Soap and I didn't have any decent sleep; we ended up dozing off on the couch until 3:30 in the morning, for then to rush back to our dorms like two kids that were ringing neighbors' doorbells, giggling and running to settle our things for the mission.
I packed up a backpack with essential necessities, my case with my trusted medical tools and my trustworthy laptop. The ruckus of passers-by and operatives getting ready was clearly audible from the inside.
As I was leaving my dorm, Soap was waiting for me at the hallway again, all geared up and carrying his guns. I've let an involuntary grin show up on my face upon seeing him.
- Ready to go, lassie?
- Born ready.
- To the hangar, then! - he fiercely pointed forward the hallway. - I'll save ya a seat!
Once we reached the hangar, I could see the vertiginous amount of soldiers involved in that mission, making their final preparations and sorting out spare items that may deem necessary. The Task Force team was apart of the crowd, talking among themselves. Elise and Ghost were side by side, arms crossed over their chests and maintaining some form of trance, standing still with zoned out eyes... It reminded me of stone gargoyles, standing ready at the church's roof trim. It was scary to see in person.
Mrs. Laswell handed me a tablet with remote specs and medical systems that we used at the base, so I could keep track of their records, besides a couple of pistols and ammo. I was glad that I'd get to protect myself just in case, but I was hoping not to have to.
We left for Mazrah with the sun still rising. Soap made sure to sit right next to me on the airplane, attracting stares from Captain Price and Ghost. Elise was still in her own world, with earbuds blasting music.
The tension and weird excitement could be felt in the air. Each operative was maintaining focus on the their upcoming tasks; whatever they would be. The dim light in the airplane was making everything far scarier.
As soon as we landed, Captain Price reinforced a handful of instructions, making sure that nobody was unprepared or unaware of anything. We would be setting a station inside of an abandoned warehouse; one of the many around Mazrah due to the constant wars. Another task force would be joining us halfway; apparently they were called 'The KorTac team'.
Mazrah was a hot and dusty place during the day; its temperature would fluctuate between 70 and 100 degrees. Thankfully I've been assigned to an empty office with a ceiling fan inside the warehouse, where the soldiers transformed into an improvised clinic. I'd may be Greek, but I wasn't cut for such harsh conditions.
With the improvised clinic set and ready, I needed to find a place to set up my tent. Some soldiers partnered up with the KorTac members and they started to assemble my tent. In the meantime, a humongous man; easily far beyond 6 feet 5, masking his face with a stained cloth easily lifted a box with parts of my foldable bed. He silently greeted me with a nod, and stood there waiting for further instructions.
- Hello to you too... What's your name, operative?
- ...König, ma'am.
- Well, thank you for your help, König. Let me point it out where you can put that box; follow me, please.
His eyes squinted on what would it be a hidden smile behind the cloth, and he sheepishly followed me towards my tent. He had to slouch a bit to enter; he was indeed a giant.
- You can place the box right there where you stand, I can assemble it. Once again, thank you so much!
- I-I've been instructed to fully help you, ma'am.
- Is that so? - I was intrigued.
- A-affirmative, ma'am.
- Very well. - I've let out a sigh in resignation. - I'll eventually need help with more things, anyway... Let's start with my shelf, please.
König nodded in affirmation and walked towards the shelf pieces to start assembling. Even when crouching he was a broad figure. While I was sorting my medical tools, the awkward silence was promptly broken by Soap walking into my tent with his usual hyped up energy.
- Aye, Angie! Everything's alright?
- Hi, Sargeant! - my smile showed up involuntarily once again. - What brings you to my humble tent?
- Just checking in to see if you need anything. Oh, König is helping you?
- Yes, he is. I'm grateful for his help; I had no idea that my tent would have extra steps!
- You're the medic; you'll need extra stuff. - he stretched his chest. - Well, apparently I'm not needed here. If anything comes up, call me in the comms, okay?
- I'll be fine, Sargeant. S'efcharistó agapité mou.
His upbeat demeanor instantly changed to shyness upon hearing what I've said in such soft tone. He turned halfway on his steps, looking at me with a pinkish tint on his cheeks. He got closer, mumbling in a timid tone:
- ...Why do I have the feeling that you've said something cute?
- Did I? - I jeered.
- Are you going to translate that or...?
- Once I get the chance, I'll tell you.
My shy grin changed Soap's gaze from curious to flustered. He didn't know what do with himself; all he could do was to clear his throat and walk away from my tent as fast as he could. I couldn't hold a giggle, while shaking my head.
König finally assembled both my bed and shelf, coming at me for further instructions. Having to tilt my head back to look at him was surreal; he was too big!
- Your main furniture is put together, ma'am.
- Thank you so much, König! - I handed him a water bottle. - Take a breather; we never know when you'll be needed again.
- Dänke... - he drank the water bottle from underneath the cloth. - C-can I make you a question, ma'am?
- You can call me Angelina, or Angie.
- O-oh, okay... Angie. - he was fidgeting the bottle, a bit nervous. - Are you and the Sargeant... Close?
- You mean by close in terms of friendship?
- J-ja... I guess...!
- Indeed, we are close that way. Why?
- Just curious, n-nothing else! - he was anxious.
- ...Okay, I believe you.
- Sorry for asking...!
- Don't be, König; it's okay. - I gave him a reassuring smile. - I understand that my interactions with Sargeant Soap may be frown upon by some people. And I'm fine with that.
- I see... I know him from previous deployments, and some memories aren't the kindest ones.
- Did you guys have differences?
- Indirectly, yes.
- I see. Well, I hope that can be settled once you have the time.
- Y-yeah, sure! I'll see myself out... Dänke for the water, ma'am!
König left my tent, and my mind started to wander. He was just curious or he was looking into instilling something within me about Soap? What he could've possibly know? I didn't want to overthink, but since I was the newbie on the Team, that kind of thing would eventually happen sooner or later. I just shrugged and kept setting things up.
Later in the evening, a meeting was being held only with the involved operatives. I was doing the inventory of the medications and available items brought by the convoy, which it took me exhausting 2 hours. I walked towards my tent with a sore back and a sweaty body... Never craved so much for a hot shower. Unfortunately some soldiers were using the available functioning ones inside the facility.
Late night went down, and I took the oportunity to use the shower. I knew that the Task force was out in mission, so I decided to care for myself before any unpredictable situation occurs. The hot water falling over my skin was so relieving that I got dizzy for a brief moment under the steam. I brushed my teeth and left for my tent; wearing a white tank top, cargo pants and a pair of slippers.
Now, all I could care about was to get some rest. I was hoping that Soap was safe during the mission... May the gods keep him in their high regards.
**********************
Days went by and no updates from the task force since they left the warehouse. The comms operator has been kind enough to prioritize me in case of an incoming message, but that wasn't enough. No news could be bad news.
What if they got hurt?
What if they got lost somewhere?
What if they...?
Shit.
I had to slap myself on the face. That was too much. Eímai tóso anóitos![I am such an imbecile!]
I shouldn't be overthinking and circulating over catastrophes; my job consisted in to heal the sick and treat the wounded; a possible solution to impossible problems. I needed to get myself together. I had to be in a healthy mindset.
When I was preparing some tea to calm my thoughts, a soldier desperately came running while calling my name, startling my poor self. Annoyed and with my nerves already worked up, I answered the distressed call.
- DR. ANGELINA! PLEASE, DR. ANGELINA!!!
- Maláka...! What can I do for you, soldier?
- The Sargeant...! The Sargeant requires your help!
- Which Sargeant, soldier? - I inquired while getting my medical tools ready.
- It's Sargeant MacTavish, Dr.!!! HURRY!
My stomach dropped upon hearing Soap's last name. Was he hurt...?!? By the Gods, I couldn't deal with that...!!! My eyes were widened and my mouth agape; I had to recollect myself for a quick second and follow the distressed soldier towards the warehouse. My heart was racing just as my thoughts; I was fighting my mind to not wrap myself in the worst case scenario... By Zeus, may Johnny be alive!!!
The commotion was evident right among the crates, near the warehouse mezzanine stairs. I had to push soldiers to the side to come through; until Soap himself, all bloodied and disoriented, came towards my direction, grabbing me by my shoulders. I was genuinely relieved and confused at the same time.
- Soap! By the Gods, where are you hurt?!?
- Angie! - he had to pause for a second to catch his breath. - That's not my blood! We need you ASAP! It's Keegan and Elise!!!
- What's their statuses?!?
- We've been ambushed; and we got put under fire... Me and LT managed to retaliate, but Elise got shot when covering fire for Keegan...!
- I can take it from here, Johnny. - I was putting on surgical gloves. - Now, I'll ask you to stay level-headed because I'll need you here.
- Whatever you need from me I'll do it! - he sounded determined in his breathy voice.
I've let out a confident grin and handed him a pair of surgical gloves. It was my time to shine; and try to put those two in better condition.
The anxiety symptoms were built up through the roof; I could easily see on everybody's demeanor. I examined Keegan first, evaluating the severity of the wounds. He was passed out, probably due to the pain and blood loss.
Hit by two projectiles of high velocity; one got lodged in his right thigh muscle and the other seemed more concerning, because it had hit the shoulder area and quickly trespassed it. Thankfully it was the upper part; the trapezius. Extremelly painful, but he would survive, since they were smart enough to contain the hemorrhaging.
I asked Soap to carefully remove his tactical gear and desinfect the affected parts so I could tend to his wounds. He promptly started with the help of another soldier.
As I walked towards Elise, Ghost was sitting right next to her unconscious body; with his left leg totally restless and his hands visibly shaking. His eyes were filled with absolute terror, but he was trying his best to keep himself under control. While I was changing the surgical gloves, he rudely grabbed my forearm, almost hurting me in the process. I tried to free myself from his grasp, but he wouldn't budge.
- ...Save her. - he spat with a tauted voice.
- I'll do my best, Lieutenant.
- That's not enough.
- The more you hold me down, less the time she has to survive. Let me go, Lieutenant.
- Promise me you'll save her...!
- Let me go, Lieutenant!
Ghost hesitantly released my now bruised forearm, sustaining a desperate gaze in his eyes. I took a deep breath to get back to work and started to examinate her condition under his distressed 'supervision'.
She was still breathing, but it was an erratic compass; her heartbeat was weakened, and her bullet wounds were located in dangerous areas; being one of them located right next to the illium, the upper area of the hip bone. I immediately started preparing some oxygen and an IV, promptly connected her to it while removing her gear.
I asked Ghost to hold the oxygen mask on her face while I was disinfecting her wounds; some of them contained gunshots with low velocity bullets, and they seemed lodged somewhere in her body. Unfortunately I couldn't pinpoint their position, and I didn't know how they moved her around to get back to the warehouse; that could be a risk factor that would take me a while to sort it out and treat it. Whatever they've been going through, that ambush hit Keegan first and caught up with her pretty fast.
Seeing that her breathing pattern was stabilizing, I rushed back to Keegan. Soap was waiting for my return, handing me the box of surgical gloves to change them once again. He was being incredibly proactive, that was making a huge difference. Keegan was semi-conscious, mumbling some unintelligible things... That was a good sign.
- Keegan, can you hear me?
- W-where... Am I?
- You're safe, and that's important. - I was preparing a shot of morphine. - Pain scale; 1 to 10.
- Eleven, doc... Fucking eleven... Argh! - he let out a pained grunt.
- Understood, operative. Let's get you comfortable then. Just a little pinch, okay?
Keegan barely noticed the morphine shot; his pain seemed to be overcoming everything. Few seconds later and he started to squirm less, gradually calming down. I started to stitch his shoulder, and after applying a good amount of antibiotic ointment, I've called over Soap to patch up Keegan. I needed to hurry up things if I wanted to save Elise as well.
- Sargeant Soap! A moment of your help, please.
- Aye, doc! Where am I needed?
- Please patch up Sargeant Russ' shoulder while I tend to his thigh wound.
- Roger! - he grabbed the gauze roll and started right away.
I managed to remove the projectile from his thigh muscle and stitch without further issues. I nudged Soap to patch Keegan's thigh as well and rushed back to Elise.
She was still unconscious, and her bullet wounds needed further care. Ghost didn't leave her side for not even a single second.
The whole procedure was made in silence. Ghost was always observing everything with an unsettling aura. Only one projectile remained lodged; and a surgery wasn't recommended at the moment. Aside from that, she thankfully was stabilized, medicated, both stitched and patched up. As soon as I finished the last details, Ghost approached me, still shaky. I was expecting the worst. He towered me in front of the medical cart and decided to speak. He reeked of dried blood, dust and grass.
- ...Thank you.
- I'm just doing my job, Lieutenant.
- Just your job? - he spat.
- Exactly; my job. - I dryly replied.
- You saved her life. That's important.
- I've made an oath to my profession, Lieutenant. I'm honoring it, despite of it all.
- ..."Despite of it all"? Unbelievable. - he scoffed in disbelief.
- Should I lie?
- No.
- Then it's an agreement. - I removed my surgical gloves in a mechanic fashion. - My opinions and feelings shouldn't interfere in my line of work, and I stand for that until I reach a dark point.
- Fair enough. - he glanced at a scalpel. - And what's your dark point?
I looked at Ghost for a few moments, pondering over his question. I've let a snicker escape from my mouth, and while I was leaving to get a water bottle, I've answered to his question.
- ...When this dark point occurs, I'm fairly sure it will draw a line between me and all of you.
Ghost was intrigued by what I've said, and a somber gaze took over his brown eyes. I knew he was trying to figure me out since I've set foot on the team, but his obsession should be directed towards his wife. Soap approached me, and gently caressed my arm as form of comfort. I involuntarily smiled at him again.
- You made it, doc.
- Tried my best. - I shyly replied. - Satan still has a lodged bullet, but its removal is only possible through surgery. She will have to 'house' a hunk of metal for a while.
- It's not like that's her first rodeo, eh... She'll be fine and dandy.
- I believe you. - I've sipped the water.
- And you need a breather, doc.
- I know, but medical records won't write by itselves, Sargeant. - I chuckled.
-The medical records can wait a few minutes... Take a seat and relax, will ya?
I chuckled at his concerns about me; his way to care for my well-being was adorable, and I honestly liked.
I felt like I was being spoiled rotten by a man that wasn't anything in my life yet...
Wait a moment...
Why did I say "yet"...?