CHAPTER 3: THE MALADY

"Col. Lady Une, I…I have some request…if that's okay with you?"

"Yes, what is— Sally, are you all right?"

"That's what I came here for. I'd like to ask..if I could resign from my post as a member of the Preventers?"

"What's the matter with you? Are you all right?" Lady Une now was apprehensive. The organization had faced a major crisis that moment. Some of the agents had disappeared from the field, and others had died from their missions. And now, Sally was asking for Une's permission to resign.

"I…I'm not feeling well. I've had my period for a month now…and I need to see a doctor. I can't go on working like this forever. I'm sorry…" And Sally broke down and cried.

Lady Une went to her. "I…I understand. You can resign immediately. I know it's hard looking for a replacement, but I'll manage this. Please go home now, Sally. You don't look really well. You're too pale. I'll call Nikol and have him send you home. I'll also tell him to clear your office too."

"Thank you very much, Col. Lady Une…"

As Sally stood up, she felt that her head was light. Her vision seemed to double. And so, she decided to sit down again and held on the chair. Lady Une pressed a button from the table, calling Nikol's attention. When her right hand went inside the office, Lady Une gave her instructions. And so, Sally was brought home.

Nikol and his other agents began clearing Sally's table, leaving the room with only Wufei's belongings. Lady Une then began making contacts with ex-OZ soldiers, some ex-Federation Alliance soldiers and some civilian volunteers and urging them to hurry and apply for the position Sally vacated.

The next few days had been tough since Lady Une had to start over again with orientation. But since the person who applied was an ex-Federation Alliance soldier, it took her just a short time to let him know the details of the work as a Preventer.

Lady Une decided to visit Sally in the hospital a week after she left. When Sally saw Lady Une, she could only let silent tears fall.

"How are you now?"

"I had…endometriosis…and I need to undergo surgery to get the blood clots in my lower sigmoid region and in my pelvis."

"Will I notify Wufei about this?"

Upon hearing Wufei's name, Sally closed her eyes and allowed more tears to fall.

"Please don't…don't let him know. I don't want him to worry about me…"

"But he's your partner."

"Even so…I can't let him be dragged to this. I've decided to…to…" and she kept silent.

"To what?" Now, Lady Une was about to discover something she never knew about her subordinates.

"…to forget about him…"

"Nani?"

Sally wiped her tears and looked up at Lady Une, her eyes clouded with so many questions. Lady Une could see that there was something bothering Sally.

"If you love someone…and yet he never cares at all, would you still continue with that feeling of unrequited love?"

Lady Une was taken aback. She felt like some thorns were sticking on her throat. Yes, she had indeed felt the same way before. She did everything that her object of affection wishes. Treize Khushrenada had his way of charming her so much that she can't say no to his whims. She always managed to please Treize, even when he orders that certain nations be annihilated just to satisfy his lust for war and power. Lady Une knew that she was crazy about Treize. Yet, when she knew that he had a daughter from a former love, Lady Une got hurt. Yet, she never showed it to him. After Treize's death, Lady Une adopted Mariemeia and brought her up to become a warrior. Little did Lady Une know (she never knew until Treize died) that Treize also had some feelings for her. Oh, the pain of unspoken love!

"I…I don't know, Sally…I've had that experience before…but I still loved him even though he had Leia and Mariemeia in his life…"

"You mean…you…and Treize…?"

Lady Une nodded. She didn't know whether Leia died or not. All she knew that Mariemeia was introduced to her as Treize's daughter. If it had been a perfect relationship, she'd be the mother to such a beautiful child…with a handsome and loving husband to complete the picture.

"I didn't know if Master Treize cared for me. But all I know is that I'm happy I did all I can for his happiness. I only wished that he'd love me like the way I loved him. Yet, I never had experienced such bliss. I regretted so much that I didn't tell him how I feel. I don't know if he knew my thoughts…but I wished that he'd feel the same way for me too…

Sally looked down to her clenched fists. She never knew exactly when her infatuation for Wufei began. Did it start when they first met? Yet she was 19, and he was 15. All she knew was that she enjoyed picking up on him than on the other pilots, especially Heero. Wufei was near Sally's camp when he felt depressed after beaten up by Treize in a duel. It was Sally who bid him come and stay with them for a while. Wufei went to the public market with her to procure some food for the rebels. He had managed to save her life from the harassing Federation soldiers. And he had saved her when she managed to stand up against the OZ soldiers. And she remembered the next time they saw each other. Sally and Heero just came from Earth, bringing Trowa's Gundam Heavyarms with them. When they saw Altron Gundam floating in space, Sally decided to make contact. Wufei heeded her call and went with them. When they were already aboard Peacemillion, their fight began. She couldn't forget the way Wufei humiliated her and Noin being women. Yet, they became friends afterwards.

Sally was also the one who recruited Wufei to join the Preventers. They were appointed as partners, and Sally was secretly happy. She indeed had a liking for the Chinese pilot. Yet, no matter what she did, Wufei would get irritated. She still remembered the jokes they shared, especially when she picks on Nataku and threatens to turn Nataku into a cat. She was also fond of cajoling about his hairline. Sally admits that the jokes were childish, yet it was the only way she could get to know her partner even more. And though some of the agents had developed hatred to Wufei's cold reception and uncaring attitude, it was Sally who withstood his demeanor. What she hated about him was his constant stubbornness and his unwillingness to call her Sally. Onna, Onna, Onna… that word just gets into her nerves.

"I did care about Wufei. I liked him. But I don't know how he feels for me. We've known each other for a such a long time now…I don't know if it's love now, or just plain infatuation. Yet I feel hurt every time he calls me Onna. I feel hurt when he's in trouble. I'm troubled if he doesn't tell me what's on his mind when we do our mission together. I only wished that he was more sensitive to my feelings. Yet, I don't know if he knew. If he did know, it seems that he preferred to be dense about it.

"Yet, eventually…a girl's heart will grow weak…it will…surrender. I'm…giving up on him now. I have no more hope left in me. My unrequited feelings mean nothing now…"

"Wakatta… when you discharge, where will you be heading?"

"I don't know. Maybe, I'll stay here for good, I guess. I'll just see how my body would respond to the medications."

When Lady Une had finished her business, she went out of the room. She handed Nikol a check, instructing him to pay the bills for Sally.

A few days after, Sally was discharged. She decided to return to China to recuperate. Well, her family lived there too. Since then, no news about Sally had ever reached the Preventers HQ. Until now…

TO BE CONTINUED