Marine Academy
Part 1
Chapter 6
"The immobilization is precise and clean. I'll let you close it." Her professor, who must have been at least three times her age, glanced distractedly over her shoulder.
Murphy could feel the sweat on her forehead. She had been in the operating room for three hours, supervised by a second professor, for her very first trauma surgery, her final exam of this third semester.
The exercise was childishly easy for any trauma surgeon, but seemed like a mountain to climb for the student. She felt the tension leave her body and give way to heavy fatigue when her professor rang the end of the evaluation. She quickly sutured the wound, put away all her equipment and proudly grabbed the validation report for her exam.
She had been in trauma internship for three months. Since Sakazuki's departure in fact. The blonde had worked day and night tirelessly to validate this internship and be able to start the fourth semester. The theoretical exams had been a mere formality thanks to her study with Emma, who was also taking her final exam at that very moment.
She pushed open the swinging doors, threw her sterile single-use outfit in the trash and ran into the shower, enjoying the warm contact on her skin.
The blonde began to think about the soldier for a moment. She had learned yesterday that the second-year candidates had just returned from their mission at sea. She had felt a great joy and a deep relief at the idea that Sakazuki was back on the same island as her. But the blonde had not wanted to disturb him, she had not dared to call him, he must have been exhausted too, and his exam must have taking up all his mind.
Besides, she hoped that he would call her on his Den Den Mushi to tell her about his mission or to encourage her for her exam. But he had never called her.
It had worried her for a good part of the night: was he injured? Just busy? Had he moved on in her absence? Had he thought of her at least once during his mission, as she had never stopped thinking about him? Or was this simply proof that it was a one-sided relationship that ended as soon as she stopped investing herself?
In any case, he had not called her, neither when he returned nor the next day, and he had not sent her a single letter. Maybe he was busy…
She got out of the shower after about ten minutes, exhausted. She quickly put on comfortable clothes and rushed into the night, leaving the Academy hospital to go to her dormitory.
Obviously, completely obsessed with her exam, she had left without an umbrella. Murphy put on her hood and started running through the gardens to get back as quickly as possible.
The lights of her dormitory began to emerge in the night when she saw a silhouette at the entrance, under an umbrella. She continued her run, giving a discreet nod to the stranger to greet him respectfully, but as she was about to rush into the building, she felt a hand grab her wrist, stopping her.
Murphy felt her heart race, a deep rage starting to ignite deep inside her. She was exhausted from her day, she was cold, she was soaked, she was hungry, and she only dreamed of one thing: to end this damned day by going into her bed and sleeping for the next fifteen hours.
So the blonde really didn't want another soldier to come and get her in trouble, especially today. It wasn't uncommon for "brainless soldiers" as her roommates liked to call them, to walk around the girls' dormitories to force them to talk to them.
As she was about to insult the man's entire family line, she felt him push her lightly so that she would end up under the umbrella.
Murphy then recognized the warmth of that hand around her wrist. That oh-so-unmistakable smell. She recognized that silhouette even in the darkness.
"Good evening." The man said.
The blonde had almost found herself glued to him to benefit from the protection of the umbrella. She stood there speechless for a moment, examining Sakazuki's facial features. He seemed a little tired, but still had that self-assurance that characterized him so much. Her gaze locked on his, she still couldn't manage to say a word.
"So, this exam?" He continued.
"You..." She began, still a little unsettled. He gave her time to get her ideas back in place.
"You..." the blonde continued. "You leave for three months and you don't give any news?" She exploded. She felt tears of anger and fatigue welling up. "I really thought that...".
Sakazuki interrupted her.
"Sorry." He seemed sincere. "I had orders not to communicate with the outside world."
Of course, he had followed orders. He always followed orders.
Murphy felt a few tears escape. She prayed that the man would confuse them with the rain.
"I'm sorry." He repeated a second time, his eyes fixed on hers.
The blonde sniffed discreetly. Silence returned between them. She then noticed that he was holding a plastic bag. The smell of ramen and hot soup tickled her nose. Sakazuki noticed her inattention and handed her the package.
"So this exam?" he asked.
She looked excitedly through the bag and spotted two boiling bowls, her favorite drink, and a shrimp cake .
"Ninety out of a hundred." She replied before biting into the cake.
"Congratulations."
She smiled at him.
"By the way, I'll need you tomorrow. And, all weekend, actually." She said as she opened the bottle of tea. Sakazuki looked at her questioningly.
"You have two days to teach me how to exercise. My third-semester physical exam is Monday."
The man stared at her for a second.
"Wait, you absolutely didn't train for..."
"Not at all! No time! Or the desire, really..." She interrupted him.
"See you tomorrow, Saka, thanks for dinner." Murphy stood on tiptoe, quickly kissed his cheek, and rushed into the building, leaving the man at the door. The blonde climbed the stairs in a few seconds, entered the room and threw herself on her bed, Sakazuki's blanket on her knees, devouring her bowl of ramen with pleasure.