Keep you safe [Eruri]

8: Return to Trost - part 2

Just as Erwin had told him, Hange and Finn Webber appeared outside the door of Levi's temporary room at eight o'clock. Hange flashed Levi a light smile.
"Heya Levi. You're not going to like this, but we're taking you down to a wagon. Please don't fight us." Hange stepped forward cautiously, as if Levi was going to attack them.
"I know. Erwin told me this morning," Levi sighed. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, ignoring the huge amount of pain this caused him. "So, let's get this over with."

Hange looked at Levi softly. Levi was known for being a tough one. He didn't like people touching him or making a fuss. He especially hated getting attention. So even though his attitude towards the two helping him stank, Hange was thankful for him complying.

"Captain! I hope you're recovering well!" Webber saluted quickly. His fringe had grown out so Levi couldn't properly see his eyes, but he knew that they were shut tight.
"Please. Spare the formality. Just call me Levi and help me down to this damn wagon." He said grumpily. Webber stopped saluting immediately, brushed the hair out of his eyes and rushed over to the bedside to help Hange.

Thankfully for Hange and Finn, Levi was very light. They both took a side, put one arm under his arms and another under his legs, and lifted Levi up carefully from the bed. He winced a little; his ribs still ached, having not healed properly yet.

"So. How you feeling? Got any rest?" Hange asked at they walked out of the door slowly.
"Who are you my mother?" Levi spat in return, earning a disappointing glance from Hange. "Sorry. I'm fine. As for rest, I've slept for a total of seven hours over the four days seven been here." Levi tried again.

"Seven hours!" Hange exclaimed with a worried voice, nearly dropping him.
"You try sleeping with three broken ribs and a broken ankle. You don't know the amount of pain I'm in." Levi grimaced as they started walking down the stairs one at a time.

"If I may say," Webber butted in, smiling as he spoke. "You handle the pain very well, sir. You don't seem like you've been hurt at all by the way you're acting." The cadet looked up into Levi's eyes and smiled, as if he was impressed with this fact.
"I told you to drop the formality." Came the response. Webber looked down, disappointed and muttered something like 'sorry. Force of habit.'

This struck something in Levi. Who did he know that was overly excitable, sweet and innocent looking with a smile that was almost infectious? Who did he know who complimented everything he did?

Isabel.

Who he saw in Webber was Isabel. He was just like her, except from the fact that he was male. He had her eyes, but his hair was a different colour, and it wasn't long. Everything about his personality was like her. Levi's heart ached. He thought of her face, the one that lay without a body that day in the mud. He thought of the 'dream' he'd had recently. Sadness took over him, and he didn't speak again until they'd reached the wagons.

•=•=•=•

Levi opened his eyes to the sound of rattling wheels on rough terrain and the sight of shining stars above him. He was lying down on the bottom of a wagon, with Miche and Nanaba sitting at either side of him.
"You're awake." Miche observed.
"Yeah. What are you two doing here?" Levi asked, trying to sit up.

"Don't try. You'll only hurt yourself more." Nanaba quickly put her hand on Levi's chest lightly. He rolled his eyes and obliged.
"As for why we are here, Erwin told us to sit with you until we got back to Trost." Miche explained. Levi frowned.
"Why you two though? Your talented and skilled soldiers. You need to be out on the field, not sitting here with me."
"We appreciate the compliment, captain. But titans can't move at night, so there's no point in us riding horses." Nanaba told him.

So, Hange's theory was correct, huh? Levi deduced. Hange had been on at Levi about their theory that titans were immobile in the dark of night. They said they could prove it, and they would so that Erwin could finally be convinced that the idea of leading an expedition at night wasn't a bad one.

Levi, Miche and Nanaba rode along in silence for a while. Every so often, the wagon would hit an uneven piece of land, and it would bump, causing Levi's ribs to cry out in pain. Every time Levi winced, Miche scolded the person at the reigns, who apologised profusely. Levi couldn't believe it. All this fuss over him was pathetic.

It wasn't long until the person at the reigns turned round to report that they were almost at Shiganshina district at the edge of wall Maria. Both Nanaba and Miche sighed a huge sigh of relief. They knew that as soon as they passed those gates, they would be safe from titans. The only thing left to do after that was to get to Trost, and get Levi healed up. Levi could almost feel the tension leave the wagon.

Just as Hange has predicted, no titans could move to attack them in the night, therefore it was the first time in forever that the scouts had returned without any casualties. At that fact, Levi could relax. It didn't matter that he was out of commission if no lives were lost. And as they passed through the gates to shiganshina, Levi smiled the tiniest smile.

•=•=•=•

The ride back to Trost was fairly uneventful; there were no titans to fight or bumpy roads to worry about, so the atmosphere throughout the formation was a calm one. The wagon stopped and waited with the rest of the scouts for the gates to Trost to open, and as they did, Levi found himself grateful.

His mind wondered back to a few days ago where he was almost eaten by that Titan. In all honesty, at the time, in that moment where he was knocking on death's door, he didn't think he would ever return to Trost district, or the walls. He thought for certain that he would die alone, just like his friends and comrades before him had.

And then he was saved. Never did he think he'd need to be, but he was thankful to Webber and Erwin for rescuing him. No matter how much they protested, he was forever in their debt.

Word count- 1106

Kind of a boring chapter but they're finally safe!

Get this guy some medical help stat.