Blood Lily Company - Afghanistan, year 1

LXXXIII

The light shock of landing woke up my comrades who were scrambling out of their survival blankets when the late afternoon sun entered the cabin once Vlad opened the door.

Nanny and Dio were the first to show up. Behind them, Lin, Fatso, Shorn, Kim.

Nanny took a quick look inside the copter.
- Kim, Fatso, help JD, Quenotte and Tito get to the infirmary, large room. Lin, I entrust the Archer to you. Same destination. Baby Jane, please take Kitty to see Cook ASAP. Shorn, Dio, the Viking in the stretcher, head for the examination room. Kris... do you think you can help us carry your brother?

Kris nodded, Vlad offered to hold one of the handles of the coarse, resized blanket that served as a stretcher, Katja took the handle opposite, for balance.

Leaning on Lin, who was looking at Erk with worry in her eyes, I was resting before starting the long walk towards the big room, which, with my injuries, seemed very far to me, then I saw a well known figure come out of the cabin.
- Elise! I exclaimed.

She approached, a smile on her lips.
- My turn to save you, huh, Archer?

I smiled.
- And I'm delighted, I was almost ready to cut my throat so as not to fall alive into their hands.
- That much, Tugdual? asked my dear Captain.
- That much, Lin. They promised us rape and torture.
- It's high time we got rid of Durrani.
- Amen. Okay, Captain, could you help me get to the infirmary?
- Do you think me your nanny?

Crap, I had said something stupid. I wanted to apologize, but I didn't have time. She hugged me tight.
- Pardon Tugdual, she whispered, I shouldn't have, I...

I was touched. But we had a spectator, so I said some bullshit.
- My word! My dear badass is getting soft.

She straightened up, stared at me, squinting and I winked at her, then I slid my gaze to Elise de Larcy who was looking at us.
- Ah, so I'm getting soft! You'll see how soft, corporal!

She bent down, grabbed my thighs and I found myself on her shoulder, like a sack of potatoes. I squealed because she was pressing on my wound and she almost apologized. Then she strode off towards the base and, I dared to hope, the infirmary. Following us, Elise laughed discreetly, especially after the glare I gave her, which, with my very pale eyes, is not easy.

In the infirmary, in the big room, there were all the men of the patrol, the injured. Erk had completely Healed Baby Jane, who just needed to sleep. Same for Kris. But for us, he had only had time to stop the bleeding. If he hadn't been unconscious right now, I know he would have exhausted himself Healing us.

When Lin put me down on one of the empty beds, she wasn't puffing and had barely sweated. Well, after carrying the Viking, my 90 kilos were nothing for her. The R&R doctor, who was only a nurse, like Nanny, but with combat-medic training, as the Yankees said, was working on Tito, while young Fara, the village teenager who had remained with us, was cleaning Quenotte's wounds, preparing the ground for the doctor.

The stretcher bearers joined us, having left the giant in the hands of Doc, Nanny and his brother. Katja and Vlad, on Fara's instructions, took one of the medikits like the ones Erk had used after the night attack, and picked out a victi... a patient. Vlad took care of JD, watched by Yaka, sitting on the nonwoven cloth protection at the end of the bed. It was funny to watch her nose follow Vlad's hands very closely, until JD put his hand on her head and reassured her. She rested her head on her human's thigh and just followed Vlad's hands with her eyes.

As for me, I was lucky enough to have the two women by my side.
- Hey, not fair, Archer, you have the two most beautiful... best captains for you, Quenotte jokingly grumbled.
- It's my animal magnetism, little one, I answered proudly.
- It's animal, for sure, said Katja, but I'd rather speak of smell than of magnetism, corporal.