Heaven Falls

Chapter 10

Damien

I'm sitting safe and sound in the white infirmary of the Fortress, surrounded by at least twenty doctors and nurses and their thick smell of ethanol.

All the medical staff here are wearing a red armband with a small white cross, they were sent from The Wing.

I stretch my legs to the end of the bed, try to shift to a more comfortable sitting position, the thick bandage layer wrapped around my stomach makes every movements impossible, even if I'm just trying to reach my hand over the bed to grab some water, my ribs will scream and my bandage will prevent me at any cost. A slight pain hit my right arm, which is currently in a plaster cast. I've just argued with one of the nurses earlier about this, I told her: "It was only a small scratch, inject me and then just cover that place up, there's no need to put all parts of the arm in a stupid cloth tube". She put two finger on my injured forehead and pressed it gently, didn't forget to open a-really-mischievous smile: "Boy, you don't know how the medics procedure works, do you?".

I don't angry because she still decided to do against my wish, but because she treated me, a soldier, like I was just five-year-old.

So it goes. I stay silently and motionless, watching casualties being taken care of, nurses and doctors with their practice smiles and friendliness, janitors wipe the bloody floor with antiseptic. I get a check routinely every hours, mainly be thrown some pills and water. I've been lying like this for at least three hours, I can barely tell because three nurses have visited my already.

A tall, slender figure makes it to the main door and approaches my place, it slides open the blue curtain around my bed.

"What's up pals, getting bored already?"

I slowly wrap myself up against six pillows behind my back, trying to throw my face in the same level as Tiago's.

"Hello, Tiago, glad you came" I look upon his face, two white pads have literally covered up all parts of his cheeks.

"I just came here by request, that sexy-blondie nurse over there asked me to give you this" he opens up his right palm, five colorful pills lay neatly inside it. I glance at him.

"Kidding me? I've already swallowed at least nine of these".

"Well, then make it fourteen" he calmly replies, hand still opens.

"Fine" I snap, taking one by one from his hand and swallow it in order, "Ah, by the way, have you guys checked up on my craft yet?"

"Our friend Santos is working on it. I just stopped at his place before I got here, turns out that you're not the only problem" he pauses to look around, then continues: "At least a squad got offline and paralyzed, the thing is, my friend, they're luckier than you. They dropped really near the Fortress."

I swallow my last pill. So are you telling me that my case was unfortunate?

"But you're also a goddamn lucky bastard" I don't feel comfortable being called 'bastard', but I guess he's used to saying that with all of his friends, "We found you in that fiery battlefield, where you could barely stand, you took down one of the enemy's crafts, and used their radio to contact your base, I mean, what kind of rookies could do that, alone? Boys at your age are probably savoring their youth by trying to kiss a girl or smoke some weeds" he stops again, and rolls his eyes around, "Can't be sure, but I think our witch commander and her beloved superior are quite happy with this".

"They're just trying to claim their power and reputation" I blurt out.

"Maybe. Beside, I think... what's that?" Tiago vision heads down to my neck, "You keep rubbing that thing ever since I arrived".