Red Dragon Spaceship Awakening: I Gain Alien Abilities on Mars-Chapter 211: A Debt of Gratitude

They sat there for a moment, the silence comfortable but charged with the unspoken acknowledgment that it had been too long since they last spoke.

The nurse crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him with an expression that was half-amused, half-reproachful.

"So," she began, her tone light but pointed, "You haven’t even come to visit me since all this while. Never even bothered to tell me the news of you being promoted to Battle Commander."

Tatehan winced, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, about that..."

"About that?" she echoed, raising an eyebrow.

"Frankly," Tatehan said, sighing, "I’ve been too busy. And I kind of... forgot about you."

The nurse gasped, her hand flying to her chest in an exaggerated display of shock. She staggered back slightly, as if his words had physically struck her, and then sucked in a loud, dramatic breath that filled the entire room.

It was true Tatehan had forgotten about her though. Before his battle to Mub when he had left the commmader’s room, farming aura by summoning the Bio neutral core from his inventory as proof that he had truly slayed the mauler and taken its core.

Mub had been the one to object actually. The beast of man wasn’t so pleased with Tatehan’s presence. He had thought something fishy was going on.

And when Tatehan had said a few words that had damaged his reputation, he had tried saved it with the Duel. A Duel that further damaged his reputation even in death.

Thinking about it now, Tatehan hadn’t even bothered the learn of the remaining rules of the clan.

’I will do that later’ he thought.

"Forgot about me?" The nurse repeated, her voice dripping with mock offense. "Me? The woman who gave you the pistol that probably saved your life?"

Tatehan couldn’t help it. He laughed, the sound bursting out of him before he could stop it.

"I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!"

The nurse held the pose for another second, her hand still pressed to her chest, and then she broke, her stern expression crumbling into a grin. She waved him off, shaking her head.

"It’s fine, it’s fine," she said, still smiling. "You shouldn’t apologize. Battle Commander is no small job. I imagine you’ve had your hands full."

"That’s putting it lightly," Tatehan muttered.

She moved to one of the chairs across from him, settling into it with a small sigh. "I’m kind of surprised, though," she admitted, her tone thoughtful now. "How you got such a high title like that. Battle Commander is... well, it’s not something they just hand out."

Tatehan shrugged, his expression neutral. "Well, I killed the previous one. It’s only sensible that I take his role."

The nurse blinked, processing that for a moment, and then she laughed, a short, incredulous sound. "Right. Of course. That makes perfect sense."

"It does, doesn’t it?" Tatehan said, grinning.

She shook her head, still smiling. "It’s alright. Congratulations on defeating Mub by the way. I knew you had it in you. He could have avoided it but his pride got the best of him."

"Yeah," Tatehan said softly

"Battle Commander is a role that comes with a lot of benefits, from what I understand," She continued. "Respect, authority, probably a better room than the one they stuck you in when you first got here."

"Yeah, the room’s definitely an upgrade," Tatehan said.

The nurse leaned back in her chair, her expression softening. "So... how about you and Lyra? How’s she been dealing with the aftermath of losing her dad?"

Tatehan’s grin faded slightly, replaced by something more thoughtful. He shrugged. "It seems like she’s over it now. I mean, as much as you can be over something like that. She’s living just fine. Things happen, you know? People die. You grieve. And then you keep going. That’s just... what you do."

The nurse nodded slowly, her smile gentle. "That’s a very mature way to look at it."

"I don’t know if it’s mature," Tatehan said. "It’s just... reality."

The nurse studied him for a moment, and then her smile widened, taking on a slightly mischievous edge. "You know," she said casually, "I wouldn’t be surprised if you two eventually started dating."

Tatehan laughed, the sound sudden and loud in the quiet room. "What?"

"I’m serious," the nurse said, clearly enjoying his reaction. "You two spend a lot of time together from what I’ve learnt and observed. You definitely care about her and she cares about you too. It’s not that far-fetched."

Tatehan shook his head, still grinning. "Yeah, well, we’ll see about that."

The nurse just smiled, clearly unconvinced, but she let it drop.

There was a brief pause, and then her expression shifted, her gaze turning curious. "So," she said, "What about the pistol? The one I gave you. How’s it been treating you?"

Tatehan’s grin returned, wider this time. "It’s actually really good. Like, really good. It’s been a lifesaver. Literally."

"Oh?" the nurse said, leaning forward slightly. "Tell me."

"I upgraded it," Tatehan said. "Turned it into something called the Devastator Hand Cannon. Way more powerful. And it’s come through for me more than once. There was this behemoth creature: massive thing, armored like a tank, and I used the cannon to blast it to pieces. Without it, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here right now from that situation."

The nurse’s eyes widened slightly, and then she smiled, a look of quiet satisfaction settling over her face. "Good. I’m glad it’s been useful."

"Useful is an understatement," Tatehan said. "It’s been incredible. So... thank you. For giving it to me. I know you said it was for Kael, but still. It’s made a difference."

The nurse waved him off, though her smile remained. "You don’t need to thank me. Just keep using it well. And try not to get yourself killed."

"I’ll do my best," Tatehan said.

They sat in silence ( a pretty comfortable one) for a few more moments, and then Tatehan glanced at the time display on the wall and stood.

"I should get going," he said. "Don’t want to take up too much of your time."

The nurse stood as well, walking him to the door. "Thanks for coming to visit," she said, her tone sincere. "It means a lot to me. This work can be kind of boring sometimes, you know? It’s nice to have some company."

Tatehan smiled. "I’ll try not to wait so long next time."

"You better not," she said, giving him a playful swat on the arm.

Tatehan grinned, stepped through the door, and headed back out into the hallway, leaving the nurse standing in the doorway, watching him go with a fond smile on her face.