Page 18 of Senseless
Blasts and gunfire raged on for hours. It was a special kind of torture listening to the variety of weapons and shouting voices, but being completely unable to see it. We only saw the effects of it as the injured and casualties swarmed our tents. The first wave of fighting stopped, but our work only carried on.
The medics took catnaps in rotating shifts, catching a few hours of sleep under a blanket or thick coat wherever we could. I couldn’t tell how many days had passed, only that it was sometimes night and daytime at other points. My team was reaching their limit, as evident by the dark circles under their eyes and hollowness in their cheeks. They needed time off and rest, and soon, before the fatigue would start affecting their care.
You do too, my brain seemed to remind me in a small whisper.You need the love of your men to bring life back to the zombie you’ve become.
I shook it off, returning my focus to the tasks of my surroundings. If I put too much thought into how much I missed being surrounded by warm bodies when I woke up, having my feet rubbed and a glass of wine placed in my hand after a long day, I just might give in. I might relent to the fantasy that my body and soul craved, rather than remember the cruel reality.
There was a brief lull in the day during one afternoon. All current patients were stabilized and at the moment, there wasn’t a truck hauling a bed full of bodies to us. I took a seat on top of a cooler that had stored some of our food, willing my torso not to slump over and crash in the dirt. Some field medics had developed the talent of sleeping while sitting or standing up. I never seemed to acquire the skill.
My eyelids slipped closed and I just as quickly snapped them open. Shit, I thought my two-hour power nap earlier would be enough to sustain me, but that was apparently not the case.
A few more minutes,I pleaded with my exhausted body.If another truck comes, I need to be able to help.
Biology wasn’t having it. My head dipped low as I slumped over, forehead nearly coming in contact with my thighs. I couldn’t seem to muster the strength to sit up, I was so damn tired.Just another day in the field.
Something happened the moment my eyelids slipped fully closed.
I was instantly dreaming that I could fly, soaring high over a vast landscape of rocky terrain. My eyesight was incredible! From up here, I could see rabbits diving into the dense brush, prairie dogs hiding in their burrows. My body felt light but immensely powerful. I was fast enough to catch one of those animals if I was hungry, kill them swiftly with my talons—
And then, bodies.
Lifeless forms were strewn across black, scorched earth. The few that were still alive would be gone soon, bleeding out or broken beyond repair.
“What is this?” I heard myself ask. Was I actually asleep and dreaming, or was this something else?
Look, daughter.
Below me, someone was digging frantically at a mound of dirt and rock where it looked like one of the blasts had made a crater that had caved in. He started using a shovel, then tossed it away to move handfuls of earth away in a panic.
I circled down lower, taking in every detail with my sharp vision, from the scratches on the man’s motorcycle helmet to the dirt under his fingernails. His breaths were ragged, labored, and he was alone. When the exhausted, panicked man looked up and met my eyes, I nearly fell out of the sky.
“Gunner!” I tried to cry out, but only a screech left my mouth. “What happened?”
“Horus!” my blue-eyed man rasped. “Get Mari and other medics! The blast caved it in and they’re trapped!”
Like a slingshot, I propelled back into my own body. The momentum was so strong, I fell right off the cooler to the ground. But seeing him and hearing those words sprung me to action.
“Get the van and load it up with oxygen tanks, masks, and shovels!” I yelled, starting for my dirt bike. “Every available medic, follow me!”
I got some confused looks in return, but they sprung into action as I kicked the little bike into gear. Rest would have to wait.
Such was the nature of war.
Six
GUNNER
Everything had been fine until the Blakeworth lieutenant ordered the use of explosives for no good goddamn reason. Horus felt the effects of the blast through his wing feathers, and I swore the sensation echoed through my human body as I came to in the Four Corners conference room.
“You okay, Gun?” General Bray asked me.
Reaper and I had decided to come out with my abilities to his father, considering that we planned to use Horus’ sight to our advantage during the war. I was more than okay with this, as Finn was not only my family now, but one of the best tacticians I’d ever seen, and that included the many decorated generals I’d learned from at McAlister.
“Ugh, yeah.” I pressed a hand down on the table, closing my eyes for a moment to get my bearings. “It’s not good. They’re blowing shit up.”
“What?” The general paled, his face betraying the fact that I’d said his worst fear.
“We need to send the second wave out now,” I said. “Our guys need backup or they’re going to get demolished. I can ride out and be there in two hours.”
