Valiant Hearts
''Not every soldier is a soldier''
Part 1/5: The Doctor, The Healer, The Silent Crier
The light found its way through the broken widow
Inside the house there was a man, sitting on the chair, waiting for the light to fade away, but the dusts keep flying in the grey light, making it like snow in a beautiful day of summer.
He just keep staring at the holo – picture on his table, a picture of a girl, and a woman, and the sound of the music generated by the holo flying in the empty space, with him the only audience
As if there is anyone there to listen to it with him, maybe a ghost perhaps?, ghosts of those he loves most, but he couldn't see them again.
The smile of the young girl in the woman's arms haunted him.
The music keeps going in, like it has no stop, and so does his thoughts, he keep thinking what he could do to save them, to save them both, but then, he is no god, he just a man with the power of saving people.
But he couldn't save them, and the music goes on, until it was interrupted by the hard knocking on the door.
He slowly stands up, and makes his to the door, opens it to reveal two men in uniforms, face dark, and one of their hands held a paper.
So is his turn now, the war was hungry for more men, for death finally calling his name, but he wasn't afraid, as if like he has something to lose.
But then, he has nothing, but the holo – picture, the music, and that smile.
Suddenly, the sound of the holo stops.
He packs the next day, nothing much, just that picture, some clothes, belongings, only in one bag, and then he glance one look at his home again, hoping to say goodbye to anyone who might have still lingered on, but the nothing but the silence bid him farewell.
The dusts just keep flying with the light.
And the lights chased him, until he reaches the speeder truck that took him to the registration center.
A young man held his hand out for him, for the truck was running, and he was late, no need to rush, so he ran and caught the man's hand in his, and up he goes.
There was a smile on the man's face, like he was eager to go, but that smile is the only smile on the speeder.
There are only two men on board, him and the young man, the light shines down to the vacant truck's seats.
The man tells stories about his home, when he was picked up last night in the nearby town, eager to go, and bring glory to his waiting family, and wife.
Promises he has made to his wife that he would be there when she gave birth to his child, the young man said he wanted to win this war, for his child to grow up in his glory of victory.
At least he has someone waiting for his returns, unlike the doctor, who was just quiet and smile.
He thought that the Republic will not come here with the army of white men, but he was wrong, the government made promises, but where are they now?, they promised the droids would help them, carrying the war for them, but now, he was putting on his uniform, a blaster rifle in his hands, and a red cross band on his right arm, a backpack filled with drugs and painkiller.
Not every soldier is a soldier.
He doesn't write any diary, because he never thought anyone would have read it, he never make a journal, he never tell his stories to anyone but to the holo picture in his hands every night under the cold rain, let the music spread across the luminous silence of the camp.
He doesn't need anyone to know his story, because he was just a small part, in this war, and he would die, soon, maybe now, tomorrow, or the time he never expected?.
But he had seen so many death of many young men, with smiles when they was about to go out there, beyond the fog of war, and return with cries of pain, and then it was just the quiet mocking his medical tent.
He doesn't cry, or haunted by the horrors of those men have to suffer, he'd seen it too much, lost an arm, lost a leg, can replace with a mechanical one, but lost half of the body, he can only watch them bleeding to death, because there was no needed equipments to save them.
Sometime, those who he help with replacing arms and legs, return in body bags, he just quiet cursed to himself, he helped death claiming those men's lives for the second time.
But it was his duty, stories they had told him before their hours arrived, sometime just about a woman, or a wife, or a family, or just a child waiting them at home for dinner, but now, as their stories become the doctor's, the left, leaving their past behind, and plead the doctor to help them apologize.
So many men to help, but so less doctor, what he could do, what just nod, and moved on to the next dying patient.
Their stories left untold.
One day, a group of soldiers rushed into his tent, carrying in their arms a white armored man, with the helmet bear the frown of a demon, that's was they said when they first saw it, and toss him down on the dirty floor made of dirt.
''Take care of this animal, the commander wants to interrogate him''
The man wears what looks like a short of cyan skirt around his waist, and some part of his amour wore the same color as the skirt, even the helmet, the doctor helps him to his feet, and slowly moves him to the make shift bed.
They said they behind those helmet hid a face of a devil, take off the helmet and that thing would kill you, but now, reality is better than myth, now he needs this man alive for interrogation, and he would probably die, but the doctor doesn't care, is was that ''thing'' that caused this whole war, like the count said.
But when the helmet was off, nothing happened, just a face of a man, a normal human, nothing more, nothing less, not a demon, but just a human, but seeing the looks of the man's face.
Just like any looks on those soldiers' faces he failed to save, it was the same, it's not a monster, but a man who have suffered.
But unlike those soldiers, this man doesn't talk much, he doesn't talk at all, just nod, and wait, the doctor taking care of him every day, until the sound of the commanding officer approaching his tent made him whisper to the white armored man.
''The commander wants to see you''
He turns away, and left the tent for he doesn't want to see it, he'd seen enough, but when his commander came out, pistol in hand, and shook his head, the commander signaled to come back inside.
And saw a line of blood coming out from the man's mount, his eyes close.
He's loyal until the end, and if necessary, dies for it.
The man had bitten his tongue.
''Loyalty until the end''
He doesn't cry, but silently put the man's corpse in the body bag, and send him to be cremated, he deserved a better death, but like any other men, who have died protected his cause.
The doctor had seen the flame erupted a thousand times, almost every day ashes lingering in the air, every day there are always someone died, their stories left untold, but today, a white armored men joined his comrades in death.
And so the story of a Republic's soldier left untold, like thousands of others.
Men come and goes, hearing death calling their names, but they charge on.
In a soldier's life here, there are only 3 papers you will ever receive, recruiting paper, reassign paper, or a death notice.
In his hand was a reassign paper, this division doesn't need him anymore, he is needed on the frontline, the last doctor in that group was killed, and he was his replacement.
The music from the Holo – picture repeating itself in his mind, and the smile helps him held on to his sanity in this world.
But the music was stop again, by a group of soldier rushed into the tent, carrying a woman in their arms.
What a woman doing here, on the frontline?
''She was running, I didn't know, I...I thought she…'' one of the young soldier spoke up first in a shaky voice.
The young boy was afraid he knows, and waves them to get out, and only the heavy breathing of the woman can be heard.
''Should we tell him?'' outside his tent there was another voice.
''No…I don't know''
He pushed it off, and focuses on saving this woman's life, but now, he is helpless.
Two black scorch marks behind her back, by now her own blood was starting to fill her lungs, and she was suffocating.
She grabs his right arm like a vise versa, almost tearing the band off, her deep black eyes stare right at his green one.
Memories suddenly from somewhere rushed back like a cold wind in winter.
''I'm Sorry….I'm sorry I was so selfish'' the woman in the holo – picture said.
It was that room again, his home, he has try everything, but when he found her it was too late, she cut her own vein in her hand, and lost too much blood, there is nothing he could do now.
He knew after his daughter was gone, his wife was devastated, but he didn't realize she would end her own life.
And she left him, her stories left with him, and that was the last time, the doctor every cry, he lost all his tears that day, and now.
''Please, take… care of …him for me'' the woman below him said, her breathing becomes heavier.
''I thought, he would ….have a better life…. if I ran to the other side, but I... was wrong, I was selfish…, and now.. I paid the …price'' Tears filled her eyes.
She was trying to defect, but she was shot.
She took the last breath, and she was gone.
Suddenly it was suffocating to stay, he left the tent, the sun light harsh on his eyes, and he stumped into a boy.
''Take care of him for me…''
He kneels down to the boy's eyes level.
''Where is Mama?'' The boy spoke first
''She is sick…'' He has to lie, he would let the boy knows later.
''Can I get you something to eat, your mother told me not to get you starving''
In his face, the boy grew a smile.
A/N : Next Part : Part 2/5: A Jedi, A Warmonger, A Broken Warrior
