In the Arms of Danger

New Life

"Get a crash cart her vitals are dropping!" A nurse shouts, your eyes fluttering open and closed as you're left dizzy from the flashing lights above you as you're moved down a hallway.

Your head hurts from trying to focus so you give up and close your eyes. Everything felt so heavy. Where are you? How did you get here? Everything seems to ache and throb with pain and you even feel lightheaded but you need to figure out where you are and why. Had the enemy somehow managed to get a hold of all of you?! Wait...wait a second!

Private....Private Johansson! You had shielded him from the blast of a grenade and you didn't make it all the way all the way into the ditch. The sharpenal having dug into your right hip and leg. Despite it being torn you picked him up and forced your way back to the chopper waiting to take everyone to safety. He was the last person you needed to save and you'd be damned if you left anyone behind. Once aboard the helicopter it took off, everyone assessing their injuries. You slump against the inner wall of the helicopter, feeling your vision swimming. You chance a look at your leg and nausea overwhelms you so you have to look away.

You keep quiet as your squad assesses the injuries and taking care of worse ones immediately, figuring you'd just hold off until you got to the hospital. Unfortunately, your leg isn't your only injury and a shot to the ribs is making you bleed out faster. Your head swims and you can barely make out what anyone is saying to you. You blacked out after that, drifting in and out of consciousness between the helicopter ride and the transfer onto a gurney. A mask is put over your head and a sweet smell meets your nose, finally passing out completely.

~~~~

The rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor is what you finally wake up to, a pained groan leaving your lips as you open your eyes. Everything feels heavy as you feel over the hospital sheet draped over you. Your mouth and throat are dry and scratchy and there's a light throb to your right leg. You try to flex your right foot in order to maybe ease the throbbing, pausing when you can't even feel your right foot. Now that you focus on it you didn't feel your right leg at all. You're hesitant but you lift up the sheet on top of you, alarms suddenly blaring as you completely break down.

Nurses come rushing in and you're not sure what you're dosed with but it calms you down enough to be able to speak with the doctor. The damage was too severe from the sharpenal impacts and they had no choice but to amputate. You're informed everyone in your squad was okay and despite the horror of no longer having a leg you're relieved at the same time. You promised you'd get everyone out of there and you stuck to that promise.

Your commander comes in after a few days to inform you you'd be getting a quick discharge from the service. After a ceremony of course. You'd be receiving a Purple Heart after your injury in battle saving your squad. That's what you get? A damn metal and getting fired. You know it's for the best. You can't exactly do much fighting if you're missing a leg. Your squad visits you a while later, everyone bandaged here and there but otherwise everyone looks to be okay. They're angry that you're being kicked out of the army so fast but you tell them things will be okay. You've been talking about finishing this contract and going home anyway. You suppose this is just a way to expedite the process.

"This is all my fault," Johansson curses softly. "If you hadn't come back for me!"

"Then your wife and kids will lose their biggest support. I don't leave men behind. Not good men," You tell him with a gentle smile.

"Fortunately, everything turned out okay. We got past the enemy line and took control of the village. If you hadn't called for aid none of you might have made it out alive," Roberts, your captain, explains. "You did a real service."

"Thank you sir," You mumble softly.

"Here's the paperwork," He says, handing you a stack of papers. "We'll get you home soon."