Daybreak's Light

There should be no way she could still be alive, not after that hail of gunfire that took advantage of her exposed position. Even as they retreated from the battlefield, the Sirens were determined to cause as much damage as possible.

She knew she should have died, yet, against all odds, she found herself still alive, as she could feel everything, sense everything.

She could feel the searing pain in many parts of her body, along with the feverish heat.

She could smell the sickly stench of blood mixed with antiseptics and a slew of other things she could not describe, all of them telling her that she's been cared for.

"Helena…"

She could also hear—albeit faintly—the sound of her name being spoken.

Recognizing the voice, Helena turned to its owner, wincing because of how painful that simple move was.

Through eyes half-open, she could see him, the person who had just murmured her name in such a pained tone—one of the officers in Mikasa's resistance force, Commander Kido, standing before her. A toppled chair lay just nearby.

Before she knew it, he was already at her side.

"Commander…"

Her attempt to call him back was all but for naught, with her voice coming out weaker than even a whisper. Nevertheless, he looked overjoyed, even when he seemed to be on the verge of crying at the same time.

"Helena," he spoke her name again; his hand reached forward, but almost immediately, he withdrew it, using it to wipe his tears away instead.

"I…Haha. Sorry that I'm showing this conduct unbecoming of an officer. I… I'm just glad we found you," he managed to say after swallowing multiple times and seeing Helena frowning. "I'm glad I decided to look for you. I wanted to tell you everything, but…for now, just rest more, okay? I will tell you everything later."

Helena thought about it for a while. She was indeed curious but realized she was in no condition to object, so she gave him a slight nod. He responded with the same gesture before turning and walking away.

As she drifted back into unconsciousness, the last thing Helena saw was Kido looking back over his shoulder, returning the smile she tried her hardest to give.

...----------------...

Helena could still recall them clearly—the memories of watching all her allies leaving in a hurry after that battle while she held onto a piece of wreckage, too weak to call out to them—even if she could, she knew it would be in vain.

After that, she remembered nothing else.

"I think it's better that way," said the ship's medical officer, Lieutenant Ishihara, when she returned for examination and asked what she could remember. Helena wordlessly agreed to the statement as the Lieutenant proceeded to perform her routine, replacing bandages and administering a dose of ********.

Thanks to the medication, Helena found it easier to move and look around, even though she was already familiar with the surroundings—the cramped medical bay of destroyer Asahi. The few remaining cots were vacant, and she felt oddly relieved.

"Thank you," turning back to the medic, Helena uttered her raspy gratitude in Japanese, using what little she knew about the language. She looked momentarily surprised but then laughed a little.

"You don't need to do that; I can speak English just fine."

Helena managed a weak smile at that. "I know," she began but paused to let out a cough. "It's just that…I thought you'd appreciate it."

Lieutenant Ishihara let out a more prolonged laugh in response, and Helena was unsure if she was incredulous or touched.

"No wonder the Commander went out of his way to get you back, even begging for Mikasa-dono to let this ship look for you," she said as she disposed of a pile of dressing soiled by blood and fluid from the metal basin. "But yes, I appreciate that."

"…The Commander did what…?"

"Well, I'm not in the position to tell you, so why don't you wait for him to come by? He should be here within minutes…"

As if on cue, the door opened, and Kido walked in. Lieutenant Ishihara immediately stood at attention and saluted, receiving one in return. When Kido noticed Helena was awake, he went over to her at a considerably more relaxed pace.

"Lieutenant Ishihara told me yesterday that, for now, your condition is stable," he said as soon as he reached the bedside.

"Yes, but remember she still needs extensive examination. I'm not a KANSEN expert, so it would be in her best interest that we reach an allied port as soon as possible," the Lieutenant interrupted.

"You have done all you can, and rest assured, we are going at full speed towards one, and—" a brief tug on his sleeve brought Kido's attention back to Helena. Lieutenant Ishihara smiled at that and excused herself, though Kido barely heard what she'd said and failed to respond.

"…Honolulu and my sister…and the others. Are they…alright?"

"…They have made it out safely, though with a few injuries here and there. Nothing major, I heard."

Her sigh of relief was muted but still audible enough for Kido to hear. She was clearly elated, and Kido gladly smiled along.

"Well then. Would you like something to eat? Or drink? You haven't eaten anything since we saved you, have you?" he offered, only for Helena to shake her head.

"Sorry, Commander. I… don't feel like eating right now," she declined, though not without some guilt. While it's true she probably would need some nourishment, the revolting scent of the room convinced her that whatever food she took would not last long in her stomach, and she'd rather not trouble anyone with cleaning.

"Oh, okay. Anything I can do for you, then?"

Helena looked away and stared into the barren ceiling; unlike the rest of the room, there was nothing there that gave her unease. There are many questions she would like to have an answer for, but as she pondered, one of them kept forcing itself to the forefront of her thoughts.

"Why…did you come back for me?"

Helena immediately regretted the question, feeling as if she was being ungrateful, but Kido showed no signs of being hurt by it. Or if he did, he did an excellent job at hiding it.

"Remember what we talked about some time ago? About how you always adore the sunrise…?"

"Y-you…remember that?"

"I remembered everything. You said the reason is that it gives you hope. I…could never forget that. So…I thought…Even though we were told to retreat…I wanted to bring you back so that you can see them again…"

Kido wasn't all that surprised when Helena broke into tears. After all, she had been looking like she was holding them back. Still, he loathed the sight. It made his heart clench and his chest ache so much that he had to turn away.

"Why? for someone like me? I'm a—" She managed between her fleeting, modest sobs.

"A real person. I've said this before, and I'll say it again. You are your own person, and no less. Don't forget that," Kido replied with absolute finality.

The room went quiet after that; from the corner of his eyes, Kido could see Helena with her head lowered, still trembling. After much reluctance, his hand moved to hold hers, and the shaking gradually ceased. Unbeknown to him, however, now her heart was racing.

"Thank you…for saving me, Commander. I… I'm sorry it took me so long to say this."

"Hey, if anything, I'm glad because you are safe now, and…" Kido glanced outside the porthole just near the cot, "…you get to see this once more."

Following his gaze, Helena could see the daybreak's roseate hue as the sun rose in the far distance, bathing the waters with its light. It was a perfectly ordinary morning—just as she liked it.

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