Heal These Battle Scars | MxM

Chapter Four - Prisoners Of War

The communist soldiers from Commander Yi's Red Army base were all housed at one of the Chinese Communist Party military bases scattered across the country. However, Yi's military base hid in a secluded, secretive place, surrounded by thickly forested pine trees where the prison camps were rumored to be inhumane — consider it belonged to Yi. What none knew, though... The cells were a crueler form of torture...

The soldiers from the Nationalist Party were amongst the twenty-or-so prisoners that the communist soldiers kept locked up in one of the three cramped prison cells stationed at the back of the barracks. The cells where the prisoners were kept, were reeked of human feces and sour piss. But then again, the soldiers themselves stunk, having not gotten a decent bath in days, some in weeks. There were no lights inside, but it did not matter when the sight of dead, decaying rats littered the floors and spread infections amongst the prisoners

Often, Xiao Fang found himself unable to breathe because of the foul odor, but he kept reminding himself that their situation would be temporary. Commander Yi said so himself... They would be granted pardons when the war ended.

Still, Xiao Fang knew not to trust the word of a communist mongrel, so he promised himself until his dying breath, he would do what little he could — whenever he could, to protect his surviving comrades from the hands of the enemy soldiers.

It had been forty-eight hours since the soldiers were brought to the Red Army's base. Forty-eight hours without a cup of water to quench their thirst or a bowl of rice to ease their rumbling stomachs. And forty-eight hours since the wound on Xiao Fang's arm had become infected, turning his lips pale, and causing his skin to burn to the touch.

A fever, Xiao Fang suspected as he lay on the cold concrete ground, his head resting on Jie Yu's lap, hoping the illness would eventually pass. However, when the clouds rolled back and the stars filled the night sky, the fever had gotten worse as sweat seeped through his forehead, accompanied by a blistering ache on the wounded arm.

"Jie Yu," he husked out, voice hoarse and tongue dry. "I'm thirsty."

Jie Yu sighed. "We all are," he replied, wiping the sweat off Xiao Fang's forehead. "Those bastards want to see us stave first before they feed us. Wait a little longer, yes?"

"Jie Yu," Xiao Fang said. "You know, I miss home. But I've been thinking... There's none there. If I die, I have nothing to lose. No one will miss me. Life will go on, and it will be like I never existed... Jie Yu, I think I'm dying."

"Don't talk nonsense. You'll live." Jie Yu replied, his words flattered, seemingly unsure of Xiao Fang's fate. "I'll call the guards. There is one by the door. Commander Yi... He said they need you, right? They won't let you die if they need you."

A broken laugh slipped from Xiao Fang's lips before the weight on his shoulders clamped down, and he slumped over to the side, groaning. "Don't," he urged. "What's the use? I'm already dying. They will probably dump my body somewhere and leave me —"

"Don't you dare say such things, Xiao Fang," Jie Yu interrupted, and Xiao Fang could hear the desperation in his friend's voice. "We'll find a way to get out of here. If you die, then I will lose a brother. We are supposed to be brothers for life, remember?"

Jie Yu slumped his shoulder, his eyes drained. Xiao Fang figured his friend did not know what more to say, didn't know what more comfort to give since Jie Yu himself needed some. "We're being used," he said instead. "They'll work us to death, and then they'll feed us to the dogs... Unless they plan on starving us all in this hell hole till. We —"

"Soldiers, it's time for dinner," the cell guard announced.

At last, Xiao Fang breathed out a sigh of relief.