"Ugh... Where am I? "
"You're in a troopship's clinic. " said the cheif doctor, "Jeez, it's such a miracle you survived! "
His memory was a bit hazy, "What exactly happened? I remember holding off enemy attack alone as I helped a comrade escape. "
"Oh! You got caught in the carpet bombing, soon after. " the doctor replied, "Anyways, you hit your head pretty hard. Do you still know completely about yourself? "
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine... Just drowsy. "
"Lay down then. You're still in worst condition. I'm sorry but, you'll be bedridden for quite a long time. "
"Huh?! For how long?! "
"Who knows? Until you fully recover of course! "
"Damn it... "
When they reached the docks, he was sent to a hospital along with other men. There, their wounds and injuries were treated. Peter had the worst condition of all, combining good and bad lucks.
He busted his right arm, and left leg, but they will heal over time. His face was cut not too deep, but it left a scar crossing his right eye. His ribs have minor cracks, that should also heal over time. Lastly, he had concussion that isn't even something worth giving attention. But one thing is certain: He's not able to leave the hospital for nearly a year!
After hearing news that Peter didn't make it, Scarlett became depressed. She refused to eat or even sleep, causing her health to pummel. She was growing thinner and thinner by the day, despite her father, Violet, and even Parker tells her to eat, "Oh, what should I do? What's gonna happen to my daughter if she stayed like this?! " her father cried
"I believe she should at least get to see even just the body of her fiancé. " a female servant said, "Maybe we can get her to eat and sleep if she do so... "
"We can't do the impossible. " said Parker, "He went missing during the battle, so there's nothing to see. "
"Then what should we do? Poor Scarlett... " Violet pitied her best friend, who was getting paler and paler by the moment.
A year have passed, still no news of Peter's whereabouts, or even just his body. One day, just as Violet wheeled out Scarlett from her room, "Master! A letter for the young miss! " a servant called
"Hmm? A letter? From who? "
"No idea. The sender is anynomous, but there's only a swastika shaped seal sealing the envelope! "
"Hmm? A letter for me? " Scarlett finally spoke after being silent nearly the entire year.
"Sigh...! Finally Scarlett! I thought I'd never hear your voice again! "
Father Devonshire asked the servant to read it to them, "The train station. Wait for me. "
"Huh? That's it? " everyone asked, "As short as two sentences? "
"Yeah. "
Violet took it from the servant and gave it to Scarlett. When Scarlett saw it she could believe her eyes. Even Violet nearly had her eyes pop out of her head, "T-That... That... " she couldn't even speak a word
"This is... His handwriting! " Scarlett exclaimed
"Then what are we waiting for?! Sergeant! Get the car ready! " her father said
Violet wheeled Scarlett outside. Them the sergeant carried her inside, "Darling, could you fetch brother Otto for me? " Violet said
"Mmm... Got it. " he replied. Parker started his own car, and drove towards Otto's bungalow.
Peter's train is to arrive in an hour, but they arrived a couple of minutes earlier. Scarlett who had just been sitting in her wheelchair the whole time, tried to stand up, "Oi! Save your strength for later! " Violet told her
Precisely ten minutes later, on the horizon appeared a pillar of smoke, "There it is! " Scarlett said. The train drew closer, and slowly stopped. They looked at every carriage not a figure of Peter was seen. But when the crowd dispersed, what's left is a tall man standing in the middle.
He had his broken right arm hanging on his neck. His upper body is covered in bandages, inside his trenchcoat. And his right eye is covered by a cotton patch, held tightly by a gauze.
Using all her strength, Scarlett got up from her wheelchair, with the assistance of Violet, "Peter? "
"Scarlett... "
"Peter! "
"Scarlett! "
After losing each other for four years, they finally reunited! Both enveloped each other unwilling to let go, "Why did you suddenly vanished without a word?! " she cried
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... It won't happen again. "
Then suddenly something hit Peter in the head. It was a cane! When he looked up, he saw Father Devonshire, standing on two feet, "You rascal! You made my daughter suffer! " the sergeant who was supposed to be by his side at that time, was also shocked, seeing the old man standing on his feet alone
"Eh?! Lieutenant? Since when you stood up?! "
"Huh?! Father? Y-You can stand up? "
Both people got hit in the head as well, "Who do you think I am? Some useless old geezer?! "
A while later, Parker arrived carrying Otto in his shoulders, "Damn! This guy is killing me! " Otto was drunk, and was speaking gibberish, making Parker very irritated, "Oi! Why not welcome your brother home?! "
He let go of Otto who struggled to stand on his feet. He's very drunk, and reeked of booze, but when he saw Peter, he immediately became sober, "Müller?! Is that you?! " he couldn't believe his eyes, his long lost brother, finally showed up in front of him, "Damn you! Where had you been?! " he yelled at him, then he punched his face
"Ow! That hurt! Do you know how this wound hurts?! " Otto hit the the wound from the bayonet cut in his right cheek, "You should've hit the other side!
"Oh! My bad... Fine! Then here! "he said as he hit the left side!
"Damn you! "
Soon after everything that had happened, Peter told Otto to go home and to fix himself, "I will go home after finishing things. I should be making up for Scarlett. "
"You better should! The house is already a little too dusty. "
"Huh?! Haven't you been living there?! "
"No! I've been sleeping in the office since you left! "
"Sigh... Damn you, really! "
Otto went home, and Peter carried Scarlett inside their car, "We should be going then, too! " said Violet from behind
"Mmm... Thanks for watching over Scarlett. "
"No! Don't mention it! She's my best friend after all, haha! "
"Peter... " Parker suddenly spoke, "I hate to say this but, thank you... For saving me out there. I really owe you one. "
Peter thought for a moment, "Hmm... I don't think it's only one... "
"Huh? "
"One's when I threw you off the hill. One's when I caused you to be out of the carpet bombing's radius. Another one is when- "
"Do your have to verbalize one by one?! Or do they even count as one?! "
"Of course! It'd be a waste to just let them off. So, you owe me a total of five times! "
"Damn you! "
At the back of the car, Scarlett wouldn't let go of Peter's embrace, "It pains me seeing you like that you know... " Peter said. But it was no use
When they got home, it was Peter who took care of Scarlett. He fed her, helped her take her medicine, wheeled her around the garden. But of course, it was the female servants who bathed her!
Scarlett looked like she was back to normal. She started smiling and laughing just like before, she started recognizing everything around her again. It was as if nothing happened to her, but still she wasn't strong enough to stand up on her own.
Peter spent the entire day in the Devonshire household. When he was about to go home, in the maim gates, Scarlett called him, "Darling! " when he turned around, he saw her struggling on her two feet.
"Oi! What're you doing?! " Peter caught her just in time before she tripped. Everyone in the house was surprised. They didn't noticed Scarlett got up from her wheelchair.
Scarlett looked at Peter in a childish manner, "What is it? " Scarlett just whined.
"Sigh... He's very pathetic... " said Father Devonshire. Scarlett just whined until she turned red
A while later, Peter chuckled, "Haha, alright, alright... " just as Scarlett thought she was to get what she wanted, she felt Peter's hand on her head. He was just patting her! Sigh... You're pathetic Peter...
Scarlett was just about to cry, when Peter embraced her tightly. The next thing she knew was Peter's lips were covering hers. She froze. Though it was what she expected, she cant help but get surprised.
Peter let go when he ran out of breathe, "See you tomorrow! " when Peter left, Scarlett completely lost her knees' strength,
"Sergeant... Help me get up... " she pleaded. The sergeant helped her walk back in her wheelchair. Then she noticed, everyone saw what happened, causing her to pass out from embarrassment.