It was comfortable like my bed back in my home. Our house is neither close to the mountain not close to the desert nor to the sea. But acres of grass field spread from our backyard all the way to the next village. Our house was the last residence of our small town in Mid- Eastern Surya. The acres of field has people working all day in them. If I sat by my window I could see them from my room. My father used to be one of them. A farmer. But he got blasted by one of the mines in that field when he was working one morning. I was no more than a year old. Apparently the Suryan Military failed to get rid of all the mines after war and that's why people kept dying here and there from mines now and then. The Suryan Empire tried to cover up this matter. Families of all the victims including us were heavily compensated to keep our mouth shut. It was because of the compensation money I could finish higher studies unlike my peers and go to a renowned university. Even if my mother took the compensation for my sake she still hated the vast grasslands in our backyard. But I couldn't. In summer nights I would turn off the lights in my room and open my windows. I'd lit up a small lamp on my study table and read all those books I had borrowed from the library. Those books were mostly about suryan soldiers travelling to strangest of lands to fight their enemies. Sometimes I would dream of joining these soldiers in their strange ventures oneday. Then at the break of dawn I'd sneak back into my bed tired but content with my night. I could hear whistlings of trains faraway. In a state of slumber I would feel my mother quietly entering my room. I could feel her sitting on a chair by my bed checking me from head to toe for any injury or bruise I'd got myself yesterday. Her rough calloused hand would busily brush my hair, "Sayara, you've been awake the whole night again haven't you?" she would whisper. Feeling guilty I'd open my eyes, "I'm sorry, mom."
Mom bursted into tears. My mother was a strong woman. Unlike her crybaby son, she'd never shed any tears ever infront of me before. So I was very sure I was dreaming. "Are you mad?" I asked her carefully. She only shook her head and cried more clutching the anchaal of her saree close to her nose.
The last thing I recalled was sitting in a pool of my own blood, listening my own heartbeat fading away. We stayed there for a while. Me looking at her and she holding my hand sitting by my bedside crying her heart out. After some time a group of people in white lab coats came. They busily checked the machines and tubes attached to my body. Apparently I was in Nawar Central Military Hospital. Apparently I was alive. People came and went. Reporters came, asking about FFF. Families of my dead friends came asking about how they died. I sat there trapped on the hospital bed unable to talk for some time. Mom would try spoon feeding but everything tasted like Joanne's flesh. So I kept throwing up. After a while they excluded all sorts of meat from my diet. After that suddenly my appetite returned. It felt like forever there. I grew suspicious that I was trapped in this dream. That I never made it back. That I was still with Vern at the heart of FFF Camp. So I started talking only to enquire mom about this reality.
"How am I alive?" was the first thing I said after what felt like days. Strangely enough, mom didn't answer it herself. She brought in the doctors. They explained apparently the brunette boy who was with me helped to carry me few more miles after I passed out. Then a rescue team found our little party. Odd. But I didn't argue.
I thought I would never walk again in my whole life. But then another miracle happened. I was walking. Yes, I needed a stick to do it but it was still better than being half paralysed and stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. Doctors from all around the world came to check my conditions, to have me go through multiple surgeries and treatments. Some Parts of my body were modified, some parts were permanently replaced. The medics treated me as if I was some sort of living miracle.
It was one evening I was sitting at one side of my hospital bed struggling to stand up on my own without the stick that a dozen of reporters rushed into my room. I looked around for mom or the male nurses who would usually drive away this sort of nuisance but none of them were here.
The reporters, instead of attacking me with questions head on like they usually do, stood silently with cameras and recorders, waiting. From the crowd of them emerged a man wearing military uniform studded with more stars than I had ever seen anyone wearing. He was a tall guy with borad shoulders. His hair and pearl-white teethy smile were almost as perfect as Vern's. When he threw me a hug he smelled of cinnamon woods and roses.
"Hello, I am the Duke of North, Sir Aryan Gupta," He introduced himself, "I've come myself to bestow you the highest military honor of Surya, the Karna Award for you brave fits against the Freedom Fighter Federation."
"What fit?" I asked, surprised, "I did nothing."
"You survived and returned to your mother, returned to US," He said with kind eyes and sad smile as he rubbed my arm, "That alone is more than enough."
"Wise words," said one of the reporters, "Mr. Bale are you aware that the rescue team that found you was sent by His Majesty the Duke?" Another reporter chipped in, "Yes, had his rescue team not found you soon we'd have definately lost you."
"You people are too kind," The Duke smiled, his hand was till on my arm. "It was you?" I asked him, "Why did you send the rescue team?"
The Duke's smile flickered, "Because I wanted to save you, to help you.."
"Why now," I demanded, "Why not months and months ago?"
He remained quiet. "What changed?" I begged him for an answer. I wanted to understand how come I was the only one in my entire squad of sixty four people who got the privilege of a rescue team.
"Mr. Bale," He said in the same sickly kind tone, "I'm so sorry for your loss," his eyes full of concern and empathy for me, "But we sent the rescue team as early as possible." He looked just like Vern.
And I lunged at him, pinning him to the ground, tearing at his perfect hair and uniform like an animal, punching at his pretty face and breaking his pearl white teeth. The male nurses came rushing, "He's a Royale! You'll get executed for treason!" Someone was howling at me but I didn't care.
"You son a bitch HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOUR FACE INFRONT OF ME!"
I felt a prick on my neck and suddenly my body went limp. Someone had finally managed to sedate me. The Duke looked like a bloody mess. One of his teeth was missing and both of his eyes were bloodshot with purple lines circling them. He looked infuriated. Suddenly mom appeared grovelling at his feet.
The last thing I heard before falling asleep was my mother weeping, "I beg you My Kind Lord! My son has lost his sanity to those FFF scums," I heard my mother's heart wrenching cry, "Have mercy on my poor boy!"
And the kind, gentle Duke of North barking orders, "Take him to the gallows, I'LL HAVE HIS HEAD!"
The next time I woke up I had psychiatrists instead of surgeons observing my conditions. I let them do whatever they wanted. Took the pills and answered the questions. Not for myself but for my mother.
A few days later Harper came to visit me. Surprisingly enough her uniform looked much valuable than that of a mere Captain.
"Bale," She greeted me just like that, "Long time no see." She looked a whole lot better. Her face now cleaned and all little cuts and wounds healed to scars she looked almost like a celebrity.
"Harper," I couldn't help but smile, "Mom, she's one of the people who actually saved me."
"I know," Mom dropped on her knees. Harper hurriedly pulled my mom up and said, "Can you give me some privacy with your son, Mam?" At that mom happily left.
Harper came to sit on the chair where mom usually sits. "I wanted to thank you for giving the Northern Duke a face lift."
I laughed out, "I wouldn't mind going to the gallows twice if I have to."
"Nobody's taking you to the gallows," Harper said dismissively, "The Northern Duke had lost all his powers. Your squad got captured right after his coronation ceremony. He indulged in parties and interviews instead of sending proper military units to the Taz Fortress before sending in your non-military squad. After that he covered up that over sixty soldiers had gone missing to save his face."
I regretted not punching the Duke harder. Even Harper looked pissed, "I'll make sure he's stripped off all his powers."
"You're not the Emperor," I scoffed, "But I admire your spirit."
She looked uneasy with my praise. What a humble woman. "So it seemed like you rejected the Karna Award when the Duke tried to bestow it upon you."
"What ? What'll I do with that stupid award?" I grumbled.
"Would you take it if I'm the one bestowing it to you?" She asked suddenly.
"You're not just some Captain, are you?" I asked suspiciously, "Exactly how high is your post that you can bestow Awards like-"
"WOULD you?" She nagged.
"If I've deserved it," I replied, "I'd have. They say I deserve the award for surviving. Then what about my friends whosw bodies are still rotting back in FFF Camp? I'm sorry I don't deserve this type of honor."
"You are not getting the Award for surviving Sayak," Harper hushed, "You're getting it for saving Kris."
It took me some time to understand what she meant. "Remember you shielded her when the drones fired? Kris reported about that and that's why you're getting the Award."
"Say, Harper, Kris isn't also just a Captain, is she?" I checked her.
She gulped, "You'll eventually know later who she is."
"But this isn't so bad if the award I'm getting is for her," I said feeling content. Kris, unintentionally, seemed to make everything wrong in my life into right.
"Sayak, be honest with me," Harper scooted close to me, "Do you have a crush on her."
"I don't know," I hasitated, "But her eyes they look like autumn skies. I think I won't be afraid of closed dark places when I think of her eyes."
"Don't fall in love with her," said Harper. She didn't sound sarcastic. She actually sounded quite serious.
"Why?" I asked annoyed.
"Trust me," she said, "Anyone but her."