"Come on, I'll walk you to your compartment so you can rest. How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine." With that, Ilia took a deep breath and made a determined gesture: "I'm immensely happy your group found me. And I can't wait to be of any use to you. I want to help you. Like I really, really wish to help you..."
Again, a glimpse of dazzling beauty flashed in the face of the young woman when smiling. This made Chanaia wonder what had happened to the girl before she lost her memory. Then, when she took Ilia's elbow to guide her to the cabin, the skinny girl stumbled. At that moment, Chanaia felt the girl's skin practically burning: Ilia had a very high fever.
Chanaia was alarmed, thinking that the young woman's physical condition wouldn't withstand such a high temperature for long. She needed the first aid kit on board. The good news was that they would arrive at the base the next day. So they would be able to take Ilia to the medical center to be properly assisted. Trying not to show her concern, Chanaia thought Ilia probably needed an IV drip due to her malnutrition. It was late at night when Chanaia left the young woman dozing in one of the crew cabins. She had to resort to several methods to control Ilia's body temperature. In the end, after administering oral medication, she had finally managed to quell the fever.
As she turned around after closing the door to the room, she almost bumped into her brother, who was coming in that direction. His hand went up to her mouth to silence her gasp of surprise.
"How's our new crew member feeling?" Asked Chanon.
Chanaia exhaled sharply; he'd managed to scare her to the core. Then, she looked at her older brother with a stern face. If Chanon thought she didn't know what was going on between him and Atalaya, he was sorely mistaken. The truth was, she couldn't explain how her brother had gotten into that kind of situation with the young woman. And in the middle of a mission to begin with! Being as straightforward as he was when it came to missions.
Chanaia's frown quickly turned into a tired expression; she was exhausted. So yes, the topic would be left for another time. Thinking like that, she took Chanon by one arm as she led him out.
"She's more stable, but she'll need attention as soon as we get to The Base."
Saying this, Chanaia looked at him. Sometimes she was sure her brother had inherited all the good looks their parents had to offer. They both had jet-black hair and eyes, but that was as far as the similarities went. She wasn't even pretty, while Chanon was practically a magnet for attention.
"Has she done anything out of the ordinary...?" Chanon asked impassively as usual.
"Is that all you care about?"
Looking slightly embarrassed, her brother finally made an impatient gesture, but finally smiled at her tenderly. With one of his large hands, he ruffled the hair in her bangs, a gesture he'd done since they were little.
"Go get some rest, little sister. I'll take care of the girl."
Chanaia appreciated his cooperation. She'd actually planned to go get Armin to watch over the scrawny new girl. But the truth was, she didn't feel like calling the girl. Chanaia didn't want to interrupt anything, given that Armin and Mak would be snuggled up in their bedroom by now.
"That's very kind of you. Thank you, Captain." She said half-jokingly, "I left the medicine near the head of the bed, in case the fever rises again."
With that, she started to walk away as her brother began to open the door. Then Chanaia retraced her steps and called to him: "I think you've found someone exceptional, Chanon. She's been through a lot, she doesn't even remember anything before she fell into the mines a few months ago..."
"You have been talking..."
"I've filled her in on almost everything. The girl hasn't even mentioned that she wants to enjoy her newfound freedom. She's committed to the cause; she wants to help wholeheartedly."
In response, Chanon nodded and entered the room, carefully closing the door behind him to avoid making a sound. Once inside, the captain lifted a chair and placed it near the head of the bed, again taking care not to make the slightest noise.
The girl slept soundlessly, breathing heavily. Chanon's eyes turned to the young slave's gaunt face. And a familiar feeling took over him. He was angry and restless. Heavens, she looked like a corpse, with her high cheekbones and hollow cheeks. Chanon couldn't help thinking about how much people suffered in that ruthless world. His burning anger began to stir once more.
As he clenched his fists in an effort to control himself, he noticed the girl moving.
Ilia turned around, causing the pillowcase to slide off, exposing her back. He was then surprised to see that she was naked beneath the covers.
At first, Chanon didn't know what to do. Damn! Chanaia should have warned him. He immediately felt guilt over seeing the girl in that state. The girl's spine and every rib were completely marked. Her back looked as emaciated as the rest of her. He needed to cover her quickly. So, diligently, Chanon took out another sheet and began to cover the girl. As he did so, he couldn't help but notice a small tattoo on the right side of her hip. It was done with a brilliant red ink and had the shape of a graceful, burning falcon. After this, his eyes wandered to her face. Then, with surprise, he saw that the girl was awake; her humiliated gaze fixed somewhere across the room.
For the first time in his life, Chanon shuddered, disturbed by a woman, and with difficulty, he cleared his throat in his embarrassment.
"I covered you in time, don't worry. I saw nothing." Heavens! Chanon thought. Then his heart sank when he saw the girl getting paler. Good heavens, he needed someone to get him out of this mess.
"I'm sorry..."
He heard her say, and something squeezed Chanon's chest. So he rushed to clear her up:
"There's nothing to be sorry about, rookie. As your captain, I give you my first order: rest now. I'll watch over you. Tomorrow we'll take you to the hospital. You'll be safe with us. And you will get better soon. I promise."
It was fortunate that the girl nodded without looking at him. She turned her back after securing the first sheet under her arms and covering herself completely with the one he'd placed on her. However, suddenly she turned and looked at him.
For his part, Chanon was stunned, not knowing what to say.
"I was in the quarries again, in my dreams... I was there again. I really don't want to go back to sleep." Ilia said. She felt strangely embarrassed. It was the first time she'd ever felt that way. The captain was looking at her with an expression that ranged from worried to sad. And Ilia hated that he felt sorry. She had been surprised to wake up and see him carefully covering her. She immediately noticed that her body was exposed, and shame consumed her. However, there was no trace of mockery in the young man's eyes. But she might have preferred that to the compassion that shone in his expression. Then, settling into his chair, he cleared his throat and began to speak as if nothing had happened.
Oh... His voice was... nice... Ilia thought. And Ilia fell asleep listening to him talking about a raid the squadron had carried out on a food warehouse in the very heart of the country's capital.