Chapter 20：Off We Go

"Got everything?"

Adena asked, entering Louis and Rosalind's room. He wore a long brown overcoat awkardly draped around his body.

"Yes. Oh? New coat?"

"Vincent told me to wear it. He's a little smaller than me so, it fits wierdly. Give me your bag."

"Rosa! Ready? Adena !? You look good." Louis slapped him across the shoulders, grinning. "You look like you belong in a magazine . . . I hope you don't take my scolding too seriously."

"No, I understand why you would say that. I am deeply sorry for my behaviour as well."

Louis smiled."I know you're a good person, Adena. You have a good heart. Now! Let's get going! We have a long journey ahead of us."

She took her bag and walked out the door. Adena hung his head.

"Adriel? Are you alright?"

"She said that I am a good person."

Rosalind laughed. "That's because you are silly."

"No, I'm not." He looked up at her. Has his eyes always been this brilliantly orange before?

"What makes you say that?"

He looked away again. "Never mind. We'd better hurry. They are probably waiting for us."

He took Rosalind's bag and walked out the door, avoiding eye contact with her.

Strange. He's been like this since yesterday's meeting. She remembered how tensed Louis was by the time the three of them made it to her.

"You needed to see us, Louis?" Ralph asked.

"Yes." She turned her gaze to Adena. "Let me release my anger a little bit first. Adena! Where were you? I haven't seen you since yesterday? Do you know how tight the shifts became because you weren't there?

"I understand if you have work to do but, you can't always keep disappearing whenever you feel like it."

"I apologise, Doctor for all the trouble I caused."

Louis released a deep sigh, rubbing her temples.

"You have as much of a potential as Rosalind, Adena. You're an invaluable asset to the team." She looked at Ralph, Vincent, Rosalind and Adena. "All of you are important, if even one of you disappeared we would crumble. No matter what work you do, it's not insignificant. It's because of every one of you that we're able to help this many people in such short notice. Don't ever think you're lesser than anyone. Got it? All of you?"

"Yes, doctor." They chimed in unison.

"I've made my decision."

"Decision?" Rosalind asked.

"Is it about what the Major said?" Ralph questioned.

"What? The Major talked to you?"

"Yes. He told me to choose some doctors to go with me to the frontline. They took a massive hit on their camp when they got ambushed not a day ago."

"Ambushed? Are they alright?"

"Yes. Most of them. From what I heard, the already diminishing medical team took the hardest hit."

"Looks like they have a strategy." Ralph muttered.

"Seems so." Vincent looked to Louis. "Who have you picked?"

" . . . I need all of you with me. I know I haven't worked with all of you for that long but I've seen the determination and skill each of you possess. If it was all of us as a team, I know we can take them. But the choice is up to you, I won't force anyone. I know how dangerous it is going to be. Anyone with common sense will refuse and stay-"

"-I'll go!" Rosalind immediately jumped in, no hesitation in her voice or expression.

Louis smiled softly at her. "I knew you would, Rosalind."

"I'll go too." Adena said.

"Me too!" Ralph declared. "I ain't letting all of you hog the glory."

Vincent chuckled, bringing everyone's attention to him.

"Guess we all lack common sense. I'm coming too, you didn't think we would refuse if you asked us for anything, did you?"

Louis looked around the room, at all the smiling faces that stared back at her, emotion welling up inside her.

"Thank you all of you." She cleared her throat. "I'll go report to the Major then."

Rosalind smiled at the memory, Louis may be one of the toughest people she knew but she is also one of the kindest.

She looked at the ring on her table. The same ring the man gave her.

May it bring you luck.

Luck, huh?

She wore the ring in her index finger, smiling at it.

I'll need all the luck I can get anyway.

As she ran out after Adriel, a thought came to her mind.

Who will take care of these patients then? All the other nurses are staying behind but will that be enough? They're exhausted already as it is.

I'm sure Louis has taken care of it though.

"Ah! Rosa! There you are." Louis stood just outside the door of the hospital with the rest of them, waiting for Rosalind.

"Good that you're here. It's about time for us to go."

The cold early morning air blew making everything felt fresh and crisp.

"What are we going by?"

"That has already been arranged."

"Major!" Louis and Rosalind called out.

"Good morning, sir!" They all greeted him.

"Does he really not know our names?" Ralph raised his eyebrow.

"Only Louis and Rosalind have actually been talking with him. The rest of us avoided him like the plague. So he'll obviously know them more." Vincent answered.

"Sir! What about here? Have you asked for medical reinforcements ?" Rosalind couldn't help asking.

"I did. They will be here in a week or so."

"But, we're leaving today?"

"Yes. I've got that covered." Louis grinned. "You see, when I told the Major that I was going to take all the doctors and you, Rosalind, he agreed, under the condition that I have to provide more doctors and nurses by the next day.

That was an easy enough request so we had a deal."

"If it's easy for you to call anyone then shouldn't you have done that a week ago?" Ralph narrowed his eyes at her.

Louis shook her head. "I had to pull some strings so I didn't want to use it unless absolutely necessary. And I really want all of you with me, so . . ."

"Louis." Rosalind looked at her with deep admiration.

"Oh! They're here!"

A huge army truck came through the darkness and the fog. The guards opened the gate, letting it enter inside.

Out of the truck came about a score of doctors and nurses. Louis and Vincent made their way to them, putting on her mask she shook the hands of every one.

Vincent did the talking for her, thanking them for coming and introducing the Major to them.

They looked flustered seeing the both Vincent and Louis, like fans meeting their idol.

"Those two are something else aren't they?" Ralph said to Rosalind. "They are so admired in the medical field that people don't mind coming all the way out here if they requested them to."

"They're amazing." Rosalind looked at the two figures melding in with the rest of the professional doctors and nurses.

"By the way, where did you study? Maybe we went to the same university." Ralph asked.

"I didn't go to a university."

"Huh? Then?"

"The teachers come to my house."

"Oooh~ ok. I understand. Were your parents really strict like Vincent's?"

"I don't have any parents."

"Ah. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it uncomfortable."

Rosalind giggled. "It's alright, Ralph. I don't really have any memories of them. I was raised by my grandparents."

"They must be amazing people then. Raising someone as extraordinary as you." Ralph grinned.

"Thank you, Ralph. You're also an amazing brother for being able to take care of all your siblings and still able to graduate from university in top grades. You're parents are definitely proud of you."

"Oh. That's nothing." He smiled sheepishly, scratching his head.

"Rosalind, Ralph, Adena! Come here!" Vincent called to them, the crowd's eyes now on them.

"This is Rosalind, Adena and Ralph. They are our team." He turned to them. "These are doctors from many different hospitals. They came the moment they got the telegraph from Louis. This-" he pointed to the man right in front of them "-is Walter Waterloo, the head doctor."

"Hello. It's a pleasure to meet you all." Rosalind greeted them. "Thank you for coming so quickly on such short notice."

"Hey, it's Louis Mercia. He's been such a help to each of us. It's only right that we help when he calls." Walter laughed.

"I'm glad."

"Hey! We have to get going!" Vincent called to them boarding the army truck. Louis held the door open, nudging her chin to the inside of the truck.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you. We'll get going now. Adena, come help me get the bags inside." Ralph pulled Adena and with that they were off.

"Oh! I have to tell you, the garden is at the back. There are some vegetables you can pluck from there. The rooms are a little cramped and the doctors and nurses quarters may need to be rearranged. Most of the patients have been stabled. There are some who start screaming and hitting anything around them, unknowingly.

"And . . . Uh . . . What else? What else?"

"Hey, it's ok. We're here now. We'll take care of everything. You just worry about yourself." He gave her a reassuring smile.

"Thank you. Wait! I have a notebook with all the patients details and the layout of the rooms as well as details on the plants. I'll give it to you."

She rummaged through her bag, taking out a small leader bound notebook and handed it to him.

At that moment, she lost all strength in her hands, dropping the notebook to the ground. Pain like thousands of prickling needles ran all along her hands. She bit her lip to prevent herself from making a sound.

"I-Im so sorry. My hands slipped." Rosalind spoke through gritted teeth as Walter picked up the notebook.

"It's alright. It happens." He smiled, patting her head. "Don't worry, alright? You best go, they're waiting for you."

"Thank you."

Just as she was about to enter the vehicle, she heard a voice call out to her.

"Rosalind!"

"Major?" Rosalind stood at the door, meeting the Major. "Where did you disappear to?"

"I had to get something." He took out a dagger in its sheath out of his pocket, handing it to Rosalind.

"W-what's this for?" Rosalind took that the knife out of the sheath, it's still very new and very, very sharp. "I don't need this, Major." She tried to give it back to him but he refused.

"At least keep it so that it'll ease my mind. The frontline is not going to be like anything you've seen before. This is still very mild and tame compared to it. So please carry it with you everywhere you go. Even if you never use it."

" . . . If it'll make you feel better . . . I'll carry it. Thank you Major." She smiled at him. "I pray that you're nephew will return safely back to you."

"Me too. But he made his choice and so did I. You take care of yourself, Rosalind."

"Yes, sir!" She hugged him, sobbing. "Thank you for everything you've done for me, for us."

He patted her back, voice thick with emotion, "Thank you too. Be safe. I'll be awaiting your letters."

Without another glance he walked away. His head hung low.

"Be safe too, Major."

She entered the vehicle, the pain subsiding the moment she she took a seat next to Adena.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

"Better than ever." She looked up at him and smiled. Wiping a stray tear that fell.

"Everyone settled? Than let's go!"

Louis slammed the door shut as the vehicle made its way out of the grounds. Leaving the building and all its inhabitants behind.