Our War Zone

29

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It had already been three long, grueling days since Eliza last heard from Doctor Joe. Despite the endless danger he faced, he had managed to send her a single word in reply-"fine." That one word was all she had to cling to amidst her worry and prayers for his safety. Joe's wife had been calling Eliza almost daily, desperately seeking any news of him, her voice breaking with anxiety each time. Eliza could barely hide her own relief as she reassured her, thankful that Joe had been able to send even that brief message. She silently prayed that he would stay safe, just a few more weeks until he could come home.

Three days had also passed since Eliza had last been summoned to Alex's tent, or seen him around at all. The urgency of the war effort seemed to be pulling him deeper into strategic meetings with the general, his presence noticeably absent from their usual training sessions. Rumors had circulated that the general had been leaning heavily on Alex's expertise. As each day dragged on, Eliza grew more aware of his absence and couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

When Commander June and a handful of other soldiers took over the self-defense training, Eliza initially thought little of it. But by the second day without any sight of Alex, a quiet concern began to nag at her. By the third, she couldn't ignore it any longer.

"All right, we're done for today!" Commander June announced with a smirk, crossing her arms as she surveyed the weary group. "Impressive work. Some of you look like you could even manage full-time military training." Her tone was teasing, but the medics only offered tense nods, uninterested in the joke. They weren't here for glory or war; they were here to learn enough to stay alive.

"Dismissed. Civilians, return to your activities," Commander June ordered with a crisp nod. As she strode away, flanked by her loyal soldiers, she called back, "And welcome to the new arrivals." The group broke apart, and Eliza noticed Jessica watching a fresh-faced doctor with keen interest.

"Hey, did you see that new doctor?" Jessica whispered, nudging Eliza with a mischievous smile as they began walking back to the clinic tent.

Eliza barely glanced his way. "Yeah, I suppose he's handsome," she replied flatly. "But don't you have a boyfriend in the ranks?"

Jessica laughed shamelessly. "Oh, I'm still seeing him, of course, but that doesn't mean I can't admire the view." Her lighthearted tone managed to draw a small smile from Eliza, though her thoughts were elsewhere.

The remainder of the day passed in the steady rhythm of bandaging wounds, cleaning injuries, and administering medicine to injured soldiers. Eliza found herself moving almost mechanically, her mind half-focused on her tasks and half-drifting to the questions she didn't dare ask aloud.

When their shift finally ended, Jessica stretched, yawning dramatically. "I'm exhausted. I'll be heading back to the tent for a quick bath and a much-needed sleep." She looked at Eliza, who lingered by the doorway of the tent.

"I think I'll take a walk first, clear my head a bit," Eliza said, trying to sound casual. Jessica shrugged, giving her a curious look.

"Don't stay out too long. It's late," Jessica warned. Eliza nodded, watching her friend disappear into the night before turning and heading toward the soldiers' tents she really wanted a long walk making her go into the direction of the army side.

As she wandered closer, she noticed several soldiers gathered around one particular tent, their expressions tense and guarded as they entered inside. Curiosity burned in her chest, urging her forward she needed to be sure that the camp was safe, She approached cautiously, careful to remain unseen as she edged closer to listen from outside the tent.

Inside, General George's voice rang out, firm and unyielding. "Our situation grows more desperate by the hour. Commander Richard was unfit to lead, and now we are paying for it." His words were punctuated by murmurs of agreement from the soldiers inside, voices laced with anger and frustration.

"I met with the President today. He demands immediate action," George continued, a bitter edge to his tone. Outside, Eliza held her breath, straining to hear each word.

"Therefore, I am deploying a new wave of reinforcements into the field. You will be led by my best soldier." A hush fell over the tent as everyone awaited the announcement. In that silence, Eliza's heart began to pound, her chest tightening with a dreadful certainty. Only one name came to mind, one soldier who could be trusted with such responsibility.

As the meeting dispersed, Eliza staggered back, her hands trembling. She hadn't realized just how heavily she had been holding her breath until she exhaled in a rush, her vision blurring with panic. She had barely taken a few steps when she stumbled over a jagged rock hidden in the shadows, falling hard onto the rough, uneven ground. Sharp stones tore into her leg, sending a fiery wave of pain through her knee and thigh as blood trickled from a deep gash.

Eliza struggled to sit up, biting back a whimper. When she tried to move, a sharp agony shot up her leg-her ankle was dislocated. Desperation clawed at her as she reached for her phone, only to find that there was no signal. Tears blurred her vision, and a sense of helplessness washed over her as she sat there, unable to move she opened her phone to call Jessica but there was no service, she felt quite alone as she stayed there on the ground for half a minute sobbing.

It was then that she felt strong arms lift her from the ground gently. She gasped, instinctively flinching until she heard a familiar voice, calm yet laced with concern. "It's me," Alex said softly, his warmth steadying her.

"Ouch!" she cried out as he shifted her, pain flaring up her leg, then Alex stopped midway as he brought her down back on the ground.

"What happened?" he demanded, his voice edged with frustration yet gentle in his touch. She could barely see him in the dim light, but his worry was unmistakable.

"My leg... I think it's dislocated and I fell into a rock ," she stammered, still choking back sobs, she felt ridiculous after getting injured this bad, Alex's eyes narrowed as he examined her wound, his jaw tight with concentration.

"Falling over rocks now, are we?" he muttered, his words sharp, he bent down low enough to meet her on the ground and sat on his two leg then he positioned her leg on top of his muscular thighs. He reached for his uniform, tearing off a sleeve and folded it like a napkin.

"Listen to me, Eliza," he said, his voice firm yet she could hear concern in his tone . "This is going to hurt like heck, but I need you to bite down on this." He handed her the cloth, and she obeyed, clenching it between her teeth as her heart raced.

"On three. One, two-" And with a swift, forceful tug, he realigned her ankle. The pain exploded, sharp and brutal, and she screamed into the fabric, tears streaming down her face. But within moments, she felt the throbbing subsiding, her leg mercifully back in place.

"You did well," Alex murmured, his tone softened, then he tore his other uniform sleeve as he bound her wound . He then quickly but gently scooped her into his arms, cradling her against his chest as he began to walk some of her blood stained his uniform but Alex didn't mind it one bit and because of her this uniform he was on was ruined, she could feel him breathing calmly but she felt his heart was beating really fast.

"Are you taking me to the clinic?" she managed to ask, her voice trembling with pain.

"No," he replied, his tone low. "We're going to my tent. You have some explaining to do."

Fear and confusion flickered in her chest. She glanced up, trying to read his expression, but the shadows obscured his face. "What... what do you mean?"

He held her gaze, his eyes fierce. "I'm going to tend to this wound, and then you're going to tell me what you were doing outside that tent." His words were gentle yet unyielding, and Eliza's heart sank. She knew, as painful as her leg was, that the real trouble had only just begun.

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