Chapter 1 - Death Before My Eyes

"Miss Martha Grey! John needs medical attention quickly!" The man yelling that is Thomas, I've tended to his wounds countless times, as for John this is the fourth or fifth and who knows if it's the last. He probably just came from the war zone.

The war has been going on for five months. The Imperial nation of Rabe has been at war with those who want to get rid of Rabe being an Imperial nation. I sided with the Imperial army. Not because I liked them but because they did nothing wrong. So now one nation with two separate opinions with armies are now at war. After the war is over I plan on moving into a village instead of being out in the open plans several miles away from society. I do not want to always live near a war zone. I need peace. This nation needs peace.

But, for the past three months I've been helping aid in the war efforts for the Imperial army. My house helps home the wounded and weak soldiers, while they are there I attend to them regularly.

Every day and night I hear the sounds of screaming, gunshots, bombs, and death. The only time it seems to stop is when every last person opposing the Imperial army is either dead, captured, or ran away in fright which is often but more opposing armies tend to come in no time.

I am not afraid of death nor am I afraid of the war, I'm only afraid that I won't be able to save those that can actually be saved. So, in order to get this fear off of my shoulders, I run into the treacherous war zone and I help every man I can find. If wounded, I treat their wounds and they get right back to fighting unless I tell them other wise. If they're dying, I stay with them so they won't be afraid. If they are already dead, I drag their bodies back to be buried later. Even if I'm not out in the middle of war or tending to the wounded, I'm preparing food for the hungry soldiers. However, when they defeat the opposing army, everybody helps that can to bury the bodies of the dead. It's always a long day full of stress, blood, and sweat.

"Grey we need you now! John's wounds are bad!" Thomas yells at me again as I realize I was in a daze trying to remember what it was like before the war but those memories fail me as I only remember the past few months.

I rush over to where John's body was placed and looked over his whole body to assess the injuries. Two bullet wounds, one in the right arm and one in his stomach, several knife cuts along his torso but looked more like scratches. These are not as severe as what I was expecting. I see Thomas is as impatient as ever. "Go fetch me hot water, a bucket, and a stick," I commanded Thomas. He should know by now that severe wounds are missing limbs or an head injury, more or less anything that is a high risk of fatality. I see how he thought it was a severe wound considering the was a bullet in John's stomach. The wound was not deep enough for it to be deadly so I knew John would survive.

"Yes ma'am," Thomas says before turning around to go find what I told him too. He knows where everything is at so it shouldn't take more than a minute. Considering this, now he's just my helper who's always too wounded to go back to war. I'm not opposed to it, in fact it's quite nice to have a helper. A month ago I was all on my own and now I have Thomas right here ready for any command I give him.

As Thomas returns I put my scalpel, tweezers, and towel in the hot water. I grab the stick Thomas was holding and inserted it into John's mouth. To Thomas, he was unconscious but I knew better, he was going to scream through this whole procedure.

After ensuring the stick was in place I grabbed my tweezers and scalpel. I began with his stomach first, I inserted the scalpel to help see the bullet more clearly and immediately spotted it. I carefully inserted the tweezers and grabbed hold of the bullet and pulled it out and threw it in the bucket making sure to be quick to cover the exposed wound.

By this time John was screaming and bitting into the stick so hard I was impressed it hadn't broken yet. Seeing this I quickly took out the second bullet and stitched up his wounds. I applied a few bandages and looked at John. He had passed out. I let out a little laugh, these men go and fight in a war and get shot and are still conscious but when it comes to the procedure they pass out.

I sit down at the rocking chair near my doorway. I placed it there so I know when there is an approaching soldier in need of help. Very rarely do I get to just sit here and breath for a minute. There's always an injured soldier but I've already taken care of them early in the morning. By now it was mid-afternoon and I'm already exhausted. My brown hair was matted down with blood along with my hands an arms. My fair skin of white looked nothing but red. My blue dress now stained with many soldiers blood. It practically looks like I got murdered but anyone in their right mind would know I'm well alive. Maybe I should buy a couple new dresses?

Nearby I had some small torn pieces of paper and next too it was my ink and quill. I move over to it to start making a list of what all supplies I need for the next two months. I am always drying fruits and have some cattle that can be slaughtered any time. I no longer have a garden due to all the men that needed buried so I needed that space. Corn, wheat, flour, sugar, potato's, and nuts I will have to buy. Fifty pounds each should do us for the time being. Medical supplies just vary, I mostly just need more bandages and stitching string. I also need to buy a couple new pairs of scissors sense soldiers think they can use them as knives. I also need medicine or medical herbs for—

Suddenly, I heard harsh breathing and grunts along with heavy footsteps. I start turning around and by the time I did the door slammed open. Standing in the door way leaning up against the door frame was a muscular man. Blood was dripping from his left arm and was all over his face, his shirt was torn and had blood all over it as well. An exotic entrance for a man with little injuries it seems, he only appeared to have a bullet in his arm, but his face and torso were also bloody but I had no clue if he had lost that much blood or if there where injuries I couldn't quite see.

He huffed his words out as he said, "Miss Grey, how wonderful! I need you." As I looked at him, he gave an amusing smile and his eyes were a dazzling color of blue. His skin appeared to be lightly tanned, but it was almost fully converted in blood and dirt. His hair was a mess and was as long as a knife, but the color you could tell didn't exactly look natural, it was black but looked more of a pool of blood type color.

I stood there in shock as I recognized who had just come through the door. I had never treated this man in my life and never wanted too. I thought I was only afraid of not being able to save the soldiers but I never imagined being afraid of this man. Every time I saw him I thought I was just starring at death himself.

It was General Albasten.