They returned to headquarters that same evening after the ceremony at Mitras, and Lena had to stop by the infirmary before dinner. She was looking forward to seeing Amalia, since she was all that was left of the Survey Corps other than themselves.
"Hello, Amalia," she said as she arrived, rapping a couple of times on the door with her knuckles.
The nurse was curled up on a couch reading a book by the light of one of the crystal lamps. She looked up at the sight of her and a brief smile tugged at her lips, the joy of which didn't reach her eyes. She, too, seemed to be too tired and discouraged, being acquainted with the events of that week.
"Hi, kid," she said, leaving the book open on the sofa and getting up. She walked over to Lena and, to her surprise, gave her a short but heartfelt hug. "How are you?"
"Better," said Lena, following her to one of the stretchers after separating from her unexpected display of affection. "Sorry to bother you at this hour, we just arrived."
"Not that I had anything else to do," she replied, as scathing as ever.
Lena really wondered if she had anything else to do. Where did she live? Did she have a family? How had she ended up working for the Survey Corps?
Amalia quickly went into nurse mode, bringing her tray with gauze and ointments closer as Lena took off her shirt.
"Your first war wound, huh?," she remarked matter-of-factly as she removed the bandages.
"Yeah..."
A silence settled between the two at the mention of the battle. Lena sensed the concern the nurse was trying so hard to hide behind her hard, distant facade.
"How's it been here...?," she asked cautiously. "These days..."
"Well... It was nice having someone back, saved me from having to look for another job...," she said sarcastically as she moved the lamp closer to her shoulder to take a better look at it.
Lena wondered how many misfortunes she'd had to experience to develop such nerves of steel. She almost envied her coolness.
"A piece of wood got stuck in your shoulder, I understand," she said as she applied ointment to the wound with cold but delicate hands.
"Yes, that's what I understand too."
Amalia raised her eyes as she heard her and then lifted the lamp to her forehead.
"You hit your head too, didn't you?" She looked at the scar that was beginning to form just at the hairline, above her left eye.
"Yes."
She ran a gentle finger over the wound. "This one looks better." Then she returned to her shoulder. "This one's coming along well, too, but it looks like it was complicated. They were right to send you to Trost directly, it looks like the wood broke and you got splinters in it. I wouldn't have been able to do much here."
Lena felt a slight shiver. She had really been in danger. "It doesn't hurt so much anymore," she said as if to reassure herself that everything was going to be all right, but her voice came out too high-pitched.
"Yes, it's healing well, don't worry."
Lena looked down at the wound. Right between her right collarbone and her armpit. Dark, large, ugly in contrast against her fair, smooth skin. She imagined herself wearing Sasha's shirt, the one that left her shoulders bare. Now she could never wear something like that, no one would want to see that hideous mark.
"Am I going to get a scar?," she asked in a weak voice.
"Yes," Amalia said bluntly, as she grabbed some clean bandages.
YOU ARE READING
Honey and Sky | Jean Kirstein x OC
Fanfiction"As she looked at him, Lena wondered if she had ever seen him like that. His hair golden in the sun, his eyes shining as they watched her with concern. His slanted, green eyes. Were they green? No, more like... light brown. It was the first time Len...
