Moments

Chapter 4: Lucidity

He couldn't believe it. She had actually spoken. And here he was, unable to string words into a phrase.
"- Wh... What?
- What is real?"
He didn't know what to answer. The fact that this girl who had acted like a madman was now uttering a question was... unexpected to say the least. He was thinking about getting Hanji. Leaving him to deal with such an unstable person wasn't the best idea, and he knew it. But he couldn't leave the room or else he might lose this moment of lucidity.
"- Are you real? She continued in a weak but stable voice.
- Yes.
- What if you're lying?
- I'm the one that pushed you earlier. If you felt something, if you felt pain, then that should prove to you that I'm real."
For a moment she hesitated, but decided to trust him. Her eyes surveyed the room. A room? Since when had she been here? She had that strange feeling that this place seemed familiar, but that at the same time she had no idea where she was. She desperately tried to put her memories in a chronological order.

Run. You ran. What happened? Why? What have you done?
Ride. You rode. Where? When are we? What is this?

"- Wait... Am I at the Survey Corps headquarters?
- Yes.
- Good... No, wait, how's my horse?
- It's fine. Certainly recovered faster, and better, that you did."
She didn't seem to notice or care about the sarcasm and just replied with a small, content smile.
Suddenly, she asked where her belongings were, almost screaming. Before Levi could care to answer, she saw her satchel and quickly grabbed it, looking inside to see if all was there. Everything seemed in place. So they hadn't looked through it...
Levi told her he had to get her to someone that she should talk to, and with that he scooped her up, exited the room and carried her to the library, where Hanji was usually found when doing research.
"- Hey shitty glasses...
- What is it midget?" She snapped, sounding still pretty angry at him, intensely focused in the reading of a book.
"- You may want to turn around.
- Levi, wha- OH MY GOD WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH HER?!! AND WHY ISN'T SHE SCREAMING?! WHAT DID YOU DO?! LEVI IF YOU HIT HER I SWEAR...
- Oh shut up four eyes. You'll scare her into becoming mute again.
- Again?! That means you... She talked to you?!!
- Yes."

She approached the girl, still in Levi's arms, prudently and introduced herself. There was no answer. She just stared right back at Hanji, who almost ordered Levi to take her back in her room. As he walked in the hallway, Hanji, who was beside him, asked the girl's name.
The answer was "Ivy Leighton".
"- That's a very nice name!" Exclaimed Hanji with a big smile. "So, um... There are some questions I'm about to ask that may be uncomfortable for you, but they are necessary if you want to stay here. You do want to stay here right?
- Yes I do."
In the meantime they had arrived back in the room. Levi sat her in the bed while Hanji pursued her interrogation.
"- How old are you?
- Seventeen.
- So you aren't part of the Trainee Corps?
- Never was.
- But when you first came here, you were wearing a Survey Corps cloak... How come?
- It was my dad's.
- So he was in the Corps?
- No." Ivy knew she expected an explanation, but she really wasn't keen on giving one. "Let's just say he was in the Corps for a short time, even though he never actually integrated it, to study your fighting techniques and military strategy."
That only left Hanji with more questions than answers. Like why would her dad study that in the first place? But she didn't feel like pressing.
"- We also found 3DGM gear on you, and it seemed very used. Did you kill any titans?"
What a question... She remembered that beastly murderous feeling, the wind on her face as she rushed to strike, the bloodlust and satisfaction as her blades dunked into their flesh, their disgusting blood sizzling off her blades... And the rush to find another one... To kill again and again...
"- Um... Ivy?" Asked Hanji in a worried voice.
Ivy looked at her, startled, and mumbled a "Huh?"
"- You sort of... Zoned out. I was asking if you have killed any Titans."
Right, now the discussion came back to her.
"- Oh... Yes.
- Do you know how many?"
- How many..." There came the memories again... She shuddered.
"- Hey, it's okay." Said Hanji in a comforting voice that came naturally to her, while rubbing her hand on Ivy's back, who pushed herself away more violently than she wanted to.
"- I'm fine..." And then realizing she was being insufferable to kind people: "Thanks though."
There ensued a moment of silence, then Ivy said:
"- I think around ten to fifteen.
- Well shit. Finally spoke Levi.
- But... How could you have killed so many titans if you're not even in the Corps?
- I just did. I believe that's not part of the questions you were supposed to ask me.
- Sorry, my curiosity got the better of me. She said with an awkward smile.
- As usual... Groaned Levi."
Hanji's eyes threw daggers at him.
"- Anyway, I should go report this to the commander. Levi, the nurse should be coming in around half an hour, at lunchtime, but since you are lucid Ivy, maybe you'd like to join us.
- Yes." And realizing she's being detestable again: "Sounds good."
- Perfect! See you there! It was great meeting you!
- Likewise."
After Hanji left, head buzzing with questions, possible answers, theories and observations, Ivy took the time to properly observe the room. Stone walls and floors, a window with a chair and a smell desk next to it, a wooden closet and a stool with her satchel placed on it, next to the bed, which seemed to be hesitating between identifying as a one or a two person bed.
This room made her feel horrible for some reason. Caged up and claustrophobic.
"- How long have I been here?
- Five days. I think."
Now the room made her feel lazy and useless too. She couldn't lay in bed forever. So she put her bare feet on the chilling floor and tried to lift herself up. For a few moments, she held steady. But as soon as her balance center changed when trying to move a leg, her strength suddenly disappeared and left her falling down.
Levi didn't even have the time or the will to intervene. He just helped her get up, calling her a fucking idiot, and tried to take her in his arms. But before he could lift her, she pushed his hands away.
"- Don't take me. I can walk.
- You obviously cannot.
- But I...
- You're in no state to walk so if you could just shut the fuck up and let me carry you it would make the whole process quicker."
She complied, feeling somewhat shameful and useless, and let him carry her through the hallways and to the dining room, the same room where she had first made her appearance.

~~~~
Thank you again for reading and a huge thank you to those who have supported me so far! I'm glad you're actually enjoying this fanfic!
I've already started writing chapter 5, it will be in-between the first two chapters and the last two chapters length-wise.
But I'll be pretty busy so I don't know if I'll have the time to finish it this week...
And I didn't post a drawing... Oh well XD