Chapter 1: Save Your Ass
Tuesday July 31st 2012
Heathrow Airport
Dragging the desert camouflage duffle bag out of the back of the truck I started the small walk to the entrance of Heathrow Airport. The troops gathered round the end desk at the far right end of the airport, all of us passing passports and I.D's over. I felt so out of place with everyone else being from the Army and me well I'm from the Royal Air Force, I'm a RAF doctor.
I got quite a few glares as I passed my stuff to the lady at the front, a girl behind me whispering about not being able to anything. I felt turning around and punching her straight in the face but held back, rage bubbling inside. Once I had my ticket I quietly followed everyone else through to the waiting, not really paying attention to anything. Today was going to be a long day was all I could think of as I slung my bag back onto my shoulder so it wouldn't fall off.
I watched some of the guys muck about around the waiting area, laughing and smiling. All I could think was 'you're going to war you idiot you don't make jokes about stuff like this. And I'll probably be the one saving your sorry ass if you nearly die'. While everyone settled down I shuffled away to pick out a coffee and hopefully calm the nerves.
We had been sat there for an hour before we were able to board the plane, I slowly climbed aboard giving the air hostess a small smile before making my way to the back of the plane were my seat was. I shoved the duffle under the chair in front of me with the hope I would be on my own. No such luck, a young lad around 23 sat next me giving me a sneer before talking to his 'friends'. I tuned out for the rest of journey by plugging in my iPod that I shouldn't have brought but I did anyway. That was until I was roughly shoved, I plucked an earphone out glancing at this lad beside me.
He glared at me his mate laughing in the background; this guy couldn't get any worse could he. I turned away once again and just as I was about to relax back I was shoved again, I turned around he was there smiling like an idiot.
"Have. You. Got. A. Problem" My words shook with rage, his friend stopped laughing immediately glancing at his guy with fear. But this dude, no he wasn't taking the hint.
"Pfft, you don't scare me one bit, look at you the puny RAF girl..." He started rambling on about how stupid and thick I was.
"I think you'll find sir boast a lot that I'm not any of the things you just called me" My voice was tipped with ice quite and cold. He started laughing even harder at me but I wasn't going to budge "I think you'll find that if you're on the edge of dying that I will be one saving you're BLOODY SORRY BUTT" My rose high and the whole plane fell silent as he backed up.
"BEACUSE SIR I'M NOT JUST THIS STUPID GIRL FROM THE RAF I AM AN RAF DOCTOR AND I SAVE LIVES AND ONE DAY IT COULD BE YOURS" Everyone was looking at me as I yelled at this guy, I sat back down realising I had stood up and turned away. The whole plane was still silent as I calmed down before speaking again
"And I probably will never hear a sorry or a thank you, because I'm just behind the scenes" My voice had dropped to a slow whisper and I turned away letting my music drift me off to another planet. I was so lost in thought I lost track of time, though when I reach the other end it would be night, the clock on MP3 was always changing due to the different time zones we went through. It was funny to watch, because one minute it said 9.40am and then it would change to 4.50am. I hadn't been disturbed since my little outburst, and I was glad.
It must have been two hours we had been on the plane for before I turned my music off and settled down to hopefully catch some sleep. It was just after I was drifting off to sleep when I felt something warm placed on my body, it must have been someone's jacket but who's I will never know.
I was sucked into blackness not long after as colours and shapes flew past my eyes and soon started making people and objects. It first started off with me, I could see me and I was in my desert combats. I was running through the sand a gun pressed close to my chest as I ran looking for some kind of cover. Then it changed I was holding my hands over-over a small girl who was bleeding out in my hands, she was gasping and whimpering underneath me as I pressed against her chest. She had dark hair and bright green eyes but they were slowly fading. She took one last breath than her chest stopped moving and her eyes glazed over.
I bolted out of the dream breathing heavily then soon realised where I was, I glanced around and saw everyone was pretty much asleep and the plane dark. I relaxed back into my seat my breath still in erratic, I soon came back down to earth though. I hated this ever since I had gotten that stupid letter I had just finished training to become a doctor at University I left and joined my local Royal Air Force. On completing the journey of becoming an RAF doctor I was ecstatic, that was until I was gave the letter to tell me I was being shipped out to Afghanistan.
The night I had got the letter was the worst, my hands had shook and I must have at least cried once. Telling my father was the most horrible thing ever, he looked at me when I had told me then looked down then engulfed me in a massive hug. I thought I was supposed to cry not my father, he cried for awhile while I promised to write and call when I could.
I couldn't return home dead, which was big no! Maybe a couple of bruises and scrapes but anything I just couldn't have. I stared out of the window, the whole sky black the stars just peaking out, as I stared out I felt sleepiness seeping through once more. Maybe sleep wouldn't hurt so much I was going to need it especially with the load of work that I would be placed upon my body when I arrived
