Chapter 4 - [The Hospital]

Vultee's eyes were closed, and most of his visible skin was wrapped in bandages. I could tell immediately that the damage was caused by an explosion, since his body was marked by burns and shrapnel damage.

Ramos and I immediately began following the medics carrying Vultee away. I could see fearful concern on Ramos's face, and I knew my own face was a reflection of his. After a moment, I recognized that Vice Admiral Dozle Zabi and Captain Singh were following close behind.

"Vice Admiral," I said, tensing up. "I apologize for leaving attention without your command." Technically, I was supposed to wait for him to return my salute before I could return to an eased state. "Do you have any commands for the Vanguard Squadron?"

"No. I shall follow you to the hospital to assure that this brave soldier received the medical attention he needs," Dozle said.

"Thank you, sir," I said as I began matching Dozle's pace down the staircase. "If I may ask, what happened?"

"That man, Vanguard-2, aided in the escape of my brother, my wife, and me. Just after Garma and Zenna escaped, there was an explosion, and both of us were injured," Dozle said.

"Admiral, you should have your wounds treated," Cpt. Ral said.

"Not until this young man has begun treatment," Dozle said.

Sure, I appreciated the sentiment, but I didn't want Dozle Zabi to get an infection and die from easily treatable wounds. The best course for Zeon would be if Dozle and Garma somehow ended up in charge of the nation. They weren't perfect, but at least they weren't supervillains.

Speaking of supervillains, a thought occurred to me. If I wanted to start planning for the future, I would have to confirm something. "Sir, is it true? Is the Sovereign really dead?"

Dozle's face tightened, and I could tell he was forcing himself not to cry. "I think so," he said shakily. It was clear that the emotional turmoil of his father's death hurt him more than his physical wounds. "I wasn't there, but Garma seems sure that our father is dead."

"I'm sorry," I said, and I meant it. As the eldest son, Gihren was Degwin's natural successor. Functionally, Supreme Commander Gihren was already in control of Zeon, but his control would become absolute as Sovereign.

As we departed Dock 14, Ramba Ral and Char Aznable began heading back to the military base holding the custom Zakus. Cpt. Ral said, "I hope to meet you all under better circumstances one day."

"Let's speak again when the war is over," I said, calling out to Ral.

Dwarfed by Admiral Dozle's gargantuan body, Ramos and I left Zum City's spaceport. We entered an elevator and began the several-kilometer descent down to the colony's edge.

Looking out at Zum City, I was struck by its beauty. I was reminded that the Earth Sphere was a world of its own, and it wasn't my world. Considering everything I had done and sacrificed for Zeon, it was easy for me to forget that I wasn't a true denizen of either Zeon or the Federation.

The colony looked just like a serene landscape from Earth. The grass was green, and the sky was blue, though I didn't know how the designers managed that. I don't know what caused the sentiment to rise within me, but it felt like home.

Gravity steadily became stronger as we descended, and we had reached a comfortable 1 G just as we reached the ground. The medics hurried forward, and I saw that there was a large hospital built just a few hundred feet away from the bottom of the elevator.

We approached the front doors of the hospital, and Dozle marched in behind the medics. One of the guards at the entrance held a hand up and called out to Ramos and me. "Officers. Could you please disarm before entering?"

I looked down at me and Ramos. The grip of my revolver jutted precariously out of my bomber jacket's pocket, and Ramos's revolver was holstered at his hip.

"All right," I said as I quickly took my revolver and ejected the shells into my hand. Call me paranoid, but I wanted to minimize the likelihood that I would be shot with my own gun.

Four full rounds and two empty casings fell into my palm. Right, I had almost forgotten. I had killed two men on the Cyprus with that revolver. Those two men didn't deserve to die there. It was cold-blooded murder, yet I felt absolutely nothing when I pulled the trigger.

It was funny. For some reason, I figured that I would finally feel guilt when I killed someone outside of my Zaku. I didn't feel guilt, sadness, or even satisfaction in my own skill. All I knew at the time was that Aiko and I would die if I didn't shoot those men, and the ethical considerations became unimportant to me.

Even now, several hours after watching one bullet crack a man's skull and the other sever a man's jugular, I still felt no guilt. It simply had to be done. In truth, I was much more concerned about my own lack of a reaction than the actual morality of it all. Maybe I really was just a simple murderer.

I passed my empty revolver over to the guard as I pocketed the shells. He watched the shells disappear with a frown, but he didn't press the issue. A moment later, Ramos passed his revolver over to the guard.

"Thank you, officers. You may enter now," he said before stepping away from the entrance.

Ramos and I jogged to catch up to Dozle. The Admiral's long legs gave him a fast walking speed, and it was hard to keep up under normal circumstances.

The doctors immediately admitted Vultee. After some pressuring from me, Dozle agreed to have a doctor treat his wounds.

Vultee was soon admitted into surgery, leaving the rest of us sitting in the waiting room. Singh, Ramos, and I sat in that clinical white room in silence for several minutes.

Eventually, Cpt. Singh broke the silence, saying, "This seems like as good a place as any for your debriefing."

"Sure," I said. "If it means we can get to sleep sooner, I agree."

Cpt. Singh opened a thick accordion folder he had brought from the Gidoru. After withdrawing and examining several printed out pieces of paper, he said, "First of all, let me congratulate you on your new promotion, Captain Dogwood."