Commander's Rounds

Entry 31: Down and Out

Friedrich was hard at work in the kitchen of the commander's headquarters residence, and she was being helped by Lexington. Normally the commander would be making things for himself, but this was an unfortunately special occasion.

The commander was sick.

This was a rare occasion for him, but when it did happen, it tended to make up for all of the other times that it didn't. At this moment, Shangri-La was in his office handling the organizational details that the commander couldn't, on account of the fact that the commander had only a passing awareness of his real surroundings at the moment.

"My poor child... I'm surprised this doesn't really happen more often, considering how much he can overwork himself."

Lexington went to work. "Vestal says that the bark is worse than its bite. As bad as his symptoms seem, he's not really in any danger, he's just going to be out of sorts for a little while."

Friedrich gave a nod. "So Vestal came by before... Who else has come to see him?"

Lexington made sure to mind the incomplete soup as Friedrich went along putting things together. "Vestal came by, of course, and Atago was here earlier- she let him pet her ears to help him keep his bearings on what was real, but she had to go. However, Taihou was here way before any of us."

Friedrich paused. "Oh? How did she know?"

Lexington giggled. "Well, who knows the commander's morning routine on every day of the week in exacting, minute-by-minute detail, and can tell immediately when there's a worrying deviation?"

"...I see." A thought crossed her mind. "Ah, dear Taihou... She may end up getting a rude surprise in the near future. But that's not a matter that we can do much about- it's something the commander will have to figure out how to settle."

Lexington went back to quickly get the ginger tea ready. One thing that went unsaid, since they had all experienced it, was that Taihou was refusing to let anyone into headquarters who wasn't there to help the commander. She had even hastily installed extra locks to make sure that even anyone who had a key couldn't get in on their own. "For now, our sweet commander needs some help. Just what sort of state was the commander in when Taihou arrived?"

"Oh? It was quite something, honestly." Friedrich even needed a moment to say it with a straight face. "Ah, she said that the commander was mumbling something about how he needed to head to port to command the Grand Fleet, or the Iron Duke would leave without him."

"Oh, my. He certainly needs some looking after, then." Lexington stopped to ask a question. "...So if the commander is your dear child, and I'm his big sister, I wonder what that makes me to you?"

Friedrich didn't even need to think to respond. "Well, my sweet idol, what would you like it to make you?"

"Hmmm~"

It was a conversation that would have to continue later, because King George V showed up as well. "My apologies for not coming sooner- I was still in a meeting with her majesty when I heard the news that the commander was ill, and was rather stunned when Howe turned me around and pushed me out of the throne room. She hardly needed to do such a thing."

Lexington smiled. "Perhaps she wanted to show how much she supported her sister's less-than-royal activities? It's part of having a cute little sister- and isn't that what Howe is to you?"

The Royal battleship gave a nod. "She may also have been putting on a show for her majesty." She then had a rare moment of allowing herself to look embarrassed. "I must apologize double for leaving you two to do the cooking for the commander. It ought to have been my doing."