A/N: Hello everyone! It has been a long time, I'm sorry! Hopefully this longer chapter will help make up for it! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Mina sat at her desk, staring blankly at nothing, her mind wandering from thought to thought without focus. She wasn't sure what was more tired, her mind, or her body. Cowen had been sending many squads to different worlds to assess the movement of the wraith in the galaxy. The members of the teams that returned were often in rough shape, if they returned at all. The infirmary was continuously filled with injured soldiers, too many for Corric to handle on his own. As a result, Mina had been pulled from her training many times to come to help him, sometimes working until late in the evening. She had lost count of how many times she had fallen asleep at her desk, only to be awoken by her husband when he came to find her and bring her home.
Luckily, tonight wasn't as busy. The slow hours of the late evening in the infirmary allowed Mina to put her life on pause and do absolutely nothing for a blissful few moments. She rubbed her eyes tiredly and let out a deep sigh. Closing the folder in front of her on her desk, Mina stood up and stretched her aching muscles. She glanced at Corric's office door. It was cracked open a little allowing light to shine out. Walking across the room, Mina pressed her palm against the door and pushed it open. She found Corric in the position she usually was in, head resting on his arms and sound asleep.
"Corric," she said, gently shaking his shoulder to wake him, "why don't you return to your quarters?"
"Hmmm?" Corric murmured as he sat up, blinking his eyes a few times to clear his vision.
"I can speak from experience that sleeping at your desk is not comfortable, and I don't imagine that your couch is any more comfortable. Why don't you go back to your quarters and sleep in an actual bed?"
Corric shook his head at her suggestion.
"I need to be here in case there is an emergency," he said tiredly.
Mina sighed and grabbed his arm to help him to his feet.
"If there is an emergency, you won't be much help if you drop from exhaustion. Let's at least get you to a bed out there."
Mina helped guide Corric to the closest bed, pulling a blanket over him after he laid down. Once he was settled, she returned to his office to turn off the light. Glancing around the small room, Mina guessed that Corric never really slept anywhere else. She made a mental note to herself to tidy it up for him in the next few days. Mina turned off the light and walked back to her desk to grab her bag. As she moved to turn off the main infirmary light, she heard Corric say something.
"Did you need something?" she asked, not quite hearing what he had said.
"I said, thank you. I don't know what I would do without your help Mina," he said quietly before falling back asleep.
"Probably drop dead," Mina murmured to herself before leaving him to sleep.
Mina walked down the dark hallway, her pathway only illuminated by the dim nightlights. She figured Acastus was still in his office, as he usually worked as late as she did these days. As she walked down the hall that held the commanders' offices, she could hear yelling. Before she could reach her husband's office, his door slammed open, and Cowen stormed out. Mina hesitated, watching him disappear around the corner before moving forward. She walked to the entrance of her husband's office and softly knocked on the open door.
"Acastus?" she called out softly, alerting him to her presence.
He looked up at the sound of her voice, and Mina felt her heart drop. He looked as exhausted as she felt. Anger, shame, and weariness filled his eyes. Entering the room, Mina closed the door behind her. Without saying another word, she walked around to the other side of his desk and pulled him against her. He rested his head against her chest and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Are you alright?" she asked quietly.
He pulled away slightly from her embrace and looked up at her, his expression softening.
"I'm not sure, but you showed up right when I needed you."
Mina gave him a small smile and bent her head to press her lips to his in a gentle kiss.
"Thought it was time I repaid the favor," she said. "You always seem to be there when I need you, so it's your turn."
Kolya smirked and moved to stand from his chair, breaking Mina's hold. He took her hand in his and led her back to the door.
"Let's go home. I'm tired of this room, this bunker, and the politics," Kolya said.
Mina wasn't sure what he meant with the politics comment, but she guessed it had something to do with whatever had happened with Cowen. They made their way to the surface and walked through the darkness to their home. Once they reached home, Mina attempted to walk away but was stopped in her tracks by Kolya's grip on her hand. She looked up at him with a questioning look.
"Acastus?" she said, searching his face for a clue to what he wanted.
He seemed like he wanted to say something, but no words were coming out. Mina raised her eyebrows in confusion and squeezed his hand.
"Did you want to say something?" she asked.
Kolya shook his head and pulled her to him, releasing his grip on her hand and embracing her. Mina didn't know what was going through his head, but she figured he was too tired to know how to function right now.
"Let's go to bed. I think we could both use some rest," she said, pulling away from him and moving towards the bedroom.
Kolya watched Mina walk away from him into the bedroom. Walking over to his chair, he sunk into it. He felt foolish for his tongue-tied moment. The entire walk home, he had been working up the courage to tell his wife that he loved her. The sight of her standing in front of him, her caring eyes staring up at him, had made him lose his nerve. He feared that if he didn't do it soon, he would lose his chance.
Cowen had made it clear that evening that he was hanging by a very thin thread. All of his mistakes had been building up, each failure pushing him further and further away from the leader's good graces. Every attempt to fix things had only made it worse. Kolya knew that if he pushed Cowen any further, he would likely lose his life. Nikomi's statement that Mina was the only thing keeping him alive was becoming very clear to him. Cowen himself had mentioned that Mina had more sense than he did, that he should imitate her example.
It was the first time that Cowen had mentioned Mina to him directly. That alone concerned him. His previous fears of Mina being disposable to Cowen overshadowed Nikomi's assurance of her usefulness. Cowen could use Mina against him as a final punishment before ending his life. Kolya couldn't get the image of a terrified and broken version of his wife out of his head. That fear alone urged him to tell her how much he loved her before he couldn't. Yet, something kept holding him back. The burning feeling that she deserved someone better than him, the fear of loss, even the fact that she may not return his feelings kept pushing the words down further and further.
Kolya was pulled out of his inner self-hatred by Mina's voice calling for him from the bedroom. He stood from his chair, heading her call. Stopping in the doorway, Kolya watched her brush her hair in front of the mirror. She noticed him in the reflection and turned to look at him with concern.
"Are you alright?" she asked him for the second time that evening.
Kolya gave her a forced smile and closed the distance between them. He kissed her on the forehead as he passed her. Grabbing his sleeping clothes, he headed in the direction of the bathroom.
"I'm fine Mina. Go to bed. I'll be along shortly."
Mina didn't look like she believed him, but she placed her brush down and climbed into bed. Once she was settled, he disappeared into the bathroom. He needed a shower to give himself some time to think before he tried to sleep.
The following day when Mina was getting ready, her radio buzzed. When she answered it, Nikomi's voice was on the other end.
"Good morning, Mina. Please report to my office as soon as possible."
"Yes ma'am," Mina said into the radio, "I'll be there in ten minutes."
Mina finished lacing up her boots and twisted her long hair into a tight bun before leaving the bedroom. She noticed Acastus eating breakfast at the table as she walked through and stopped to kiss him on the cheek before she left.
"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" he asked.
"I was summoned by Nikomi's office, so I have to leave. Sorry, I don't have time for breakfast. See you later, love," she said hurriedly as she walked out the door.
As she made her way to the compound, her mind ran over the words that had just left her mouth. She had never called her husband 'love' before. It was the pet name that she had heard her father use for her mother when she was a kid. In her hurry, it must have slipped out. Hopefully, he hadn't noticed it.
Shaking her head to clear it, Mina focused on where she was going. It was unusual for Nikomi to summon her, especially first thing in the morning. When she reached her office, she knocked before opening the door. She was surprised to find that Nikomi wasn't alone. Cowen and Mekhai were in her office as well, which made it quite crowded when Mina entered. She nodded in greeting at Mekhai and stood at attention, waiting for Cowen or Nikomi to tell her why she had been summoned.
"Well Mina, the day has come for your first mission," Cowen said.
Mina shifted her glance to Nikomi, trying to hide the excitement and disbelief from her face. Nikomi's expression did not encourage her, as it was clouded with doubt and concern. Did she doubt Mina's ability or Cowen's intentions? Mina had a feeling that Nikomi didn't trust Cowen much more than she did, but unlike Acastus, Nikomi wouldn't go against his direct orders.
"I'm ready for whatever you have for me sir," Mina said, hoping she sounded as sure as she wanted to rather than how she actually felt.
"Good," he said, gesturing to Mekhai, "Mekhai will fill you in on the details. I only came to wish you luck."
Mina wondered if he really meant that comment or if he was saying it to mock her. He seemed sincere, so she went with the former. She gave him a respectful nod, which he returned before leaving the office. Mina turned to face Mekhai, awaiting his briefing.
"We are going to visit a planet that is the home of one of our colonies. It was recently attacked by the wraith, and there are many injured. We are pretty sure the wraith are all gone, and the danger has passed, but Chief Cowen thought it would be better to send you rather than Corric. If there is still something lurking, he feels that you would be able to handle it better than he would."
Mina could feel some pride surfacing within her, but she squashed it down. Now was not the time to gloat. Corric was still a much more superior medic than her. He just wasn't much good in a fight.
"I'm ready whenever you are," she stated.
Mekhai smirked at her eagerness. He dipped his head respectfully to Nikomi before moving to leave her office. Before Mina could follow him, Nikomi called her name.
"Mina, wait a minute. I want to speak to you before you leave."
Mekhai stopped and turned to speak to Mina again.
"We'll be waiting at the gate for you. Corric packed a med-kit for you, which will be waiting with us. Join us when you've finished," he said before leaving the two women to talk.
Mina turned to Nikomi and relaxed a bit, letting some of her excitement show. It was quickly damped by Nikomi's concerned expression.
"Now Mina, I know you're excited, but you need to be careful. As Mekhai said, there's still a chance of danger. You need to be on your guard at all times."
Mina nodded, pulling herself back into a serious frame of mind.
"I understand. If you don't mind me asking, why do you seem so concerned?" she asked. "Do you not feel that I am ready for this?"
Nikomi shook her head at Mina's question.
"It's not that. I'm just worried that there's an underlying reason for Cowen deciding to send you out now."
"Why do you think that?" Mina asked in confusion.
"Lately, your husband has not been on Cowen's good list. I don't believe he would sink so low as to use you against him, but I've learned never to underestimate him. I suggest you do the same. Please be careful."
"I will," Mina said confidently before leaving the office to join the group at the gate.
Once they were through the gate, they still had to walk for a bit before getting to the settlement. Mina and Mekhai walked together with the rest of the group walking behind them. Mina didn't know anyone else in the group. She recognized a few faces, but didn't have names to go with them.
"So the last time I saw you, you were running into a room on fire," Mekhai said, "how have things been since then?"
Mina smiled and chuckled softly. She held up her hands to show him the still fading scars that covered them.
"Less running into fires, I learned my lesson last time," she said.
"Well, that's good to hear. It would be a shame for you to be covered in burns. It would break some hearts to see you hurt that way," he said, giving her a sly smile.
Mina was taken aback by his comment. Was he talking about Acastus? Or just men in general, including himself? She knew Mekhai had a flirtatious reputation. He had the pretty boy looks to go along with it; tall, dark hair, and piercing blue eyes. She knew a lot of girls liked guys like that. It was probably one of the reasons Thali had pushed her in Ladon's direction. He also had the pretty boy look. Mina understood the appeal, but it didn't do much for her.
Brushing off his comment, Mina focused on where she was walking. By staying silent, she denied Mekhai the satisfaction of feeling his words had power over her. He was easier to brush off than Ladon, as he took her silence in stride and gave up. They continued their trip in silence.
When they finally reached the village, Mina let out a gasp of surprise. Nearly all of the buildings around her showed damage, either from fire or explosive blasts. The people that were milling around the village showed signs of hardship. Some were supporting others as they walked, some were moving debris aside, and some were moving what looked like bodies covered with white sheets. Mina looked up at Mekhai in shock.
"When was the attack?" she asked.
His teasing mood had disappeared; his expression was serious as his eyes scanned his surroundings.
"It was last night. I didn't know things were this bad. I would have brought more help."
Mina shifted her pack on her back and started moving towards the village.
"Don't just stand there. Let's help these poor people!" she called out to the people behind her.
Mina walked into the center of the village, climbing up on top of a pile of rubble so people could see her.
"Anyone that is seriously injured, please make your way to that open area and sit down," she said, pointing to a large area that was mostly clear of debris. "I will help anyone that I can, so don't be shy."
She climbed down from the pile and pulled her pack off, placing it on the ground in the middle of the clear spot. Opening it, Mina began to pull supplies out and lay them on the ground. Many people followed her instructions and began to file into the area, some on their own and some with the help of others. Mekhai and the others helped guide the injured in an organized fashion, keeping things moving smoothly. Mina made her way around the clearing, assessing injuries and tending to people as needed.
After they had been there for a few hours, Mekhai came over to where Mina was working. He tapped her shoulder to get her attention. She stood from her crouched position to face him, her joints creaking in protest. She groaned as she swung her arms around to get her blood moving again.
"Why don't you take a break?" Mekhai said. "You've been working non-stop for several hours."
Mina glanced around at all the remaining injured people and shook her head.
"I can't. There are still too many people that need my help."
Mekhai handed her some water and pointed to a cinder block, indicating for her to sit down.
"They will still be here after you rest for a few minutes. Now go."
Mina knew he was right. She took the water he offered and did as she was told. Settling down on the block, she stretched her legs out in front of her. As she drank her water, she looked around the area. Next to the clearing, there was an alleyway that led out of the village. As she looked down the alley, Mina swore she could see some figures coming over the hill, beyond which was the pathway to the gate. Narrowing her eyes, she was able to see more clearly that there was in fact movement, and it wasn't human.
"Wraith!" she yelled as loud as she could, running back to Mekhai.
He turned and looked where she was pointing and shouted orders to the soldiers around the clearing.
"We're under attack!"
The people in the clearing screamed and scrambled to their feet. Mina helped a soldier guide people into the safety of the intact buildings. Once the wraith reached the village, the people began to panic, dodging the blasts from their stunners and tripping over each other. Mina grabbed her pistol out of her holster. She began firing at the wraith around her while shouting for people to get to safety.
Once the last of the people had been ushered inside, Mina focused her effort on the wraith around her. One, in particular, headed straight for her, despite her firing straight into his chest. When he was a few feet from her, Mina felt her pistol die and stop firing. Throwing it, she stooped down and grabbed pieces of debris to throw at him. The wraith easily dodged her attempts and pushed her backward. Mina hit the ground hard, causing a sharp pain in her head as it bounced off the ground. She groaned as her vision went a little fuzzy from the impact. The wraith hovered over her, his hand poised over her chest to feed on her. Acting quickly, Mina pulled her knife from her belt and swiped blindly at the menacing figure. She heard him hiss in pain, so she figured she had sliced him. Closing her hand into a fist, she punched him in the face with all the strength she could muster. He fell off of her, allowing Mina to scramble away. She didn't get very far before he grabbed her ankle and dragged her back.
"Help!" she cried, struggling against his grip.
Mina heard a gunshot, and the grip on her ankle was gone. Rolling over, she saw Mekhai standing over her dead attacker. He stepped over him and walked over to her, holding out his hand to help her up.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
Mina felt the back of her head and winced as she pulled her hand away to see blood. There wasn't much, but it still hurt.
"I think so. But I wouldn't be surprised if I have a concussion. I hit my head pretty hard."
"You put up quite a fight before he got the upper hand, " Mekhai said, sounding slightly impressed. "You almost had it handled."
"Yeah, well I was at a bit of a disadvantage. My usual opponents don't usually try to feed on me."
"I suppose not," Mekhai said with a smirk. "I'm glad you're ok. I don't think I'd live very long if I came back without you. I don't know who would kill me first: your husband, Caleb, or Corric."
Mina chuckled, wincing at the sharp pain that went through her head at the action. Mekhai noticed her wince and his smirk disappeared. He shouted orders to the remaining soldiers.
"Alright men, let's round up the survivors and bring them back with us. It's obviously not safe here, and there isn't much to salvage. They can return for their personal things and to bury the dead once the wraith have moved on."
Mina moved to help, but Mekhai returned her to the block she had been sitting on before. He ordered her to sit and wait for him to help her back. She was glad to listen to him, as she was beginning to feel dizzy from the pain in her head. Once everyone was gathered, Mekhai came back and helped Mina to her feet. He supported her as the large group made their way towards the gate. Mekhai had radioed ahead, so help was waiting on the other side. When they stepped through the gate, Mekhai transferred Mina over to someone else so he could help the others coming through the gate. Mina looked up and found herself in Caleb's grip.
"I thought you were going there to help the injured, not get injured yourself," he said jokingly.
"Well, the wraith apparently had a different idea."
Caleb guided Mina towards the compound, helping her down the stairs and to the infirmary. He sat her down on a chair as other patients already took most of the beds. Corric was stitching up an injured man's arm when he noticed her enter. He finished his stitching and told a nurse to finish up before making his way over to Mina.
"Why is it whenever there's a crisis, the time that I need you the most, you get injured?" he asked in exasperation.
Mina shrugged at his question.
"I don't do it on purpose. Just give me something for the pain, and I'll help you. I only hit my head."
"Only hit your head?" Corric asked in disbelief. "You know better than that. Let me see."
Mina leaned forward so he could look at the back of her head. He made a 'hmm' noise before pointing her in the direction of the med cabinet.
"It doesn't look bad. Once things calm down a bit, I'll get a better look at it. If you feel dizzy or your vision gets fuzzy, I want you to stop and sit down understand?"
"Yes sir!" she said, giving him a mock salute as she made her way to the cabinet.
Once the pain meds kicked in, Mina was able to pick up where she had stopped back in the village. Together, she and Corric were able to get through the injured much quicker. The light injuries they left for the nurses to tend to, focusing on the more severe ones. When they were finished, most of the people had been relocated to temporary living quarters, only a few remaining in the infirmary for observation.
Corric ordered Mina to sit down so he could get a better look at the back of her head. Shining a light on her, he pushed her hair away from the spot to examine it.
"You only need a few stitches. It's hard to see where exactly where the blood was coming from with your red hair. Luckily, I have lots of experience patching up Sora's wounds, so I was able to find it."
Corric spread a numbing cream around the gash before stitching it up. As he was working, the infirmary doors opened. Both Mina and Corric glanced up, the former muttering "oh no" when she saw her husband standing there.
"Mekhai told me that you were on your first off-world mission and were injured," he said with concern.
"Did he tell you how I was injured?" Mina asked.
"He said that a wraith attacked you."
"I was. And I was fighting him off pretty well for most of the fight. If I hadn't been dazed from hitting my head, I probably would have won."
"You hit your head?" he asked.
"She'll be fine," Corric reassured him, "she has a small gash on her head, and she likely has a concussion, but she will be fine in a week or two."
"Nowhere near as serious as a gunshot wound to the shoulder or burned hands and smoke inhalation," Mina said, glancing up at her concerned husband.
He narrowed his eyes at her in response before turning his attention back to Corric.
"I'm done," Corric said, "you can clean your hair, but you'll need help to keep the stitches dry. Make sure you sleep on your side. I'll write up an order for you to rest for a few days so your brain can heal from being jostled around."
He walked away to wash his hands and write up the order, leaving Mina alone with her husband. She sat up and looked at him, reaching for his hands.
"Are you terribly mad at me?" she asked, giving him a small pout.
Kolya stared at her for a few moments before stepping forward to embrace her gently.
"No. Frustrated and worried, but not angry. I'm glad you're alright."
Mina smiled as she returned his embrace, closing her eyes and resting her sore head against his chest. They were making progress.
A/N: Please review and let me know what you think! Reviews are writer fuel!