show the remaining ones why I am to be feared. She paused for a second after that thought. Where did that venom come from? She didn't think she had always been this aggressive, this poisonous, this terrifyingly unstable.

Nanami focused on the pain in her head to clear any extraneous thoughts and then continued to the curtains around Shoukaku's bed She stuck her head in, and Zuikaku looked up from her spot next to the bed. Seeing Nanami, the carrier stood up and walked to the curtain. Shoukaku just sat there staring at the blanket over her legs.

Nanami and Zuikaku exited the little privacy area. Zuikaku looked terrible. She still had reminders of the battle all over her, scrapes and cuts, oil and blood. Her hair was a mess, and her eyes showed the strain this had put on everyone.

"How are you Commander? I heard you pulled Choukai out on your own. That's pretty impressive," Zuikaku complimented.

Nanami waved her good hand, "I am fine. Some lacerations on my arm from pulling out Choukai I think. And a head wound from passing out from blood loss. I did not even notice the wounds until after I woke up." Nanami motioned up and down her arm at the extensive bandages. It was evident whatever part of Choukai's damaged rigging was pressing against her arm had been exceedingly jagged.

Zuikaku quietly laughed, "That sounds like you from everything the senpais and my beloved sister have told me about you." Then her smile faltered.

"Commander, can you help her? She's blaming herself for this. She always prides herself on being better than 1st Carrier Division, and then we fell into a trap almost exactly like that fateful day the senpais died at Midway," Zuikaku pleaded quietly. Nanami stepped up and hugged Zuikaku on instinct.

She looked up to speak after a long moment in the embrace, "I will do everything in my power to bring her back." The carrier was taken aback by the small, to her, Commander suddenly hugging her. Though she wouldn't admit it, it felt good to be comforted by someone other than Shoukaku. When Nanami had looked up, thoughts of how cute she was came unbidden to Zuikaku's mind. This woman was so small, yet so confident, and always moving forward. Zuikaku thought she was just the kind of inspiration that Shoukaku needed.

Releasing Zuikaku from the hug, Nanami turned to enter the curtains. Once inside, she grabbed the chair in the corner and pulle it alongside the bed. It took a several moments for Shoukaku to react to her presence.

"Commander? You got hurt because of me too? I am truly a dis- " She began to put herself down, so Nanami cut her off.

"No, I did not get hurt because of you. I got hurt because of my own decision to assist in the rescue and recovery operations, in spite of knowing the dangers," she explained with a shake of her head. Which wasn't the greatest idea, as her head injury made her a little woozy, but she hid that for Shoukaku's sake.

"But I made a mistake. I led them into a trap. I-" She quietly began to blame herself again, but Nanami was having none of it.

"No, you followed orders. The enemy outsmarted me. I gave you the order to meet the enemy in battle without first confirming the terrain and potential hazards. I made a mistake that cost us. These injuries are my burden, not yours," Nanami reassured her. She reached forward to hold the girl's hand. Even when she was so much taller, Nanami could not help but see her as a little girl in this situation. She was scared, hurt, and did not know what to do.

It was Nanami's job, both as Commander and friend, to bring her through this. It probably would not happen all at once, but she could plant the seeds for the day they would sprout. On that day, she wanted to see this wounded crane soar again.

"I was the flagship. I guided us into range of their hidden carriers. You trusted me and..." she began, but trailed off, her eyes looking anywhere but Nanami. Nanami, still holding her hand in her left, used her wounded right arm to softly turn Shoukaku's head to look her in the eyes. There were tears there, forming like the morning dew.

Nanami consoled the carrier, "Shoukaku, my wonderful soaring crane. I still trust you. I will always trust you. You cannot lose my trust so easily. I understand what it is like to lead...I am your Commander after all. So please, try to be easier on yourself." The tears that had been welling up in Shoukaku's eyes began to flow freely and she sobbed silently. Nanami leaned in and let the girl use her shoulder to cry on as she softly stroked her hair.

The soaring crane's wings had been clipped, and it would take time for her to heal and fly proudly once more.


A/N: Thank you all once more for the support! Now, some announcements!

I will be making the fic rated M, so if you can't find it in the main, search with M rating. This is for the purposes of future blood and potential future smut.

Next, my upload schedule will be Tuesdays, Fridays, Sundays guaranteed. Other days will be a bonus if they happen. This gives me more time to work on my actual book series.

Thank you all for being so wonderful, and please do not hate me for this chapter! Heheheheheheh!