"Is this about your meal plans again? I told you, Mitah, we can't focus on things like that right now." Liri asks immediately as I step into her office. I told Badger to speak to Eve, and I promised him I would try Liri. She's typically responsive to my requests, besides the meal plans.

"Is it so wrong I just want to increase my protein intake?" I say and take a seat in the chair in front of her desk. She regards me for a moment before looking back at the papers she's scribbling on.

"Tell me what you're really here for." She slides her glasses down on her nose and glares at me. I have learned this is her type of humor. I find it scary, though.

"Uhm, right, yeah. So, you know how Badger just became a member of the Medic's guild?"

"Oh, did he?" She asks, looking back to her desk. "I guess Eve hasn't updated me yet on that regard."

"So, would you say it isn't finalized yet?"

"I suppose. Respectfully, why do you care?" She touches a finger to her mouth to correct a smear of red lipstick. I watch in awe. It's not often I get a view of Liri acting like a normal person.

"How permanent is the blood oath they do?" I asked, feeling like an idiot. I am an idiot.

"Well, they're usually quite binding. However, the oath the guild performs is mostly for show. A tie does exist, but it is easily broken by breaking the rules the guild has. If Badger were to break the rules they set, the guild would know and remove him. The old blood oath they had resulted in a lot of death, so I told Eve to make it less- well- afflicting." By the time she's done talking, I want to kiss her cheek in joy.

"So, hypothetically, all someone would have to do-"

"We're talking about Badger, right?" She glances at me. "I'm not a moron, you know. I know you two have something going on."

"It's not like that, Commander."

"Don't lie to my face."

"Okay, it's like that."

Liri laughs, slapping her hands on the desk.

"You never fail to make me laugh, Mitah. Look, I don't care. You being with a healer doesn't break any rules I've set myself. I'd rather you not get distracted with him, but I can't stop you from dating someone. It's unethical."

"And what you did to me that morning with the intruders wasn't?"

"No. I knew you'd live." A grin spreads across her face.

"What about those in the med bay who died?"

"Those people were under the care of the medics. They know the protocol when the institute is under attack. The medics failed them that day. They had plenty of time to evacuate, but they chose to leave them." Liri says, putting a hand to her chest. "Of course, I didn't want that nor think that would be the case."

"I guess I understand."

Liri stands up and fixes her skirt.

"So, the guild has a few rules, but most of them just have minor consequences when broken. Badger needs to break a major rule to be released."

"He won't be fired, right?" I ask with widened eyes. That would be the last thing I want.

"No, maybe demoted a few ranks, but not fired. Before you got here, Eve exiled any healer who broke the rules, but I found that people are people, and they usually break rules. We needed healers, and we couldn't just throw them all away when they broke a single rule. It's unfair."

I shift in my chair, taking my hands and placing them together in my lap. Liri is writing on the white board in her office. When she's done, she slaps a pointer to it. I snap my head up.

"Alright, so the big three rules you must not break: No killing, no theft, and remaining celibate." Liri's hand flies to her mouth and she coughs into it. "Now, I'm not pointing to one option, but if he does the other two, he'll be fired. So, you know what to do."

I let out an awkward chuckle.

After that horror, I spot Badger in the common area with Lyx and Briar. Briar and Badger are talking about something, I'm too flustered to listen right now.

Badger smiles when I sit down next to him. Lyx gives me the usual death glare. I'm starting to learn to ignore it.

"I spoke with Liri." I told him, and he grinned.

"Oh, good. Is it erm-" Lyx quirks a brow. "Is it all good with her?"

"All good. Yup."

"Well, spit it out." Lyx purses his lips.

"I was talking to her about my meal plans. I want to include more protein in my diet."

"Oh, for your muscles?" Briar leans in and sets her chin on her hand. She's got that dazed look in her eyes.

"I guess." I shrug, and Badger's making a weird face back at Briar. She sits up, embarrassed.

"I'm going to get going. Carro wants to meet me in the library-" Her voice trails off as she makes up some excuse to finish the conversation. She tucks some hair behind her ear and makes a dash for the library.

"Odd." Lyx says. "Well, since you two are practically begging with your eyes for me to leave, I might as well."

He gets up and gathers his things.

"I expect you in the bay bright and early tomorrow. 5am. Hear me?"

"Heard." Badger responds like a robot.

"Good. See you then." Lyx leaves.

I hear the moment when Badger finally starts to breathe normally.

"Man, fuck that guy." I say, and Badger lets out a little laugh.

"What did Liri say?"

I explain everything to him, leaving him completely bright red.

All he says to me, real low so only I hear it:

"Meet me in your bunker in an hour."