I was one of five women chosen to serve our country, fighting side by side with the men, and only some of us had come home. Being surrounded by friends and enemies, having to choose who you can save, who you can love, and how to survive is something...
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Much like clockwork, I headed for the aid station the next morning. The moment I entered the room, I could feel the unease and tension growing thick in the air. Doc Roe's dark eyes lifted the moment I crossed the threshold. He sighed. "I'm glad to see you. I need a hand."
"Of course," I said, walking up to him. "What's going on?"
"We've got an ambulance heading in," he told me. "There was an accident on the road this morning."
"Who was hurt?" I feared the answer.
"Janovec," he replied glumly. "They just informed me he fractured his skull during the accident..." his eyes remained locked on mine as he confirmed, "He's dead."
"Oh my God..." I mumbled as my shoulders slumped forward. I rubbed my forehead with my palm, frustrated that the war was all but over, yet we were still losing men.
"I need to get him in order for Major Winters," he began to explain. "Do you mind taking over things here while I'm handling that?"
Dropping my hand from my face, I nodded. "Sure, whatever you need," I replied glumly.
"Oh, and before I forget," he stood from his chair, turning to address me, the emotion on his face turned morose, bringing my anxiety forward, "Shifty was in an accident on the way home too. He was ejected through the windshield," he held his hands out before him to calm the boiling panic within me, "He's going to live but he's going to have to go through a lot of surgeries to fully recover...but...I...I thought you'd like to know." He offered a small sympathetic smile before gathering his things.
I slumped into the nearest chair, staring into the void. I couldn't believe what I was hearing - two horrible car accidents in such a short amount of time...it didn't seem right or fair.
"Are you ready to go, Doc?" that familiar husky voice called out across the room. Through tear-filled eyes, I glanced over towards the door. Speirs locked eyes with me and just by the expression on his face, he knew something was wrong. As Roe reached the door, Speirs said, "I'll be right behind you." Roe nodded, slipping out of the aid station. Once we were alone, Speirs neared me, stopping halfway before asking, "Are you okay?"
"I-I just heard about Shifty - " I started, voice shaking from the growing urge to cry. I blinked back the forming tears as I dropped my gaze back to my lap where my hands rested, nails digging into my palms.
"Yeah... He was fortunate to survive," he told me, voice remaining professional. "I talked to the driver of the other vehicle," he paused until I looked back up at him, "He said he was ordered to hit that truck head-on."
"Ordered?" I repeated with a scoff. "Who would give such an order..." my words drifted off as I remembered what Speirs told me the night before regarding the raffle. I placed my head into my hands, feeling the tears falling from my closed eyes as the sob worked its way up in my throat.
