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"The past can hurt, but you can either run from it, or learn from it."
-Rafiki-
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Mitch rubbed the towel on his wet hair, taking it off and putting his fingers through his hair, his hair dryer than before. He just took a shower, he looked at himself in the mirror, the layers of dirt and sweat that were on him now gone making him feel better, but feeling sore in his wrists and shoulder, bruises were around his wrists where he wore cuffs for a week. He put back on his clothes, he grabbed his quiver and bow slipping the strap over his shoulder before he slipped back on his golden dog tags. He walked out, going down the hallway. He didn't want to stay longer, but he was lost, he didn't really know where he was going or the way out of here either and the last thing he wanted to do was to ask directions since he hadn't gone to the medical ward yet and wants to avoid it. His wrists hurt and they hurt a lot but he didn't really care. He wanted out of here and back to looking for Jerome. Mitch turned a corner, stopping when he heard yelling and saw people rushing down the hall, carrying someone, Mitch looked between the recruits, his eyes widening a bit when he recognized them.

"M-Max," Mitch mumbled. He almost followed the recruits but stopped himself before he could. He bit his bottom lip back, he turned his head back when he heard more yelling, recognizing the voice.

"Do I look like his assistant or something?! Tell Ian if he has a problem then to deal with it himself!" Someone yelled. Mitch turned halfway, the figure almost stopped when they saw him. "Oh, you're here. Why? Did you get captured again, Mitch? You are pretty good at that after all." Mitch looked at them. 'Ant.' Max thought. Ant has blood on his clothes and skin, visible wounds as well looking to be animal bites, he looked at one.

"What bit you?" He asked. Ant looked at his arm, he crossed his arms.

"Many things bit me, I did just have to fish Max out of a lake in the middle of the jungle while trying not to get eaten alive by wild animals, so it could be anything. What are you doing here?" Ant asked. Mitch hesitated.

"I was just leaving," Mitch said. Ant looked away from him.

"Typical." Ant scoffed before walking away. Mitch watch Ant go towards the medical ward but he took a turn, going away from it. Mitch was too curious about Max, he went down the hall and into the medical ward. There was chaos, mostly around one bed, Mitch went closer to the bed, seeing it is Max and there are blankets covering him, two nurses holding Max's left leg down while Alister is working on a gash. Mitch looked over Max's injuries, but Alister saw him, he was working on a large gash on Max's leg.

"Lieutenant General, I was wondering where you were," Alister said. Mitch looked at him.

"What's wrong with him?" Mitch asked.

"Hypothermia, a deep open wound on his left leg, lost a lot of blood and a blow to the head. Other then all that, he's fi—I got it!" Alister said before pulling an object out of Max's leg. "Looks like a broken tip of a sword." Alister gives it to a nurse, a nurse pushing a piece of gauze on his leg, blood soaking it. "Need more gauze and get bandages now, he's bleeding out!" Alister tightly wrapped the gauze around Max's leg. "I do not want to have to amputate him, that's the absolute last option here." Mitch stepped back. A nurse touched Max's neck, keeping an eye on his pulse.

"Weak pulse." She said.

"CPR standby, two people, chest compressions. He has hypothermia, so use extra caution." Alister said. Alister glance at Mitch, noticing the bruises on his wrists. "Can a nurse take the Lieutenant for a checkup?" Mitch looked at Alister.

"What?"

"Lieutenant General Ian's orders. I'll check up on you myself after we have stabilized Captain Max. So don't leave." Alister said. Mitch was about to speak when a nurse grabbed Mitch's arm, pulling him away, closing the curtain to separate them from the rest of the medical ward. Mitch looked at the nurses. She pushed his sleeve up, looking at his wrists. He pulled his wrists away, forcing a small smile on his face.

"It's really not that big of a deal, promise--"

"Then you won't mind me running a few tests on you, pass them all and I'll let you leave, fail one of them and you'll take the medical treatment we give you without any arguments or complaining, deal?" She asked. Mitch stared at her, pausing for a second before giving in.

"Alright deal," Mitch said.

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*Ten Minutes Later*
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"You've failed all of the tests but one. But that single test doesn't matter." The nurse said as she put her clipboard down. She picked up his hand, opening it palm face up. She looked at his fingers. "Do you wear gloves when you are using your bow at all?" Mitch shakes his head.

"Nope," Mitch said. Her eyes flicker up to his.

"I can tell." She said, she picked up his left hand, looking at it till she saw the side of his hand, seeing a scar on him. "Right-handed or left handed?"

"Right-handed," Mitch said. She looked at Mitch.

"How do you rest the arrow on your left hand?" She asked. Mitch stared at her, he pulled his hand back.

"That scar isn't from archery," Mitch said.

"Then what is it from?" She asked. Mitch looked away from her, not speaking. The curtain was pushed back, Dr. Alister coming in, blood staining his clothes. The nurse stood up, turning to him.

"How is Captain Max? He okay?" She asked worriedly. Alister smiled a bit.

"The Captain will be alright, don't worry. He just needs lots of rest and he'll be okay." He said. Alister looked at Mitch. "So, what's the story here? How is he?" The nurse crossed her arms.

"The stress the braces caused on his wrists may have broken something or fractured it. He has scars on his hands and one big one on the side of his left hand. He's failed all the tests except for one." The nurse said. Alister grabbed a stool, going over to in front of Mitch, he took Mitch's left hand, looking at it. The nurse turned Mitch's hand, pointing out the scar. "See? I can't tell what that would be from but I'm guessing it was archery." Alister looked at it and bit his bottom lip. He looked at the nurse.

"I know what the scars on his hands are from, they aren't anything to worry about," Alister said before looking at Mitch. "If anything, I thought they would have faded by now." Mitch glanced at Alister. Alister looked at the nurse. "I got this nurse, you can go." The nurse nods and walks away. Alister looked at Mitch. He lets go of Mitch's hand. "How's your eyesight been? Worsen? Improved?" Mitch shrugged his shoulders.

"I-If I'm honest...I can't tell. I've been so focused on finding Jerome that I forgot about it. I guess you were right when you said it was all in my head." Mitch said. Alister pushed up Mitch's sleeves, looking at his wrists.

"I'm glad to hear some good news...Have you heard from General Tyler at all?" Alister asked. Mitch looked at him, shaking his head.

"No, I haven't. I haven't heard from Ty or Jason in four years, it's like they disappeared altogether." Mitch said. Alister smiled a bit.

"Well, let me reassure you, General Jason is still alive, I ran into him two years ago when I found him wounded. He has a reason for going dark as he has, but he said that if you guys ever needed him that he would come, so...I guess he just thinks you guys don't need his help yet." Alister said as he started wrapping Mitch's right wrist and hand in bandages. Mitch looked at his hand, looking at the scars on them.

"Since you've seen Jason. H-Have you seen Ty at all?" Mitch asked him. Alister shakes his head.

"No, and he's the one I'm most worried about. His PTSD was already bad and he would always refuse treatment for it. And now, after four years, I bet it has only gotten worse." Alister said. Alister ties the bandage, securing it. He grabbed more, taking Mitch's left hand. "I want you to wrap these bandages, I'm sure that you only have soreness from the braces, but this is help relieve some of the pain."

"Thanks," Mitch said. Alister gives him a little smile, Mitch looked at him. "How long have you been here with Ian?"

"Few months, but I spent some time over with Major General Quentin. I only transferred over to here months ago because Colonel Jordan is finally back on his feet." Alister said.

"Finally?" Mitch questioned. Alister looked at him.

"Oh, you don't know? There was an explosion at Vaven City, Colonel Jordan got caught in it and was severely injured, he was hospitalized for three months for his injuries, but he was slipping in and out of a coma." Alister said. Mitch looked away.

"I know about that incident, but that happened two years ago," Mitch said. Alister nods.

"Yes, it did...but the Colonel woke up from his coma four months ago," Alister said. Mitch looked at Alister, surprised. He remembered when that explosion happened, he remembers Quentin telling him they finally found Jordan and he was severely injured with burns all over his body, cuts, and had a concussion. Luckily one of Jordan's friends pulled him out of harm's way, but there was a lot of doubt surrounding if he was gonna survive his injuries or not.

"Four months ago? But I was told that he woke up two months after it happened." Mitch said. Alister shakes his head.

"No, he was stabilized in full about two months after the incident. He was still comatose. He's doing alright last time I heard, the Generals don't want him pushing himself so hard since he only just released out of hospitalization about two weeks ago." Alister said. Mitch looked away, thinking as Alister finished bandaging Mitch's right hand and wrist.

"That incident happened in June so that means he was...in a coma for about...twenty months," Mitch said. Alister nods. Mitch looked at him. "But I thought to be in a coma messed you up, is that why it took him so long to recover?" Alister nods.

"Yes, he wasn't in good shape when he woke up, even now, General Quentin refuses to give the Colonel any jobs till he is confident that the Colonel has fully recovered," Alister said. Mitch smiled a bit.

"Quentin is a battlefield medic, one of the best, so I guess it is good that Jordan is with him," Mitch said. Alister nods a bit.

"Yeah, but we have a problem, Dan was captured by the squids and is being held in a location we have yet to locate," Alister said. Mitch looked away from him, not talking. He wasn't fully surprised that Dan was captured, but he still was, Dan can handle himself if he has to but he can't for long. Alister stood up, throwing out the excess bandages in the trash. He looks at Mitch. "Well, you're free to go, I'm guessing you are gonna go after Lieutenant Jerome again, just be careful, okay? I'll have a nurse give you extra bandages, change your bandages, alright? I have to go, it was nice seeing you again." Alister left him, Mitch gripped the side of the bed, the curtain getting pushed back, Ian walking in front of Mitch. Mitch stared at Ian's boots.

"You told Alister to say all that, didn't you?" Mitch asked. Ian nods, crossing his arms.

"Yes, I did. You listen to Dr. Alister, you listen to him more than you listen to me, so I thought maybe he would be able to convince you to stay. I wasn't joking or lying when I said that we need you, Mitch. I can't have Ant be my only Captain here because that is what he is right now since Max is hospitalized. Ant is a good fighter but he's arrogant and a jerk. You--"

"Fine," Mitch said. Ian paused for a second, staring at him.

"What?" Ian asked. Mitch stood up, looking at Ian.

"I'll help you, I'll help you rescue Dan. But you have to promise me that you'll help me find Jerome...or at least Lachlan and Vikk." Mitch said. Ian smiled a bit. He nods.

"You got yourself a deal, Michael is currently the person I have searching for Jerome right now, if there is anyone who can find someone, it is him," Ian said. Mitch shook his head a bit.

"No, Michael struggled to find Jason, remember?" Mitch asked. Ian scoffed.

"Oh give Michael a break, no one can find Jason once he wants to disappear. Jason's vanishing skills are out of anyone's league, even yours." Ian said. Mitch smiled.

"Good point." He said. The curtain was pushed back, a nurse looked at them.

"Generals, we have problem, follow me now." She said. Ian and Mitch followed her to Max's bedside. Alister looked at them and back at Max, who was awake. Alister pointed at Ian and Mitch.

"Can you tell me their names?" He asked. Max looked at Ian and Mitch, staring at them. Ian stepped closer to Max.

"Wait, do you not recognize us, Max?" Ian asked. Max looked at Ian.

"A-Am I supposed to?" Max questioned. Mitch crossed his arms as Ian's eyes widen a bit. Mitch nodded.

"I would hope so, you are a part of the Sky Army Higher Ups after all," Mitch said. Max looked at Mitch, touching his head as he groaned.

"W-What's a Sky Army?"