Unbreakable Duty

Beyond Duty

Before Fahlada could dwell on it, the door to her room opened again, and a nurse stepped inside, holding a clipboard. "Captain Thananusak," the nurse said with a polite smile, "you have another visitor. Shall I let them in?"

Fahlada nodded, expecting another doctor or perhaps one of her superiors. But as the nurse stepped aside, her heart skipped a beat when she saw who it was.

General Phongpipat, the highest-ranking officer in the Royal Thai Armed Forces and Earn's father, stood in the doorway. His presence was commanding, as always, his uniform pristine and his expression unreadable. But there was something in his eyes. Something softer, almost reluctant - that Fahlada had never seen before.

She immediately sat up straighter, despite the pain that flared through her body. While her two friends stood up in attention to salute. "General," she greeted him, her voice steady as she saluted from her bed.

"At ease, Captain," General Phongpipat said, his tone formal but laced with a warmth that was rarely heard from him. He stepped closer to the bed, his eyes carefully assessing her condition. "How are you feeling, Captain Thananusak?"

"I'll recover, sir," Fahlada replied, her voice firm and clear. "I was lucky."

The General nodded, his gaze lingering on the bandages wrapped around her torso. "Yes, lucky indeed," he said quietly, his voice carrying a weight that Fahlada couldn't quite place. "We almost lost you."

There was a pause, heavy with unspoken thoughts. Fahlada remained silent, unsure of what to say, but feeling the full gravity of the situation.

"I came to thank you, Captain," General Phongpipat said finally, his eyes meeting hers. "For protecting my daughter. Again."

Fahlada's breath caught at the word "again." She remembered the last time she had saved Earn's life, during an attack that had left them both wounded. The incident caused Earn to have a scar on her chest. But what stood out most vividly in her memory was what happened afterward. When Earn, shaken and terrified, had clung to her, whispering words that Fahlada could no longer recall. Because when Earn had woken up in the hospital days later, she had no memories of what happened, nor the bond that they shared.

"I was just doing my duty, sir," Fahlada said, keeping her voice neutral. "I'm grateful that I was able to protect her."

The General's expression softened, and he took another step closer. "Your duty, yes. But you've gone above and beyond what anyone could have asked of you. Twice now, you've put yourself in harm's way for her."

Fahlada felt her chest tightened as she recalled the previous incident. It had been distressing, and she had barely escaped with her life. But the worst part hadn't been the physical pain. It is watching Earn struggle with selective amnesia that had taken away her memories of that day, and with it, the connection that they had.

"She doesn't remember again, does she?" Fahlada asked quietly, not entirely sure why she was voicing the thought out loud.

The General sighed, his eyes betraying a sadness that he rarely show. "She remembers everything that happened the other night, but no, she still doesn't remember what happened a year ago. The doctors said it was a defense mechanism, a way for her mind to protect itself from the trauma. She remembers you, of course, but not the... details."

Fahlada swallowed hard, her heart aching at the confirmation. Earn still sees her as her protector, her bodyguard, but nothing more. The trust, the closeness they had shared in that moment of crisis - it was all gone, erased from Earn's mind as if it had never existed.

"That must be difficult for you," the General said, his voice softer now, more personal. "But I want you to know that I'm grateful for everything you've done. You saved her life, Fahlada. Twice."