"Are you feeling better now, Master?" Belfast asked as Isaac looked up at her. Nimi looked up at Isaac from his lap when she heard the question.
"I'm calm at the moment. Would one of you follow me? I need to tend to my own duties." Isaac said.
"With all due respect, your duties can be handled by Odin. If you need more time, you need more time." Belfast said.
"I'm okay, I swear." Isaac said as he lifted Nimi off his lap and stood up.
"I will accompany you. Let Nimi go get some rest." Belfast said as Isaac looked her way.
"Alright. I guess I can't really protest an escort. Nimi, you have the rest of the day off. Go and get some rest." Isaac said.
"I think I'll go visit Lord Bismarck. She seems to not have any idea what happened after she sank, so I'll go and fill her in." Nimi said as she summoned her fish and held it to her chest.
"It looks like your fish followed you from your display." Isaac said with a smile.
"It helps keep me calm when you're not around." Nimi said softly.
"That's cute." Isaac said as Nimi released the fish and allowed it to float around freely. It floated over to Isaac who took the opportunity to touch it, as it was the first time, aside from Friedrich, that he had ever touched any of his girls' rigging.
"That feels so weird. I know it's made of metal, but it has almost... the feeling of something truly alive." Isaac said.
"It is meant to give me the feeling that you're right there with me. His name is Isa." Nimi said as she stood up and grabbed the fish.
"That is quite interesting." Isaac said softly as he stood up and gave her a kiss before she left the bridge.
"Master?" Belfast asked.
"Yes, what is it, Belfast?" Isaac asked as he turned to face her.
"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Belfast asked.
Isaac smiled softly at her.
"No. Honestly, I don't know. But this fleet is depending on me to give direction and to keep you all safe. So I just have to keep going." Isaac said.
"Master... You have to stop lying to them. If you're not okay, set up an alternate command system to take over until you're back on your feet." Belfast said as she came face to face with Isaac.
"Belfast..." Isaac said.
"No buts, Master. If you go down, there is not fleet left for you. And all of your hard work will either die or go to someone else." Belfast said as she stuck one of her fingers to Isaac's chest.
"You're right... and I know that. But I can't spend all the time in the world just lazing around trying to make myself feel better. I still have a job to do." Isaac said as he went to the changing room on the bridge and took off his bloodstained uniform.
"And what will you do if you space out in the field? Or if you have another episode during battle and are left unable to command?" Belfast asked through the door.
"Belfast... you're right, okay? But what am I to do? Every time I begin thinking about that video, or what happened that day, I just... lose my mind. I get thrown back into that room and have to watch it all happen over and over. If you and Nimi hadn't done what you did, I'd still be standing on the docks like an idiot, trying to claw my way out of my own memories." Isaac said as he put on his jumpsuit.
"Okay? So accept it. It happened. You can't change the past." Belfast said as a knock came to the door of the Norfolk's bridge.
"Is the Commander in?" Bremerton was heard from the other side of the door.
"He is. Do you have business with him?" Belfast asked.
"No, but I overheard some of the Ironblood girls talking about PTSD and the Commander. So I figured I'd come to see if he was doing well." Bremerton said.
"Please. Come in." Belfast said as she opened the door.
"Is the Commander here?" Bremerton asked.
"He is, he is currently changing, but I believe having you here can help him." Belfast said.
"What do you mean?" Bremerton asked.
"By his own admission, he knows he is suffering with this, but refuses to seek help because he believes he has to be the head at all times." Belfast said.
"That's not good, Commander." Bremerton said as she knocked on the changing room door.
"Bremerton, I'm changing, can it wait until I'm done?" Isaac asked.
"Commander, if this is an issue, you need to get the help to take care of it. MacArthur put me in charge of his unit's medical corps. I've gotten good at talking soldiers through their issues to get them back in the fight." Bremerton said.
"Then if you can help, please do. We are on the clock and we are running out of time. I can't be put out of command any more than I have, or we will fail." Isaac said.
"We don't want that." Bremerton said as Isaac opened the door. He stepped out and was about to close the door when Belfast slipped past him and collected his uniform.
"What are you going to do with that?" Isaac asked.
"If you let it sit for too long, the blood will ruin your uniform. I shall take care of it while you talk to Bremerton." Belfast said as she left the bridge.
"Well... I guess since you're here, we should at least try to make some headway." Isaac said.
"I can already tell you're used to difficult situations, Commander. You're opening up much easier than the soldiers I'm used to treating." Bremerton said.
"How so?" Isaac asked. He walked to the steel chair and sat down, prompting Bremerton to sit on the table off to his side.
"Most of the boys won't even open up or admit they have a problem. But I overheard you talking with Belfast and you've done both already." Bremerton said.
"So... how does this go then?" Isaac asked.
"Well. First, you have to admit that you actually did order the torture of Oceana." Bremerton said, noticing Isaac's eyes begin to glaze over. Before they got too far gone, Isaac managed to pull his arm across and pinch himself hard.
"I... I did order her torture..." Isaac said as he maintained grip on his skin.
"Why did you want to torture her?" Bremerton asked.
"... She murdered Nimi. We were ambushed, the girls made sure I got out, but Nimi got grabbed before she fell too far." Isaac said as he began remembering the events leading up to Nimi's death.
"And that scared and angered you?" Bremerton asked.
"I... went back in, leaving Friedrich and Eagle to fend off a horde of cultists... I searched the top floor for Nimi, but was ambushed again." Isaac said as tears began to form in his eyes. Bremerton noticed how tight he was pinching and placed her hand on his.
"You're going to cause more damage if you squeeze any harder." Bremerton said as she eased his hand into hers, allowing him to squeeze her hand instead.
"She had Nimi by the neck... I aimed my rifle and tried to find a way to get Oceana without hitting Nimi... She used Nimi like a human shield... and... and..." Isaac squeezed harder, only letting up after hearing the joints in Bremerton's hand crack.
"I'm so sorry!" Isaac said as he noticed her hand.
"My hand was stiff, Commander. Your squeezing just loosened it up a bit. Please keep going." Bremerton said.
"I... I don't want to hurt you." Isaac said.
"Commander! I will not allow you to leave until you get this off your chest. Keep pushing." Bremerton said as she grasped his hand in both of hers.
Isaac hesitated for a second before nodding.
"Oceana broke Nimi's neck right in front of me. Her last words were that she loved me." Isaac said softly as Bremerton rubbed the back of his hand with her thumbs.
"So that's where the anger came from. It isn't wrong to get angry from something like that. If something happened to Baltimore, I'd feel the same way. and after what MacArthur did, I was angry. So don't think that you can't get angry over such things. It's only natural." Bremerton said.
"And then we caught her." Isaac said.
"And what happened when you captured her?" Bremerton asked.
"You were there... I hit and kicked her for her comments made towards me and Nimi." Isaac said as he looked away, ashamed of his actions.
"Don't run away now. Did it make you feel good to hit her?" Bremerton asked.
"It... did. It helped relieve some of my anger, especially since I knew that Vengeance was working to bring Nimi back." Isaac said.
"And yet you ordered the torture anyway?" Bremerton asked.
"I did. Part of me wanted information and knew torture would be the only way... but the other part wanted her to feel the pain that I felt when she killed Nimi." Isaac said.
"So you had her...?" Bremerton asked.
"I ordered her to be taken to the Bulin Workshop here on the Norfolk." Isaac said.
"Why there?" Bremerton asked.
"The Bulins have become very good at violence, and they do what I ask without question of morals." Isaac said.
"So they've become the perfect torturers? Mindless and Soulless?" Bremerton asked.
"No. I don't think that at all!" Isaac said, slightly offended at her remark.
"So you admit that they too could have doubts about what they're doing?" Bremerton asked.
"They seem to enjoy violence... That's all I've noticed. They work hard and want to fight with the others. So I let them." Isaac said.
"Well, we can deal with that later. Moving on, now comes the hard part. What did you do once they took her there?" Bremerton asked.
"I... I can't. I don't want to remember that." Isaac said.
"If you won't tell me..." Bremerton said as she hit a button on the side of the table, bringing up the footage from the torture.
"Turn that off!" Isaac yelled as she pressed play.
"No, Commander. The first step to helping you, is forcing you to admit that this was completely within your control. Because from what I've heard from you, I don't think that you are scared of what you did. You're ashamed and you think it was out of your control. So you're scared it'll happen again. So watch!" Bremerton said as she watched the footage, making sure Isaac was watching as well.
"Odin, come in." Bremerton's voice came over the radio.
"What is it, Bremerton? How is the Kommandant?" Odin asked as she stopped sweeping the deck of her ship.
"We are making excellent progress, but we will be here for some time. Could you pick up his end until I am finished in here with him?" Bremerton asked.
"Of course." Odin said as she dropped her broom and walked down the gangway into the port.
"I guess I should take care of MacArthur. Isaac doesn't need any more problems today. I have a feeling he'll be out of it until tomorrow anyway... I might be able to cheer him up tonight though." Odin thought aloud as she stumbled across a scene unfolding in front of the Missouri.
"USS Arizona." Admiral Nimitz spoke loud and clear as he locked eyes with the Union Battleship.
"Admiral?!" Arizona asked, clearly shaken up from being called out so suddenly.
"It is an honor to finally meet you." Nimitz said as he walked over to Arizona.
"It is, Sir?" Arizona asked.
"Yes it is..." Nimitz said as his eyes welled with tears.
"Allow me to offer my deepest of apologies to you and your sister." Nimitz said as Arizona looked at him.
"You have done nothing wrong... why are you apologizing?" Arizona asked with an innocent smile.
"Because we of the Union Navy failed you both." Nimitz said.
"I don't..." Arizona said as the words got caught in her throat.
"You were the only ship we could not raise from that fateful day. You were one of, if not the very first to sound the alarm of invasion, an action that stirred the base into action and saved not only Battleship row... but Ford Island as well. For that... as Fleet Admiral of the Union Navy, I want to honor the sacrifice you made on the day that will live on in infamy." Nimitz said as Arizona's eyes were drawn to the decks of the Iowa and the Missouri.
"Sailors! Salute!" Nimitz yelled as every sailor aboard the two vessels slowly raised their hands in a salute to the Union Battleship standing before their Admiral.
Penny came out to see the what all the commotion was about and froze by the bunk tent when she saw the ceremony taking place in front of her.
"USS Arizona, Naval High command has granted me the ability and the honor of presenting you two of the most coveted of awards for your service to the Union." Nimitz said as he reached into the lapels of his uniform and pulled out two black boxes.
"For your bravery and Valor on the field of battle, and the the injuries sustained in the fight for our country. I, Chester Nimitz, Admiral of the Union Navy, award you the Purple Heart." Nimitz said as he presented her with the opened black box, containing the medal.
"Admiral... this..." Arizona tried to speak before Nimitz shook his head. He took a moment to wipe away his tears.
"And, for your bravery, honor, and going above and beyond the call of duty, to not only ward off the attack on Pearl Harbor, but for the lives you undoubtedly saved that day, I, Chester Nimitz, Admiral of the Union Navy, also award you the Congressional Medal of Honor. These medals are usually presented by the president of the United States, but due to these troubling times, this will have to do. We thank you for your service." Nimitz said as he gave a salute to a now crying Arizona.
"This... I don't know what to say..." Arizona said as she tried to hold in her tears but failed.
"You don't have to say anything, Ari." Pennsylvania said as she came up to support her sister.
"And to you, Pennsylvania. We of the Union owe you an apology." Nimitz said.
"We were unable to raise your sister and you were forced to move on with the memory of losing her on that fateful day. Not many could do what you have done. And that alone deserves my most humble of apologies." Nimitz said.
"Admiral... I have my sister back. Any hard feelings have been washed away by that fact alone. But I want to thank you for giving her the recognition she deserves." Pennsylvania said.
"It only felt right. So during all the fighting, I managed to gain the favors needed to do this." Nimitz said with a tip of his cap.
"Thank you Admiral..." Arizona said softly as she had Pennsylvania help her pin the medals to her uniform.
Odin smiled as she wiped a tear from her eye.
"Even in the Fatherland, rumors of the Arizona were heard. I am glad she got the recognition she deserved." Odin said to herself as she made her way towards the Iowa.
"Lord Bismarck?" Nimi asked as she walked through the corridors inside the battleship.
"Nimi?" Bismarck's voice came from the med bay down the hall.
"Lord Bismarck, what are you doing in here?" Nimi asked as she rounded the corner and let go of her fish. "556!" Nimi cried as she ran over, only for Bismarck to block her path.
"Please... stand back a bit." Bismarck said as she kneeled back down next to 556.
"Lord... Bismarck... Who's there?" U-556 asked.
"Parzival. It is Z-23. She has come to visit." Bismarck said softly as she gently brushed 556's hair with her hand.
"Bismarck... she needs to see a medic." Nimi said softly.
"I need to help her myself. I left her alone that day. Operation Rheinübung was the worst mistake I had ever made. So I promised that I wouldn't leave her alone ever again." Bismarck said.
"Bismarck. You have no medical training. Please... I think it could also help the Kommandant if he has something else to focus on." Nimi said.
"What could he do? She has no arm. she's missing an eye. How could he help?" Bismarck asked.
"Vengeance was missing an arm too. Yet somehow they made her one that she could use just as good as her old arm." Nimi said.
"So you will speak for his ability to help her?" Bismarck asked.
"You can stay with her the whole time. He won't deny you that." Nimi said.
Bismarck sat silently for a few minutes before gently scooping U-556 into her arms.
"I want to see her up and about again, with that same smile she used to wear so long ago." Bismarck said as she held U-556 close to her chest.
"Then come with me. We're going to go and get her the help she needs." Nimi said as she grabbed her fish and led Bismarck above deck.