Arthur walked through the corridors of the hospital. Patients, families and staff moved past without glancing. Maple was right behind following him like a lost puppy. Then, Arthur stopped and turned towards Maple. Arthur opened his mouth and asked in a raspy tone.
"How many casualties happened during the attack?"
"10…." Maple answered.
Arthur sighed and clenched his fist. A piece of bandage was on his nose due to his nosebleed. He stalled for a few moments, the words of the people mixing into one. Then, he opened his mouth and said in a deep voice.
"Let's go see, Harvey."
***
Arthur and Maple walked down the cold hallway of the hospital. Eventually, they found Amelia standing in front of a window. The window separated the surgery room from the outside. They approached her and she noticed their presence.
"Oh…Hello, captain and Maple"
Her voice was full of worry. Arthur frowned and strolled forward, asking in a serious tone.
"How's Harvey?"
"No…They're about to start the operation. They say he received too many cuts and won't be able to do extreme physical activities for a few months." Amelia replied, rubbing her fingers
Arthur nodded and turned towards Harvey. The veteran was lying on a bed, surrounded by lights and moving medics. His body had healed the smaller but the bigger ones were still prominent. Especially, the large injuries on his back from the talon beasts. Arthur clicked his tongue while Maple looked at the veteran with somber eyes. Arthur tightened his jaw, his thoughts running wild.
'I was really…careless during this battle…damn it, why did I get distracted? More people could've been saved…That rift was odd though…'
The chaos fragment didn't seem natural but rather that it occurred due to some unknown cause...
"That rift was different, captain…"
Harvey's words from the last battle still echoed in his mind. What did he mean? Could it be the reason half the unit died or something else entirely that Arthur hadn't noticed? He could trust his word since the man had spent the longest time in the special ops.
'I heard that an unknown air-craft carrying large amounts of chaos had entered the airspace a few hours before…could it have been the cause?'
He contemplated for a moment but shrugged it off by shaking his head. He looked at Harvey once more before heading outside, passing the girls. The doctors pushed his body to another room. The room was dim and filled with countless mechanical hands. He was pushed to the middle of the machines. The doctors moved around him, pressing digital interfaces on panels surrounding the hands. Then, the machine was turned on and every hand came to life. Like real humans, they picked up tools and started to fix Harvey's body under the supervision of the professional doctors.
***
Outside the hospital, in a beautiful park near the front entrance. Kay sat on a lone bench near the hospital. He had his katana placed on his lap; his arms were swung back. He was leaning back, and his head was tilted upwards looking towards the leaves of the tree above him. His eyes were dazed and unfocused as if he was in his own inner world.
Birds were chirping – the leaves were rustling – the cold wind was flowing, creating a melodic rhythm. It almost made him sleep. His heart was beating rapidly – feet shaking – hands trembling but he tried to forget the previous battle through meditation.
'Ahh…Quiet and calm…just perfect for forgetting my worries…'
Before, he could wash away. Arthur sat beside with a thump. Kay raised a brow and leaned forward, placing a hand on his captain's shoulder.
"Hey, Arthu- I mean captain…You, okay?"
Arthur flinched and looked at his mate. " Yeah…I'm just a bit bummed out by Harvey's condition…"
"Don't worry about things like that! With our tach, we can fix him up right away." Kay stated confidently.
"And the ten dead enforcers…"
Arthur clenched his fist, cracking his fingers and bulging his veins. Kay froze and let go of Arthur. He leaned back and stared at the leaves for a few moments. Then, his lips parted.
"Y'know what you used to say?"
Arthur raised a brow, straightening his back. He thought for a few moments, then smiled.
"To handle any situation…you must have a flexible heart."
"But even flexibility can't survive extreme pressure." Kay whispered under his breath.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing! Nothing."
Right then, Arthur's phone rang. He excused himself, distancing himself from Kay. He picked up the call which was from his elder brother. Chris's voice came through the mobile device with clear intention.
"Hello, Brother. What are you calling for?" Arthur asked.
" Ah…Yes, It's good that your fine." Chris replied. "I have to inform you of something."
"And that is?"
"The AEOC will be holding a press conference with the lieutenant general and general of the special ops later this week."
"Conference? Why?"
"Arthur – Arthur – Arthur…You stupid brat. The public wants answers. Do you think they will let go of the death of ten – ten enforcers and an unknown aircraft – possibly from Rome entering Ashlandian airspace." Chris clicked his tongue, shaking his head.
"Don't call me a stupid brat. I merely uninformed of the circumstances of that aircraft…" Arthur furrowed his brows.
"…Anyways, come by my office later. I will tell you and Lancelot what you have to answer to the public."
"Lancelot…Do I really have to do a conference with that bastard?" Arthur asked with an annoyed tone.
"Respect your superiors, Arthur. I've been telling you this since ages."
"Fine…But I'm not a kid, Brother. I can tell the public on my own."
"I would tell you if you weren't so loyal to them. Lancelot I can trust with something like this because he's a cunning bastard but you…your tongue can slip. So, I must educate you…"
"Fine…I'll see you later but do you what will happen to the forbidden continent expedition?"
"Do you think you can go there with only ten members? No, I'll issue a postponement of the expedition with the UK. Until the first unit recovers, we're not moving, understand? Now, hurry up."
Before Arthur could reply, Chris cut the call. Arthur clicked his tongue and furrowed his brow. He tightened his jaw, tucking the phone back in his pocket. He then sat back down with Kay. He leaned back and opened his mouth.
"Are you shaken from the battle?"
Kay froze. A glint of sadness appeared in his eyes as he said with a slightly shaken voice.
"No…"
Noticing the Kay's shaking voice, Arthur chuckled.
"Good. An Enforcer must have a flexible heart to handle any situation."
"Right…but can we recover from such a loss? Ten people died…It's not easy to get that many chaos incarnates." Kay retorted with a low voice.
Arthur remained silent, intertwining his fingers. Then, he said in a low voice.
"There's always a way out, Kay…No matter what."