Side Quest 1: Take Two Panadol, With Love

Male Officers' Barracks, Installation 83-RK, 0025hrs
Cpt. Jack Haddock

Fire. All around me. The burning sensation, the heat. I'm sweating buckets. There is nothing else but darkness and fire.

Where am I?

Suddenly, a large shape bursts through the wall of flames in front of me. It's vaguely familiar; a large head, with immense rows of sharp fangs lining its jaws. It lunges towards me, but I cannot escape; my legs are rooted there, frozen despite the heat.

Heat… The flames lick my clothes as the shape blows past me, roaring, setting my pant legs on fire. Panicking, I reach down to put it out.

No use. The burning sensation engulfs my left leg, spreading, shooting upwards throughout the rest of my body. My systems are flooded with the pain, and I can't help but cry out. I am blinded by it, my mind a complete whirl as I fade in and out of consciousness.

The pain… the agony…

I look down, and stumble. I see nothing attached to my left knee. Blood is spurting out of the charred stump, flowing all over… where's my leg?

Where the hell is my leg?

With an anguished yell, I find myself staring up at a darkened ceiling, lying in a pool of sweat.

The bed is damp where I lay. My t-shirt is wet as well. So everything was just a bad dream.

Except the pain. It's still there, numbing my side, sending shockwaves throughout my body.

I struggle to get up; the wounds have not completely healed, the medic said it would take at least another two weeks or so before I could get completely used to the bionic leg.

Now in a sitting position, I take another good look at my battle scar. A sleek prosthetic leg, gunmetal in colour, fusing perfectly into the remnants of the organic matter. It was Sgt. Gobber's greatest masterpiece yet, and the medical team that worked with him were greatly satisfied as well. Apparently, once it has synchronized with my nervous system, I wouldn't even notice that it's a fake.

Well, it still has a long way to go.

Sighing, I grab a couple of painkillers off the bedside table, swallowing them with a gulp of water. Telling myself that it could be worse, I try to go back to sleep. After all, Darth Vader didn't have Panadol.

Female Officers' Barracks, Installation 83-RK, 0030hrs
Lt. Astrid Hofferson

There he goes again. Every night, I hear him.

In the day, he puts on his mask; he tells everyone that he's fine, that his leg isn't bothering him, but I know. Even when I ask him face-to-face, he keeps insisting that he's okay. Maybe he forgets that my bunk is right behind his; purely by chance, we're only separated by a wall. The officers' block is funny that way.

The anguished yells, the screams of pain as he wakes up from the nightmares.

The medical officers tell me he will need time to adjust to his leg. How long, I don't know.

I can't imagine the pain he goes through. Every night, I can only weep silently as I feel my own heart burn in acid, the agony of not being able to be there, right next to him, to comfort him, to help him tide through the spells of pain.

Stupid under-21 curfew rules.

I keep telling myself that I am always there for him, but maybe I'm deluding myself. I can't be there for him all the time. Even though I try, the world just keeps limiting my abilities.

No. I won't accept that.

Clenching my fists, I make my decision.

Male Officers' Barracks, Installation 83-RK, 0045hrs
Cpt. Jack Haddock

Damn, I still can't sleep. Tossing and turning, I try to find a comfortable position.

The Panadol is helping, though; the pain has slowly faded into a dull ache.

Brr… it's a cold night. I'm freezing here, despite being covered in at least two layers of sheets. Damn standard-issue thin rags; poor excuses for a blanket… The wind only makes things worse.

Wait… wind?

I could have sworn that I shut the windows before I went to bed. Stirring, I peek out through my half-closed eyelids.

The moonlight cast a shadow through the open window. On the wall, against the blue light, was a black, shape. Definitely human; tall, slim, feminine with long hair. I want to shout, yell, let whoever it is know that you just can't break into someone else's room like that.

However, upon close examination, I notice that the figure seems oddly familiar. I hesitate. The shadow slowly advances towards me, taking cautious steps. Trying to figure out who it is, I slowly shift my head such that I was able to at least catch a glimpse of who that person is, in my mirror conveniently located nearby.

That blonde hair… Astrid?

Dressed only in her sleeping wear, a camisole and a pair of thigh-length tights (a boyish, yet strangely cute combination on her), she's slowly moving closer. I gulp quietly. Is it me or is it getting hot in here?

What is she doing here in the middle of the night?

Not daring to look any further for fear of startling her with any sudden movements I might make, I freeze. I'm praying she doesn't hear my thundering heartbeats, increasing in speed and volume as her svelte figure draws nearer.

Soon, I feel her weight on my mattress. The sheets are lifted, and the heat from her body radiates towards me, warming me a little, a welcome respite from the cold desert air. A soft sensation presses up against my back, and my nose is filled with the smell of strawberries and shampoo.

Is she lying down next to me? My heart is pounding against my chest, threatening to burst out at any moment. I'm holding back the urge to turn over and face her.

"Jack? Are you awake?"

Should I say anything? I keep silent for now.

"… Jack… I don't know if you're really sleeping, or if you're just ignoring me… I'm not supposed to be here, anyway. Whatever. I just want you to know, I… I really care about you. I know what you go through every night; I can hear you from the other side…"

Wow, am I really that loud?

"Maybe you don't want the rest of us to worry… but just so you know… I'm always there for you. I was there with you when you broke out of detention; there when you so bravely took down the monster; I'm here with you now, and I promise I'll be there for you tomorrow, and the day after, and forever… I won't leave you. I don't want to leave you. Please… I… I love you."

Inside, my heart is leaping into golden rainbow meadows of marshmallows and flowers. Those three words are enough to send me into fits of ecstasy. I couldn't fight the urge anymore.

Flipping around under the sheets, I embrace her tightly.

"Astrid… I… I love you too." I don't know what else to say. "I'm so sorry… for worrying you."

She's visibly stunned at my sudden acceptance. Slowly, she brings her arms around my neck. "Idiot… Don't keep stuff bottled up… Remember, I'm always there for you."

"And me for you." I reply, before reaching over to give her a kiss on the lips. Surprised at my initiative, she returns it.

Under the blue glow of the moonlight, I can finally fall asleep, the two of us in each others' arms.

Male Officers' Barracks, Installation 83-RK, 0730 hrs
Cpt. Jack Haddock

The heat from the sun, and the bright beams that shine through the open window awaken me from my slumber.

"Astrid…?" I slowly lift myself up.

The spot beside me, where the girl of my life lay last night, is empty. Puzzled, I scratch my head. Was all that just another dream?

Looking to my side, I see a full cup of water and a box of Panadol. Under it was a note, written in neat handwriting.

Take two with water if you're still feeling sore. Had to get back before roll call. See you at the canteen :)
3 Astrid

I smile, and lie back onto the metal bedframe. The world seems so much sunnier than it was before.