Let's Start Again

Chapter Four: Come Back Home

***Chp. 5 will be up in a little while, but definitely the same day as Chp. 4 (just trying to remove grammatical errors and stuff!)***

Levi's POV

When she had hit the ground, a large bruise had formed on Hanji's side. She had also broken a rib, but, other than that, she was fine.

Though his face didn't reveal it, Levi was relieved. While he was (still) hanging out in the hospital's waiting room, he thought about what Hanji had said in what little time she was awake.

You called...me Hanji. That...sounds nice.

"Why did she say that? Why does it matter?"

What bothered Levi the most was that he cared so much. It had to be because of his death. Before he died, he was rarely attached to anyone or anything. Petra was a rare case, but it didn't take Levi long to push her in the back of his mind. Now, she, like all the rest, was a grating memory Levi wished he could make disappear.

Hanji, on the other hand, wasn't even a soldier! Why did she intrigue him?

"Mr. Ackerman? Mr. Levi Ackerman?"

Oh, right, Levi remembered, several dozen eyes on him, I forgot – I'm surrounded.

"Yes, ma'am?"

The woman, an older nurse, smiled motherly and said, "Dr. Zoe wishes to see you."

Levi nodded and followed the nurse as she made her way down the hall and down another hall.

"She's been up for the past half hour" the nurse said, "All she was talking about at first was the Titan. She sounded so excited, and then she stopped mid-sentence and realized that she was in a hospital. When I told her how she got here, she was determined to see you."

"Determined?" Levi asked, his eye slightly bigger, "Why?"

"You saved her life, of course. If you hadn't picked her up, the crowd would've trampled her for sure."

"Oh. I never thought of it that way."

The nurse just nodded and smiled as she stopped at a door and led Levi into a room with five closed off sections. The first four were filled with sorrowful tears and pleas to keep living. The fifth one was filled with excited chatter. The nurse gave a look to Levi that said, 'She's been like this for a while', walked up to the curtain, and called out, "Dr. Zoe? Mr. Ackerman's here to see you."

"Hey! Let him in!"

The curtain was pulled to the side, and Levi took a seat next to the bed, eyeing Hanji awkwardly. A younger nurse had been entertaining Hanji, but scurried away the moment Levi made comfortable.

"I can't believe you're here!" Hanji exclaimed, "I mean, how long have I been out? And you waited that entire time?"

"Of course not" Levi lied, "I just came back to check on you, that's all."

"Well, thank you!"

Hanji didn't even seemed to be phased, and, if Levi would've allowed it, he would've chuckled.

"It was amazing! Did you see that – hey. You're wearing the gear."

"Huh? Oh..."

Wearing the 3DMG had so quickly became second nature that Levi forgot he had it on. Now that he realized it, it felt awkward.

"Um, yeah. I thought I'd help out."