"I'm impressed, Matthew!" Yanov whistled, watching the nurse expertly dab away at the blood and apply pressure on the cut of his patient's leg as the doctor stitched it shut. "You haven't been with us very long and yet you take to the patients like fish take to water."
"Yeah, honestly my first impression of you was of someone uptight and queasy." Sarah added ruefully. "I was so sure you would freak out and vomit at the first sight of blood – I even made a bet on it with the other nurses. Blood, pus, piss… anything of the sort counts."
Matt frowned. "I'm not bothered by blood or gore." He said, masking his rising annoyance with his co-worker. "Some cases might be more disturbing than others, but I am desensitized to most of it." I should be by now after fighting so many zombies!
Sarah sighed. "Good-bye twenty bucks."
"There! That should do the trick!" Yanov stepped back after he was done stitching the patient's leg. "Take it easy in the next few days and you should be good as new and back to training in no time."
"Thanks, doc!"
The three of them left the patient's room, peeling off their gloves into the nearest bin when they were approached by a soldier.
He dipped his head toward them. "Greetings. I've come to inform you that the Red Leader has selected you three to accompany him to his meeting tomorrow." He handed each of them a scroll. "The chopper leaving for the nearest base will depart from the hangar tomorrow at 7AM sharp. Take whatever belongings and necessities you must with you."
"Thank you, Officer." Yanov nodded.
"How exciting!" Sarah gushed as the soldier stalked away. "It's a really high honor to be chosen to accompany Red Leader on one of his missions! Sadly, not many get the chance to do so."
"Why is that?" Matt blinked.
"Who knows? Red Leader is a very private man and since his accident a few years back he has never left the security of the base. Only Commander Paul and General Patrick get the honor." Sarah shrugged. She flicked her hair and changed the subject. "Funny that you would be chosen to go though. You're barely qualified to heal, much less so out in the field."
"Good thing he won't be going alone then." Yanov murmured as he walked past them.
Thankfully the conversation died down and Matt released a sigh of relief. Did Sarah already suspect her leader of favoritism towards him? He wasn't exactly being discreet during his visits to Tord's office, but he'd hoped nobody had taken notice.
"Alright everyone," Yanov gathered the infirmary staff. "As some of you may already know, me and a select few of you will be heading to the meeting tomorrow. In my absence, I leave Kendrick in charge of the infirmary. Those of you coming with me should start stacking up supplies for the field – I have compiled a list of items we'll need. Those of you who'll stay behind will carry on as usual. I trust you all to look after the patients in my stead."
As the crowd dispersed, Matt and Sarah were tasked to go through the supply cabinet and pack up the items listed. They worked mostly in silence with the occasional excited whisper from another nurse passing by over the prospect of the mission.
And although Matt liked gossip, he was more intent on performing the current task at hand. Being the Red Leader's best friend had its advantages, after all!
"Look!" Sarah suddenly nudged him. "The Generals are here."
Matt looked over to where she was staring at and saw Paul, Patrick, and a blond man walk into the infirmary. Paul and Patrick went off somewhere together, while the blond glanced around as if looking for something. His eyes brightened when he spotted Yanov and he walked over.
"Hey, Yanov!"
Yanov looked up from his work with a small smile. "Good morning, Yuu." He murmured. "How are things holding up in your department?"
Yuu scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "More chaotic than usual these days." He replied. "Red Leader requested weapons for his mission tomorrow, and my team is hard at work to fulfill that delivery in record time."
"That's inconsiderate of Red Leader to ask so much of you in such short notice." Yanov tutted.
"It's fine. I like the heavy workflow anyway." Yuu cleared his throat, meeting Yanov's eyes shyly. "In the meantime, I came to check up on you… and your staff! I wanted to see for myself whether the last delivery of prosthetics came in according to your liking."
Yanov chuckled. "They did. Thank you, Yuu. I know I can always count on you to bring in the best parts for our patients." He said. "Thanks to our combined efforts, soldiers can resume a happy, normal life."
"They are adorable, aren't they?"
Matt looked away from the scene to stare questioningly at Sarah. His coworker was watching the pair with amusement dancing in her eyes.
"They think they are being so subtle with their crush on one another, but really, everyone and their mother in this army is just waiting for them to announce they've become a couple." Sarah told him matter of factly. "After the Commander and General Patrick – because no one can top the army's ultimate OTP – I'd say General Yuu and Lieutenant Yanov are a good contender for close second."
"Oh?" Matt blinked. "Surely there are plenty of other couples around the base?"
"Of course! Relationship drama is what we thrive in our spare time around here, and with so many of us in one space there is plenty of drama to go around." Sarah said. "But none of it is quite as juicy or entertaining as the higher-ups. Sometimes I think the Commander and General Patrick enjoy being the power couple of the army. No wonder they plan to get married in a big ceremony for the whole army to witness!"
"What about Red Leader?" Matt dared ask. "Does he… you know?"
Sarah chortled. "You mean if Red Leader is pining after someone? We wish!" She moved over to the fridge to pack up on blood bags. "Red Leader rarely shows emotions these days. Sometimes we wonder if he's more machine than human since the incident. Before I joined the army, there was talk of the Red Leader and the Commander being a thing, but after General Patrick came into the picture the rumor died off."
"And how would you feel if Red Leader had a special someone? Hypothetically, I mean."
"Hmm… It would be exciting, I guess. Knowing our leader isn't some empty husk would also be extremely relieving. It's just so hard to imagine though! The great Red Leader falling head over heels for someone else; his black, little frozen heart thawing out with love. Lord knows plenty of girls around here have tried to seduce him to no avail!" Sarah lowered her voice. "I swear, that man has the emotional range of a wall. Nothing gets through to him. I wonder if he's simply not interested in romantic relationships?"
Matt frowned at her choice of words, but couldn't quite disagree with her either. Tord has lived so long in the Red Leader mindset he's become emotionally constipated; constantly afraid of coming across as weak to his own soldiers if he let go of the mask.
He opened his mouth to prompt her for more information, when a large hand clapped him on the shoulder.
Paul beamed at him. "Hello there!" He nodded to Sarah. "Mind if I borrow your coworker for a little while?"
"No, sir." Sarah dipped her head.
"Splendid! Come along." Paul gestured for Matt to follow him.
Sarah shot Matt a sly look as he walked away and whisper-shouted, "maybe they'll invite you to a threesome!" To which Matt promptly ignored and shook his head.
He followed Paul to a secluded corner of the Infirmary. Surprisingly Patrick was there waiting for their arrival, arms crossed over his chest. Matt hesitated when he caught the glare in the General's eyes and he briefly wondered whether he did something wrong to upset him.
"Hey." Matt waved at him shyly.
Paul settled next to his fiancé. "Sorry to take you out of work this suddenly," He said. "Patrick and I have been talking recently, and well… there is something he'd like to talk to you about."
"What is it?" Matt asked.
Rather than answering, Patrick was just staring at him with a deep frown on his face. Needless to say, it unnerved Matt to no end. He always perceived the General to be calm, smart, and friendly. What did he do to make him so cold all of the sudden?
"Luv," Paul whispered, worry shone in his gaze. "Would you prefer if I left the two of you alone and give you some privacy?"
His words seemed to stir the General out of his thoughts and the man sighed heavily. "You're fine, Paul. My apologies." He fixed his gaze on Matt. "It's come to my knowledge that Tord has been seeking your council lately."
Matt tipped his head. "Well, I wouldn't call it that per se." He said uneasily. "I visit Tord whenever I can; mostly to chat and catch up. I would never advise him on army matters!"
"Regardless, in these meetings of yours, Tord would ask you for advice on his personal affairs." Patrick replied coolly.
Frustration welled up inside of Matt. "Yes? I'm his friend. What's so abnormal about that?"
Patrick sighed. "Nothing, I suppose. It's just-" He shook his head sadly, his anger melting away to a look of frustration of his own. "Red Leader would ask me for advice in the past. It was a common theme for us. He would struggle with his emotions, and he would come to me for advice. I tried my best to help him see it through, but-"
"But?" Matt pressed.
Paul placed a gentle hand on Patrick's shoulder to calm him. Pat shot him a grateful glance and recomposed himself.
"But he never took any of my advice quite as seriously as he does yours. I admit, part of me is… Jealous." Patrick murmured finally. "I know I shouldn't – you have been a part of Tord's life since you were babes, while I came in later on. But still… I thought we were friends, too. Does my opinion mean less to him? I see the way you've slowly been changing him for the better. And don't get me wrong, I am happy for him. I have been trying to get him to see reason for years, and if you can get through to him so be it. I just wished he would follow my advice just as vehemently as he follows yours."
Matt was stunned to his core. "Pat, I… I never meant to undermine your friendship with Tord. I'm sure he respects you, too! He just… has a hard time getting his priorities straight, is all." He said. "He values you just as much. But you have to understand that Tord is going through a hard time right now. He is struggling to maintain his relationships as Red Leader and Tord both."
"That's what I told him!" Paul exclaimed proudly.
"Tord would follow your advice if he could, but he is often thinking a million thoughts at once. Surely you must've noticed that by now?" Matt ignored the interruption. "You can probably tell by now that emotions aren't exactly Tord's strong suit. I'm sure if you were honest about your misgivings to him personally he would tell you the same thing." Though how sensibly he'd tell you that is another story.
Patrick lowered his head. "I know. Tord is… well, there is only so much space in his heart for all his friends at once. Especially when he acts as Red Leader." He sighed. "Please, understand, I hold no grudge against you nor am I scolding you for helping him. I am glad, in fact. I merely wish to discuss my feelings with you in person. Sorry for the scare, and thank you for understanding where I'm coming from. It really means a lot to us."
"Don't mention it." Matt nodded numbly. "You… really care a great deal about him, huh?"
"Of course I do! Was there ever any doubt about that?" Pat said, bewildered. "Tord… has helped me out more than I could ever repay him."
"Helped both of us." Paul added with a fond look towards his fiancé. "He even brought us together in a way! When Pat and I were fumbling around with our feelings, Tord forced us to talk it out. We might've never done so without his input!"
"If you ever need our assistance for anything regarding Tord, you can count on us to help!" Patrick said. "I'm serious. Paul and I have been looking forward to pay off our debts of gratitude for a long time now."
"Now that we got the unpleasant stuff out of the way," Paul began. "What we really want to tell you is to keep up the good work! Both as a nurse AND as Tord's friend. You're doing us a great service by helping him. We feel that he is improving; trying to come out of his comfort zone, it's just… going to take a little while. But we see the effect you've had on him!"
"Indeed. And we've come to check on you, knowing that we'll all be accompanying Tord to his meeting." Patrick continued. "Red Leader will do his best to talk with your friend and make peace. But… if things don't turn out well, we will have to go to war with them."
"We won't." Matt promised confidently. "Edd wants peace as much as you do."
"Even so, we can't put off the possibility that a war between our groups is on the horizon." Patrick said. "If that happens, we need everyone to be ready. You will be expected to heal your comrades out in the field… you might even have to fight your friend, if necessary."
"You really think so?" Matt's breath quickened. He hadn't thought about facing his former group in battle before. Could he really kill someone?
"We're worried. We don't know what is going to happen in that meeting. We certainly hope for the best, but… we don't know what Green Leader will do next." Paul murmured, his gaze darkening. "We'll know more once Red Leader's spoken to him, I suppose."
"Then shouldn't we wait before we start preparing for battle?" Matt asked. "If all goes well we might find there's no need for any of it."
"Do you really think we should?" Patrick leaned closer. "Our home is at stake. Most soldiers in the Red Army have devoted their whole lives to the organization, and it's all they've ever known." He held Paul's hand.
Matt narrowed his eyes.
Pat pressed on. "What if Red Leader and Green Leader can't find a peaceful compromise?"
"Then we'll have to fight." Matt's belly tightened with dread thinking of the scenario. Best friends shouldn't fight! But what can be done to stop this? Edd and Tord must solve their differences. It's the only way! Matt dipped his head. "Okay. I'll be ready when the time comes." He conceded grimly.
Patrick nodded. "It's better we're prepared for the worst, just in case."
Paul dipped his head. "We'll be leaving tomorrow morning. Get ready." He said. "See you around, Matt!" He and Pat walked away hand in hand.
Matt watched them leave, anxiety churning away at his thoughts. He and Tom worked hard to figure out the best course of action to get Tord and Edd to reunite and stop the war in a peaceful manner. A battle mustn't happen, no matter what. If it does, the group has no chance of recovering ever again.
Please let everything go right in that meeting!
On his way back to the supply cabinet, Matt stopped in his tracks and hid behind a corner.
Down one of the corridors, he spotted Red Leader conversing with a chubby woman wearing the typical patient gown; their heads bent close together, deep in conversation. Matt observed them for a couple of heartbeats. It's not uncommon for the leader of the Red Army to check on the patients from time to time, but somehow Matt detected this was a different matter altogether. Sadly he couldn't hear what they were talking about from this distance.
The woman appeared nervous in the presence of her leader, one hand over her stomach and the other holding an IV drip, shaking her head profusely as though she was upset by something said. Red Leader seemed to appease her mood by holding one of her hands in his robotic one, looking grim and solemn.
Matt couldn't believe his eyes. He fled the scene in a hurry before he was caught spying, and immediately went back to his designated task.
Sarah glanced up from her work. "So… did they invite you to a threesome after all?" She teased.
Shaking his head, Matt didn't bother granting her a proper reply and busied himself with packing essentials for the trip. He hoped his face conveyed nothing; however Sarah cast him a concerned look and dropped the humor altogether and Matt knew at once his face was drained of all color.
I can't believe this! Matt thought, anguished. No. I must've seen it wrong - Tord wouldn't cheat on Tom. He loves him so much! Then his hands trembled and he grit his teeth, straining against the metal jaw. That jerk! If Tord is a filthy cheater then he is going to get a piece of my mind!
He wouldn't tell Tom about this yet, for obvious reasons. But Matt might cash in on Paul and Pat's favor sooner than he thought.