IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT?
...SOMETHING I WANT?
I DIDN'T EXPECT THIS.
I WASN'T EVEN SURE IF I WAS OF ANY HELP...
I CAN'T REALLY THINK OF ANYTHING...
OH.
ACTUALLY, I HAVE TWO THINGS. IF YOU'RE WILLING.
...YOU'RE MAKING ME NERVOUS.
WHAT IS IT?
FIRST, BEFORE I LEAVE, I WOULD LIKE TO SEND A LETTER.
...TO SERGEANT RYAN FROMM?
YES.
IT WILL HAVE TO BE CHECKED BEFOREHAND.
IT'LL BE A SIMPLE LETTER, BUT I THOUGHT HE WOULD SAY NO.
THAT'S A RELIEF...
AND THE OTHER REQUEST?
I WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE OUR LAST MEETING.
THAT IS MY SECOND REQUEST.
...I SEE. I GUESS YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED THAT.
CUTTING ME OUT OF YOUR LIFE...
EVEN THOUGH I SPENT THE ENTIRETY OF MINE TRYING TO BECOME A PART OF YOURS.
...FINE. IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT, SO BE IT.
YOU MAY LEAVE. FOR GOOD.
ANNETTE.
MAY I HAVE ONE LAST HUG?
LOOKING AT HIM NOW...
...HE SEEMS SO HEARTBREAKING AND SMALL.
JUST AS I DID IN THE PAST...
I WAS UNABLE TO LET GO OF YOU...
...EVEN IN THE MIDST OF MY PAIN AND LONELINESS.
I HELD ON FOR TOO LONG...
...CONVINCING MYSELF IT WOULD ALL WORK OUT SOMEHOW...
...BUT EVENTUALLY, I HAD TO LET YOU GO.
NOW IT'S YOUR TURN.
YOU MUST LET ME GO.
I HOPE...
...WE NEVER MEET AGAIN.
Episode 49
THE BOMBARDMENT ON MAINLAND PADANIA CONTINUED.
CITIZENS HUNKERED DOWN IN AIR RAID SHELTERS...
...TERRIFIED OF THE EXPLOSIONS ABOVE.
ALTHOUGH PADANIA AND ITS ALLIES FOUGHT HARD TO HOLD THE MAINLAND...
...THEY EVENTUALLY SURRENDERED THEIR FRONT TO THE ONSLAUGHT FROM FRANZE, ALMANIA, AND VALHEN.
AFTER COUNTLESS BATTLES...
...THE PADANIAN ALLIANCE DROVE THE FRANZEAN NAVY OFF OF PASALA.
THE ISLAND WAS A SIGNIFICANT MILITARY STRONGHOLD...
...THAT TURNED THE TIDES OF WAR.
REGARDLESS, MANY SOLDIERS DIED AND GOT INJURED IN THE PROCESS.
AND WOUNDED SOLDIERS POURED INTO HUNTINGHAM AS THE FRONT LINE GOT PUSHED BACK.
OVER HERE!! THE PATIENT ISN'T BREATHING RIGHT!
WE NEED TO STOP THE BLEEDING! AND SUPPLIES TO STITCH THE WOUND!
S-SAVE ME... IT HURTS SO MUCH...
D*** IT! ARGHHH! AT LEAST GIVE ME SOME PAINKILLERS!
ANNETTE! I NEED HELP OVER HERE! HURRY!
JUST A MOMENT! I'M COMING!
IT'S OKAY. YOU'RE OKAY.
WE'RE GOING TO STITCH YOU UP NOW.
YOU'LL BE FINE, YOU'LL BE ALRIGHT...
IT'S ALRIGHT...
PHEW.
ANNETTE?
OVER HERE!
AH, YES.
DO YOU NEED SOMETHING?
OH, NO. UM...
DO YOU REMEMBER ME?
HUH...? WHAT IS HE TRYING TO DO HERE...?
WELL... I'M NOT SURE...
WE MET BEFORE! IN SEINSHIRE!
I USED TO DELIVER FRUIT TO CATHERINE'S SHOP!
OH!
HANS, RIGHT?
YES, YES! THAT'S ME! I READ IN THE NEWS THAT YOU BECAME A NURSE.
LOOKS LIKE IT'S TRUE!
WELL, DID YOU THINK IT WAS A LIE?
SPEAKING OF WHICH, CATHERINE MENTIONED YOU IN HER LETTER.
SHE SAID YOU JOINED THE RESERVES...
HOW DID YOU END UP HERE?
HAHA. WELL, THINGS HAPPENED.
SURPRISE! BOOBY TRAP.
HE MUST'VE STEPPED ON A LANDMINE...!
THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THE LAST LINE OF DEFENSE...
THINGS MUST HAVE GOTTEN WORSE AFTER THE FRONT LINES WERE PUSHED BACK.
THE HUNTINGHAM FIELD HOSPITAL HAS BECOME THE CLOSEST HOSPITAL TO THE CENTRAL FRONT...
...DOES CATHERINE KNOW?
NO ONE OVER IN SEINSHIRE KNOWS YET.
NO NEED TO TELL THEM NOW. THEY'LL FIND OUT EVENTUALLY WHEN I GO BACK.
BY THE WAY...
YOU DIDN'T APPLY TO BE A NURSE BECAUSE OF ME, DID YOU?
PARDON?
I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND...
WELL, YOU KNOW. SINCE I RAN MY MOUTH THAT ONE TIME...
I THOUGHT I MIGHT'VE STARTED THE RUMORS ABOUT YOU.
ERM, I WAS A BIT WORRIED. BRUNER REALLY SCOLDED ME ABOUT THAT.
I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT'VE LEFT SEINSHIRE BECAUSE OF ME...
...TO A DANGEROUS WAR ZONE, ON TOP OF THAT.
HONESTLY, IT WAS TROUBLESOME.
NOT JUST FOR ME, BUT FOR CATHERINE AND HER FAMILY AS WELL.
BUT TO BRING THAT UP DURING A TIME LIKE THIS...
YOU'RE HALF RIGHT, HALF WRONG.
HUH?
YOU DID MAKE THINGS A BIT DIFFICULT,
BUT THAT'S NOT WHY I'M HERE.
THIS IS JUST SOMETHING I'D BEEN WANTING TO DO FOR A WHILE.
AHA... THEN I'M HALF GLAD.
ANYWAY... I WANTED TO APOLOGIZE TO YOU.
I'M GLAD I FINALLY GOT THE CHANCE.
I DON'T HAVE FOND MEMORIES OF HIM...
...BUT AT THOSE FUMBLING, HEARTFELT WORDS...
...I ACCEPT YOUR APOLOGY.
YAY!
THANK YOU, ANNETTE.
...I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO FORGIVE HIM.
HEY, DID YOU SEE THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF'S EX-WIFE? WHAT'D YA THINK?
TOO SKINNY. NOT MY CUP OF TEA.
OH, SURE. I SAW YOU DROOLING OVER HER, YOU CREEP.
HEY, THERE'S MORE TO A WOMAN THAN LOOKS, OKAY?
BEAUTY DOESN'T LAST.
OH? THEN WHAT DOES IT FOR YOU?
WELL, IT'S GOTTA BE THE FIGURE, AM I RIGHT?
BUT YOU'RE WRONG!
IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY, SHE ISN'T JUST THIN...
MY BAD.
MY DUTIES ALONE ARE EXHAUSTING ENOUGH...
THIS MAY BE A BATTLEFIELD, BUT THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED.
IT'S DRAINING TO BE THE CENTER OF ATTENTION ALL THE TIME.
WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY!
THE OUTSKIRTS OF HUNTINGHAM HAVE BEEN SEIZED!
THEY'RE FIGHTING IN THE STREETS!
WE NEED TO RETREAT NOW!
THE FRONT WAS PUSHED BACK AGAIN, BRINGING HUNTINGHAM HOSPITAL TO THE BRINK OF CAPTURE.
OUR FORCES HID IN THE CENTER OF THE CITY TO DEFEND HUNTINGHAM.
AND THE ENEMY TROOPS SCOURED THE CITY FOR THEM.
IT WAS TIME TO FLEE THIS PLACE.
THE PROBLEM WAS TRANSPORTING THE WOUNDED SOLDIERS.
THEY NEEDED PEOPLE TO STAY FOR THEIR SAKE AND THE REST OF THE SOLDIERS.
WE ARE UNDERSTAFFED!!!
THOSE OF YOU WHO CAN STAY, PLEASE DO!
ANY VOLUNTEERS?
RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'D LIKE TO VOLUNTEER!
SOMEONE HAS TO STAY HERE.
BUT WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE STAY...
IF THEY'RE DOING A SEARCH OPERATION, BEING FOUND MIGHT MEAN...
SOMEONE HAS TO STAY BACK. HERE, WHERE DEATH IS IMMINENT...
BUT...
NO ONE HAS EVER STAYED. NOT ONE PERSON.
YOU...
IT'S ONLY RIGHT THAT YOU STAY BY MY SIDE.
I WONDER WHAT I AM TO YOU...
AS HEINER BROUGHT UP HIS PAST, HIS PLEADING VOICE...
IT KEEPS RINGING LOW IN MY EARS.
AND SO, IN ORDER TO REMAIN IN THIS WORLD, AS HE ASKED...
...I MUST LEAVE THIS PLACE BEHIND.
In the farewell meeting, two requests are conveyed: to send a simple letter to Sergeant Ryan Fromm that will go through inspection, and for this to be their last meeting. The request is accepted, and the parting is sealed with a final embrace. Then the war spreads to Huntingham; Annette, working as a nurse, encounters Hans, whom she knows from Seinshire, accepts his apology, and faces the decision to stay behind as the hospital is evacuated.
