Trial And Error

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Kian's POV

The familiar hum of the car engine did little to calm Kian's nerves as she navigated the early morning traffic. Her fingers drummed an anxious rhythm on the steering wheel, keeping time with her racing thoughts. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, painting the sky in hues of pink and gold - a beautiful dawn that seemed at odds with the tension coiling in her stomach.

She glanced at the clock on the dashboard: 0550. She was making good time, maybe even a little early. Old habits die hard, she thought wryly. The idea of being late on her first day back was unthinkable.

As she turned onto the road leading to the base, Kian caught sight of her reflection in the rearview mirror. The woman staring back at her was a strange mix of the familiar and the new. Her hair was regulation-short, her uniform crisp and perfectly pressed. But there was a tightness around her eyes that hadn't been there before, a set to her jaw.

The base's main gate loomed ahead, a sight that had once been as routine as brushing her teeth. Now, it felt like a threshold to another world - one she had been absent from for far too long.

She steeled herself as she pulled up to the security checkpoint. This was it. The moment she'd been working towards for months. As she rolled down her window and presented her ID to the guard, Kian squared her shoulders.

The guard's eyes flicked between Kian's face and her ID, a flicker of recognition crossing his features. "Welcome back, Lieutenant," he said, returning her ID with a nod.

"Thank you," Kian replied, her voice steadier than she felt.

As she drove through the gate, the familiar landscape of the base unfolded before her. The orderly rows of buildings, the neatly trimmed lawns, the flags snapping in the morning breeze - it was all as she remembered, yet somehow different. Or maybe she was the one who had changed.

Kian parked her car in the designated lot, taking a moment to check her uniform one last time in the side mirror. Everything was in place, just as it should be. She took another deep breath, centering herself before stepping out of the vehicle.

The crisp morning air filled her lungs as she stood, surveying the bustling activity around her. Marines of various ranks hurried about their morning duties, some casting curious glances her way. Kian felt exposed, hyperaware of every look, every whisper.

"Kian? Is that really you?"

She turned at the familiar voice, finding herself face to face with Luka Watts. For a moment, Kian was stunned into silence. She hadn't seen any of her squad since those harrowing days in the hospital in Afghanistan. A wave of guilt washed over her as she realized how out of touch she'd been with her team, especially Holland.

The memory of their last moments together flashed through her mind - the explosion, the chaos, Holland's broken body being pulled up that mountain as she was being thrown. Last she'd heard, he was still in recovery, relearning how to walk after his severe head injury. The doctors had been pessimistic about his chances of walking again, but Holland was nothing if not stubborn.

Kian swallowed hard, pushing down the emotions threatening to overwhelm her. "Watts," she managed, her voice rougher than she'd intended. "It's... it's good to see you."

Luka's expression softened, seeming to understand the weight of the moment. "It's great to have you back, LT," he said, offering a supportive nod. "How is everything?"

Kian took a deep breath, steadying herself. "I'm... managing," she replied, her voice low. "How's the team? How's Holland doing?"

Luka's face lit up with a mixture of pride and relief. "Holland? That crazy son of a bitch is making progress. Doctors are calling it a miracle, but we all know it's just pure Holland stubbornness. He's walking with crutches now, even managed a few steps on his own last week."