Two days later...
November 14th, 2010
Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep...
I woke up in a room, my ears being greeted by the rhythmic beeping of the heartbeat monitor. I blinked repeatedly, confused as to why my vision wasn't complete. I remembered that my eye got absolutely banged up in the explosion, rendering it useless.
A stream of sunlight shone through a plastic skylight, illuminating the IV that was connected to my arm.
Being uncomfortable in my current position, I sat up in bed. However, it only brought more pain than I was already in. I groaned in pain but tried to collect myself.
As I looked around with my eyes, I deduced that I was in some sort of field hospital. It seemed like it was a military complex, but very degraded and shabby. I looked out the window on my left and I saw trees from a forest. Am I in the woods?
A nurse came in with a sombre look, but upon seeing me conscious her demeanour became less sad. She was dressed in a military uniform of sorts and had a cap with a red cross on her head.
"Mr. Gonzales! Good, you're awake." As she spoke, she checked my heart monitor and wrote things down on her clipboard. "I was just about to take your health report. How are you feeling?"
She gently placed her hand on the side of my bed, softly smiling. I hesitated in responding since I've never seen her before, but she just seemed to give off a trustful aura.
"I can't see out of my right eye," I answered warily, "and my entire body is sore." I tried to look out the door frame by moving my body to it but instead I felt a jolt of pain, making me flinch and close my eyes. "I also have a killer headache," I added.
The nurse nodded as she jotted everything I said into her clipboard. "Hm..." she thought to herself. It seems she didn't notice my flinching.
"Nurse..." I glanced over to her name badge and it read Amanda Wilson, Nurse.
"Nurse Amanda, wh-what happened?" I stuttered with unease. "How's Kamila? Is she alive? What about Madre? Wha-" The desperation in my voice was obvious.
Nurse Amanda cut me off, her happy demeanour turning back to sorrow with a hint of pity. "Karlos...they're gone. There's nothing we could've done. I'm sorry."
My heart grew heavy and my eyes filled with tears. I didn't want to accept it, but I tried to keep my cool to ask more questions. "Why...why was there a bomb planted in my house?"
Nurse Amanda sighed, then reluctantly reached for something on the table opposite my hospital bed. "I think it may be better if you find it out yourself."
She proceeded to hand me the local newspaper with the headline ''Explosion Rocks San Columba!". I kept reading and it all added up.
The 'GTSN' found out about the rumours of Padre being a rebel, so they planted a bomb at our house and blew it up—or tried to, since it imploded. It was to serve as a message to Padre and everyone else: If you were to be a rebel, they'll kill or harm anyone close to you. No mercy given.
My feelings at the time were pure hatred for both the Communists and Padre. He caused this and the Communists ruined my life because of it.
Those damn Communists ruined my life. They kill innocent people just because they're related to someone who—most of the time—are only suspected to be working with the rebels. Men, women, children; it doesn't matter who you are. The Communists will kill you no matter what, without even breaking a sweat.
YOU ARE READING
At What Cost?
ActionA boy fresh out of high school is dragged into a bloody civil war. He sees the bloody hell that he's trapped in and tries to figure out which side to help. As he navigates his new brutal life, he gets hit with bombs, gunfire and many other close br...
