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[panzersoldat]

●●●●○ THESA

Reinhardt Wilhelm @crusader08 (61), Earth

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IGNORE

I WAS A: knight. Upholding justice and defending the weak I'M SKILLED IN: Fighting, drinking, wrestling, and woodworking I'M LOOKING FOR: Fellow knights, friends, those who have justice in their hearts. ALSO, I'M: very very very large.

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[panzersoldat]

[ Were he anyone but Reinhardt Wilhelm, he would have likely rubbed this in her face. That what she was feeling was how he had felt. He's only been dead a few days. She's been "dead" for years. But he's who he is and he already forgave her. And now, he stands before her, already anxious about the bag. It's been a while since he's been shot by her.

But the shooting can come much later, because she's trying to haul him down. He might be physically stronger than her, but Ana Amari has always been a force of nature to Reinhardt. She can kick his ass seven days from Sunday and her glare makes his heart stop. And her caring... He leans down and wraps thick arms about her, gentle. He's as solid and warm and alive as he had been before. Perhaps a little too warm from where those burns had scarred so badly.]

So you say, but you're my guest. It's my duty to see that you are comfortable in my home. I just wish I had more to offer you but everything went bad while I was...away. [ He can't say Kidnapped and he certainly can't say dead. It was just like how he talked about Jack. About her. They had just been "away". ]

Come...let me at least take your bag and you can sit. I'll move my armor out of your way.

[nanamari]

[ If he had been angry, or made a snide comment about what she had done, he would have had every right to it. She had let him go through this alone, for years, and now she knows intimately what that pain is like - and how different it is when someone actually comes back.

But of course, Reinhardt has always been the best of them. He lets her pull him down so she can put her arms around him like she never thought she would be able to again. When he pulls away, she keeps a hold of his shirt before he has the chance to go and fuss over silly things like making her comfortable. ]

It's my duty to look after my friend, and I've failed it enough times by now. I'll be comfortable when you sit and let me take a look at those injuries. [ She's not his captain anymore - she can't force him to do anything - but despite the warmth of her voice it has the firmness of an order. ]

[panzersoldat]

[ She isn't his captain and he could insist. He could stubbornly demand that she let him be a host. But she's right. He is tired and though the Natha had tried hard, he had lingering damage. He was likely to carry those scars as he carried all the others. Besides, he was tired. He didn't sleep well. Nightmares of the torture...and more of his death. Of the floating in endless nothing, begging the voices to just let him be.

He could never tell her this. Never tell her how weak he had been in that moment. ]

Well, I can't argue over duty. Just let me move this. [ He'll move his armor as promised, if only so he can sit heavily on his poor protesting couch.]

Ana...you're all right? You and Jack? Tell me you are. I won't rest well until I know my friends are okay. Tell me that and I'll let you stick as many band-aids on me as you want.

[nanamari]

[ That's just like Reinhardt, to be worried about them after he'd gone and died. Ana comes over to where he's sitting and sets her bag down so she can more easily take a look at his injuries. ]

Jack was taken. I brought him home with a bad case of hypothermia, but he pulled through. You know how he is. [ Stubborn, to the last. ]

Take your shirt off. I want to see how bad the burns are.

[panzersoldat]

[ Reinhardt frowns at that. To think Jack was taken. He knows he makes sense. He trusts people too easily. He had been taken because he had been tricked into following someone to help them. But Jack...Jack was as paranoid as they came. To think that they had managed to take out a SEP soldier... He's grateful that Jack has Ana with him and not for the first time. He almost wants to chase her back to him. That's where she needs to be.

But she'd taken the time to see him. ] I know exactly how he is. He's worse than I am when it comes to insisting he's fine. But if I can, I'd like to send him something nice. I have some alcohol here that might warm him up a little more. It's not good German Beer or his shitty American piss-water, but it's better than nothing, ja?

[ And perhaps he's avoiding this, but he knows she'll get him to eventually. So he slowly pulls his shirt away. Under it, he's still a little bit of a mess. The old scars she knows. There are some she likely doesn't know about from his adventures after he took up adventuring with Brigitte. But the freshest are the angry red burns that spread over his torso, cutting patches though his chest hair. He leans down to roll up his trouser leg. His right leg is worst than his torso, the crackling swelling flesh somewhat black at the edges going from ankle to knee. It's proof that he'd been burnt alive. ]

They did what they could for me. I'll heal. It's a lot better than it was the first few days. I think as long as put this salve the healers down here gave me on it, I'll be fine in...a week or two. [ It's more like months and months, but Reinhardt refuses to sit idle that long. ]

[nanamari]

[ It's just as well that he doesn't try because Ana won't be chased back. They're her closest friends, and the fact that she had ended up finding Jack first is, in the end, largely due to chance. She can't change anything about what's already happened, but she's determined to be there for everyone that she can, right now. ]

I think he would appreciate that. [ She can take it back to him after she's seen to it that Reinhardt is taken care of and has some fresh food.

She's careful not to touch the burns, but she has to get up on the couch to see his shoulders properly. These will probably heal with the salve, though not as quickly as Reinhardt seems to believe.

Even a glance at the leg is enough to tell her that it's bad. ]

You mean you'll be back to your old habits in a week or two, whether it's healed or not. [ She sits on the floor so she can get to his leg more easily and opens up her bag to rifle around for what she needs. ] That's a 4th degree burn, Reinhardt. If it gets infected, you could lose the leg.

[panzersoldat]

I do. [ Because he has to be honest with her. He's never been anything but. To him, he simply can't fathom sitting idly by. There had been a reason why he'd had his armor out. He'd been taking account of it. Seeing what needed repairs, what could wait. Like he was planning on putting in on and rushing off to glory the first chance he got. ]

And it's not...that bad. [ Okay. Maybe he can lie to her, but he's terrible at it. He can't look her in the eye. Can't say it without his shoulders slumping or his expression changing to that of a scolded boy. He's never been very good with it, even without the whole "knights don't lie" fantasy he clings to. ]

It doesn't even hurt, Ana. So, it will be fine. I have the salve. And I'm sure I can find one of those mages if it gets bad. The ones with the healing magic. [ He doesn't sound too sure. As much as he embraces magic and fantasy, he still trusts hard science more. ] You don't have to worry, okay. You know me. I've made it through worse.

[nanamari]

It doesn't hurt because you have nerve damage. [ She's grumbling, more than anything. It's difficult to scold Reinhardt in the face of his overwhelming sincerity - and in this case, there's no possible way she would fault him for the injury itself.

She takes out a vial, more gold than yellow in color, and a carefully wrapped syringe. She's been brewing her own healing potion, and it's been tested enough that it ought to do some work on the deep tissue that the salve won't easily reach.

It won't heal something this severe in its entirety, but it ought to help at least a little bit when he inevitably tries to get to work with a bad leg. ]

On the bright side, the needle won't hurt either, so you're not going to try to run away, are you?

[panzersoldat]

[ That's the thing though. She knows him. She knows how he is. And that he's the biggest baby in the world when it comes to a little prick of a needle. He could be dying and he would still find a way to get away from it. Last time he got a shot, he knocked himself out on a door frame trying to get away from it.

And now, here he is, in the privacy of his own home, sweating bullets because he knows with Ana, no matter how far he runs, she'll always get him. It's better to just take it now than to find it buried in his ass with Ana a mile or so away from him. ]

The...thought had occurred to me, yes. [ He's nothing if not honest, even about the things that scare him. ] But maybe if I don't look and you are quick? Because I know I need to get better as fast as possible. A knight can't be sitting at home when there is work to do.

[ Meaning he plans on getting on and pushing that leg sooner rather than later. ]

[nanamari]

[ Ana wants to fight him on this. If it wasn't severe, she'd be the first to slap a bandage on it and wish him luck in the field - but this is bad. She wants to scold or threaten or maybe even plead with him to stay and rest long enough to heal - not just the physical wounds, but whatever he'd gone through to come back from the dead. Still, she knows that's not something that would have worked when he was younger, and it isn't something that will work now that his stubbornness has grown as impenetrable as his armor.

She purses her lips. It's clear from her expression that she disagrees with that last statement... but if he's willing to endure even something that he hates this much, she's not going to make it any harder than it has to be. She puts her hand on his knee. ]

It will take a few doses. I can knock you out if you prefer. [ Which would also involve a needles, but he'll only be conscious for one of them. ] The sleep would be good for you anyway.

[panzersoldat]

[ The thing is that he's not sure he can come back from that. Never fully. He can only push it back to the back of his mind and charge forward at full speed. If he lingers too long on it, he knows he might be lost. He never ever wants to linger too long on what had happened when he died. What he lost when he came back. He's not even sure he can ever really tell anyone just how weak he had been in those moments between death and life. He can, though, admit to this much. He thinks Ana will understand in a way. ]

No. No knocking me out. I...don't like the dreams that might come. Just the doses. Please, Ana. And as soon as you can. I've been out of my armor too long.

[nanamari]

[ Ana nods. She knows all too well what he means. She pulls her supplies closer to her, and takes a glass bottle from the bag, as well as a carefully wrapped needle. It takes her a few seconds to put everything together and wipe the site of the injection with some alcohol - she's trying to be quick, for his sake. ]

You know that I'm here if you want to talk about it. [ She presses the needle into his damaged skin. First dose. ]

[panzersoldat]

[ He turns his head away and squeezes his eyes tight. His breathing goes a little shallow. He doesn't have to look to know what's coming. Still, he doesn't run. Instead, he just grabs the edges of his seat. His knuckles go white. There is a soft whining sound at the tiny little stab but nothing more.

It's over quickly. He cracks his good eye open and lets out a soft breath. ]

I know you are, Ana, and I'm glad for it. I really don't deserve a friend like you. [ But he's not going to burden her more than she already is. ]

[nanamari]

No, you deserve a better friend than me - but we take what we can get. [ It's said frankly, with an edge of weariness, like she's stating a fact more than anything. It's not a point she wants to argue, no matter what Reinhardt might think. She should have been able to help him before things got this far.

She prepares another needle and cleans another spot on his leg. She would have liked to give him more time, but Reinhardt won't give himself that, so the next best thing she can do is everything she can to make certain that he's able to work when he goes out again. ] On three this time.

[ She doesn't even start to count it down, she just gives him the second needle. ]

[panzersoldat]

[It's only because he knows that tome that he doesn't challenge Ana right then and there for most stubborn old person in the room. Because to him, she, like Jack, means the world to him. Not just for her healing.

.... Definitely not for her healing!!

There are tears in his good eye and he actually whines at her.]<\small> Where was three!!

[nanamari]

Three. [ And she puts the third needle into his leg. ] Sorry, Reinhardt.

[ She pushes herself to her feet again so she can put her hands on his face and make him look at her. He did well, considering how much he hates needles. ]

I know I can't stop you from getting back into your armor, but if it keeps getting worse, you should call me or go to the healers. I don't want to find out you lost the leg because you were too hard on yourself.

[panzersoldat]

[ He frowns at her and then leans forward enough to rest his forehead against hers. He's not mad at her. She's helping him. He's just...really hates this part of her healing abilities. ] I promise. If it gets that bad, I won't ignore it. And I'll try not to over do it. [ Meaning he'll completely over do things and push himself past his limits, just as he always has. ]

[nanamari]

Then you won't mind if I come along every now and again.

[ Because even if Reinhardt does intend to try, she knows him too well. Without someone to bully him into resting when he needs it, he'll work himself into the ground and find a way to keep working from there too. ]

[panzersoldat]

Mind? You? Never! You know I enjoy your company, even if you are coming to stab me with more of those. I'll even have snacks for you. I know how you enjoy tea. Maybe we can even train together a little. It's been a while since I've had you standing on my shoulders to take a shot.

[ She's right about that though. He will. So he's quietly glad he does have her in his life. Even if she is a worse bully that Brigitte. ]

[nanamari]

[ Ana laughs. ] You know the way to my heart, Reinhardt. It's been a while since I've had a mobile sniper perch.

[ She pulls away so that she can pick up her bag and root around inside of it. ]

I've got one more thing for you before I go. [ For once, it's not a needle. She takes a small vial of blue liquid out of her bag and offers it to him. ] Something to help you sleep. I can't promise that it will ease all of your bad dreams, but it will help.