VII

 At five o'clock I went to the office, where Paul was waiting. His expression was too serious and severe, then it should certainly be important.

- Sit down.

 I sat in a chair across the table without saying a word.

- I have three things to say: the first is that they got a peace treaty for two years, so they can organize themselves to solve everything at once; If nothing happens, the treaty will be broken and the war will continue.

 That was good, because I would have more time to train and prepare myself psychologically to find Axel before that end.

- The second thing - Paul continued, sternly - is that you will not go look for your brother during this time. - I was going to open my mouth to protest, but he continued - During a peace agreement no one can move anywhere. Axel should be at their military base installed here and you, being almost a military of the Western Alliance must not, under any circumstances, be those nearby. If you do, the war will continue and you will only complicate things.

 Okay, he had left me no answer. I should control my nerves and my anxiety for two years.

- The third thing, and the most important of all. - He opened a drawer and took two papers - It's about your father. You know how he died, right?

- Yes.

- However, you must not know that our doctors could have healed his wounds.

 Judging by his expression, Paul was not lying. If this was really true, then ...

- Why did not they do anything?

- Because of that.

 He handed me one of the papers. It was a medical report of the army. When I read the diagnosis, I could not believe it. My father always seemed a perfect man and without any problems. I looked back at the person's name and was indeed my father. Why he never told this to us? Yes, it was true that he used to smoke, but I did not imagine it.

- But they could not have done anything anyway?

- Yes, they could. However this was the biggest factor that they did not do anything.

 He handed me another paper, carrying my father's handwriting.

"To the medical staff,

 Knowing my current situation, I ask you not heal my war wounds. Nothing will advance to this surgery if I will die because of this cancer that affects more and more my lungs. We all know that my case is terminal and there is no cure, so let me die in a dignified way, so my children will not feel so much pain and so much guilt when they receive my news.

 I ask you, in any way say my actual situation to them. I do not want to make them feel guilty for my health problem, they do not deserve more suffering still.

It was an honor to serve with you all these years.

Colonel Carter Oreans ".

- Paul, please do not play with me.

 I could not believe it. As it was there in my face and my father's handwriting, it was impossible to believe. Tears started streaming down my face and the salty and bitter taste of them came to my mouth.

- I'm not kidding, Rena. I asked this to the medical staff to show to you.

 I bit my lips not to cry more, but the only thing I got was the ferric taste of blood down my throat. Axel needed to see it too, was not fair hide it from him. However, what our father did to us was something unfair too. He could not have hidden it from us! Even knowing that he was still smoking, still putting his life to lose. This justified a lot: the reasons for which he did not want to go to the doctor, the acute attacks of coughing that he had. All of this made sense and we could not realize it in time.

 I felt Paul's hand weighing on my back.

- Your father was always a headstrong person, do not blame yourself for that. We tried to make him look for a doctor, but the stubbornness he had was too strong. I'm so sorry.

 I would not know what to do if Paul were not there. I looked towards him and could not control the urge to hug him. He, in turn, did not stop me crying, just stood there, gentle and compliant as the day he met me.

- You must be strong, Rena. From now on, you do not need physical training but mental training. Use this pain as strength to find your brother and tell all this to him.

- Thank you, Paul.