Yesterday's Enemy [AoT]

ONE-HUNDRED-AND-TWENTY-THREE

'Havas, the military giant of the North, once independent of us and great in power, will henceforth remain a mystery to human eyes. We have always known little of our neighbour, and with the Scouts' recent failure, Havas takes its secrets to its icy grave.'

-An extract from a recent newspaper article.

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ONE-HUNDRED-AND-TWENTY-THREE

Wall Maria, North-West Region, Falkirk, Falkirk Military Hospital

The next few days passed laboriously for Lorelai. She soon became well acquainted with the new reality of her body.

The doctors had made it clear that she would never make a full recovery. In fact, they didn't know if she'd ever walk again— even with support.

It was like she'd been thrown into some nightmare that she'd never even considered.

Her whole life, Lorelai had never bothered to think about her body and the simple privileges she took for granted. She had spent most time cultivating her mind and always counted on her body's catching up.

Simple things, walking down the street, dancing in ballrooms, ice skating— all the simple pleasures that had now been stolen from her.

That was the worst part by far, but... the pain still hurt.

Though her left leg was now deep in a titan's stomach, sometimes Lorelai would start awake in the night, feeling sharp knives prick at her nerves as if the leg was still there. Phantom pain— not quite real... and yet real enough.

Lorelai's surviving leg was to be swaddled in casts for many coming weeks. But, at least she could count on using it again once she'd had time to heal.

Her ribs hurt the most.

Even unconscious things like breathing were now painful and strenuous. The bones had been cracked in multiple places, and though Lorelai was assured they would heal, the bones had become fragile and brittle, like glass.

Every breath created a stabbing sensation in her lungs. Laughing, sneezing, coughing, such little, simple things were now torturous.

Lorelai could do little more than lie in bed, clutch Levi's hand and float away with the pain relief.

He never left her side, not through all the pain or the checkups. Levi was a permanent, reassuring presence at her side.

She knew he was deeply worried for her, but Lorelai was also worried about him.

He took better care of himself, on her insistence, but Levi was so withdrawn, so despondent. He had never been particularly cheery, but this was different.

He barely smiled, not even for her.

Whatever had happened in Titan Country had changed him. And Levi refused to talk about it.

Where before they had carried their burdens together, he seemed now insistent on bearing it all by himself. He treated her as if she might shatter at any moment. His every word was soft and withholding; it was as if Levi didn't trust her anymore.

But, more than that, it was as if he didn't trust himself.

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"Alright, Lorelai, are you ready?" Thersa smiled, helping her sit up in bed.

"I've been bedbound for weeks. Hell yeah, I'm ready." She flashed her a winning smile, but, on the inside, her stomach was in knots.

Lorelai hadn't once tried to stand since she'd gotten into hospital. She had been fitted with a temporary prosthesis and was only going to walk with supports, but she was afraid.