Part 22
I sit up in my hospital bed, the crisp sheets falling into a linen puddle around my waist. Nothing like a near death experience to make you think past on your life. Now that I think back on it, my years at the academy were the best years of my life, even after Jeremy was gone. Noin was still there, although at that time I was still calling her Lu. We were the support that got each other through. She helped me see that even though I had lost one of the only friends I had ever had, I still had much to live for.
I graduated from the academy a short time later, the top of my class. Noin was second, I feel that she has always been the second person in my life. We had always been in the top two spots, but Noin never rose to number one. I often wonder why that was, she was smart enough to have surpassed me, but she never did.
After the academy we went our separate ways, in a sense. We both joined the alliance. I joined in order to fulfill a promise; she joined to avenge men she had never known. I went into the combat division while she taught new members how to pilot. My support was finally gone, but I had built up enough courage to stand on my own.
I have been in the alliance for five months now. I have earned many honors from my superiors and the nickname “The Lightening Count”. They said I have a regal bearing about me, some joke that I am too high and mighty acting. Those are the pathetic soldiers who would turn tail and hide at the beginning of a battle. They were the ones who did.
It was a battle in which we should have been victorious. A simple mission; go in, take out the rebels, and destroy the evidence of their actions. It was simple until the rebels turned on us. We had completely underestimated their arsenal. When the suits attacked we were out numbered two to one. They were unskilled pilots, but a look at their numbers caused a quarter of my men to retreat. They will all be spending time court marshaled for their actions.
When the battle truly began we fought hard striking down five enemy suits for each one of ours that we lost. The tide was quickly turning in our favor. I never expected sabotage. One of our own turned on me, striking me down. It was unexpected and I barely had enough time to protect myself from the worst of the blow. Battered and bleeding, I attacked. The surge of power that went through my veins caused me not only to disable the suit, but to also rip it to pieces. I have never experienced that amount of primal vengeance in my life, and I hope never to feel it again.
A knock at my door brings be out of my reminiscing. Noin left a few hours ago to report for duty. She has come to visit me every day since I was placed in this antiseptic smelling basement, but it couldn’t be her coming back. I ponder ignoring the knock; it would most likely be a nurse coming in to do those routine checks that they find so direly important.
“Yes,” I call, although I’m not in the mood for any visitors. The face that appears is familiar even though I haven’t seen it in years. The red hair, the regal bearing. The only thing different is the uniform. The Lake Victoria uniform has been replaced with that of the Alliance. “Treize.” I whisper, wondering if this is only a medication induced vision.
“I have come to wish you a speedy recovery, Zechs.” He looks at me speculatively. “Get dressed.” He orders before turning to leave the room.
“Nani?”
“You heard my order soldier. You look well enough to travel.” He offers no more of an explanation before exiting the room.
An order from a commanding officer cannot be taken lightly, even if he is not my commanding officer. I carefully pull myself out of the bed and over to the dresser where Noin had placed a new uniform for me. I dress being cautious of my abdominal wound and the IV placed in my hand. I sit down on the bed to pull on my boots when a nurse comes in holding a few supplies in her hands.
“Ok Zechs, let’s just take that IV out.” She takes my hand and starts peeling off the tape. “I can’t believe they’re just letting you walk out of here. There’s no way that Dr. Froat would let you out now, except he can’t go against the General. All I have to say is that you better be careful with that wound and you check up with the infirmary doctor in a couple days, if not tomorrow.” She finishes pulling the IV out and places a bandage tight around my hand. “Be good.”
“Thank you.” I reply standing up and exiting the room that I had spent a week holed up in.
Treize is waiting in the hallway leaning against the wall. His head hangs as he is deep in thought. He hears my approach and looks at me appreciatively. “Are you ready?”
“Hai.”
He leads me out of the hospital to where an executive military vehicle awaits us. We enter the inconspicuous black car.
“Treize, where are we going?” I question. My only answer is a smile. I decide not to try and get answers. We only travel for half an hour before the driver pulls us over. He opens the door for Treize and I to exit the vehicle before saluting. Treize returns the salute and gestures me to follow him.
As we enter the cemetery I feel a crushing weight upon my chest as if the souls of the damned have risen from their shallow tombs in order to pull me into their hellish world. Treize appears content as he walks through the tall green grass being careful not to step on anyone’s final resting place. Our destination lies under a great oak, shaded from the blazing noon sun. As I read the inscription I fall to my knees. Buried. He was supposed to remain buried.
“Zechs, you can’t run from your past. There will come a time when the demons that you have buried will come up to haunt you. The demons that you have created yourself. Don’t forget the past, learn from it.” He pulls the carnation that was resting in his chest pocket off and places it on the headstone. “I have made mistakes in my life. Not caring enough about this person was one of them. The saying ‘you don’t know what you have until it is gone’ is true. I don’t want you to make the same mistake as I did Milliardo.”
That name. I hadn’t heard that name in over ten years. “How?”
“I am an OZ general, I find out all the information about those soldiers under my command.”
“Sir?”
“You are being transferred per my request, Lieutenant. But, I have some information for you. Your sister, Relena Peacecraft, did not perish during the battle at the Sanq Kingdom. She is living as Relena Dorlian, daughter of the Vice Foreign Minister. I tell you this so you can choose not to make the same mistake that I made. I know you will use it wisely.”
My eyes return to the grave’s inscription. Unbury the past, learn from it, and live on. Sayonara Jeremy. I will live on.