Once the doctor left, Athena decided to freshen up. She returned to her room, took a quick shower, and changed into fresh clothes. I still feel tired.
The water felt like a balm, washing away the physical gri of the long night but doing little to ease the weight in her mind.
Afterward, she made her way back to the dical facility. The mont she entered, her eyes found Mors, still unconscious but undeniably alive.
She took her place by his side, determined to stay vigilant. This man, her mysterious husband, might not have her heart yet, but he had her attention.
And for now, that was enough. As Athena sat by Mors's side, a soft chi from her optical brain drew her attention. Who is this?
A ssage appeared on the translucent screen hovering before her eyes. It was from soone nad Ryver Dale, her husband's deputy and right-hand man.
Why would he reach out to ?
The subject line read: "Confidential Report: dicines and Experintal Research for Major General Jericho."
Am I reading this docunt right? A data? Why would he send sothing so precious to ? Curious and apprehensive, Athena opened the report.
Her eyes skimd over the detailed docunt, which outlined a series of experintal dicines designed to enhance Mors's physical resilience.
The goal was clear, to strengthen his body against toxins and poisons. But as she read further, Athena's heart sank. The implications were horrifying.
This is very disturbing... Why would soone want to experint by taking in several poisons? The body will develop a certain immunity to it, but humans are not immortals!
The report detailed Mors's participation in nurous field experints where he had voluntarily exposed himself to poisons encountered in battle.
Each substance was ticulously cataloged, neurotoxins, bioweapons, and rare, unidentified venoms. Did I marry a crazy man?
He hadn't just been poisoned once, he had repeatedly subjected himself to these toxins to better understand them.
She read on, her hands trembling slightly. This is tantamount to committing suicide!
Objective: To identify antidotes and develop immunity.
Status: Several poisons remain incurable.
Prolonged exposure has weakened the immune system and vital organs. Imdiate cessation of testing is recomnded to prevent further degradation of health.
Athena's mind raced. So, this was why his condition had been so dire last night.
It wasn't a single act of poisoning but years of accumulated damage from his relentless self-experintation. Her brow furrowed as she leaned back in her chair.
Why would anyone, especially soone as brilliant and accomplished as Mors, take such risks? Was it duty? A sense of invincibility? Or sothing more personal?
Does he not value his life? Her thoughts turned grim. Monts later, her optical brain pinged again, a live communication request. It was Ryver Dale. She accepted it.
The image of a sharp-eyed man in his mid-thirties appeared, his expression serious yet respectful.
"Lady Jericho," Ryver began, his voice steady, "I trust you've received the report."
"I did," Athena replied, her voice cold. "Explain this to . Why is the Major General deliberately poisoning himself?"
Ryver hesitated, his eyes flickering with an emotion Athena couldn't quite place, guilt, perhaps? "It's... complicated," he admitted.
"The Major General has always believed in leading by example. He's been on the frontlines of countless battles, encountering poisons and bioweapons that our enemies have created."
What then?
"He decided it was his responsibility to understand these threats firsthand, to develop antidotes not just for himself but for his soldiers and civilians who might fall victim."
That's stupidity! Athena's jaw tightened. "And you let him do this? You stood by while he destroyed his body?"
"Permission wasn't sothing he needed," Ryver said, his tone softening.
"We tried to stop him, but the Major General is... persistent. He sees it as his duty to protect others, even at the expense of his own health."
Athena fell silent, her gaze shifting to Mors's unconscious form. She felt a pang of anger, not just at Mors but at the entire system that demanded such sacrifices.
"Does he know how reckless this is?" she asked finally.
Ryver sighed. "He does. But he's stubborn. He won't stop unless soone can convince him otherwise."
Athena's eyes narrowed. Convince him otherwise? She wasn't sure she could sway soone as bull-headed as Mors Jericho. But if she didn't try, who would?
"I'll handle this," she said firmly, cutting the call.
Her resolve hardened as she looked at the man lying before her. He might not care about his own life, but she would ensure that changed.
If Mors Jericho thought he could keep throwing himself into harm's way, he had another thing coming.
-
Mors Jericho awakened five days later, his sharp inhale breaking the silence of the dical room.
The subtle hum of dical equipnt filled the air, and the faint glow of diagnostic monitors cast soft shadows across his features.
His deep blue eyes fluttered open, no longer clouded by blindness but gleaming with clarity and strength. Athena was at his bedside, her posture rigid but alert.
She had barely left his side in those five days, and now, as his eyes locked onto hers for the first ti, she felt a strange jolt of anticipation.
"You're awake," she said, her voice steady but laced with an emotion even she couldn't na.
Mors blinked a few tis, his gaze sweeping the room before landing back on her. His brows furrowed slightly, and his lips parted as if to speak, but then he hesitated.
"You're... my wife," he said finally, his tone asured and cautious.
Athena nodded. "Yes. And you're my husband, Major General Mors Jericho. I've been waiting for you to wake up."
His expression was unreadable, his guarded deanor casting a shadow over the mont. He studied her as if trying to solve a puzzle.
"You've been here... all this ti?" he asked, his voice low, almost disbelieving.
"Of course," Athena replied, her tone firm. "Who else would make sure you didn't die from your reckless experints?"
The corner of his mouth twitched, whether, in amusent or irritation, she couldn't tell.
He pushed himself up, his movents deliberate and strong, a huge contrast to his frail state days ago.
Athena's sharp eyes didn't miss the ease with which he moved. His strength seed entirely restored, and the diagnostic monitors displayed readings that were, impossibly, perfect.
The chief doctor entered just then, carrying a tablet with the latest test results.
"Major General, it's good to see you awake. Your recovery is... remarkable. All your vitals are normal, and there's no trace of the toxins in your system. Frankly, it's a dical anomaly."
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