Blood Lily Company - Afghanistan, year 1

LXII

Our Healers, Gifted or not, being sound asleep, exhausted from the effort to save our comrades, Lin and I dropped the dog off at the mess hall, exceptionally, so Cook could keep an eye on him and, perhaps, if necessary, intervene.

The bread was just starting to bake, so Ketchup served us porridge. Not really my thing, but that morning I was alive and decided not to be picky.

Now it was time to clean up. And that, Goddammitall, is downright shitty.

With both our dead in the cooler - sorry, guys - we started by raking the yard to remove the traces of blood from our injured. Lin wanted to get in on it, I told her no, she had to let us.
- You should check with Fatso about our dead, see if they have family. And then you should get some rest. That way, when Curly finally arrives, you'll be ready to go.
- Mm. Try to set up some sentries, okay?
- I'll see what I have left in terms of manpower, Lin, but I can't promise anything.

I gathered the able-bodied men in the yard. I was glad to see that Kitty and Baby Jane were there, exhausted, of course, but intact. I sent Kitty to get the men and the woman who were watching the wounded, and Shorn to wake up Doc or Nanny.
- And Erk?
- He collapsed barely an hour ago. We'll let him sleep a little longer if we can. Knowing him, if we wake him up, he's going to go back to the infirmary to try to treat our wounded, and frankly, he's in no condition.
- Kris? Tito?
- Kris... is an unknown quantity right now. And Tito is watching him, just in case...

They got it. They all knew what Shaïtan meant. They are not stupid either, they have thought about it.
- Fine, I said. I'd like one or two people to go around the perimeter until Curly's platoon comes back. We'll rely on the pegs.

Yes, those ultra-sophisticated stakes installed at Christmas, we call them pegs, as in tent pegs. If their inventor knew that... Well, last night they didn't help us and I wonder if it could be because they are badly placed. Or not as well placed as they could be. We'll have to review the perimeters with Lin and the Lieutenants.
- I also need someone to man the drawbridge.

I got volunteers with no problem. I asked everyone to stay on the general channel.

Those who stayed, and there were Kitty and Baby Jane, raked with us. We hosed down the yard, too, to try to dilute the blood. Then we went out with gloves, shovels, big canvas bags, to deal with our attackers.
- Damn it, Archer, can't we just leave them? Honestly, they don't deserve...
- No, I cut. No, we can't. They'll swell up and stink in the heat. And also... They're human beings, they deserve a minimum of respect.
- Fuck, you sound like Erk, Archer.
- Well, I'd rather sound like him than like our former Lieutenant, I'll have you know!

He shut his cakehole and we headed off with our gear to the place where Kris had scared the shit out of us.
- What do we do now?

We stood in front of the bodies, left where they had fallen. It was still cool, thankfully, but flies had already been attracted and... it reminded me of the room in which we had found all those SRH. Fortunately, this was in open air and I must have toughened up a bit since then.
- Okay.

I cleared my throat. Even though I knew what to do, saying it and doing it was something else.
- We go through their pockets, take anything that might be useful, get the weapons and then... I'm not sure. I'll have to check with Lin.
- Where is she anyway?

It was the same guy as before, a skinny, nervous guy from Shorn's platoon. I don't remember his nickname and I don't care, honestly. I don't like this guy. Always nitpicking. Shorn tolerates him and keeps him in line. If any of us old-timers are going to go the way of Lull... sorry, Higgins, I'd bet on him. But I was nice, transparency, all that, I replied.
- I sent her to rest.
- Oh yeah, I see.