Red Sand ✓

That Side Isn't Taken

4 Days Since Rescue Mission

2016, Location: Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany

The blank walls were starting to become very boring to stare at. Eden did what she could to ignore the busy talk all around her. Reports to fill out, what medications she was on, therapy after this whole thing? (That was a hard no from the Marine. No way she was going through that.)

But other than that it was quiet. Everyone was very still with her. The nurses told the sailor what they were about to do. Jamie explaining everything that they were going to do. She didn't understand, there wasn't much done to her. K'hau was very calm compared to past experiences. As long as she could see a clock at any given time she was fine.

Only person to act normal was... well Willow.

The reporter acted like nothing had happened other than a simple "You okay?" at the start.

Eden said nothing to that question, still didn't have an answer for it. All she knew was that somehow K'hau managed to hit her with her own gun. A pitiful point at that. So she had spent the last few days on the good drugs and attached to an IV.

The calendar said it was 19 days, the first thing she asked was how long she was gone. How long did she sit in that room, how long was she alone? Eden thought it was simply only 13 days, maybe 14. But she lost a whole week to nothing but the Iraqian desert that was left behind.

Time confused her, but all she could do was stare at the wall and pray to some God the sniper didn't believe in.

How did she make it out?

---

58 Days Since Rescue Mission

2016, Location: Eden Summer's Apartment, Dallas, Texas

She was back there. Drowning forever. Hazy and confusing, Eden could do nothing but cough up the well water, heaving up a lung.

"Why are they here? Why are you killing my men?" K'hau asked, his Arabic rolling off the tongue.

The sniper could do nothing but continue to try to clear her lungs. Staring holes into the sand below. Her neck hurt from behind held down, knees from the sharp rocks buried in the sand. Throat sore from coughing and breathing in the water. But she wasn't going to tell him a single damn thing.

He reached forward and grabbed her by the collar, dragging forward right into his face. "I'll bring her in Summers, your Eagle will die by your hands."

"She doesn't know anything, why even try?" The brunette spat on his face, unsuccessfully leaning away when he reached forward and slapped the air out of her.

K'hau then pulled her up, and threw her to the ground in the middle of the courtyard. "You won't make it out of here, I'll make sure of it," the man taunted; the sun with his halo behind his head as he leaned above.

"You'll rot forever, and no God can pay for your sins. My brothers and sisters have lost their hope, it's your time to lose yours."

With the last word, a gunshot rang out. The bullet moved in slow motion towards her skull. Eden Summers could do nothing but stare at it, numb to everything else. She was going to get shot. She was going to die, and then they would get Willow and kill her too-

Something made a large bang when Eden woke to a start, ears ringing like a gun just went off. Silent was her panic, sitting straight up like she was about to run a race. There was blood on her hands, the brunette could still feel it. Could still see those eyes disappear beneath a sea of it all. Rushing up, she scrambled out of the bed and to the bathroom, fingers barely able to grasp the door handle they were shaking so much.

The white fluorescent light blinded when it was switched on in the panic of it all, but when pale blue eyes met its reflection there was nothing to see but a matching pair and heavy bags under those eyes. No blood was anywhere to be seen on her hands either, only nails bittens to the end.

Suddenly drained of any adrenaline gained from that wake up, Eden just slid down the wall and plopped on the cold tile floor.

She was alive. Her name was Eden Rosa Castillo-Summers and she was 24 years old. Her favorite color was blue and she was a Navy Seal. Eden chanted this like a song in her head, trying to ease her heart and nerves. She was alive. Her name was Eden Rosa Castillo-Summers and she was...

Eden barely noticed when someone sat down next to her, soft hands running through her hair. Eyes burning and words singing in her head, the sniper leaned her head on Willow's shoulder.

They sat on the cold tile till the sun rose and her brain could barely think. And only then did Willow gently lead the brunette back to bed. Cradled in the reporter's arms, she closed her eyes.

Her name was Eden Rosa Castillo-Summers, she was 24 years old and her favorite color was blue. Two slippers rested by the bed instead of one and there was no longer just hard liquor and mustard in the fridge.

She was alive.