Speak

Chapter 25

Scarlet closed her eyes, forcing them to close as much as possible. "It hurts, I know." She nodded, focusing on her breathing in an attempt to take her mind away from the bone crushing pain she felt in her arm. "The bastard got you pretty good, deep into the muscle." Opening her eyes, Scarlet glanced to the cut on her upper left arm. In the weird brown antibacterial liquid, her cut remained open and angry. When the doctor grabbed the rather large needle from the metal tray to his side, she looked away again. The pinch of the needle was nothing compared to the pain in her arm, but Scarlet had never been a fan of sharp objects piercing into her body. Soon after the needle was pulled back, her whole upper arm begun to go numb. The doctor pinched her in a few places, none of which she felt. He deemed her ready for stitches, and a nurse brought over another metal tray.

"At least you're better off than me." Scarlet glanced to Renee. She laid on a bed a few down from Scarlet. Another doctor worked on a rather nasty cut on her ribcage, as a nurse wrapped her cut shoulders. Scarlet rolled her eyes, and motioned that she was crazy. "Crazy? I'm not crazy!" The soldiers in the beds between them watched the two as if they were both crazy.

'You. Fought. Cuts. Death.'

"Yeah I fought, it's what was right. And yeah, I got hurt. It's a risk worth taking, and am I not here right now?"

'Why?'

"Why? Why have you been training? Why are either of us in this infirmary? Because we are meant to fight." Renee cringed in pain, but made no noise.

'I only helped Pals. All I wanted.'

"Well, I wasn't there to help Pals. I was fighting. For the first time in my life, I was actually doing something that could change the world! When I was in the middle of it all, hectic and unknowing my next move, I felt... alive." Scarlet frowned at her.

'Who are you?'

"Who am I? Who are you? You said it yourself, we're changing. You know your path and now I've finally found mine. That's something I'm never going to give up." Scarlet looked away from Renee, just as the doctor finished the last stitch. He wrapped her arm in gaze, taping it off. Grabbing a cloth, he tied it around her neck; slinging her arm into it. "There, Private Hancock will take you to the King." The low ranking officer offered Scarlet a hand. She willingly took it with her good hand, and hopped from the bed. Releasing her, Scarlet followed after the man. He led her to a single door, opening it without knocking. "Your highness, General Rey. Special Force's Flower is delivered to you sirs." Stepping in behind the man as he saluted his commanding officers, Scarlet left the door open. "At ease, good job. Now return to your commanded post."

"Sir, yes sir!" Doing an about face, the man left. "I trust my men took care of you?" Scarlet looked to the General, who sat at the head of a table. His hat was removed, revealing his bald head. She nodded to him, meeting eyes with the King for a moment. They showed relief, and annoyance. "Wonderful, please have a seat." Scarlet took the seat that the General motioned to. "You're just in time for our update. For you." A solider from behind offered her a note pad, along with a stylus and ink. She took it, and nodded a thanks to the girl. Flipping to a random page, she tossed the lid to the ink a side.

Is Pals okay? Her pups? She slid it to the middle of the table, for everyone to read. Her eyes, though, looked directly at Theo. Sighing, Theo glanced away. "She gave birth to four heathy puppies; three boys and a girl. They ended up having to cut into her, because her cervix hadn't stretched but her water broke. But all four came out okay." Scarlet took the notepad back. And Pals? "She lost a lot of blood, but with rest and time she's expected to make a full recovery." Relief flooded Scarlet, and she lowered her head into arms. She cried, for the fact that Pals was okay, and that she had four perfect puppies. Scarlet had been so scared for Pals. So scared for herself, for Renee.