Overwatch: Rise of the Chimera

Nova watched the boys scurry out of the barracks, and her anger lulled a bit, but she did not sit. She couldn't. "I don't care." She shook her head, pacing. "Let them be afraid. I'm not here for them, for friends, or bonding. I don't need them." Knowing it was not in her best interests, but unable to control it, she began to raise her voice. "And they know, they should know, he came at me first! I defended myself, but that - that bitch... She... She..." Shaking with rage, Nova turned and slammed her fist into the wall with a resounding crack.

The shadows around her hand had created a thin, strong armor to protect her. But it was cracked, splintered from the force of her blow. With her chest heaving, Nova sank to the floor, resting her forehead on the wall. "These people will never forget, but I will not back down and I will not allow them to drive me away." She paused, sighing, the shadows dissipating. "I need this."

For a moment, Kellan thought of restraining the girl, of using his mutation to force her against the wall until she calmed down. His eyes grew orange once again, but thankfully she sat on the floor before she caused any further damage. There he stood over her, looking down on the girl whose armor was cracking all over. "Then give us a reason to keep you. Show us something other than anger and rage. Show me something different." Perhaps his words were a little too close to the edge, but she needed to understand the gravity of her situation. He had persuaded the powers that be to allow her to stay in his squad and not be dismissed, but that was not an easy fight. Every time she let her shadowmancy slip into view, she moved one step closer to the cliff.

"You're running out of room," he said finally, spinning about and stalking toward the exit, with frustration weighing down his steps more than normal. Around the edge of the threshold, though Nova would not be able to see him without moving, a panicked scuffle could be heard as Kellan grabbed the two boy by the uniforms and dragged them away, leaving Nova alone with her thoughts.

A few minutes later, the rest of Dragon squad started making their way back into the barracks. Some looked on Nova with sympathy or pity. Others chuckled to themselves. A few didn't even acknowledge her at all, choosing to stay completely out of the situation rather than siding with her or the rest of those against her. No one spoke, only waited for the SC to return and take the to the yard for PT.

The whispers, the laughs.. Nova acted as if none of that bothered her, but it did. It bothered her a great deal. She didn't let it show, but it broke her down, made her feel like she was less than human. Or in her case, less than Chimera. No one could know.

When the rest of them filed in, Nova straightened and sat, poised and patient on her bed. The Southern girl, hesitated at her bunk, but just sighed and moved on; Nova almost felt sorry that she had to say no to her, she could really use one. Unfortunately, Nova had burnt that bridge, along with every other one that got her there.

The squad didn't wait long for instructions when an announcement echoed in the barracks. Dragon squad was to go down to the field, in an orderly manner, and participate in a grueling obstacle course. They were to go through it, if they had one misstep, or tried to cheat, they were to go back to the beginning and do it again. Once completed in its entirety, they were to wait at the end until the last of their squad completed it. When they were all finished, they would wait for Their Squad Commander for further instruction.

The cadets, in fear of retribution, did exactly as they were told.

The weather was cool, but there was enough sun to bring the apparent temperature up to an acceptable degree. On a field out in the back of the complex was an enormous obstacle course, full of stationary and moving challenges. It was fifty acres of nightmares and mud. Near the entrance of the course stood Squad Commander Kellan Khyler. He'd changed into a tank top and digi-camo fatigues. His black boots were clean and polished, reflecting a little light back at the recruits as they gathered 'round. Behind him, two people were already inside the course. Anyone who looked hard enough would recognize them to be the two boys that jumped into the fight against Nova.

"Alright scrubs. Welcome to Hell's Shitter, one of the most brutal courses in the continental US. This is NOT a quick romp through the jungle gyms your mothers guided you through when you were little. This course will knock you around, up, down, and out cold if you don't pay attention. You will get beat up. You will get dirty. You will hate the day your mothers pushed you out of their gaping twats. You start here, and follow the course all the way around. If you finish, start again... i'll be surprised if any of you do. Now... Get moving!"

Kellan would not run the course with the recruits, but would look on with a scowl of constant disappointment. For three hours he would let them get the shit beat out of them. They fell in the mud, the had the wind knocked out of them. One boy broke a finger, but was told to continue through it. One tiny broken bone didn't excuse anyone from PT.

When time had ended and all the cadets returned to their SC, looking exhausted and gross, Kellan had them line up as they had so many times before. "Hoped you like the Shitter, cause you'll be here every day this week. Now get out of here, shower, and get to your bunks. Captain Tousin will run through a schedule briefing until dinner. Dismissed!"

"Cadet Nova, stand where you are."

There was a commutative sigh of relief among the cadets as they were dismissed, and they didn't hang around in case Kellan changed his mind. Only Nova was left, steadying her breath, her limbs shaking, covered in mud nearly from head to toe. She remained quiet, waiting for instruction, though she had a sneaking suspicion what was about to happen. This was where her punishment came in.

It was the perfect time for it. Right as she was tired, ready to collapse, she would have to run. And run. And run some more. Nova was beginning to regret being so temperamental.

Up at the barracks, Clarissa Warren, the southern cadet, glanced back down at the field. "I hope she's not in too much, trouble."

"Who gives a shit. She did it to herself." Another girl whispered. "She deserves it. You saw what she did that guy."

"Better him than us, though." More chimed in; they all paused, and looked back at the field, wondering what exactly was happening down there.

Kellan waited until the others were long gone before speaking to Nova. "You know why you're still here. Luckily you got tour instead of something worse. We're going to take a run around the campus. I'll do a lap with you so you know the route, then you'll keep running till the sun goes down. Once you're done, you'll report to my office, then you'll be free to go back to the barracks." Pulling up to Nova's left, Kellan motioned to the east with his head, then started to jog. He did not wait to see if she had any other remarks, as it was not the place for snide comments or questions. He had a job to do, and he intended to get it done.

Their course led the two to the perimeter fence, which was heavily guarded with watch towers, cameras, spotlights, razor wire, and even some gun placements that seemed to follow them as they ran by. It was a long run, several miles at least. The cold air stung Kellan's throat after a while, but he pushed past the discomfort to guide the girl around the track. Soon after their lap together had ended, Kellan peeled off and jogged the rest of the way to his office, leaving Nova to continue alone.

Maybe the alone time will do her some good...

Nova hated life. Everything about it sucked in that moment. The cold air rushing into her lungs, the ground beneath her feet, the sun that got lower and lower every time she glanced to the sky. Her chest heaved as she ran, around and around, her muscles burned, legs wanting to give out at every step. By the time the sun had finally set, Nova collapsed, her legs shaking so badly she wasn't sure if she'd ever walk again. But she did. She pushed herself to her feet, laced her fingers behind her head, and walked slowly, twice around the path she'd been running. It opened her lungs and helped regulate her breathing.

Nova was ready to go back inside. Walking back to the barracks was torture, every step harder than the last. She wasn't paying attention to her surroundings, just focused on one more step. The night air was cool and crisp, the shadows long. Nova was glad to be alone. So when the shadows moved and it wasn't by her will, she knew someone was following her.

Turning, Nova barely dodged a fist to her face, stumbling back nearly tripping on her feet. She turned to run, when she ran straight into someone else, white hot pain slicing through her torso. Everything after that happened slowly. A shadow spike shot out of the found and slammed into the shoulder of her knife wielding assailant. The other was swallowed by shadows, locked in that realm until she pulled him back out.

Gasping, struggling to breathe, a hand over the wound in her chest, she continued her way to her Squad Commander. Now, every step sent shockwaves of pain through her entire body, her leg soreness nothing in comparison. When she finally made it to his office, she pushed the door open, leaving behind a smudged bloody handprint. Her skin was white, a light sheen of sweat covering her from head to toe.

"I think... I killed him..." Nova choked, before vomiting blood all over the floor. "I didn't.. They... I think... I killed him.."

The evening had passed slowly in Kellan's mind. Minutes felt like hours while he busied himself with reports and status updates. He'd observed enough on the course to know who his athletes were, who had potential, and who would be lucky to last through the end of the week. By the time the sun had set, he was just barely finishing up his last report. He crossed the room from a small desk that sat on the east wall with a coffee maker and a mini fridge resting on top. He hadn't been one for coffee before joining Overwatch, but since then he learned to appreciate the brewed substance in many varieties.

The door behind him opened, though he did not turn to see who entered. He already knew it would be Nova, having finished her run. Sure enough, he detected the sound of heavy, dragging limbs and deep heaving breaths. Judging by the camera footage, she had ran the entire time, which impressed the SC quite a bit. "Gotta say, I didn't think you'd last the whole time. That run usu---"

Kellan's words were cut short by the state of the girl, a look of shock and horror burned into his face.

"I think... I killed him..." she said.

His cup smashed on the floor, mixing coffee with blood and bile. Immediately he was by her side, dipping underneath her arm to support her weight. Through the open door he could see bloody footprints, telling him that she had been bleeding for some time, and struggled to make it to his office. "Nova! Fuck... hold on!" Kellan was not panicked, but heightened. While he was relatively cool most of the time, his adrenaline always hit him hard, sending him into a state of motion that surprised many.

Carefully he led her to the desk, using his power to violently push the fridge and coffee machine off the surface. He then laid her on the flat top and started searching for the wound. It took only a moment to find the blade protruding from her chest, the presence of which had been somewhat obscured by crimson camouflage. Kellan's palm raked across the jagged edge of the broken blade, deeply gouging his palm. He hissed loudly but didn't let that stop him.

"Okay, we're going to get you to the hospital. You need to stay awake, alright?" He didn't wait for her to answer; down the hallway he went, carrying her with his mutation and arm strength mixed. Blood continued to leak from his hand and from her wound, covering the both of them in her blood. Holding her tightly, cradled in his arms, the only thing he could think of was to save her life.

Nova breathed a staggered sigh of relief, her body relaxing. Everything was hot, but felt cold, and so slow. Her Commander didn't seem happy to see her, and she could only imagine it was because after everything that he'd said earlier that day, she still didn't seem to learn. She tried to tell him she was sorry, but she couldn't get enough air into her lungs. She wanted to tell him that it wasn't her fault, she was jumped and reacted out of fear; nothing was working.

Whimpering softly, Nova stared up at Kellan, choking on more blood. Fear was now taking a strong hold, and she began to panic. She'd been stabbed in the chest, and was being rushed to a hospital. No. She couldn't go there. They'd kill her. Everyone wanted her dead.

"I didn't... Mean to..." Nova managed to whisper. She meant for her voice to come out strong, but it was weak. Barely audible. "Don't.. I don't.. Want to die..." She felt tears slowly rolling down her cheeks, and she grabbed his shirt with her shaking, bloody hand, trying to hold onto him, like he would keep her tethered to life. "Please..." She whimpered, "they... Came from... Nowhere... It w..wasn't my f-fault." Nova began to cough, feeling sleep weighing heavily on her. She tried to fight it, she'd get in trouble if she fell asleep, but it was so hard to keep her eyes open. "I'm... Sorry..."

Kellan could feel Nova becoming more weak with each passing moment. Her body sagged just a little more with every step. "Cadet you stay awake. That's an order." His voice was urgent, less like ordering and more like pleading. He didn't want her to die either.

The doors to the emergency room blew apart and an invisible force bashed them to shards of glass and pieces of metal. The staff yelled in surprise, but we're glad to see it was not an attack. "I need help here! Now!" Recognizing the figure shouting the order, a handful of nurses swarmed them. A stretcher was wheeled up, on which he placed the girl as he explained what happened. As the moved her down the hall and into an emergency room, Kellan stayed by her side, holding her hand with his injured one.

"I won't let you die. I promise."

Novas eyes fluttered open, everything too bright, too noisy. She wasn't close to Kellan anymore, but lying on something flat and hard with wheels. She was on a gurney, which meant she was in a hospital. Panic shot through her and she tried to sit up, squeezing his hand tightly in hers, fear making her gasp and wheeze. Hospitals terrified her. She was afraid she was going to go to sleep and never wake up again.

"No... No..." She struggled to move, but her body was so heavy, and her vision kept fading in and out of blackness. "I won't.. Wake up... No..." Nova was terrified, afraid that the staff wanted her dead. "I can... Save him... The boy who... I fought..." She was referring to the boy who hit her in the face in the barracks. She brought his nightmares to life, she could shut them down. Trying to give them a reason to keep her alive, she revealed that secret.

Nova finally, after a fight to stay awake, lost consciousness, her eyes falling closed, her body going limp.

As Nova fought against her SC and the hospital staff, they, in turn, fought right back, holding her in place until they could get her sedated. The priority was the long flat piece of metal still stuck in her chest. She had lost a lot of blood, enough for the surgeons to be concerned as they took her to a trauma room, prepping for surgery.

Nova wasn't in prime shape for surgery, but they had no choice. If they didn't operate she would surely perish. The procedure lasted a few hours, and Kellan never left. He was not allowed in the operating room, but stayed right outside the door through the entire ordeal.

When she had finally been moved to recovery, Kellan sat next to her bed, waiting patiently for her to awaken. He had received treatment for his hand only after she had been moved. He sat there, keeping a silent vigil over Nova.

Groggily Nova stirred, trying to open her eyes. Her whole body felt heavy, like it didn't want to respond to her. Beeping echoed in her ears, signifying that her request not to be taken to the hospital was ignored. But she was waking up, which was easing her fears a little bit.

After several agonizingly long seconds, Nova finally managed to pry her eyes open, but remained groggy. She blamed it on the pain meds, but it didn't stop her from trying to sit up. Dizziness swept over her, and she moaned softly sinking back down into the bed. Looking around the room she caught sight of SC Kyhler sitting next to her, and a mix of dread and fear flooded her. He was there, watching her. Logically, the only reason he was there was because they found the guy who stabbed her, and he was dead.

Nova bit her lip, covering her face with her hands, as tears filled her eyes. He was dead, and it was somehow her fault. She was going to be blamed because she was the problem child, and everything was her fault. "I'm... Sorry..." She whimpered, tears falling down her cheeks. Nova was going to try to be better, have more control, and she blew it.

Kellan smiled wearily as he saw Nova's body begin to move. She had been out for quite a while, and he was beginning to wonder if he did not get her the help she needed in time. As she stirred, Kellan leaned forward, trying to hear what she was murmuring. Her words were filled with remorse and regret; it was clear that she hadn't meant to hurt either of those boys.

"Sshhh... it's okay, Nova. You're okay." Kellan reached out and took her hand into his, giving it a soft squeeze. The monitors hummed softly in the background, but Kellan could not hear them. He was too busy realizing that he liked the new cadet, which made no kinds of sense whatsoever.

"You don't have anything to worry about. They caught the boys who did this. Washing them out as we speak and pressing charges." Without realizing it, he began to softly massage her palm with his thumb.

"I'm just really glad you are awake." Kellan's voice was soft and warm, something he wasn't very good at. He had not the opportunities to practice such emotion and care, so the genuine thing felt strange but... really nice."

They weren't dead? He wasn't there to put her in chains, or something equally terrifying and mysterious? Nova squeezed his hand, relief washing over her. She'd never killed anyone before, accidentally or not, and she didn't want to start. Turning to look at Kellan, she studied him for a moment through blurry vision. He didn't sound like himself, and she needed to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.

"I-"

Before she was able to speak, her surgeon, Dr.Bailey came into the room. She was short, round, black woman, but she put off an air of authority. "I am Dr. Bailey, I'll be taking care of you post-op, monitoring you, and checking your incision site to make sure there's no complications or infection. How are we feeling?" She asked, picking up Novas chart.

"I'm fine," Nova whispered, trying to blink the tears from her eyes.

"Are you in any pain?" Dr. Bailey moved to her side, and lifted her hospital gown just enough to check the wound.

"No," Nova lied.

Dr. Bailey raised an eyebrow and looked at the monitors. "Your blood pressure is high, you're in pain. You shouldn't lie to your doctor." She moved and pushed a button on one of the monitors, and a second later Nova felt a numbing sensation through her entire body.

As she relaxed Bailey moved over to Kellan, and grabbed his injured hand. "How's it feel?" She asked, removing the bandages to make sure it wasn't infected. "Any pain?"

Nova's confused expression brought comfort to the SC. She thought she killed someone, but felt remorse for it, an act she did not even commit. It served to confirm in Kellan's mind that she was not a killer, or a rampaging psycho. She was a girl who longed to control her mutation, and that made him feel much better about having fought to keep her at NIMA. Listening to Nova speak would have furthered the feeling of comfort, but doctors and nurses were among the top chiefs of working on their time, not the patient's.

"Strong to a fault," he said with a slight smile. While it was noble to hide the pain she was in, Kellan wanted her to be honest with them. "Just remember that they're here to help. Powering through pain is all well and good, but people always perform better when they actually feel good." He didn't let go of her hand, even when Dr. Bailey came to inspect his hand.

The nurse had done a decent job wrapping it up. The sight looked pretty normal, without being particularly warm to the touch or red and inflamed. "Not much. Only when I flex my hand or make a fist." The good doctor continued to inspect the wound almost passively. His injury was not nearly as significant as Nova's; he wondered why she was even bothering to check on his when it was obvious that her attention needed to be on the cadet.

"When will she be able to leave?"

Bailey wrapped his hand with fresh dressings, and threw out the old ones. Writing something down in Novas chart, she sighed. "She'll have to stay a day at least, as long as there's no infection. She had a lot of internal bleeding, and I want to watch and make sure everything is stable before I release her." Pausing, Bailey turned and adjusted something in the IV so that her pain medicine was slow, but constant, not to exceed a certain amount, though.

Nova tried to sit up, the room spinning as she did so. "No," she groaned. "I'm fine, I want to go."

"Do you want to rip your stitches, bleed out, and die? No. I don't think so. You stay right in that bed until I give the okay to leave." Bailey was a kind Doctor, but she was stern. Turning back to Kellan she continued, "Cadet Nova will be fine with us. You have other Cadets to get back to, we will keep her safe, and you can check on her later. She needs rest now."

"No offense," Kellan replied. "But I'm going to stay. In the thirty six hours she's been here, there have been two violent incidents and one attempt at violence, all against Cadet Nova. I'll be staying here until she is released." His squad was being supervised by another SC, one he knew would keep them in line without trying to subvert him in the games. They weren't friends, necessarily, but they respected each other for their accomplishments.

Kellan left the doctor's suggestion at that, having nothing else to say to her on the matter. He had made up his mind already, and there wasn't anything she could do to change it. Technically he had more clout that she possessed, so he doubted she would protest to his superiors. Even if she did, he didn't care. Not all rules were meant to be followed to the letter in his book.

More deeply concerning was her fear of the infirmary. It was obvious that she did not want to be there. The look in her eyes reminded him of an injured animal, afraid to be touched for fear of being hurt further. His heart bled for her, knowing that the fear likely came from a traumatic event in her childhood. He wouldn't be surprised, given the way she was bounced from foster home to foster home. Kellan did not speak of it while Bailey was present, but he tried to give Nova an understanding look.

"You could, however, have the mess hall bring up a couple of trays. She's not eaten in a while."

Raising an eyebrow at the pair of them, Bailey shrugged, and motioned for a nurse to do as Kellan requested. "It will be here shortly. There is a button to page me if you need anything, and," this last part she directed at the SC, "don't let her get up." With that, she left the room closing the door behind her.

While they had been talking, Nova had pushed herself into a sitting position, though it had taken quite a lot out of her. Her skin looked waxy, and she was breathing hard, in obvious pain despite the medicine. "I don't want to stay." She wheezed, fighting back a grunt of pain. Hospitals, doctors, they all made Nova on edge and being trapped, with wires, and monitors only made it worse.

She tried to pull out her IV, but she was weak, couldn't grasp onto it with her trembling fingers. "I want to... Go..." Nova was getting tired, dizziness making it hard to focus. "I'm fine, and I want.. To go.." Her words started to slur, her body sinking back onto the bed, exhaustion slowly taking hold, making her body heavy. Turning her gaze to Kellan, she frowned, her eyes begging him to let her leave.

"Thank you," he said to Bailey before turning his attention back to Nova.

"Nope, you're staying here, Nova. You're not fine. This isn't a pain you can sweep under the rug. I'm not going to let you." Kellan used his mutation to bring a blanket from across the room, which he then draped over the barely awake cadet. It was quite chilly in the room, but Kellan would not dare complain about it. It wasn't time for that. His priority was keeping Nova warm and safe, where no one could hurt her.

The SC's phone buzzed once, briefly, prompting him to remove the device from his pocket to check the message. Quickly he typed a message back, sent it, then placed the phone on the rolling table nearby. "Nova, I need you to tell me what you remember about the attack. Where you were when it happened, what they looked like, how they attacked you... everything." Kellan knew it wasn't the best time, but with every passing hour the memories would fade and the chances of getting a charge to stick would go down.

Nova was warm, and tired under the blankets, snuggled down in the soft bed. She was nearly out, when Kellans voice prompted her to open her eyes. Blinking slowly, she shifted so she could look at him.

"I was running.. I, uhm, I had to run until the sun went down." She closed her eyes, furrowing her brow trying to remember. "When it was dark, I walked a couple laps, because I couldn't breathe. My legs, oh, my legs hurt, but I had to prove that I could do it.." She spoke slowly, straining to get the words out. Nova knew it was important to get all the details, to show him it wasn't her fault this time. "I had to prove I was more than just a problem child. I, uhm, I started back to the barracks and the - the shadows moved, but it wasn't me. I didn't move them, I was too tired, I knew someone was following me."

Nova began to drift off, but when she closed her eyes, it was like she was back on the field. The two boys were there, coming at her. In a panic her eyes shot open and she gasped, frantically searching the room for them. "Uhm, what... Oh. I knew someone was following me. When I turned around, a fist nearly hit my face, I remember feeling a breeze it was so close. I couldn't fight back, I was already in so much trouble, and I was so tired... I tried to run.. But.." Nova began to hyperventilate, the same fear and panic rushing through her. The screen monitoring her heart rate and blood pressure began to beep rapidly, as her panic escalated. "He stabbed me.. God, it hurt... But he was.. He was pushed away from me, the shadows reacted and I had to get back.. I had to tell you what happened... I think I killed him..." Nova covered her face with her hands, the fear that she killed that boy resurfacing.

Seeing the panic setting in again, Kellan rose from his chair and stood by her bed. He then did something that he never, ever, thought he would do to one of his recruits. He would hit them, yell at them, cuss at them, insult them, and everything under the sun, but he had never given one a hug. Wrapping his arms around her, careful so as not to move her much at all, he pulled her into an embrace soft but strong. He held her there, cooing to her to ease the stress and panic that made her heart race. Nova was not being squeezed, and her arms and legs were free.

"Sssh..." he whispered quietly in her ear. "Sshhh it's over now. It's okay Nova. You're safe. No one died. It wasn't your fault." It didn't occur to Kellan until that moment that he hadn't actually said that to her. Not in the barracks, not in the lunchroom, and not in his office. He alluded to that conclusion, but no one had actually said to her that it was not her fault. She was not the cause.

"Don't worry about that right now, Nova. I'm sorry I brought it up. Just rest." Kellan kept the girl held softly in his arms, trying to banish the ghosts that still haunted her memory. "Just sleep. I'll be right here."

Widening her eyes, Nova started to calm down; wrapping her arms around him, her fingers clenching on the fabric of his shirt. She turned her face, to hide it against him, her whole body shaking. "It's not... My fault..." She breathed. That information, as small as it was, helped her relax. Nova couldn't remember the last time someone got close enough to her, to hug her. She had forgotten how warm other people felt, how it made her feel.

Leaning into him, she sighed softly, her eyes falling closed. Nova discovered that she liked the way it made her feel. It calmed her down, and being in his arms helped her finally fall asleep.

Laying Nova softly back down on the bed, Kellan levitated his chair and placed it nearby. Carefully he pulled himself down and sat back in the chair, right next to her bed so he can hold her hand while she slept. Nurses and doctors, cafeteria workers and janitors all came and went, and Kellan was there to make sure they did not disturb her rest. Most of what occurred were routine checks, monitoring vitals, and just to check and see if she needed anything. Kellan himself never slept.

The SC knew that Nova would never be able to sleep in the barracks again. It was too dangerous, and potentially now too alone for her to go back there. Still fresh out of surgery, it was unlikely that she would be able to effectively defend herself, should another attack come, and a shortage of MPs made it impossible to have her guarded all night. There seemed to be only one logical solution.

"Yes sir, I am aware of what that looks like," Kellan said, his voice quiet but frustrated.

"Not just what it looks like, what it is. Commander Khyler you can't just do whatever you want. She's a cadet. A female cadet. It's almost absurdly inappropriate."

"There's no where else to put her where she won't be in danger. The entire base knows what she can do. I can protect her."

"They can keep her in solitary downstairs," the Admiral replied, dead serious. Kellan scowled deeply.

"That's not going to help. It'll only make things worse. If we want to avoid a public scene and potential loss of life, this is the best answer."

The Admiral sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Fine... but this is on you. I can't say the board is going to like this. I've trusted you before... i'll trust you again. Don't fuck this up."

Novas stay in the hospital was shorter than she thought, though longer than she would have liked. It was only a day after surgery that she was allowed to leave, but she didn't go back to the barracks. She had to report in excruciating detail every little thing that had happened the night she was stabbed. A full accurate statement, no detail overlooked. It was a long tiring process, her chest wound throbbing.

When it was finally over, Nova felt drained; she couldn't count how many times she was asked to go over exactly what happened the seconds before, and after, she was stabbed. They were crucial, she was told, very important they were right. She insisted that everything she said was the truth, no guessing, no confusion. Her words were proven true, when the one that did the stabbing was also brought in to give his statement as she left. He was bound in chains, but still lashed out at her, questioning why she was still alive.

Nova wanted nothing more than to lie down, away from the questions, the stares, the whispers. But she was told she was no longer staying in the barracks.

"Then.. Where am I going?"