Two weeks later, Doctor Fizal checks up on your eye.

You've been going off of one eye ever since you woke up. You'd assumed that your eye had been damaged beyond repair and you'd be forced to wear an eye patch or something for the rest of your life, so you were taken aback when she told you that she was just giving it sufficient time to heal.

"I'll be able to see?" you say in surprise as her hands loosen the bandages round your head.

"Most likely not completely," Doctor Fizal says. She continues to pull bandages from your head. "Best case scenario, fuzzy shapes and outlines. Maybe color. But these sorts of injuries are very delicate and take time to heal."

You can't help but fidget in excitement when she pulls away the rest of the bandages, leaving a white patch over your eye. She pulls it away, but you keep your eye closed. "Can I open it?" you murmur.

"Cover your other eye," she instructs, so you shut your other eye and cover it with your hand. "Alright. Now open."

You open your eye and slump in defeat.

Maybe it was too much to hope for vision: all you can see is black. You blink slowly. "Give it a few seconds," Doctor Fizal murmurs. "It'll take some time."

So you wait. You blink a bit more, waiting to see if your vision clears up. To your absolute delight, some of the black starts to fade away for grey. "I can see shapes," you say excitedly, and you can hear Doctor Fizal scribbling something down on her paper. "Like- like outlines. It's all black and grey, but I can- I can see you. Sort of."

"Wonderful," she says smoothly. "Any pain?"

"Not really," you murmur, blinking again.

"Good. Try opening both eyes now."

You try, and the wave of nausea that strikes your brain is overwhelming. You shut your good eye almost immediately, wincing. "Ow," you grumble, blinking. The black and grey blobs in your line of vision are now different shades of red and orange. "Not doing that again."

"This is good," she assures you. "Any sight is better than no sight. We'll fit you with an eye patch and you can try letting your eye adjust every day to check for progress."

And so you do. Every chance you get when no one's around, you unwind your bandages, remove your patch, cover one eye, and look around with the other. Eventually, the fuzzy outlines become sharper. There's no color yet, but you can see the edges of your bed, the chairs, and the tables at the side of the room.

Sometimes it hurts. When the light is too bright or you keep your eye open too long, it feels like something is pinching at the back of your eye. But the more you try, the longer you can keep it open.

Doctor Fizal has just dropped off your eye patch on a rainy day when a new visitor appears.

The new person is tall- but it feels like everyone is, compared to Levi- and has brown hair pulled up in a ponytail on their head. They're wearing the survey corps uniform that you've seen Levi wear once and have a pair of glasses balanced on their nose; it looks like they'd fall off with a gust of wind.

"Hi?" you say with a frown.

They wave. "Hi! Nice to meet you! Well, nice to meet you again, I guess."

Your heart sinks: another person you've forgotten that knew you. "Sorry, I don't know-" you start.

They wave you off, moving into your room and sitting in one of the chairs beside your bed. "We only met once," they say brightly. "But it was such a great connection that I was hoping we'd become friends! Sorry it took so long for me to come see you, Commander Erwin said to limit your visits so you don't get overwhelmed."

"Oh." They're like a whirlwind. "Nice to meet you too."

"I'm Hange Zoe," they say, sticking out their hand. You shake. "It's great to meet you again." Their eyes zero in on the eye patch that the doctor left on the side table. "Cool, is that an eye patch? Do you have to wear it?"

"Yeah," you say with a sigh. "It's way too painful to open both eyes and I don't want to wear bandages everywhere I go."

"Cool!" Hange says enthusiastically, picking it up. "How's your eye now? Better? Worse? I heard about your accident. Can't believe you survived, honestly. Impressive! Right in a titan's hand! How was it?"

You blink. "In a titan's hand?"

They pause. "Oh, you didn't know? Oh wait! Amnesia. Right. You don't remember."

"I was in a titan's hand?" you repeat, still trying to wrap your head around it.

Hange nods. "Yeah! I never saw what went down, but when we were recovering the bodies- gruesome stuff- we found out you were alive and we had to pry you out of a titan's hand."

This is the most information you've gotten about your accident and you're drinking in every word that Hange is putting down. "Really?" you whisper.

"I can't believe no one told you. Cool stuff! It was evaporating, which made it easier-"

"Evaporating?"

Hange's eyes widen. "Wait- you don't know anything about titans?"

"I didn't know what they were until Erwin explained it," you confess.

Their glasses shine, which is weird because it's raining outside and there's no sun. "A tragedy," Hange says breathlessly, grabbing your hand. You nearly flinch. "Titans are some of the most fascinating creatures to ever walk this planet!"

"Don't they kill people?" you say in confusion.

"Minor details." Hange's eyes widen. "Can I tell you about the titans? And everything we know about them?"

You wish you had known that "sure" was the wrong answer.

.

Levi brings you tea out of nowhere one day.

You haven't seen him since your argument on the roof. Not that you'd been avoiding him, but every other time you'd snuck out of your room to look at the stars, Levi had been nowhere to be found. Well, you wouldn't have been expecting him to hang around a hospital at night anyways.

He doesn't say a word the entire time. He simply sets the tray down, pours you tea out of a pot, and pours himself some. You reach out to the tray and take the tea, watching how Levi once again holds his cup from the rim.

You both drink tea in silence until you ask, "what kind?"

"Ginseng." Levi raises an eyebrow at you. "You like it?"

You nod. "I do."

Levi hums in reply.

And then the tea is done, and you put your cup on the tray, and Levi's already out the door with his tray before you can even figure out how to thank him.

.

Your eyesight gradually gets better.

You've become so accustomed to the eye patch that you rarely remove it, except on times when Doctor Fizal comes to check on you. Another week or so later, and the black-grey blobs start becoming sharper. Sometimes it feels like the outlines have a yellow tinge, and Fizal tells you that it's possible you could see colour again. Apparently, if you'd gotten anything in your eye, it'd be a lost cause. Because it was just a scrape, there were chances of healing.

Your ankle has healed perfectly. You tried running down the hallway, much to Tanner's chagrin, but it had felt so nice to be running that you had only laughed. The only thing left to heal, besides your eye, is your brain. No memories have returned to you, and it's hard to stay optimistic.

When the doctor proposes a meeting with Erwin to suggest the next course of action, you agree. Erwin had been the one to recruit you for the scouts from the underground; in a way, you were his problem. Or, at the very least, he had a say in what you were doing.

Tanner brings you to a small room with a table in the center. Doctor Fizal is in the seat at the head of the table. Erwin is on her left side, facing the door, and you straighten up when you see Levi. "What..." you trail off, 'what's he doing here' dying on your tongue.

"Take a seat," Erwin says, gesturing to the open side of the table. Tanner takes the seat next to Fizal and you take the one next to him, directly across from Levi. He meets your eyes with a cold glare, and you frown in return.

"So it's been about," Doctor Fizal scans her sheet, "six months since your accident and four since you woke up."

"And about two weeks since you've been cleared," Tanner adds helpfully, like you haven't been counting down the days.

She shoots him a look, then looks back to the other residents of the table. Levi is sitting with his arms crossed, eyes fixed on Erwin, who is surveying everyone with no expression on his face. You pinch your lips together. These four people are the ones determining your fate, and you're not sure how you feel about that.

"We've had exactly two accident-related amnesia victims in our records," the doctor continues. You straighten up- you haven't heard this before. "Although a lot of our elderly tend to lose some of their memories as they grow older. However, I'm considering two incidents that I had Tanner dig up." She turns to her assistant. "Tanner?"

He smiles and glances at you. "One was twenty-six year old Karim Hanssen," he says. "Horsing around with friends and hit- uh, he hit his head falling down stairs. Lost four- maybe five years of his life."

You involuntarily wince.

"And the other was Andres... Castello, Andres Castello. He actually lost his memory twice," Tanner continues, almost sounding excited. "Once when he was sixteen- took a hard fall- and again when he was in his fifties. But that time, there was no recorded accident. Paperwork probably missing. Funny enough, his father..." he trails off, scanning through the paper, "Perry Castello, lost his memory when he was in his thirties- again, no paperwork, so no record of an accident, just listed in his family files. His son was... his son was five at the time."

Fizal shoots him a glance, and he shrugs. "Well, there's a couple of general amnesia cases with no injury cause- or at least, no remembrance of the injury. Like..." he rifles through his papers. "Perry Castello, Grisha Jeager, Timo Zienne. Just a few."

You're wondering why they're telling you this, but Doctor Fizal continues on. "Our only lead was Mister Hanssen, and even then, he didn't lose everything like you did."

"Did he get his memories back?"

"Not exactly. But he managed to settle into normal life again. His reports say that things felt familiar and he was able to get back to work."

Well, that's promising, you grumble to yourself.

Levi's eyes turn to you, and you realize you accidentally said that out loud. "So what can I do?" you ask, fighting the blush that's rising to your cheeks from embarrassment.

"The best thing to do would be to get you back into your old routine. Let you figure things out for yourself," she replies.

"Old routine," you repeat, feeling slightly more hopeful. "Like, with the scouts?"

"You had about two days of training and one expedition," Erwin says. "I hardly believe that counts as a routine." He glances sideways. "Levi? You spent a few years with her."

Levi's eyebrows lift slightly. "No way in hell. She's not going back down there."

By there, you're pretty sure he means the underground. You gnaw at your own lip, willing yourself to stay silent. "Well, maybe she- maybe she can continue that routine up here," Tanner suggests mildly.

"You don't want her to do that," he returns. "Unless you want to lose that watch."

Tanner's hand jerks off of the table and into his lap and you can't help but laugh. "They were criminals in the underground," Erwin says, lips twitching in amusement at your laugh. "And they've been pardoned as part of their deal for joining the Survey Corps. I hardly think it's wise to return her to that way of life."

"I wouldn't mind," you say with a straight face, and Tanner's face gets even paler.

"Do you remember anything from what you were like underground?" Doctor Fizal asks carefully.

You shrug, thinking of the tools in your jacket pocket. "I've gathered that I used to be a thief," you say, eyes flitting briefly to Levi. "And apparently a pretty good one."

"Have you- have you stolen anything?" Tanner asks quickly. "Like, impulsively?"

You shake your head. "No."

"She's been picking locks," Levi says.

Snitch. You shoot him the dirtiest glare you can muster, and Doctor Fizal leans in. "Have you been picking locks?" the doctor says, her voice more intrigued than upset. You nod slowly. "How do you do it?"

The tools in your pocket feel ridiculously heavy, but Levi hasn't said anything about them, so you decide not to bring them up. "Well, I don't know," you say honestly with a shrug. "I just... well, I just do it. If I think about it too much, then it doesn't work, so I just kind of shut my eyes."

"You can pick locks with your eyes closed?" Tanner murmurs. "Impressive."

Fizal shoots him a sharp look. "We're not encouraging this behavior," she warns, "but it is a good sign that you're picking up some of your old skills. I believe it's best to settle you down into a proper routine now that you're healed- well, as healed as you can be," she adds, gesturing to your eye. You're about to suggest rejoining the scouts when she says, "in a low stress environment. Perhaps we can figure out a way to contact your family."

You roll your eyes. "Good luck with that."

"No one had family underground," Levi adds, and your shoulders relax a bit knowing that he's backing you up.

"I can just rejoin the Survey Corps," you suggest.

"No," Levi and Doctor Fizal say at the same time.

So much for the back up from Levi. Your jaw tightens. "Well, if you said my skills can get picked up again, just let me try."

"Like hell," Levi says, his glare drilling holes into your skull.

"Levi is right," the doctor says patiently. "Karim Hanssen was known to have migraines and constant headaches, especially when he felt he was on the cusp of remembering something. It's not a wise move to have you out there."

"But what if that helps me remember something?" you plead. "It's worth a shot."

Levi's glare doesn't waver. "Don't be stupid."

"Actually, she has a point."

Your lord and savior appears in the form of Erwin Smith, who's eyeing you like you're a puzzle that needs to be solved. You resist the urge to cheer aloud and hug him. "You're joking," Levi says flatly. "There's no fucking way-"

"If familiar routine may help trigger some memories," the blond man says firmly, "then wouldn't that be incentive to repeat some of her last steps? Surely the easiest memories to recover are going to be her most recent ones."

"What he said," you say, crossing your arms. "I don't want people to fill me in- I want to remember it myself."

Levi clicks his tongue in irritation. "You're not putting her in gear," he snaps, "and it's suicide to put someone outside the walls without it."

"I can use gear," you protest, having no idea what the word 'gear' actually refers to.

"That's the problem," he says, turning his glare back on you. "You'd probably try to test it out and you'd get yourself killed. You can't be left on your own."

You want to argue that you're not a little kid, but Erwin steps in again. "I agree that giving her ODM gear is perhaps too risky," he says, and Levi's shoulders relax slightly. "However, if she was put in your care the entire time, I'm sure no harm would come to her."

Levi grits his teeth. "I'm no fucking babysitter."

"Our next mission is only one of surveillance," Erwin says, looking at Doctor Fizal. "We've been scouting out a large forest patch that we have yet to look through. It will not be a mission of killing titans but instead one of discovery. With our new flare system, we're planning on avoiding as many titans as possible. Plus," he adds, looking at a frustrated Levi, "I trust Levi's skills. He took down four titans on his own in the rain with heavy fog and he's done much more since then. His kill count already rivals that of our veterans. I have full faith he can protect Miss Logan from whatever, if any, threats come our way."

You want to give Erwin a hug. It's so nice to have someone on your side. "I don't advise it," Fizal says, and you go from wanting to give Erwin a hug to wanting to punch her in the face. "It's dangerous. You're not exactly known for your successes in those missions."

"I've only recently been appointed to commander," Erwin says patiently. "But progress has been made."

He doesn't say anything else. He's waiting to see what she'll say- she hasn't said no. You fidget in anticipation, waiting for her to speak.

Finally, she does. "You cannot guarantee her protection," Doctor Fizal says.

Erwin doesn't reply. He studies her.

"But," she continues, and your heart sings, "if you can guarantee she will have the best possible protection and the mission is not to engage, then I won't argue against it. I believe there's more pros than cons."

"Besides the fact that there are man-eating monsters out there," Levi retorts icily. "Are you fucking insane?"

"Are you not the one they're calling Humanity's Strongest?" Fizal replies.

"I don't give a shit what they call me."

"So you can't protect her?"

Levi falls silent. You pinch your own leg under the table to try and contain your excitement. You glance at Levi. He looks positively murderous.

"Wonderful," Erwin says smoothly. He turns to you. "We leave in three weeks."

"Thank you!" you say brightly. Doctor Fizal's face is carefully neutral, but she nods to you before she stands up. Tanner shoots you one last look that clearly say 'why the hell would anyone want to leave the walls' before trailing after Fizal.

You glance back at Levi. If looks could kill, both you and Erwin would be dead.

"Levi," Erwin says calmly, "if you have something to say, we can discuss in my office."

The sound of his chair grating against the floor as he shoves it backwards nearly makes you wince. Levi tears his eyes away and storms over to the door, throwing it open. He pauses before he leaves, eyes glued on Erwin. "You and your fucking gambles," he snaps.

The door slams shut, leaving you alone with Erwin. You glance at the blond man. "You're a gambler?" you ask timidly.

Erwin smirks. "Indeed I am."

You nod slowly, swallowing the lump in your throat, and you stand up. You head over to the door, ready to head back to your hospital room, until you hear Erwin call your name- your first name. He's never referred to you by anything other than Logan. You spin around in surprise.

"I am a gambler," he says firmly, "but this is not one. Saying this is a gamble would imply there's something I'll willing to lose."

You stare, waiting for him to say any more.

"You have exceptional talent," Erwin continues. Your heart feels like it's hammering against your ribs. "And it would be a shame to lose that skill, especially since it was my idea to recruit you. It is, perhaps, foolishly optimistic to hope that one trip outside the walls could fix everything, but it's always worth a shot."

"Tell that to Levi," you mutter.

He chuckles. "I will. Go get some rest."

You nod, shutting the door as you leave. You press your back against the door for a moment, exhaling. You're going outside the walls. You're going to go outside the walls.

Stifling a smile, you head back to your room.