For the next few days I did a good job with Dr. Meyer.
Because I knew how first aid worked, I was able to help many injured people. Only for some illnesses I didn't really come up with a diagnosis.
But Dr. Meyer didn't think it was that dramatic. He said that I would already be a huge help to him just by taking care of the injured. After all, there were a lot of them during the guard Training.
Sometimes it was just some cuts, sometimes it were bruises as the result of a fight, sometimes it was a broken arm or a broken leg. But sometimes it was a gouged out eye, a severed limb, or bad burn injuries that always made me queasy to look at.
Dr. Meyer had explained to me exactly how I had to treat my patients so that they would recover quickly. And if need be, I also knew where the information is written in his books.
Still, I always felt a little unsafe when I was in the hospital wing without the doctor. Especially when everyone else was relying on me.
I wasn't a medic by training, after all. I was still kind of that insecure high school student inside. I found it irresponsible of myself to treat anything outside of a cut or bruise.
I felt uncomfortable. That was too much responsibility for me to bear.
I'd much rather just train with the others again and enjoy a simple, easy life as a palace guard trainee.
I couldn't avoid missing my comrades. Of course it had been barely a week since I was gone. But as the royal physician's new subordinate, I even got my own room. All for myself.
I no longer slept in the big dormitory with the others. I never expected to miss even Armon's loud snoring.
It felt lonely.
I also got something better to eat, but from now on I always ate it with the other nurses in a different dining hall.
It was definitely cleaner here and it smelled better too, but... it wasn't the same as where I was with my friends. At least my friends had decent conversations with me and hadn't constantly tried to flirt with me. It was tiring.
I had hardly any contact with my friends and slowly I got the feeling that they were slipping out of my hands. I was afraid that we might become estranged. That's why I tried to meet them in every free minute I could spare.
But they were often not there. Either they were on their rehearsal patrols or they were in the middle of their hard training. Our breaks almost never overlapped.
On top of that, Jon always apologized to me fervently when I met him. Gradually I got the feeling that he always liked to take all the blame on himself.
But I had forgiven him a long time ago. I told him that every time too. Despite this, he kept apologizing to me.
It was sweet of him, but he really didn't have to. It was even getting a little annoying, because I had even less time to really chat with him.
As always, he just hadn't thought about the consequences it could have for me. But that was typical of him and that's exactly what made him so amiable in my opinion. I liked being his friend.
I didn't want to lose my friends. Not after living with them for months. I already had lost enough friends in my previous life.
…
For days I've been looking for a way not to become the next attending medic in the barracks.
But so far, the possible plans I've came up with for becoming a regular guard again have been more than tenuous:
I couldn't screw anything up on purpose, because otherwise I might really endanger someone's life. I couldn't do something like that. But it was also not an option to simply refuse when Dr. Meyer would declare me worthy. I would disappoint everyone else. Especially Commander Braven. Quitting completely wasn't really an option either. I wanted to stay here after all.
To clear my head a bit, I occasionally ran a couple of laps around the guards' training fields in the evening.
It reminded me of the time when everything was simpler. It also allowed me to stay in shape if I was allowed to go back.
"Chris!" Suddenly a more than familiar voice called me.
"Jon?!" I asked in disbelief when I made out his outline across the field in the semi-darkness.
I quickly made a small final sprint to him, so that I arrived at him completely out of breath.
"What is it? Has something happened? Aren't you all having dinner right now?" I asked confused.
"I skipped the meal because I wanted to tell you something."
"Jon, if you're just here to apologize again, you know that-"
"Yes, yes. I know you've never really been mad at me, that's fine. I just thought this might interest you." He interrupted me. Then he paused for a moment in thought, which seemed like an eternity to me.
"What is it?" I asked again. I was getting really impatient.
Why did he have to make it so exciting?
"Starting tomorrow, we'll officially become proper palace guards on trial. And tonight, after dinner, we'll be told in the dining hall where our working area will be." Jon informed me with a meaningful look.
My mouth even hung a little open in surprise. I didn't expect that we would be assigned our positions so early. Jon probably hadn't expected it too, as upset as he looked. They must have been told just before their dinner.
"Why wasn't I notified?" I asked. But I probably already knew the answer to that.
"Braven said you have other commitments now... that he spoke to Dr. Meyer." Jon explained with a pitiful sigh.
I bit my lower lip hard.
So was my future already sealed?
I took a deep breath and then followed Jon to our usual dining hall.
The others were already all gathered there. They waited as a collective for the announcement of their respective areas of responsibility.
As Braven stepped forward to speak, he spotted me in the audience.
At first he looked a little surprised, but then he glared at me, causing me to shiver.
Did I do something wrong? Why did he make me feel like I shouldn't be here? Had anything happened between him and Dr. Meyer?
"Most of you have worked hard over the last few months to reach your goal. I have all my respect for that. It is therefore now time to assign you to your areas of responsibility. Your coaches, teachers and supervisors have been observing you often and analyzed your profile in detail so that you can be used according to your strengths. We will read out your names alphabetically and then tell you your area of responsibility..." Braven began in his stern voice, barely paying me any attention now.
I had to admit that this disappointed me a little. Still, I tried not to let it get me down and instead listened to where my friends would be transferred to:
Amadeus was the first to act. He was now in charge of guarding the royal treasury, which was arguably the most lame part of the Guards' duties. Of course, some laughed at him because it was the most boring and also the easiest job. Presumably this area of responsibility should dampen his insatiable curiosity.
Oddly enough, Amadeus didn't look sad or frustrated at all. He just grinned cheekily at the others.
Armon's name followed shortly after and the entire crowd quieted with excitement.
Armon was referred to law enforcements, which came as no surprise to any of us. Given his size and strength, he would make an excellent knockout service. Besides, no one would want to mess with him anyway. He was an excellent choice when you wanted to kick out unwanted guests or drag unwilling ones to the dungeons for their punishment.
Then some more or less well-known names of my comrades followed. However, these didn't interest me much, especially now that we were down to the names beginning with 'C'.
I hung tensely on Braven's lips. I just waited for him to say my name too. Even if I knew to which department I probably belonged soon. I just wanted to hear him say it once.
But Braven didn't even say my name. He ignored me as if I didn't exist.
Amadeus, Jon and Armon just looked at me pityingly. I guess I just made a really contrite expression on my face. But I swallowed my sadness. There was no time for that now.
There was certainly a reason Braven hadn't called my name yet. I shouldn't jump to conclusions.
Braven soon got Jon's name. Shortly thereafter, he was quickly assigned to the emergency profilers, who were also in close contact with the Royal Personal Security. It was a great honor to be part of such an important department at such a young age. I was really happy for him.
Although it left me with a somewhat bitter aftertaste that all my friends had rightfully been assigned their departments and that I was now left as an outsider.
"Hey! You forgot to call Chris. He deserves a spot as a guard just as much as we do!" Jon suddenly shouted at our commander, so that all heads suddenly looked in our direction.
"I will inform Chris about his future department in private." Braven replied coldly.
"But that's unfair! Everyone else now knows about each other's departments. Why should his be a secret?" Another comrade asked defiantly. Most of the others agreed with him.
Braven only sighed annoyed.
"Damn brats and their shitty replies." He murmured under his breath.
"Well...if you insist...Chris - as you probably know - worked for Dr Meyer on probation for a while to prove himself as a possible medic. Dr Meyer was more than impressed with his skills and would have liked to hire him. That would relieve a lot of our stress and work..." Braven began, half annoyed, half explaining.
I pressed my lips together in a thin line. So it really was like that. In the future I would only be around injured and sick people, treating purulent wounds and dealing with their blood... great.
"However..." Braven continued, causing me to sit up and take notice, "a certain prince has set his eyes on Chris and has claimed him as his personal bodyguard. My superiors have no authority over the prince's word, so his will will be done. That means Chriss is now part of the royal personal bodyguard."
A murmur went through the crowd and I stiffened.
I had completely forgotten the encounter with the prince at the time. And I didn't expect the prince to remember a simple guard trainee either.
I felt my heart begin to pound non-stop.
Where did I get myself into?