Be Kind (Doctor Reader x Levi Ackerman)

Chapter 32: She's back

Chapter 32 - She's back

They say that grief gets easier over time. You've heard those words countless times in the past few weeks. In the dining hall when you're eating, in passing notes and sympathetic whispers from your fellow comrades.

But it has been two weeks since losing Mario and your grief has not gotten easier at all. Now, you're alone in a pub – drunk, lifeless, and sad, washing your grief down with a shot of bitter whiskey burning your esophagus. You haven't showered in three days and you haven't touched food since last night. Yet, you couldn't be bothered and you kept resting your face on your hand in this pub in the middle of town.

A young waitress places a glass of water beside you while glancing pitifully. She strides back to behind the counter, wondering what has gotten you so down.

"Is she okay? She's been coming here everyday for the past few days, all alone and.. miserable," the waitress speaks quietly to her boss, the bartender.

"Definitely not okay. The Survey Corps did suffer massive losses at their last expedition. They even lost their Commander," the bartender explains.

"Survey Corps? So she's a soldier? I thought she was just some heartbroken town girl."

The bartender shook his head. "She's a Section Commander of the Survey Corps Military Doctors, she treated me once for free when I sprained my ankle trying to get to the top cupboards. Confident, skilled, kind. But.. she doesn't even seem like the same person I met months ago."

"I guess the military really does change you," the waitress sighed, but she perks up immediately upon noticing a new customer by the door. "Welcome!"

The jingle of the pub door caught your attention but you couldn't be bothered to look. Dark circles under your eyes, messy hair, dull skin — you're not looking your best right now. However, you almost flinched when you caught the familiar sight of a redhead entering your field of vision.

It's Johanne Olbrich. You haven't seen her in ages since she got transferred to the Garrison, yet here she is now in the pub. She walks up to the bar counter to order a drink, but stops in her tracks when she notices you looking at her. She looked a little surprised to see you here.

You maintain a stoic expression, expecting her to sneer and mock you as usual. To your surprise, she does no such thing. Physically, she looks the same, but there was something slightly different about her demeanour. She looks at you with a blank expression, somehow calmer than the old Johanne.

"What? If you're going to harass me for looking like a pathetic slob, just get it over with," you spat out before you could stop yourself. The alcohol is seriously getting to your brain.

You expected Johanne to laugh or something, but she keeps her mouth shut and her eyes steady on you. Almost as if she were looking at you with pity.

"Your order, miss?" the waitress asked Johanne, making her break eye contact with you.

"Oh, sorry. Nevermind, I was just leaving," Johanne said. It seems like she changed her mind about drinking here after seeing you. You let out a small scoff and downed your glass, looking away from Johanne.

"I'm sorry about what happened to Mario," Johanne said.

What?

Your eyes widened and you stopped swallowing. That tone was something you never thought would come out of Johanne's mouth.

"I'm sure he fought well," she said.

You whipped your head to look at Johanne, but she was already gone. What the hell? That was the first sign of empathy she has ever shown you throughout all these years. You sensed no malice or mocking in the way she spoke to you earlier, but it still baffled you greatly. What in the world happened to her? Were you really that pathetic to her right now?