Unwanted Power: An Armin Arlert Love Story

17. Retreat

Some soldiers were in charge of retrieving the bodies of the fallen comrades. Others were in charge of feeding the horses and gathering supplies. Others, like Lexie, were tending wounds.

Lexie first tended to Eren's head, his healing was good, so he didn't need much. Mikasa stayed watching over him. Lexie then took a second look and changed the bandages of Armin's head. She looked down, but tried to focus on the matter at hand, which was healing soldiers,

"Are you ok?" Armin asked her.

"I'm ok, I didn't get hurt." She replied.

"That's not what I meant." Armin said, Lexie's movements paused for a second, considering his words.

"It's just disappointing. Feels like we sacrificed too many people and couldn't fulfill the mission's main goal." Lexie said, but then sighed. "At least we got some needed information, still, seems we paid too high of a price. That's how everyone will see it back home."

"Defeat is not a failure unless we don't learn from it." Armin offered words of advice he had read before. Lexie smiled sadly at him.

"You are wiser than many men, Armin." She said. Armin smiled softly back at her. "Thank you for your words. I'm glad you are safe." She gave Armin's shoulder a last squeeze before continuing to her next patient: Captain Levi.

Levi sat on the edge of a carriage, but refused to take off his boot. Lexie bent down and started touching different spots on his leg, trying to find the injury.

"Ouch!" Levi said after she pressed a little too hard in a spot.

"Sorry." Lexi said quickly and pressed softer. "At least it's not your knee, your tendon seems to be strained, it's probably already bruising and swelling. You should not put too much weight or force on it, but with rest, it should be healed in about three weeks, IF you. Mobility may be affected a couple months more, it will still hurt, but exercises will help. I can get you some painkillers when we're back."

"That's all right. Thank you, lady Lexie." Levi thanked. She nodded and offered him a small smile before she continued with other patients.

Lexie tended many arms, heads and legs form many other scouts. She was exhausted when she finished. She searched for Commander Erwin to report everyone had been tended to and see where she could be useful. Erwin was receiving the names of the fallen comrades.

"There are some we couldn't retrieve because of the titans. It's probably best for the families that we not bring the remaining parts back." Scout Peer reported.

"Say they're MIA." Commander Erwin said.

"Commander." Lexie called and he turned slightly towards her. "All injured have been tended. Where do you need me?"

"In your horse. We're moving out now. Tell all the squads." He told everyone.

"I cannot accept this, Commander Erwin." Scout Dieter complained. "We should recover them! Ivan's body was right in front of us!"

"A titan was right next to it!" Peer protested.

"So we fight! Ivan's an old friend. We're from the same town! I know his parents. I want to at least bring him home." Scout Jurgen argued too.

"If you confirmed he's dead, that's enough. Whether you have the body, dead is dead. It won't change anything." Levi said coldly.

"We'll say Ivan and the others went missing. That's my final decision. Give it up." Commander Erwin ordered.

Lexie watched the whole exchange carefully. She felt for the soldiers wanting to retrieve their friend's body, but that would be extremely dangerous, they can't afford more loses.