Promise Me | Book Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

Eren's POV

Limping around the medical centre on one foot and waiting for service isn't fun. The amount of sick people here is insane, and it almost makes me feel bad for coming in just for my foot, when some are paralysed, have legs amputated, broken bones and worse.

I could imagine Armin winding up here, helping people out, and he might even be here. I hope he is... I need to find someone I know. My best friend. And the fact that he is still alive continually blows my mind, and the fact that Mikasa...

I forcefully push the thought out of my mind. I shouldn't think of her now.

*

After around an hour or so of waiting, somebody finally comes to my aid, asks of my issue, and hands me some crutches to use.
"What's your name, sir?" The woman asks, taking her pen from her pocket to use on her board. "Eren. Eren Jaeger," I say, peeping over to see if anybody else's names were on there.
"Excuse me, Miss? Do you know of a man called Armin Arlert? He's a Descender like myself, and... I need to find him." I say, my voice cracking at some points and my voice has never felt so weak.
The woman looks up from the board as if she had seen a ghost. "I know of that name. He came in not long before you did. A few hours ago, I believe, but he has most probably le-" She mutters, quietly.
"Please, share all details you have!" I yell loudly, and the room is silent. I feel heat spread across my face like wildfire, and I cover my mouth with my hand. I mutter, "sorry," under my breath, and the room's volume begins to steadily rise again.
I feel myself cool over.

The woman signals me to follow her, and like a deer on ice, I waddle across the floor, still not used to the crutches and my lack of body strength.
"Also, Mis-" I begin before a thick strand of hair dangles in front of my face, and I flick my head back to try and move it back. "Do you have a hair tie?"

*

I expected to have seen Armin at this point, or at least heard something from him, but of course, I had to get my foot treated beforehand. I grip onto the bed so tight and the sweat beads drip down my chin as the doctor ruthlessly rubs a wipe (an antibacterial) across the base of my foot and the pain is excruciating.
I'm trying to contain screaming and the urge to move my leg, but my leg is tied to the bed and grunting seems to relieve the stress without waking the whole medical center from my cries.

From what seems like forever, the doctor leaves my foot and comes back briefly, then wrapping a bandage around my foot, with additional padding.
"I'm sorry, son," he says, "there's been no anesthetic. It's all out, and we have no where near enough to supply it to every single person. It needs to be used for those who need surgery."
I nod, understanding. As he undoes the belts, I hop off the bed, retaking the crutches into my possession.
"Thank you, doctor. I'll be taking my leave, now." As I am about to leave, the man makes a final remark.
"Be careful out there, and try and find yourself a place to stay and some better clothes. It can be very dangerous for an injured man like you, down here."
I nod once more, taking the corridor down. Clearly, the nurse had probably gone to attend other patients and have forgotten about Armin.
But, the tension and atmosphere of this medical center really makes me want to leave. She suggested that he had probably left anyway, and I'm sure I would have seen him by now if he were here.

Pushing the door one-handed, I step out into the dusty air of Dystopia, had been expecting a fresh breeze prior, obviously forgetting where I was.
I turn left, I turn right, and I wonder where it is I go from here. I don't know where I am, and I know no one, and have seen nothing but 'bad' since I've landed down here.
The blood in my foot still tingles from the intensive wiping, but it feels a lot better than it had; I was bleeding out all over.
I was lucky. I could stop an infection, before- unlike all those other people- needing to have my foot deprived from me, and that, I'd hate. This is my real body now, I can't screw this one up.
At this point, only do I truly realise the weight of this situation: my Titan abilities do not exist, Holo takes humans despite the fact he doesn't need to, at all, everyone alive in the sim is still there, unknowing, and everyone I've seen die has a great possibility of being alive, today. The thought of all this makes me weak in the knees, but thanks to these crutches, I feel less vulnerable but more disabled.