From Marley, with Love.

Chapter 58: The one legged Soldier

Rosanna stood on a large hill, an overlook at Fort Slava. With a pair of binoculars, she peered over the trenches to see if any soldiers required help. Her trusty jeep was next to her, hopping in and driving over the injured or dying soldier would be quick and efficient. If she did not crush any of the cowering soldiers. Multiple soldiers had already been crushed by mortars, jeeps, or a collapsed tunnel. She looked behind her, the graveyard sure was going to get crowded again. She lowered the binoculars when she felt a tap on her shoulder, a sweet-looking nurse with dimples, blue eyes, and greying brown hair handed her a cup of coffee. "Unbelievable that you can stand still for that long. You're like the statue of Helos." Then the nurse said smiling.

"Helos wrestled the Devil, I merely wrestle with the right timing and my binoculars," Rosanna mumbled, taking the coffee and having a seat in the hot sand.

"Hot..." she winced, feeling the hot sand on her buttocks through her thinning uniform trousers.

"Nice and toasty." The nurse chuckled before running off.

Rosanna laughed and took a big swig of her coffee, continuing to peer for any clues.

She took regular sips as she felt the heat get to her. Her eye passed over the most southern trench when she noticed a red flag.

She dropped her coffee and grasped her bag and her helmet before running off into the pathway that led to the south-southern trench. She yelped when a mortar hit the trench just a few yards from her. She pressed herself against the trench wall to let a few soldiers through. She found the forked road to the southern trench and saw the culprit of the red flag, a collapsed trench. From the sand, she could see the figure of two soldiers, shot through the head and bleeding into the sand.

"Damn it." She cursed, waiting for the bullet rain to quit for a second. She started digging frantically, pulling the heavy bodies out of the sand. She laid them out in a relaxed supine position, covering their faces with their jackets and taking their guns. She would have to get them later for burial. she clumsily climbed over the sand pile, hoisting the guns along on her shoulder. She screeched and dropped to the ground when the bullets started flying again. She covered her helmet with both her hands, she crawled along the trench floor. Stepping onto a soldier's hand who had gotten buried. She pushed herself onto her haunches and hobbled along the trench floor. She turned the corner, the stench of death and blood around her. She saw an enemy soldier who had fallen into the trench, hot through the head, and landed on his neck. Besides the enemy soldier, she saw an Eldian soldier with long hair. He was bleeding profusely from his eye and his leg. She sped up her crawl,

"Hey man." She shook him

The soldier mumbled something, looking at her with weak, green-blue eyes.

"It's going to be okay; I am here." She took out her aid kit and made a tourniquet. Wrapping it around the soldier's leg. She looked at the hole in his face.

"How did you survive? Your brain should've been blown out." She remarked, getting a bandage out and patching up his eye.

The man reached for her hands, hissing in pain. He mumbled something again.

"I am so sorry, but I don't want it to get infected. You'll have even more pain." She took his hand in her hand and fixed the bandages tightly.

"Now, I need to get you out of here..." she looked around, dragging the man with her. She stopped immediately when the man groaned in pain.

"Shit..." Rosanna cursed. She looked at the bullets, she would have to hoist the man onto her shoulder.

"Okay, come on." She said matter of fact, bending through her knees and slipping her hand around the good leg of the soldier. With a loud huff, she hoisted the man onto her shoulder. She almost collapsed under the weight, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to take a step. She breathed deeply, walking whenever the bullets stopped. Sweat and blood dripped on her face.

"It'll be fine... I'll get you out..." she reassured the soldier who lay comatose on her shoulder. His hand gripping her arm. She stopped to hoist him better onto her shoulder, he hissed through gritted teeth. Rosanna saw the forked road again. She felt a drop of blood slip into her mouth, she spat it out. She knelt at the forked road, resting and giving the young man some water. She organized the guns she had on her back and pulled the man back onto her shoulders. The pain in her legs was getting more real by the second. She just had to make it to the exit. She jumped when she heard the loud sound of an automatic gun, followed by the familiar thumping of clawed feet. Galliard was on his way. She looked up as he jumped over the trench. She grinned, finding the last bit of courage to get to the exit of the trench. She screamed for one of the doctors to help her, she was covered in blood. Her hair was sticking together from the sweat. Two doctors took the soldier away, putting him on a ladder before starting a check-up. Rosanna took a big swig of water, sitting next to the soldier. She noticed he was looking at her with his good eye. She grinned.

"What?" she asked.

He pointed at her, mumbling something.

Rosanna moved in closer, taking his outreached hand.

"What did you want to say?" leaning her head closer to his lips.
"Thanks..."

Rosanna smiled warmly.

"I am sorry..."

"Don't worry, you gave it your all."

"I am sorry... you are so nice..."

"It's okay."

She gently squeezed his hand.

"I was wrong."