Reya stared, slack-jawed. “You can’t just do that! I can get better,” she pleaded, finding her voice. She couldn’t lose her team. It was all she had left. Life without them was unimaginable to Reya.
“I’m sorry, Reya. This wasn’t my decision, and I can’t overrule it. Your discharge has been finalized. The Tribunal wants you to take the time to properly recover from your ordeal.”
“So they give me a medal and then fire me?” Reya was livid. “Is that supposed to make it any better? I thought the medal was an honour. It feels like a hollow gesture now. A token effort.”
Nessah winced. Reya wasn’t wrong on that front. The Tribunal was effectively passing off future problems over to medical, where Reya wouldn’t be as much of a burden. By discharging her, they could sweep her condition under the rug. After all, it wouldn’t look good for a Silver Star recipient to openly cause problems and appear damaged. Out of sight, out of mind.
“There’s also one other small problem,” Nessah continued, really not looking forward to this part. “As you’re no longer technically part of the military, you’re no longer afforded the right to live on base. You’ll have to find new lodgings.”
“You’re even kicking me out of my home!?” Reya shouted. “Is this some kind of sick joke? After all I went through for you, your response is to make me homeless?”
“No, we wouldn’t do that to you. We’re giving you a grace period to find a new place to live. You’ll have time to move your things without worry.”
“And after the grace period? Do you kick me out anyway if I can’t find anything?”
This was going about as well as Nessah expected. She honestly couldn’t blame Reya for her reaction to the news. It made Nessah sick to her stomach to have to do this to her. Reya deserved better treatment than to be cast away like an unwanted pebble. It was a callous disregard for their soldier’s well-being.
“The military will still provide you with proper medical care,” Nessah continued, ignoring Reya’s outburst. “You won’t have to worry about any medical bills ever coming your way. I encourage you to take advantage of this while you continue to recover.”
“Getting fired has health benefits?” Reya sneered. “That’s the least you could do, I suppose.”
“Reya, it might not look like it, but we’re doing this for your own good. Look me in the eye and tell me you aren’t having trouble adapting back to life here. Have you even picked up a weapon since returning?”
Reya looked away, unwilling to meet Nessah’s gaze. “Do you honestly think I would have been able to pick up a weapon while hospitalized and too weak to stand?” she said bitterly. “That’s not exactly a fair metric.”
“Fine, then. Have you been sleeping? I can see the circles under your eyes. When was the last time you slept an entire night? When was the last time you didn’t use sleeping pills? I know that you’ve requested more of them.”
Reya looked like she’d been punched in the gut. Her guilty expression told Nessah everything she needed to know. “Your team’s been assigned to work at the very facility that did this to you. Do you think you’d ever be able to return to that place?” Nessah continued, watching Reya tremble where she sat.
In a way, Nessah pitied her. The mere thought of returning caused such fear. Despite all their medical advances, there was no cure for post-traumatic stress disorder. Only time and effort might help lessen the pain and even then, there was no guarantee that it would go away fully. “While I personally think that the Tribunal was hasty in their decision, can you honestly fault them? I know it’s hard to accept, but we truly want you to get better.”
“What do you know?” Reya snapped. “You weren’t the one that had to go through that.” She had tears in her eyes. “You weren’t the one that was inhumanely tortured,” she shivered at the thought. “What do you know?” she whispered hoarsely.
“I’m not claiming to know what you went through. I’m not the bad guy here, even though you think otherwise. I’m simply the messenger. I had absolutely no say in Tribunal’s decision.”
“Now what?”
“Now, you take some time off and focus on yourself. Listen to your doctors. Try to rest as much as you can. You underwent a great deal of stress and trauma. It’s not going to magically disappear. Take the day to think things over. Go out with Irric and spend some time off base. Try to adapt to civilian life.”
Nessah reached over towards the box that Reya’s medal came in. She gently closed the lid and slid it over towards Reya. “Here, take this. It will give you something to store the medal in.”
Reya stared at the ornate box in front of her. It was made from rich, chocolate brown wood, smooth and lacquered. A regal crest of gold and silver was inlaid on the top, the design a cross between a fox and a cat, with two tails. A gold band wrapped around the sides of the box, further adding to the elegant design. She reached out and picked up the box, running her fingers over the crest. “Is that all?” she asked, looking up from the box. Nessah looked like she had more to say but decided to keep it to herself.
“Yes.” Nessah sighed. “That’s all. You’re dismissed, lieutenant.”
Reya got up from where she stood and made her way out of the room. She did not salute the General on her way out.
Reya strode past Sytha and went straight to the elevator. Her previous escort was long gone, not that Reya cared. Conflicting emotions warred within her, fighting for supremacy. She was furious that she was being dismissed, yet at the same time she was elated by her medal. A part of her felt like she didn’t deserve her reward, while another part basked in it.
Stepping onto the elevator, Reya selected the ground floor as her destination. She stared outside as she descended, too many thoughts crowding her head. Before she knew it, she was stepping out.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
As she walked the halls of the main floor, her medal was spotted by a passing soldier. He gaped at the sight of her and immediately snapped to attention in a salute, catching Reya off-guard. “Thank you for your service,” he said, drawing the attention of nearby soldiers. They gathered closer and saluted Reya as well when they saw the medal adorned upon her breast. She hurriedly made her way out of the building to avoid more scrutiny.
Irric was waiting for her outside beside a black sedan. His jaw dropped when he saw her medal. He also saluted her, repeating the line she’d just heard multiple times. The praise made Reya uncomfortable. “Not you, too.” Reya swatted at him, prompting him to drop his pose, a grin on his face.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
“How’d you know when I was going to be done?”
“I didn’t. I got here shortly after your meeting started. I’ve been waiting ever since.”
“I knew it! You totally knew about this, didn’t you?” Reya accused, still angry over what had happened during the meeting.
“Not the specifics. Just that you had a meeting with the General. I do work closely with her, you know,” Irric said, mollifying Reya somewhat.
“What’s this?” Reya asked, jerking her head towards the car behind Irric.
“This,” he gestured, “is our ride for the day. Courtesy of yours truly, we’re going to town in style.”
“Is this even allowed?”
“For a Silver Star holder? It’s more than expected. Besides, I have explicit permission from the General to take the rest of the day off and spend it leisurely with you. Thanks for that, by the way.”
Irric opened the back door for Reya, and she got in, buckling herself. Irric went around to the other side and joined her in the vehicle. He gave instructions to the driver, who nodded and then raised a heavily tinted divisor, granting the two of them some privacy.
During the ride, Reya filled Irric in on the details of the meeting, venting much of her frustration. The pair were brought deep into town, pulling to a stop in front of a very chic café. Not wanting a repeat of what happened in the lobby when she left central command, Reya unpinned her medal and stored it neatly in the box she’d been given. She gasped when she saw the store front.
“Irric, how did you get reservations for this place? You have to book months ahead of time!” she exclaimed.
Irric grinned. “Special connections and perks of the job. The General’s name holds a lot of weight around here. A spot magically opened up when I called to reserve.”
“I’m sure no name dropping occurred,” she said with the barest of grins.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Irric replied with a twinkle in his eye.
Irric went in first, hailing one of the waitresses. The woman sported powder blue hair and yellow eyes, the features striking against her dark purple skin. “How can I help you?” she asked as she approached. An assessing gaze took in the pair, lingering on Reya’s scar before smoothly sliding to meet her eyes.
Irric informed her of their reservation, mentioning that he was the one who called earlier to secure a last-minute spot. The waitresses’ eyes widened when she heard that she was catering to the General’s personal request. Deftly, she guided them to a beautifully arranged table seated next to the window. An elegant, small vase of pale orange and white flowers with blue leaves and stems sat on the middle of the table. Reya took a moment to admire the beautiful centerpiece as they sat down.
Irric rolled up his sleeves and fanned himself with his shirt. “Aren’t you hot?” he asked, looking at the sheen of sweat beginning to form on Reya’s forehead. It was sweltering outside, and the heat was beginning to get to him in spite of the cool, air-conditioned interior.
“A little bit,” Reya admitted.
“Why don’t you roll up your sleeves then?” he asked. Reya tugged at the edge of her sleeve, fidgeting as she did so. She mumbled a reply too quiet for Irric to hear, causing him to lean forward. “I’m sorry, what was that?”
“I said I don’t want people to see my scars,” she blurted out, looking around, hoping others hadn’t heard.
Irric saddened at her statement. “I know you don’t like them, but they’re a part of you now. You can’t hide them forever at your personal expense.”
“I know, Irric. But not today. Please?” she pleaded.
“I’m not the one overheating. If it becomes too much, promise me you’ll do something about it.”
“I’ll be fine in a little bit once the air conditioning works its magic.”
Irric let the matter drop, focusing his attention on the waitress who returned with their menus. The Odd Lot was a curious establishment in that while it functioned as a café during the day, it also doubled as a restaurant, offering light, tasteful meals to its customers.
The duo enjoyed their meal alongside their drinks while they chatted. Sensing her mood, Irric steered the conversation to more lighthearted topics, focusing on Reya’s interests rather than his own. Once they were finished, he asked for the bill.
The waitress simply shook her head. “For you, it’s on the house,” she said while looking between the seated pair. Reya felt her face heat up as she tried to respond that the consideration wasn’t necessary, but Irric cut her off before she had the chance.
“Thank you,” he said with a kind smile. The waitress smiled back and wished them a wonderful day before turning to service the next table over.
“Irric, what was that?” Reya balked after they left the building, ensuring they were out of earshot. “We didn’t pay for anything!”
“That,” he replied, “was somebody who wanted to make a good impression for the General. At times like these, it’s best to accept the kind gesture and move on.”
“I didn’t do anything worth the gesture. All I did was get a medal that you deserve and come here at the General’s request. I feel like I cheated them out of their hard-earned money.”
“It doesn’t matter what you did or didn’t do, Reya. What matters is that they see it as a favour for the General, who might send other high-profile people to their restaurant in the future for it.”
“But,” Reya sputtered, “I’m just a sham! I’m not high profile. I’m not worth the special treatment. What happens when they find out?”
“Because you’re not a sham, Reya. Your actions earned you that medal. You’re high profile now, whether you like it or not,” Irric said.
“All I did was get tortured. It should have gone to you for being the one who made the discovery. You’re the one who deserves it, not me.”
“No, Reya.” Irric shook his head. “I’m not the one who deserves that medal. While it’s a medal for outstanding service, it’s also a medal for sacrifice. You gave a lot for that mission. Don’t let anybody ever tell you otherwise, not even yourself.”
Reya went silent at his declaration. “Take me home, Irric,” she said quietly, finding herself no longer having the desire to explore around town. She knew deep in her bones that she didn’t deserve this level of praise – that it was all fake.
“Of course.” Irric smiled sadly. The car was still waiting outside where they had last seen it. They entered and rode back in silence, Reya no longer in the mood to speak, her mind preoccupied on the day’s events. Arriving at her housing complex, she stepped out of the car, thanked Irric for the afternoon and walked towards her home without looking back. She heard the tires crunch on the asphalt as the car pulled away, leaving her alone at last.
Reya closed the door to her apartment after she entered. She put the beautiful box holding her medal down on her nightstand next to sleeping pills. The bottle beckoned to her, and she resisted the urge to take them. It would only be a couple of hours until it was time for bed. She could hold out until then.
Her mind replayed her meeting with the General, reminding her of her new problems. Jobless and soon to be homeless, the solitude of her empty room drove home the fact that she would no longer again be a part of the team that meant the world to her. It was all too much.
Curled up in her bed, she cried the tears she’d been holding in all day. Frustration, anger, fear or helplessness, Reya didn’t know why she cried. Her sobs didn’t care as they filled her apartment, the thick walls ensuring that nobody else heard her as she broke down. Again.