Save Me, Soldier

Chapter Twenty-Three;

PEYTON'S POV

Luke Bridges is a 24 year old pilot. He brings the M*A*S*H unit that I'm being stationed at soldiers who are wounded, and they take Doctors to the front line sometimes when there's un-move able wounded. He's been doing this for 2 years now. He's married, with one very young child.

He says that I'll be very happy at the M*A*S*H unit I'm stationed at. He says the people are nice, and very supportive.

M*A*S*H stands for mobile army surgical hospital. The M being what I'm mostly not looking forward to. I don't want to think about what Chris said about us bugging out.

When we land, I'm welcomed by a man who goes by the name of Cornal Michael Short. He's an older man, maybe in his mid to late sixties. His hair is whiter than snow, and his face is lined with wrinkles. I shake my hand and smile at him.

"Welcome to the M*A*S*H 8068th. My name is Coronal Michael Short, I'm in charge around here." He says, then turning to everyone in the Mash unit and introducing me.

Eventually, I'd met almost everyone in the unit. They all seem very nice, but nobody has really given me the time of day. I guess because I'm so young.

I'm in the mess tent now, getting my lunch. The food here isn't great, but I guess that's the army for you. I look over the tables, not knowing where I should sit. I see Luke sitting at one of the tables, and I walk over to him.

"Hey Luke, can I sit here?" I ask. He nods and points across the table.

"Be my guest. How's your lunch?" He asks. I laugh and shake my head.

"Not very good" I say, crinkling my nose up at the smell of it.

"That's something you'll have to get use to. Just like the green uniforms. They almost make you sick" He tells me. I look at everyone, they're all wearing their uniforms. I haven't put mine on yet, I don't even have my dog tags.

"I haven't seen mine yet. I don't know where it is." I smile, laughing a little bit. He looks at me and smiles.

Cornal Short sits down beside me a moment later, with his Corporal by his side.

"They haven't given you your prison wear yet. Consider yourself lucky" The Corporal says. I extend my hand to him and introduce myself.

"Peyton Moore, pleased to meet you" I say, painting on my best smile.

"It's actually Lieutenant Peyton Moore" he says smiling. "And I'm Corporal Andrew Farrel."

"Lieutenant Peyton Moore, I sound important" I joke, smiling and laughing a little. Cornal Shorts hands me a cup of coffee, I don't have the heart to tell him that I don't really care for coffee, he seems like he's just trying to welcome me.

"You're also a Doctor, Lieutenant" Luke says, nudging my arm an inch or two closer to me.

I choke down some of the salad type food that the chef put on my plate. It doesn't taste the best, it's dry and the lettuce isn't exactly fresh, turning brown in some spots, but I guess it's better than going hungry until the war is over.

Through our lunch, I've learned that Cornal Shorts comes from Toronto, close to where I live. He's married with a lovable wife and a son who's also fighting in the war. Corporal Farrel use to work at a local walmart, then a movie theater until they drafted him here. He lived alone, and he had a German Shepard that somehow he got to come here with him. I would have thought they wouldn't have allowed it.

"So, we've told you about us, why are you here? I mean, you came voluntarily." Corporal Ferrel says. I nod my head and tell them about why I came.

I tell them everything. My parents not believing I was smart enough to skip classes, go to medical school when I was 14, and even about my deceased family member who happened to die in the war. That's why I wanted to become a Doctor. I'd never be late. I'd always come through, in first place before death. I even told them about Chris.

"Your boyfriends in the army? Oh, god." Corporal Ferrel says, walking away from the table. I shake my head, looking at Cornal Shorts.

"Your boyfriend's in the army?" Cornal Shorts says, making sure he heard me right. I nod my head, and he speaks again. "What's his name? And what's a poor boy like that doing in the army? We have all the men we need, there's no need for other boys to be drafted?" He asks.

I look down at my feet and shake my head, trying to hide my eyes from them.

"His Uncle and Father use to be in the army, his Uncle kept pressuring him about it, and I don't know he just snapped. He's going to be on the front line with his friend as early as tomorrow" I tell them . Luke gives me a small smile and gets up from the table. Cornal Shorts takes a deep breath and a sip of his coffee.

"Listen, why don't we go get you your dog tags and uniform?" He says, faking a smile. I nod and take a sip of my coffee, too, before getting up and leaving the mess hall.

Cornal Shorts gives me my dog tags and tells me to never take them off. They've got my identification number on them, and everything they need to know in case I get injured. Then, he gives me my uniform. Green shirt, beige socks and t-shirt, and green pants. He also gives me combat boots, and a helmet just in case I need it.

Just as I'm about to change into my uniform, the P.A. system sounds.

"Attention all personnel, incoming wounded." It sounds.

"Well, ready for the job?" He asks. I nod and take a deep breath. We start walking to post op, and he tells me what I need to do to get ready before operating.

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CHRIS'S POV

FRIDAY.

"Well, it's great that you're doing this Chris. I'm going to miss you. Stay safe" Beck says, extending his arms for a hug. I can almost feel the lump in my throat starting to rise as I hug my Uncle. I look at the ring he gave me that sits on my finger, remembering that he really wants me to do this.

"I'm going to miss you too Beck. " I say.

We say our goodbyes for a couple more moments before Jake turns to me. He points to the chopper waiting for us. A young man stands there wearing his army uniform, looking at us and smiling. He waves his hands for us to come over.

I wave at Beck before turning to walk away with Jake.

"You ready?" He asks. I nod my head.

"Hey boys, now right now we're going to be going right into the battlefield, and then I'll take you over to your home base after they instruct me to. I wish I was taking you there first, but I got orders not to, I'm sorry." the man says. He looks about 22, he can't be more than that.

We find out his name is Luke Bridges, and he's got a child and a wife who loves him very much. I was close in my estimate in his age, he's actually 24 years old, he's been flying these choppers for over 2 years now. He tells us to change into our army gear quickly before we get in the chopper and leave.

Sitting there with my dog tags clinking on my chest, my helmet on my head snapped and ready, gun in my hands, it just seems like I was born to do this. Like I don't even know why I was scared to do this. It feels right.

As soon as we get there, my emotions are mixed. Luke hovers above the battleground, Jake and I are suppose to jump out quickly.

As my ankles hit the ground, they sting a little bit. Jake runs towards a nearby trench and ducks in real quick, I follow him. Hearing the shots firing around me, I run quicker than I ever have before. I'm determined to get back to Peyton in one piece. Alive and well.

I miss her already. I hope she's alright, and I hope I'll never have to be on her operating table. I don't think I'd be able to face her if that happened. I don't want to know if I'd be able to face her, I just want to be safe, come back to her and my home town alive.

I take a deep breath and start shooting. For my life, for my love, for Peyton.