Recovery and Revelations
For convenience's sake, Winnigan opted for goggles similar to Section Commander Hange’s rather than spectacles. Aesthetically, they were quite horrendous, but eyesight was painful without them. Training was out of the question with how fragile her broken ribs were, even after a week of bedrest, so she had opted to spend her time reading. If anything, she could hone her skill in strategy to make up for the lack of everything else.
Levi had been placed under orders to rest as well, despite the urgency of the events of late. Amidst the confusion of a head injury, Annie’s capture, and Commander Erwin’s arrest, there was the revelation about the walls. Apparently, in the aftermath of battle against the Female Titan, a titan was uncovered within the wall. Furthermore, the church already knew, and it had been a well-kept secret until now. No amount of interrogating could get information out of their leader, Pastor Nick… and it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Word of mouth got back to Winnigan that Levi had a knack for getting people to talk. Not only that, but he had a passion for it. The idea brought her chills. She tried not to think of the measures that her Captain likely resorted to when interrogating Pastor Nick. Knowing him, he likely spared no expense. Furthermore, he likely enjoyed it.
The man in question now sat across from her at a small table in the infirmary, sipping tea with a newspaper in his off-hand. This had become a weekly occasion, silently enjoying each other’s company in the infirmary before their check-ups with the doctors.
“Well aren’t you the spectacle,” one of the nurses retorted, a hint of a smile on her face as she checked Levi’s vitals. “Like an elderly couple.” Levi choked on his tea.
“Ha… real funny,” Winnigan chuckled nervously. “Pretty sure that goes against policy.”
“It does,” Levi confirmed curtly. Why did he have to say it so rudely?
Winnigan was taken aback by her own thought. Her superior was hardly her friend, let alone anything more. So why did the nurse’s chide strike a nerve?
Her cheeks flushed at the realization that she was letting such a trivial comment affect her. Perhaps it was the pain medication making her thoughts fuzzy, or maybe just the prolonged proximity to her usually distant captain. Either way, she needed to get a grip on these unwanted feelings.
After her vitals were checked next, they whisked Levi away to check on his leg, leaving Winnigan alone with her thoughts. To keep her mind busy, she picked up Levi’s newspaper and gave it a once-over. Headlines still rambled on about the mysterious Female Titan and the Scouts’ mistake of letting a titan loose within the walls. However, there was nothing to show for the true mystery: the titan revealed to be in some sort of dormant state inside the wall. Winnigan figured it’d be making front page along with the sketches of Annie’s titan form, but it was absent altogether.
Perhaps this was the church's doing - controlling what information made it to the public. After all, if they had managed to keep the wall titans secret for so long, what else were they hiding? The thought made Winnigan's head throb even more than it already was.
She set the newspaper down and leaned back in her chair, adjusting her goggles. The infirmary was quiet except for the occasional footsteps of nurses and the distant murmur of voices. Through the window, she could see soldiers moving about the courtyard, their movements a stark reminder of how confined she was to this room.
Her thoughts drifted back to Annie, still encased in that crystal deep below. What secrets was she protecting? And more importantly, who was she protecting them for? The whole situation reeked of conspiracy, with the church, the walls, and now Annie's transformation all seemingly connected in ways they couldn't yet understand.
When Levi returned, his expression was more sour than usual. "Three more weeks," he muttered, settling back into his chair. "At minimum."
"That bad?" Winnigan asked, grateful for the distraction from her spiraling thoughts.
"Tch. Could be worse. At least I'm not wearing those ridiculous goggles, Shitty Glasses Jr." Despite his harsh words, there was a hint of amusement in his voice.
Winnigan touched the frames self-consciously. "They're practical," she defended, though she couldn't help but smile slightly. Even in these tense times, their peculiar dynamic remained unchanged.
When it was Winnigan’s turn, Levi nodded to her as he picked up his teacup and newspaper once more. He crossed his legs, kicked back, and made himself comfortable.
“You don’t have to wait for me, Captain,” Winnigan reassured him as she sat on a nearby cot and the privacy screen was pulled shut. The attending nurse helped her out of her jacket and she began unbuttoning her shirt.
Levi audibly scoffed in response. “And do what? I have nothing better to do these days. Besides, Winnie, Erwin needs to see us by the end of today, anyway. Might as well go together.”
Stricken speechless by both the nickname and Levi’s considerateness, Winnigan couldn’t deny the flush to her face. The nurse, who had made the comment minutes earlier, smirked in response.
The doctor slipped in through the privacy screen and greeted Winnigan warmly. This one was unfamiliar, as were most medical staff at HQ. Doctors and nurses went through revolving doors for as long as Winnigan had been there, as the overzealous employees often overestimated their ability to stomach the daily carnage. Winnigan recalled a doctor once vomiting upon seeing a scout missing an arm, and the doctor never returning. There was a new doctor in his place the very next day.
“These are quite the bruises, Cadet Morgan. What happened?” This doctor, who introduced himself as Doctor Kline, flipped through her file with fervor.
“A titan threw me into a carriage, sir.”
Doctor Kline paled.
“… Right. Well,” he prodded away with his index and middle fingers. “Despite the bruising, the breaks seem to be healing well. The nurse reported that your concussion appears to have healed as well, so I estimate just another two or three weeks before you can begin some light activity. Still no expeditions, though, for a couple more months. Do you need more pain medication?”
Winnigan nodded. “Please.”
“I’m sure the last doctor already told you this, but this medication is highly addictive. I’m willing to keep refilling it while the breaks heal, but I would rather you not take them for two weeks leading up to your next expedition.” Doctor Kline nodded in parting, scribbling a prescription and handing it to the nurse. Winnigan swiftly buttoned up her shirt and hooked the hanger loop of her jacket around her index finger, draping it over her shoulder.
“Well, Captain, I guess we get to keep having our little tea parties for the foreseeable future,” Winnigan grinned slyly. Levi smirked back, slowly rising to his feet. “Off to see the Commander?” She asked.
“Sure. Let’s see what Eyebrows wants.”
“So my two favorite soldiers are still out of commission, it seems,” Commander Erwin greeted, seated behind his enormous oakwood desk. “Please, make yourselves comfortable.”
Levi pulled out a chair for Winnigan, then himself. Winnigan offered him a smile of gratitude. “If you don’t mind me asking, Commander,” Winnigan said quietly. “What do you need us both here for?”
Erwin chuckled. “You did so good doing missions together in the city, I figured you’d be who I asked for any missions in the future,” he explained. “Besides, I can’t go sending you two off into battle any time soon. Can’t keep you on payroll if you’re not doing any work.”
“Tch,” Levi replied simply, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’d think we’ve served enough.”
Erwin laughed again, though more openly this time. “You’d think. But, nearly all of our soldiers are still out at the other base from our attempt to isolate Annie. Section Commander Hange is busy enough with the priest, so I’m sending you two to relieve Section Commanders Miche and Nanaba and bring the soldiers back to base.”
Winnigan nodded curtly, pushing back her chair to prepare for the mission in earnest. Levi reached over and pushed her chair back in before she had the opportunity to stand.
“Sir—” Levi began as Winnigan plopped back into her chair with a huff. “Certainly this is a mission I can complete alone, yes? Cadet Morgan’s abdominal injuries are still fresh—”
“I am not sending our strongest soldier into the field alone and injured,” Erwin waved dismissively. “You leave tonight, travel at the pace your health allows, Winnigan,” Erwin nodded to her with a smile.
The two were given an hour to collect their things and eat a quick meal. Winnigan wrapped her leftovers in cheesecloth she snatched from the kitchen and tucked it into her bag. In truth, she wasn’t quite sure how far they would be able to go in one evening with her injuries. While she was leagues better than when she was first hauled into the infirmary, she was a far cry from field-ready.
Winnigan met Levi at the stables, where he was already securing their saddlebags to two horses. Despite his injury, his movements were precise and practiced as ever. She noticed he had chosen their most docile mount for her steed - a considerate choice given her condition. He, as always, mounted his black stallion.
“It’s about a three hour ride from here, if we make good time,” Levi explained. “I sincerely doubt there’s anything pressing for our immediate attention, so if we must stop and rest, that won’t be an issue.”
“Alright,” Winnigan said simply, though her mind betrayed her tongue. She hadn’t left the sanctuary of HQ since the battle against Annie quieted down, even if some time had passed since then. Furthermore, though she had spent more time with Levi than she had before, this would be their first mission together since they visited the Underground. It went without saying that she’d made a fool of herself in front of him, what with the confrontation with her father and her drunken encounter with Annie. The thought of that night sent a scarlet blush creeping up her face. She ducked her head to the side and shook her hair in front of her eyes to shield herself.
“You good?” Levi asked.
“Huh?” Winnigan sputtered.
“At ease, soldier. I meant your ribs.”
Winnigan’s lips parted and her breath caught in her throat. “Oh, right. I’ll be alright, but I’d like to get going if you’re ready.”
Levi nodded curtly and mounted his horse with practiced ease, though Winnigan noticed him favoring his injured leg. She followed suit, wincing slightly as the movement pulled at her healing ribs. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the courtyard as they guided their horses through the gates.
The first hour of their journey passed in comfortable silence. The well-worn path wound through scattered groves of trees, their leaves beginning to show hints of autumn colors. Winnigan found herself grateful for the gentle pace Levi had set – quick enough to make progress, but not so demanding that it aggravated her injuries.
"We should rest soon," Levi announced, breaking the quiet. "There's a patrol outpost about half a mile ahead."
"I can keep going," Winnigan protested, though the dull ache in her side suggested otherwise.
"Tch. Don't be stubborn," Levi replied, throwing her a sideways glance. "We're not in a rush, and pushing yourself now will only slow us down later."
Winnigan couldn't argue with his logic, even if part of her bristled at feeling like a liability. The outpost's wooden structure came into view through the trees, a welcome sight as the evening air grew cooler.
“I don’t want to rest long,” Winnie huffed as she hitched her horse. “The longer I’m down, the harder it’s gonna be for me to get up.”
“Fine by me,” Levi replied simply, hobbling around the backside of his horse to unload his things.
The outpost was truly nothing to sneeze at. It was a simple wooden structure perhaps three stories high, with a rickety staircase within. Winnie didn’t even bother to make the climb, opting to kicking back on the first few stairs. Levi did the same, but not without lightly wiping down his dusty wooden stair with a handkerchief from his pocket. Winnigan couldn’t help but chuckle to herself.
“What?” Levi asked incredulously. “They’re new pants.” Winnigan snorted and kicked her feet up onto the next step, immediately regretting the motion as pain shot through her ribs. "At least you're consistent," she remarked, trying to mask her discomfort with humor. Levi's eyes narrowed slightly, catching her wince despite her attempt to hide it. “Are you going to be okay riding the rest of the way?”
Winnigan nodded with a deep sigh, her diaphragm relieving some of the pressure on her ribs. She pulled a pill bottle from her jacket’s inner pocket and popped a few dry. They left a chalky, chemical taste in her mouth, but the relief was near instant.
“Looks like they gave you the good stuff,” Levi retorted. “They switched me to the over-the-counter shit after a week.”
“Yeah, well, you’re not like everyone else,” Winnie chided. After a moment’s silence, she added: “I’m sorry.”
Levi shrugged.
After some time, he stood, brushing off his pants. "We should get moving if we want to reach the castle before dark."
The remainder of their journey was quiet but tense. As they approached the castle, something felt off. There were no scouts posted at the typical checkpoints, no smoke from the kitchen chimneys, no horses in the stables.
"Something's wrong," Levi muttered, dismounting carefully. His hand instinctively went to his blade.
Winnigan followed suit, ignoring the protest from her ribs. "Where is everyone? There should be at least fifty soldiers stationed here."
They secured their horses and approached the main entrance. The heavy wooden doors were unlocked, creaking ominously as Levi pushed them open. Inside, the castle was eerily silent. Chairs were pushed back from tables as if their occupants had left in a hurry, half-eaten meals still sitting on plates.
"Search the grounds," Levi ordered, his voice tight. "But stay within shouting distance. Something's not right here."
I should get an aerial view, Winnigan thought to herself, grabbing hold of the rail at the bottom of the stairs. She ascended quickly, pushing the trap door to the roof open with a hefty shove that reverberated in her ribcage. When she got her bearings, her breath hitched in her throat.
The grounds surrounding the castle bore giant footprints that would be invisible from ground level. Her eyes followed their tracks, to a focal point in the distance that made Winnigan’s blood run cold.
Titans.
Has Wall Rose been breached?