Chapter 22

Patton's POV

My body felt warm, but my chest felt really heavy. I was still out, and I wasn't sure where I was. It was too quiet to be in a battle or Father's Mansion. I could feel cold hands pressing on my body, and my eyes slowly opened, and came into focus. Fanny was leaning over me, examining my bright red burn on my chest. I startled her when I met her eyes.

"Numbuh 60-T, you're awake." She stated, picking up some burn cream.

"Where are we?" I asked a little dumbly. She smirked.

"We're back at the Arctic Base." She said calmly, rubbing my body in the cream. It stung a little, then a soothing sensation came right after. "Numbuh 362-T called a retreat before the worst could happen. Guess it was a good thing though, a lot of operatives went down."

I groaned. "I should've been helping you, instead I wind up being a nuisance."

"Don't be stupid. Had it not been for you, 362-T wouldn't have been alive." Fanny replied, helping me sit up to strap my chest with bandage. "Though, I don't think you'll be doing much working with this injury."

"Well, isn't that what a TND operative does?" I smiled, remembering the time Fanny guarded Hoagie.

"We take hits for each other?"

She smirked, and I guess I was right. "Well, I guess so. It'll just be annoying that I'm gonna be doing all the work for a while, and you get to relax."

I frowned. "Wait, how long you think I'm gonna be stuck in here for anyway?"

"Only a few weeks." She replied, helping me get my singlet on. "Don't worry, I'll be fine to work alone.

But if you try anything before you're ready, you'll be stuck here a lot longer."

She helped me put my jacket back on, then a single question started to bug me. "Say 86-T, how long was I out for? I don't remember anything."

She seemed to want to avoid my eye, but answered anyway. "Well, about a week…"

"What?!?" I replied, getting up quickly. "Why didn't you do anything to wake me up?!? I can't believe you let me make you do all the work, and the cadets…"

"Are fine." She cut me off. "You don't need to worry. Everything was under control. And Numbuh 3-T recommended that I leave you until you were ready to wake up. Nurse's orders in other words."

I grumbled, and one of the younger operatives popped her head in shyly. "Numbuh 60-T? I got a message that someone's here to see you.

They're waiting outside for you."

"Alright, tell them I'll be there soon." I replied, and I got the hands on hips from Fanny.

"Didn't I just say…aww, never mind. Just get out of my sight."

"Yes ma'am." I joked, and walked out of the room and down the hall. I came to the outside of the base, and Rachel was standing at an aircraft. I recognized her blonde hair and her old orange jumper she always wore.

"Rach?" I questioned. I received no answer, but instead she ran and flung herself on me. I was caught off guard, and fell back into the snow. She looked down on me, and I just looked in confusion.

"What are you doing here?" I asked as we got up. She merely looked down at her feet for a few moments, then took a deep breath to speak