Cornered

Healing 2

Connie watched Armin during the transfusion. At first it didn't seem like anything was happening. He tried to hold still but he was too worried. He wanted to get up and pace but the needle in his arm and his knee would have made that impossible. Instead he looked around at the room, looking at everything. The sound of Jean's agonized screams was horrible to listen to. He wished he could go help, or at least know what was going on. Then they slowed and stopped. His anxiety built as time continued to pass. He tried to distract himself by going back to looking at the objects in the room but he couldn't concentrate on them. Finally Mikasa and Eren came back. Eren looked furious but Mikasa was her typical even keeled self.

"What happened?" Connie asked. Eren glowered but before he could answer Mikasa spoke.

"He's experienced too much pain. He needs to rest awhile." Eren turned to her in surprise. Mikasa had recalled the words Doctor Jeager said to her when he comforted her after her parents had been killed. Eren too recognized those words, but Mikasa's face showed no expression. Connie looked from one to the other in confusion.

"Is he okay?" he finally asked.

"Yes." Eren answered. "He's sleeping now." The silence stretched between them all as they fell into their thoughts. Connie was worried about Jean. He'd never heard him scream like that, even when he'd gotten hurt during training. Connie realized that he was staring at the objects in the room again. It only took a few minutes before he'd thoroughly examined everything there was to look at. He stared at the ceiling for a while still worried about Jean. Then he looked back at Armin. Still he didn't see any change. The doctor came in which helped break the silence that had hung in the room like a shroud.

"How are you feeling?" he asked Connie.

"I'm fine," Connie replied. The doctor checked Armin's pulse writing down a notation on a pad in the room before telling Connie he'd be back soon. He left and everyone watched him leave. Mikasa and Eren stayed until they heard the rattle of wagon wheels outside. Then they left to help the wounded. Connie was surprised to find he was getting a little dizzy, and his mouth felt dry. There was a lot of movement outside his room as the arrivals were brought in and their treatments started.

Connie was grateful for the distraction. He glanced over at Armin. It sounded like Armin's breathing was easier. It was still too quick and shallow, but it didn't sound quite so desperate. Connie took that as a good sign because his headache was getting considerably worse. This time when the doctor returned he mentioned it and that he was thirsty. The doctor checked Armin's pulse again as well as his previous notations on the pad. He wrote down another notation, then stopped the transfusion. Connie waited patiently for the doctor to finish bandaging Armin's arm, before he came to do the same for Connie.

"Will he be all right?" Connie asked as the doctor worked.

"I think his chances are pretty good. I'll keep an eye on him for the next several hours to make sure he doesn't regress." Connie nodded. Once the doctor was finished bandaging and cleaning up he poured Connie a glass of water and brought over a stool as a sort of side table. He handed Connie the glass and Connie gratefully sat up to drink. It felt wonderful and he asked for another which the doctor got him. He drained half of that one as well before handing it back. The doctor topped if off then set it on the stool next to Connie.

"You'll need to drink plenty of water to replenish the blood you gave. Also I wouldn't recommend standing up for the next several hours. Rest, get some sleep if you can." Connie nodded his understanding. When the doctor left to look after his other patients Connie did his best to sleep. It wasn't as hard as he had feared it would be and soon enough he was blissfully unaware of his surroundings.

Landen stayed with Levi until the assistant determined it was time to remove him from the ice bath. Much of the ice had melted but there was still a fair amount of it in the water. Landen ran to the hallway and called softly for Reiner. He knew many of the wounded would have been treated and were likely trying to rest now as best they could. Thankfully Reiner heard him and came, poking a curious head into the hallway. Landen beckoned to him and he came over.

"Would you mind helping us with Levi?" he asked. Reiner shook his head and followed Landen to where the assistant was just setting down a few towels. They both reached into the water lifting Levi's limp body out and onto a table where they began quickly drying him off. He was shivering before they were finished. They wrapped him in a robe while the assistant checked his pulse. Reiner was happy to hear that his breathing sounded steadier. Once the assistant had written down some information on his pad he asked them to follow him and they lifted Levi. The assistant lead them into a darkened room. Reiner noted there was another patient in the room by the sounded of steady breathing, though it had a terrible rasp to it.

They laid Levi down in the available bed then Landen draped a blanket over him. Levi's shivering was subsiding as his body temperature rose and the assistant was monitoring it to make sure it didn't rise too high. Landen came over to Reiner so he could whisper and still be heard.

"You can go now if you like. I'll come get you if I need you again." Reiner nodded and left the room. As he exited he saw that Eren and Mikasa had both found places to curl up and get what sleep they could. He had no doubt that they would wake at the slightest sound of disturbance. They were probably only half-asleep as it was. He followed their example curling up in the corner of Bertholt's room and resting his head on his knees.