Authors note: This is my first story in english. I tried to minimize the mistakes. Altough I had a helping hand (Thank you!),some errors could have survived. Please excuse, if the grammatical terms aren´t always perfect.
In case you`ll find a part, that isn´t understandable, write me !
Nevertheless: I hope you can enjoy the story!
They were in the first vehicle of the convoy, when they were suddenly attacked. An explosion hit the truck and flipped it upside down like a toy. Those who were able to, tried to leave it, find a secure place. Gunfire started. More explosions were felt- and heard. In a few minutes 6 vehicles of the convoy were just a scrap heap. Soldiers were shouting orders and trying to fight the enemy.
He was disoriented for a second. Kneeling on the ground, he took a look around. He could hardly breathe from the pain. Something hot hit his left leg. He tried to stand up. It was bleeding intensely. He knew if stayed here, he would bleed to death or be shot sooner or later. "Come on, man! Get your ass over here!" In the moment when he saw one of his mates a few steps away calling for him, someone shouted: "Bazooka, two o´clock!" He jumped on his feet to save himself. But before he could go to cover, the impact threw him against the next house wall. He was unconscious.
She sat on her bed, watching TV. The bad news on CNN shocked her. A whole convoy of NATO troops had been attacked 2 hours ago. On the screen she could see burning vehicles on the ground. Blackhawk Medevacs over them. Although there was no actual news how many had been killed or injured, she knew there must be hell on earth. Appalled she held her hand in front of the mouth. She had seen all the wounds and awful things war spits out. She is anesthetist in the German army. Now she sat here in Kandahar on her packed bags, waiting for her flight home after she came here from Kabul to exchange with colleagues. A look at the clock; 5 hours to sleep before it is time to get up. So she switched off the TV. No more horror for the next 3 months!
She smiled when she thought of home. Friends will be waiting for her. Of course her parents. Especially them. They are always scared to death when she goes on mission in a war country. They think the army is no place for women. Her Mum thinks she might step on an IED or get shot. Her Dad is always afraid his little girl might get raped every day. She must grin when she thinks of him. The Men treat her with a lot of respect. Not a few owe her their life. Although she`s quite pretty. She has bright blue eyes. Someone once called her "Wildfire", 'cause of the radiance in them and her character. Long brown hair, trained, nice legs. A little bit small maybe, but sweet. Behind the sweet shell, everybody on her staff knows she could get very loud and angry when things going wrong for a patient because someone made a mistake. She expected 100% from her team, 150% from herself.
With a happy sigh she turned the light off and closed her eyes. Just in the moment sleep wanted to come over her, someone ran over the barrack's floor. Then, door knocking. Loud… Almost upset. Cursing she jumped off: " What the fuck? In the middle of the night ! Are you dopey?" Already cursing in german, she opened the door. "What is it ?"
A panting private stood in the door. He rang for breath when he saluted and began to talk: "Excuse the night-time disturbance, Oberstabsärtzin Strauss… The Kandahar combat hospital requested for anesthetists . Their staff capacity is almost exhausted because of the bombed convoy."
„They have a really great crew there.. and asking us for help?" she wondered.
The private only gave her a shoulder shrug: „ Vehicle is already waiting for you. " He still rang for breath.
That was it. Her vacation. She will miss her flight back home. But she was doctor with passion and she´d never refuse a request for help. She grasped her bag and threw it over her shoulder. While going she ordered to the private: " Try to contact Stabsärztin Holtmann. Send her there,too! Where one helping hand is needed, a second won`t be bad! Ah, and call my parents that i´ll be late. Delay my flight! "
"Yes,Ma'am!" saluted the Private when Dr. Strauss got in the american vehicle.
"Ma´am, it`s hell there. We thought we´d seen everything. But today will go down in history!" said the driver.
She just looked at him, silent, nodded and took a deep breath. "This will be a long night, I guess."