†DEATH†

The Burning sun beats down on the war torn city while heavy boots pounded the dusty ground.

"Medic, medic, medic!" A desperate cry pierced through the air.

A young girl no more than twenty two sprang into action, She sprinted through the destroyed landscape.

Bullets were whizzing past her head, while explosions shakes the ground.

The acrid smell of smoke and sweat filled her nostrils as her heart raced with adrenaline

Her medic's bag was bouncing against her hip, while She dodged bullets that were both stray and on her.

She leaped over a crater, concrete and steel. Buildings are now reduced to nothing, the once vibrant street is now isolated.

She focused on the soldier's plea to survive and she reached a makeshift hiding spot where a young soldier, no more than twenty years old was laying on the ground.

Blood gushing out from his thigh and abdomen, she quickly dropped down beside him.

"Hang in there," she shouted assessing the wounds, tearing open the fabric with her small knife she saw the wound was deep and heavily bleeding.

The young soldier's eyes were on hers, fear and pain mingling in his gaze.

Blood was everywhere, she quickly grabbed a clean towel and applied iodine on it.

"Hang on" she said handing the soldier a towel to bit down.

The soldier's cries eased slightly and she pressed the towel on the wound.

" AAAHHHH" The wounded soldier streamed but it was muffled by the towel in his mouth.

"Keep pressure on this!"she ordered a near by soldier that was there.

She did the same procedure on the wound in his abdomen. "SHIT, FUCKING HELL"the wounded soldier exclaimed again at the second treatment.

She injected painkiller and administered antibiotics to stabilize the soldier.

"Medic, medic medic" More wounded screamed for help.

she leapt to her feet after making sure her current one would make it and ran to the next casualty , Everywhere was chaos.

But on reaching to her next patient the crying soldier was shot dead, a bullet had been struck into the soldier's chest.

She bit back a curse as she swiftly drew out her short gun, scanning the surroundings, for the enemy sniper.

Her eyes moved to a destroyed rooftop that wasn't too far.

A flash of movement was there and she aimed.

"Bang" Her gun released the bullet, the shooter fell from his hiding spot on the rooftop.

She rushed towards the enemy body and checked his vitals.

Gone, She was satisfied.

Hours blurred by but the battle still ranges on, bullets and explosive were still thrown around like a playground.

Her muscles burned as she administered CPR to her next wounded comrade.

The soldier's chest compressed beneath her palms.She counted,

Thirty...Fifty...Seventy.

Her arms trembled and hurt but she was persistent.

Her comms device came to life."Medic-1, this is Command.Medic-1, this is Command."

"Do you copy?" She paused, breathing heavily.

"H-here," she replied.

"Medic-1, we have multiple casualties. Evacuation teams are en route."

"Estimated time of arrival, ten minutes."

Her gaze flicked to the soldier who was still unresponsive.

"Roger that, Command," she said. "I have got multiple wounded here, priority evacuation is needed here, Do you copy"

"Understood, Medic-1,Help is on the way."

Aria returned to CPR.The soldier's chest raising and falling with each compression.

"Come on, wake" she urged.

The soldier's eyes opened slightly

"Yes! That's it!" she said with joy "Stay with me!"

The soldier's gaze locked on face, confused and disoriented.

"Captain Aria?" he whispered.

"Private Johnson!" Aria exclaimed.

"You are going to make it!"

Johnson's voice weakened."Medic...thank you..."

Aria smiled."You are welcome, Private."

"Hang in there, The evacuation team would be here soon."

Helicopters sounds was thundering in a distance before growing louder.

Aria's comms device sounded again. "Medic-1, Medic-1 , evacuation team is arriving."

"Do you copy"

"Yes , Copy"

"Prepare the wounded for transport."

"Roger" Aria swiftly stabilized Johnson's neck and secured him on the stretcher.

Other medics arrived and together they loaded the wounded onto the helicopters that had land.

The helicopter's rotors whirring in life, stirring up clouds of dust and debris as Aria, the last medic to board, prepared to be lifted on.

"Wait, please!" A voice shouted through the chaos, piercing the din of gunfire and explosions.

Aria's head snapped to the sound, her eyes scanning the area below. She saw something crawling towards the helicopter, her gaze moved in closely to see that it was a comrade crawling towards them in desperation

"Get in the chopper, Captain!" The soldiers on board yelled for her to just enter.

"Wait!" Aria shouted to the pilot, her voice loud above the chaos. "We have a man down!"

The pilot's voice was urgent through the comms system. "Captain, we can't stay! We are taking heavy fire!"

Aria's jaw clenched. She wouldn't leave her soldier behind. "Hold position!" she ordered with a deep breath, and dragged herself from the chopper, her boots pounding the dusty ground. Bullets whizzed past her head, but she pushed on, driven by determination

Reaching her comrade, Aria dropped down, throwing the good arm of her comrade over her shoulder and her hand around his waist to support him.

"Lean on me, sergeant" she said, her voice firm "We are getting out of here."

The sergeant eyes fluttered open, his face pale with pain. "C-Captain...leave me..If I can't make it"

"No way, Sergeant," Aria replied, her grip tightening. "We are in this together."

With a grunt, Aria heaved Thompson to his feet. They stumbled forward, bullets ripping through the air around them.

"Incoming!" the pilot shouted, his voice laced with urgency.

Aria's gaze darted up, her heart racing. A missile streaked towards them, its force deadly.

"Run!" she yelled, dragging the sergeant towards the helicopter, The helicopter has already taken off to the air just hovering above the ground.

A rope dropped down, and Aria quickly tied it around the sergeant. "Up!" she shouted.

The Soldiers lifted Thompson into the helicopter, The rope dropped down back after the sergeant was secured in the helicopter.

Aria grasped the rope, her hands burning as she pulled herself up. Bullets whizzed past her feet.

The helicopter suddenly banked sharply and Aria was swung, Her hands slipped out from the rope.

A hand quickly grasped her wrist.

"Hold on, Captain!" he shouted. Aria's nodded and the helicopter leveled out but a bullet pierced her shoulder, another to her lower back

But it was too late, a bullet pierced her shoulder, another struck her lower back.

"Ahhh!" she screamed, her body jerking in agony.

Bullets heavily hit the helicopter, threatening to shatter the fragile metal.

Aria's hand slipped again.This time, she didn't try to tighten it.

"Leave me," she said, blood gushing out of her mouth.She knew if they tried to pull her up, the helicopter would be hit, and everyone would die.

"No, Captain, we all go, we all survive," The private pleaded, saying her usual motto.

Aria's gaze swept the helicopter, taking in the wounded soldiers, her comrades.

She saw a missile being prepared to strike the helicopter's vulnerable side.

Her vision blurred at the lost of blood"It was a pleasure serving with you all," she smiled weakly, a trickle of blood trailing from her lips and jaw.

With a quick movement, she forced her hand out of the grip.

"Go!" she shouted, her voice fading.

"Save...them..."

The helicopter sharply raise up, leaving Aria falling to her death. Her thoughts drifted to her family, her sick mother ,her friends and even her Ex who had died.

The world she was leaving behind. The helicopter disappeared into the distance and Aria's body dropped down, Everywhere blacked out.

*******

Note: this book is participating in the cupid Quill 2024, so please vote, comment and review. Thank you so much for giving the book a chance.