Infinetzia: Book 1 (Old)

Chapter 15

The next hour passed slowly, Dominic received medical attention for his broken wrist and had his bloody bandages replaced on his shoulder. No one gave him any details on his comrades besides vaguely saying that Rolf had been 'recovered'. There had been heavy casualties and only around five hundred soldiers in total survived and even that number would change as more people's bodies gave up on them. There were not enough medics to constantly monitor the critically injured leaving those who needed constant care helpless against their fate.

The medical teams ran around the camp to all the injured people who were in critical states as soldiers who knew general first aid helped those with minor injuries such as broken bones or missing fingers. As more people were stabilized the more the medics could focus on making sure the more minor injuries were dealt with properly as to not have bones heal in odd ways or wounds get infected. People were allowed to leave if they were unable to help the medical team once they were medically cleared. Dominic was not able to be cleared until he was able to grip something with one of his hands so he could ride his horse.

The medical staff at the camp made it perfectly clear he would not be able to see any of his new or old comrades so he decided to leave once he demonstrated he was able to hold up a ten pound weight with his right hand. He realized being there for moral support made no sense when he wasn't even allowed in the same area as the people he would be supporting. During his three hour ride back to the academy the only thoughts in his mind were about the uncle he was not even aware he had. The thing that stuck out most in his mind was the fact his uncle was the first god to actually accept him for who he is for no clear reason other than being family.

"I don't need to be accepted by someone like him." Dominic told himself. "I have plenty of people who accept me now." Though, while that is what he told himself he began to wonder if that was truly how he felt or if that is just how he wanted to feel.

"Corporal, welcome back." One of the people guarding the door said as Dominic got off of his horse and handed it off to the stable hand. The stable hand seemed to be waiting to collect the horses from those returning from the siege early.

"Thanks." He replied, rolling his stiff shoulders.

"We have been told to notify all returning soldiers that there will be a hot meal waiting for them in the mess hall." The guard stated.

"Alright, thank you for letting me know." He replied dismissively as he walked through the door and started unwinding his shoulder which would have surely almost completely healed by this point. "Oh, shit. I never got the stitches removed." He muttered, looking at the stitching that once held his wound closed. "Whatever, I will cut it out tonight."

When Dominic entered the mess hall and got his food he expected to get shafted because of the double serving of food earlier, but instead he received a large meal. "Thanks." He said before walking off to his usual lonely table where he would be able to torment himself in peace with thoughts of his extended family. While he had mostly calmed down the entire situation and everything he had heard left him with many unanswered questions.

He had just learned the planet his mother came from is a lifeless wasteland, his mother was ancient, his father once loved him, his father knew exactly where he was, and he had also learned that if he had any chance of surviving in this world he would have to become stronger than he ever thought possible in order to kill his uncle. "What have I gotten myself into?" He asked himself as he prodded at his steaming meal. It then hit him that he had never actually killed anyone.