Chapter 9.1
Enemy soldiers must be coming- we fell into their trap. But I don't know what they'd do when they find us. Would they leave me to die a painful death? Or would they kill me to put me out of my misery? I honestly didn't know what was worse. But I did know that I was afraid. Through the agony and pain, I knew that I more afraid than I'd ever been before.
Fear focuses my consciousness, I wish that I could have passed out, but I felt every passing second as if it was an hour, and with each one the pain and the fear doubles in magnitude. Until, through my red blurred vision, I notice several pairs of army boots coming from Reagens side of the pass. I was close to them; I must have been thrown into a safe zone across the other side of the field. I was lucky that I wasn't blown into the lake.
"Looks like Vastan was right about Garlantia."
"Yeah, but we can't really prove anything if they're all dead."
I see a pair of leg approach me, "this kid's still alive." He yelled.
"Ah, hell."
He rolls me onto my back, and a crazed strangled scream erupts from my throat. My whole body was burning, every cell was screaming out in agony, and I couldn't take it anymore.
"Shhhh!" he hushed, as he wormed his arms under my neck and knees and lifted me from the ground. The pressure lessened a little and my head flopped limply against his chest; I didn't have the energy to lift the weight of my own head, so I watched, through bloody vision, the pattern of his camo uniform ruffle as he moved.
"Are there any more alive?" he yelled, his voice harshly loud in my ears.
"Three, but one isn't gonna make it." A voice reported back.
"Okay, we'll take the others with us." He instructed, and we start to move. I bump gently against his chest as he navigates through the forest, for a solider, he's strangely gentle.
The pain numbs my sense of time, but the sky is dimming when we exit the forest in Reagen. We climb into the back of a truck, where I'm momentarily rested in his lap, and in the darkness, I manage to make out six other figures in the back, plus the two men in the front.
Finally, we reach a complex which must have been their home base, but huddled up against his chest, and only half-conscious, I couldn't see much. I get a glimpse of a grey concrete building, but I'm bundled inside before I could see anything more.
I squint against the harsh, artificial light, as cool air conditioning flooded over my body. He carries me through a series of passageways before entering a wide, open room with bare lights hanging from the high ceiling. There are beds lining either side, and at the far end, the wall is entirely covered with scientific and medical equipment from bottom to the very top of the room, with a chaotic mixture of boxes and bottles resting on varying sized shelves. The other two squad members are taken somewhere else, I'm not even sure which members they were, but I don't see them again.
"Doc! I've got an injured minor! Got caught in a landmine!" he yells at the empty room, and a small dark-haired man appeared from behind one of the screens.
He placed me down on a fresh bed, and the pain starts in my back again; unable to hold it back, I yelp and tears escape from my eyes.
"Roll him onto his side, I think he has shrapnel in his back." the doctor instructed, and I'm shifted onto my side.
He cuts away at the rags and rinses the wound with solution. It stings and burns but the real shock comes when he pulls it out. I hadn't realised something was there, I felt pain all over, but when he tugged at the shrapnel, I gave a sharp intake of breath as pain shot through my spine. He pulled it out then immediately applied pressure to the wound to stop the blood, but even that part almost made me scream. I gave a high-pitched grunt and gritted my teeth.
"That's it, but now I've got to stich it up." He tells me, then adds to the soldier, "Luke, you can go. I've got things here, I'm sure you exhausted, go and get some rest."
"I'll be back later." I'm not sure if that was to me or the doctor.
"Ok, I'll see you later then." He says, before proceeding to stich up the wound in my back. one by one, he addressed each of the wounds on my body; the wound in my back and chest, the graze on my stomach and arms, the cut running from the top of my eye brow into my eye (which honoured me with an eye patch), and my broken left leg where the bone pierced the skin. Even with anaesthetic, the last was undoubtedly the most painful, the dislocated bone had to be put back in the skin before he could fix it in the correct position and bind it. I flinched and tried to slap away his hand when tried to inject me with something, but then he raised his hands defensively "It's only pain killer. Look." He showed me the bottle with a complicated looking name on it, my written Reagen was a little rusty, and I had no idea how to pronounce it. But the left over pain was quite intense so I relented and nodded.
It seemed like it took forever, but the doctor worked nonstop until everyone of my wounds was dealt with, right down to the little cuts on my elbows. Which was a little complexing, why was an enemy doctor being so attentive? Wasn't I their enemy?
It was strange but while he worked, I finally relaxed a little. I knew that while he worked nothing would be expected of me, there would be no questions until he was done. But even after that, he lifted me onto the next bed over, turned around and left. I watched after him even after he had long been gone, but he didn't return that night. The room was unguarded, and I had been treated fairly and with care. Why? I couldn't understand these people. At least with Dark Moon squad I knew what they wanted and how they were going to get it, even if they were all scum bags. I understood how they worked. But these people… They were different. What did they want? Who were they? Why did they take me here? Where is 'here'? These questions terrified me.
Maybe I should get out while I can, I thought. They'd treated my wounds- I wasn't going to die, so maybe I should make a run for it. Yeah, it was still dark outside, and we were in early spring, so it must have been about one o'clock in the morning. That gave me a couple of hours before anyone would go looking for me, even with a busted leg, that gave me enough time to get far enough away.
I rolled on my side and swung my feet over the side of the bed. The pain wasn't so bad, maybe I can do this. I took a deep breath and eased weight onto my legs and stood. I caught the side of the bed in shock- my leg couldn't take my weight, and pain erupted all over my body.
Suddenly that hospital door seemed so much further away. I gritted my teeth, I didn't survive Dark Moon Squad for it to end here, if only I could get away, I could forget about all of this, I thought and gingerly took a step forward. My leg buckled underneath me, and I caught myself on the bed opposite, a series of blinding pains stabbed up from my leg through my spine. But I was determined, and pain wasn't going to stop me. I stumbled between the beds until I reached a pair of crutches leaning of the side of one of the beds. They were set too tall and one of them had a foot missing, but it made it easier at least. I rested on the mismatched crutches and the blinding stabs lessened, but I could feel with each step the stiches pull and I feel a ripping sensation throughout my skin on my back. But I could deal with pain- I was going to survive no matter what.
I struggled with the door, I leant on the better crutch while battling with the latch that was just out of reach, I flicked it with my fingers, but it fell straight back down. I felt blood trickle down the base of my back. I grasped for it again, but I missed completely, and I could feel my anger bubbling below the surface. Breathing in deep, I reeled in my frustration and tried again. Almost there… Just a bit more… I gritted my teeth against the ripping on my back. nearly… There! I flick the catch with the tips of my fingers and for a tense moment, I hold my breath as it falls out of place. I try the handle again, and when it swings open, I let out a sigh of relief.
"I was going to see how far you would go, but I think that's enough." A voice echoed behind me, and I spun around, tripping on my own legs and falling hard on my arse, the crutches following suite and clanging to the floor. Pain resounds up my spine, and I blink away tears to find the doctor leaning against the door frame- he'd never left the hospital! He was watching me the entire time!
"What makes you so determined to get out of here?" he asked with a fascinated tone.
I glared at him, "I have to survive, no matter what."
"Why don't you come back inside? I think you'll have a better chance surviving if you stay here. You won't get far like that, and where are you planning on going? How are you going to get food? Or shelter? You'll just die, and no-one wants that." When I don't make a move, he adds "I can always call security, but they won't be a gentle as I am." With a communication device at the ready.
I sighed, no matter what happens after, I will survive. But I didn't see any other choice, I was painfully aware of how fragile the human body was, how small I was, and how dangerous the world out there was. I didn't know where I was for starters, how far into Reagen we'd come.
"Okay." I whispered in undertone, and the little man stepped forward to help me up. He was gentle of my wounds, but firm enough to lift me up with one hand.
He tutted at me, "now I'm going to have to redo your stitches." He shook his head with distain.
Why? I almost blurted out, but I shut my mouth and hobbled inside with the doctor closing and locking the door behind us.
I eased back onto the bed, pushing the bed sheets aside and rolling on my side away from the doctor. "you crazy kid…" he muttered while redressing the wound on my back and fixing the stiches that had been pulled out.
"I'll be down the bottom there, so don't you think about making a run for it again." he signals to a bed at the far end nearest the equipment, there was a curtain that half obscured a small make shift living quarters, there were piles of books stacked either side of the bed which was made up with a quilt and throw as if he'd been living there for a long time. I'd overlooked it before because the curtain was pulled across, but it must have been where he was sleeping. There was a suitcase at the bottom of the bed overflowing with clothes, and I get the distinct impression that he was naturally a messy and chaotic person.
He waved casually over his head as he turned away and drew the curtains of his little lair; about ten minutes later I hear soft snoring coming from the corner of the room. Although the pain was less than earlier, I couldn't follow him into sleep. I was definitely tired, my muscles were heavy and sore, and my mind was a little drowsy, but still I couldn't relax enough. I couldn't trust these people; they could do anything while I was asleep and I would have no chance to fight back. I didn't know what they wanted or how far they were willing to go, to get it. So instead, I watched the sky lighten and the sun rise through the cracks in the blinds covering the windows.