Chapter 10 - The Men are Alive
"Do I have Delirium too?" Rour's eyes widened, curiosity exploding in his head.
In his early years as an official Mover, he had witnessed someone stricken with Delirium while still on the battlefield.
And the condition was extremely alarming. The person couldn't recognize his surroundings, screamed as if in a trance, and destroyed everything around him.
There were even rumors about how this monster toxin-induced delirium had claimed lives. One tale spoke of a patient who accidentally killed the person trying to help him. Some say that the person survived because he responded well to the antitoxin while his comrade died. The rest say that both of them were not saved.
Either way, it was a deadly and terrifying side effect.
"Yes," the Commander nodded briefly and casually, as though it was nothing worth worrying about.
"I must have screwed up pretty badly, huh?"
Reg shook his head. "A little. But they managed to calm you down quickly. Your delirium wasn't as severe or prolonged as other monster toxin cases. I have to admit, you've got quite an impressive body, young man."
The fifty-something-year-old Commander finally understood why Doctor Robs had laughed with satisfaction earlier.
A similar feeling of amazement and relief was now settling in his own chest. As he thought back to how he had accompanied Rour—his subordinate whom he was proud—from the initial incident to this moment of recovery. Monitoring his ever-improving progress, Reg couldn't help but feel touched.
That poor boy truly deserved the title of an extraordinary Mover.
Talent, magic, and inexplicable good fortune always seemed to align in his favor. If only he wasn't a descendant of a Northern Nova, Rour Walden might never have become a Mover in the Front Sector—the most dangerous Sector of all.
"You even fell into a coma. But your condition remained stable throughout. The doctor said your body responded remarkably well to the treatments, though it just needed time to fully recover. And," Reg narrowed his eyes, "that time wasn't earlier. You woke up in pain a week ago. They had to sedate you with tranquilizers and other medications, and then you slept again until now."
"You mean, when I was in pain, that was a week ago?"
"Yes. Feels like just now, doesn't it? But it wasn't sleep—it was unconsciousness. What's important is that your critical days from that damn toxin are over. Now you can wake up without experiencing another excruciating pain like last week."
"But how could they let me be admitted here? You didn't pull any strings or do anything reckless, did you, Commander?" Rour asked skeptically, worried that Reg might have taken a risk just to save a Mover like him.
Reg chuckled.
"What could I possibly do? I'm not the one who got you admitted here. I'm just a regular Front Sector Mover Commander. I don't have that kind of power, Rour."
Rour was still wondering, "Then how—?"
"You, really can't deny that you're a really lucky bastard," Reg tried to make things clear by emphasizing the last word.
The Commander clicked his tongue as he sink back to the events of the great war two weeks ago.
"When Tee told me the chronology, I wasn't sure whether I should be grateful that you did that bravery, crazy thing just to save someone who was already dying... Or should I curse you for pulling such a reckless stunt because, well, you should have known that it was a complete breach of protocol."
Reg paused, exhaling deeply.
"He was already in critical condition, and you weren't. You know the procedure in that kind of situation, right? You're supposed to prioritize saving the life with a higher chance of survival. You should have saved yourself."
Rour nodded weakly. "I know. But he was still alive then. I felt I had to at least try to save him," he murmured, his voice tinged with guilt.
He knew his actions had been unwise, he understood the consequences, and accepted the blame that came with them.
"And what about the man's condition? How did the war end?" Rour asked, his curiosity growing about the things he had left out during his absence.
Reg nodded, a meaningful smile spreading across his face. "He survived. He's receiving specialized care."
A sigh of relief escaped Rour's mouth.
"At least I didn't make Neo Schao lose two lives," he muttered.
Reg chuckled again. "No, you didn't. You saved two lives, and both were worth it."
Rour tried to laugh, but a sharp sudden pain jolted him as he burst out laughing.
"Oh, he's a Captain. So, I was admitted here because of him?" He asked again.
But Reg didn't respond his curiosity, leaving the question to hang in the air.
"Do you think, when he regains consciousness, I'll get a thank you gift? Some money, perhaps?"
Rour stifled a laugh, imagining the thoughts running through his mind.
Once again, Reg doesn't seem to want to answer the question.
"You do realize how precious your life is, don't you? Your battle skills are much needed in the Front Sector," Reg said, his tone turning serious. "But—" He hesitated, then took a deep breath. "There's something important I can't wait to tell you. Good news for you, but bad news for Squad 2 Writhside Unit. But, as this is not in my capacity, I will refrain."
"Bad for the squad? What do you mean?" Rour asked, surprised.
"Don't overthink it. Actually, if you really think about it, it's not so bad," Reg replied with a forced laugh.
"What do you mean, Commander?"
"Someone will come to explain. Maybe later today, or maybe tomorrow. He'll answer your curiosity. By now, they must know you're awake."
Realizing he couldn't push further, Rour fell silent and no longer asked anything. Although Reg's cryptic sentence implied something that worried him.
Being unconscious for two weeks made him feel like waking up in a different world. It was as if he had been asleep for a century and things had moved on leaving him far behind.
"The monster. How did the war end, Commander?" Reg had yet to explain the end of the great war.
"Of course we won! Thanks to you!" Reg's smile stretched wide again. "Many lives were saved. And most importantly, the Weak Spot you predicted was ninety percent accurate. They're still confirming it in the lab."
Relief, once again, flowed through Rour's heart.
Though it all felt overwhelming, he decided not to press for more information.
He would take it and digest all this information one step at a time.
"That victory—" Reg patted Rour's shoulder—"you played a huge part in it, Rour. Very much, indeed."
The Commander was eager to share the exciting news. But it had been agreed that there was a procedure that had to be followed for the news to become an official decision. So, since Reg himself did not yet know exactly what decision had finally been made, he tried to restrain himself from disclosing any rumors at the moment.
The fantastic announcement would have to wait until it was officially delivered by a higher authority personally.
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