She saw the infamous Doc Gunning as he headed back inside, and noted like clockwork the AI-med units preparing to bring the other patients back inside. While gathering her limited use datapad they had given her not long ago, she quickly wrapped up a diary notation on exercises done, goals met, and the other mundane requirements. Reflecting as she did, on facts she had learned not long after her recovery and 'awakening' began, that she was not the only pilot being treated. It seemed to her, the patient list had grown quite long over time. She considered with a wry bit of humor that no doubt the Empire needed to tweak its Cloning facilities in some of the more remote regions to prevent such disasters. Walking slowly still, She sighed, knowing full well the probability of monies being funneled that route were near to never. Just as she was about to head through the secure barriers she stopped for a moment as something caught her peripheral vision. Hitome turned to look past the others off toward the city.
What had caught her attention was a black cat walking along the wall between two buildings some 0.25 kilometers away. Sinewy and alert it stopped many times to look around its secluded area, then it paused, listening. watching. calculating. Hitome heard another call for her to pack it up, and was about to look away when she noticed two small balls of fur slip from some bushes and scurry up to the cat. The exchange between the creatures was silent but as if on cue the three of them cut left into some bushes and slipped from view. At first she wondered what had stirred them then, she heard and noted a procession of the Royal family coming into view, all on horseback and heading down that very path toward the gates to the city. Some crazy idea the Khanid Royals had to revive an old tradition. She stared after them for the longest time as a tiny smile lit one corner of her lips dying off rapidly when she realized she was now being bullied into heading back inside.
As she was ushered inside, words that had burned through her heart and soul over this last month blazed back harsher than the sun above. Something her beloved friend Aldrith had said them when he visited. " You've been taking an awfully long nap, haven't you?." Her answer had not been spoken in so many words then. Words had not come easily. He was right though. "Yes. I have Aldrith. In so many more ways than mere slumber." She touched her fingers to the scars on her forehead tracing their jagged edges and made a failed attempt to brush the hair back to cover them. "Yes, I have slept for years it seems." A streak of pain attempted to course through her heart. She ignored it. Steeling herself to focus on her only main goal in life now. She looked down at the datapad that she was handing over to her medic. On the screen was one phrase written over. and over. and over.
...Only one thing matters: Reclaim that which is lost. Only one thing matters: Reclaim that which is lost. Only one thing matters: Reclaim that which is lost...
As the medic units handed her nightly pills for sleep and she supposed were vitamins, she was careful to tuck the one pill she had deduced over time, made her so groggy. She planned to act soon. Last thing she wanted was to be too weak and listless to accomplish her task. You've been taking an awfully long nap, haven't you?
Hitome yawned and lay down, but sleep did not come. The nightmares she could fight away better if the sleep, was kept at bay. Only one thing mattered. Reclaim. what she lost.
