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Julius tutted disapprovingly. “Of course. That’s what it’s always about with those rats and their dying movement.”

He believes me, I realized with a rush of relief. His sharp look had softened as much as I thought he was capable of, and he crossed his ankles, adopting a more casual stance than at the beginning of our conversation.

“Could you tell us any details about their encampment? Perhaps their weapon supply?”

I stopped for a brief second as though straining to think of something, but finally said, “I’m sorry, I don’t know. They never removed my blindfold until they pushed me outside the garrison. I didn’t see their faces or their camp.” I let out a small whimper to seal the deal. “I wish I did. They were terrifying.”

Julius rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t go that far. They’re disorganized and short-sighted, and they lack the firepower to make a real difference. It’s the Order we’ve got to be worried about. After we expel them, we can crush the White Rose the way they deserve.”

He spoke of this casually, as though discussing the weather, as he stood and buttoned his jacket.

“I trust Major Hamilton will escort you back to your lodgings. You’ll resume your duties as Sole Survivor as soon as you’re able.”

With a curt bow of his head, Julius took his leave, leaving me to wonder if there was a more callous man alive than the one who ruled over everything I’d ever known before my time in the Wasteland.

I sat on my hospital bed after getting ready for the day, waiting to be discharged. I’d dressed in loose clothing given to me by the hospital, which looked somewhat comical in its shapelessness, but I’d worn worse. The real concern was that Major Hamilton had still not reappeared. It was unusual for him to shirk his duty like that.

Finally, after another half hour passed, I stopped a nurse in the hallway and asked if she’d seen him.

“Ah, yes,” she said distractedly as she looked down at a clipboard she was carrying. “When I spoke to him earlier, he said he was going to the children’s ward. I’ll put in a request to page him.”

“No, that’s alright,” I rushed out. “Could you just point me in the right direction to find him?”

A moment later, I weaved through the labyrinthine halls to find the children’s ward. The sterile white walls changed to a soft yellow, and were covered with brightly coloured paintings of cartoon animals. Despite the attempts to cheer the place up, the mood was understandably heavy. Parents and relatives that walked the halls were mostly sombre and exhausted. My heart went out to them, even as I wondered what Hamilton would be doing in this place. He’d never said much about his personal life, but I’d gathered he was single with few family connections.

As I rounded a corner, I spotted him coming out of a hospital room up ahead. When I called out to him, he turned, looking surprised to see me.

“What are you doing here?” he asked. “Aren’t you supposed to be resting?”

“They’re discharging me, but I need you to bring me back to the house, and since you disappeared, I came looking for you.” I raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing here?”

He facepalmed. “Shit. I didn’t realize you were supposed to go back today. I thought I had more time.”

“Time to do what?” I prodded again, nodding at the closed door behind him. “Are you visiting someone?”

He averted his eyes, clearly uncomfortable. “Yeah. My niece, Maya.”

I hadn’t been expecting that.

“Is she sick?”

He sighed heavily before answering. “She has a severe brain injury from an accident. She was pushed down the stairs at school and hit her head several times on the way down. She’s been in a coma ever since.”

“Oh God,” I murmured, feeling a surge of sympathy. He looked so worn out and hopeless. “I’m so sorry. Here, let’s sit down.”

I gestured toward some chairs lining the wall, and we sat.

“Someone pushed her?” I asked in disbelief. “Who would do that?”

Hamilton shrugged. “Stupid kids. She’s only ten, but I guess she was getting bullied pretty bad by the older kids and never told us.”

“Us?”

“Yeah,” he said with another sigh. “Me and my sister—her mom—were taking care of her. But my sister ran away six months ago. Didn’t know what happened to her until I was asked to identify her body a couple months back. She joined the Order, and got caught trying to bomb the school my niece went to.”

I winced. “That’s horrible. Your poor niece. Is there nothing they can do? Can’t they use Regenerex? I know it’s not in high supply, but surely, they’d spare it for something like this.”

Hamilton shook his head. “They tried, but apparently it doesn’t work very well on brain injuries. Something to do with the added difficulty of regenerating brain cells. Honestly, I’m not a doctor; I don’t know. I just know it didn’t work.” He sounded exhausted.