Chapter Text
“Drink plenty of fluids, stay off your feet as much as possible, and take these twice a day until you have finished them all.” You instruct your patient, handing her a tiny sack of herbs.
“Thank you Doctor (L/n)”. Says the patient, standing up to shake your hand before leaving your office.
“Anytime,” you reassure her, “and be sure to come back if the symptoms don't subside in a few days!”
She nods and you bid her farewell. Once gone, you trips over to the sanatorium to see your colleagues.
“All finished Dr. Jaeger!” you announce, walking to stand beside Grisha, who was restocking supply cupboards with several nurses. “Let me help you with that.”
“Ah, thank you.” He says.
“Honestly Dr. Jaeger, I don't know how you come up with these combinations of herbs and drugs.” one of the nurses says, reading the labels on the bottles in her arms and raising an eyebrow.
Before he could reply, you all hear a bell toll in the distance and immediately stop what you are doing.
“The Survey Corps is back!” Grisha Jaeger shouts, “ I want all of this cleared away immediately and make room for the wounded soldiers.”
You and the other nurses scurry around the room, placing hygienic sheets on all of the cots, gathering bandages, several different disinfectants, saline solution, and clean cloth.
“(Y/n), help me with the operating room,” Grisha calls out to you.
You could feel the adrenaline rushing though the entire medical team, even though you all knew exactly what needed to be done to prepare to receive the wounded soldiers. The adrenaline was because some of these combatants would be in critical condition. If you were not quick-thinking and ready for anything, you would lose them. You told yourself that you would never let a patient lose their life on your table. They risked more than enough for humanity out beyond the wall, and it was your duty to keep them alive if they managed to return.
In the operating room you equipped several trays with identical sets of instruments - the basics for every surgery. After this was done, you covered the individual trays with a clean cloth to protect it from germs, and then lined them up, ready to grab and swap out with each new patient.
After this you met with your team in the back of the main room. You all scrubbed your hands and arms with antiseptic solution and donned clean white attire. You then divided into several groups, you leading one half and Grieha the other. You were ready.
The commotion outside the infirmary grew louder, and you all rushed to greet the door as the wounded poured in.
You and Dr. Jaegar each shouted orders to your squads as you efficiently found a bed for each patient.
Everyone worked diligently, starting with the critical patients first.
Several solders enter carrying a stretcher over to you and you guide them to the operating room, realizing that there was blood seeping heavily from the layers of material that surrounded the remnants of the soldier’s leg. To make matter’s worse, the poor man was awake and wailing in pain.
“Titan?” you ask.
The solders nod.
“Dr. Jaeger! This one needs an operation! Immediately! Help me with him!”
You and Dr. Jaeger cleanse your hands with distilled water mixed with 0.7% chlorine before beginning on the soldier. Your hands have memorized the steps so you and Grisha can harmoniously multitask while discussing what needs to be done next.
“Wrap the tourniquet here, tightly, while I remove the bandages”
Grisha takes the bloodied rags to a bin while you begin to disinfect the area, earning a cry from the soldier.
You ask several of his comrades to come over and hold his upper body still, and give them a bite block to place in his mouth.
“Here sir, please bite on this… yes, I know, but it will help.” You turn to Grisha, “We need to stem the bleeding from the femoral artery, otherwise he will bleed out very quickly.” You look at the patient’s face, already very pale from so much blood loss.
Dr. Jaeger clamps 2 hemostats over the major arteries and with your help, begins to remove torn tissue that has been ripped by giant teeth. You follow his movements, working on carefully evening out the margin of the muscle layer. At this point the patient is screaming and falling in and out of consciousness. You remove the crushed bone fragments while Dr. Jaegar administers sutures to the vessels and tissue layers. Finally, you are able to suture the skin in a neat envelope over the now stubbed leg.
You and Grisha look at each other and share in another success.
He pats you on the shoulder for a job well done as he wipes his brow. You leave the room to clean yourself while he gives post-op instructions to the soldiers.
Having changed into a clean uniform you see how much time has passed. Comrades and families of the wounded have now filled the halls.
You scan the room and find a familiar face.
“Hange!” you exclaim, throwing your arms around your best friend.
You hadn’t seen her since the soldiers came back, which had an equal chance of being good or bad news.
The two of you had been friends since you were children. Both had a passion for science. She joined the military and carried out titan experiments while you focused your attention on advancing medicine and remedial techniques for the human species.
With her were the members of the Special Operations team, several Survey Corps Squad Leaders, and some High-Ups. Because you and Hange were so close, you had met all of these individuals many times before on different occasions. Usually they were in casual settings, but unfortunately due to the nature of their dangerous career choice, you also saw them often at the hospital.
Removing yourself from the bear hug you gave Hange, you greeted the others, including the short grouchy man beside her.
Yes, you were close with Humanity’s Strongest. So much that you had earned a nickname from him, ‘abnormal’.
He called you this because of the way you and Hange - “Shitty-Glasses” - would get excited, and have heated discussions about discoveries you each made. It bothered him to have to listen to the two of you discuss the inner working of people and titans, especially if it was over dinner. He would drop his utensils with a “Tch” and call the two of you disgusting, and of course, ‘abnormal’, while pushing his food away.
Lastly you looked over to the one you really wanted to greet, Squad Leader Erwin Smith. He was busy, deep in conversation with Commander Keith Shadis.
Hange followed your gaze and gave you a smirk when she saw who you were looking at.
You sigh, and tilt your head and eyes towards her, showing a small smile. Of course she knew you had feelings for the man.
Yes, you had a crush on Erwin smith. But he was often engaged like this with the Higher-Ups, talking business and strategy. He glanced over at you, allowing you the opportunity to send a wink in his direction. A faint blush crossed his face and you hear him stutter, losing his train of thought in the conversation with the Commander.
Nothing had ever officially happened between the two of you. However, that didn't mean you hadn’t been on the receiving end of his flirtations, which you happily reciprocated.
Returning your attention to Hange, she says the commander is making everyone take tomorrow off. It was a rough expedition, and that night was the start of the Spring Festival.
Ah yes, the Spring Festival. You had almost forgotten. The Spring Festival, or really, the ‘Wall Festival’ was an annual event to celebrate the unfaltering protection the walls had given from the titans for the past 100 years.
You plan to meet her and the others there later that day and beckon them to leave the infirmary room. You still had patients to treat, and the room was growing uncomfortably hot with all the extra able-bodies in the room. Unfortunately now was the time Erwin decided to join in your conversation.
“Oi, Eyebrows -” Levi begins, before Hange cuts him off.
“We’re going to the Festival tonight. You’re coming!” she decreed.
“Of course. Why would I say no?” Erwin responds, suave and collected as ever.
“Excellent!” exclaims Hange, “See you tonight, (y/n)!” she says, grasping both men under her arms and leading them from the room.
Erwin looks back at you and you flash him a smile before heading back to work.
***