The Games We Play
By: AliasCWN
Chapter -3
Hitch pulled his jeep onto the base and headed straight for the medical tent. Troy had been unconscious for the last two hours. Worried, Hitch had driven straight through despite his own weakness and exhaustion.
The medics met him outside the hospital tent and immediately called for a stretcher. Troy was hurried inside as shouts for a doctor filtered back out of the tent. Placing his head against the steering wheel, Hitch let his body relax.
"Hey, hey, wake up." Hitch awoke to someone shaking his uninjured shoulder. "Come on fella, we need to get you inside." Hitch looked bleary-eyed at the medic standing next to his jeep. The medic was looking at him with concern.
"I'm okay, my sergeant needs help." Hitch protested, too tired to want to move.
"Your sergeant is getting help." The medic assured him. "We need to get you inside so a doctor can take a look at you."
"I'm okay." The blond repeated, dropping his head back on the wheel.
"No, you're not." The medic argued. "Come on. Here, let me help you." The medic tried to pull him from the jeep.
Hitch tried to pull his legs out of the jeep but his vision threatened to go black. He grabbed the wheel with his good hand to catch his balance. Trying to move from his seat sent waves of dizziness over him.
The medic called for help and soon several pairs of hands were helping Hitch from his jeep. Leaning heavily on them for support, Hitch was helped into the tent. He was encouraged to sit on an empty cot as medics and nurses rushed around. Hitch collapsed onto the bed before anyone could take a look at his wounds.
When he next opened his eyes he was surrounded by beds full of wounded soldiers. His arm and shoulder had been thoroughly cleaned and stitched. The new bandage had a professional look that Troy had not been able to manage. There was an IV drip attached to his uninjured arm. Struggling to sit up, he searched the other beds for Troy.
"Here, stop that!" A pretty young nurse came running as she saw his struggle. "You can't sit up yet."
"Sure I can," he groaned defensively, "watch me." He tried again to sit up as the room began to spin.
"Stop that I say!" The nurse repeated, pushing down on his unwounded shoulder. "What is it you want?" She demanded impatiently.
"Where's Sarge?'
"Sarge?" She repeated, her confusion clearly expressed on her face.
"Sergeant Troy. He came in with me." Hitch responded urgently. He hated to admit that the nurse was right; he was too dizzy to sit up yet.
"Oh, Sergeant Troy," the nurse answered, finally understanding. "Relax Private; the sergeant is going to be just fine. The doctors have him on antibiotics and he's sleeping at present."
"Where is he? I want to see him."
The nurse stepped to one side, pointing toward a bed further down the aisle. "There he is private, sleeping like a baby."
Hitch raised his head to look toward the bed that the nurse had indicated. Troy's face was turned away but his chest was rising and falling slowly and steadily. Hitch dropped his head to his pillow and smiled in relief. "Did Sergeant Moffitt and Private Pettigrew get back yet?"
"I don't know Private. I don't recognize either of their names. I don't believe that we have any patients by those names."
"They would have been in to check on us as soon as they got back." Hitch insisted.
"I don't know." The nurse repeated. "Would you like me to ask around?"
"Would you?"
"On one condition," the nurse told him seriously, "you have to stay still until I return."
"Okay."
"Okay? All right," the nurse agreed, "I'll be right back."
Hitch nodded and closed his eyes. He turned his head to watch Troy while he waited. It seemed like hours before the nurse returned. When she did, the look on her face told him all he needed to know. The others hadn't returned.
When Troy awoke, Hitch had to give him the news. Troy took it hard, blaming himself for leading them into the ambush.
"I'll go look for them Sarge." Hitch volunteered two days later. "My shoulder and arm aren't bothering me anymore."
"No!" Troy reached for his driver, fearing that he would rush out before he could stop him. "There's nothing you can do alone. This is my mess Hitch, I'll fix it."
"How Sarge?" The blond asked in disbelief. "They've been missing for almost three days. How are we going to know where to find them?"
"We'll find them Hitch. Don't go out there on your own. Wait for me, we'll go together."
"They aren't dead." Hitch whispered. "I won't believe that they're dead."
"Wait for me Hitch." Troy repeated, releasing the blonde's arm.
Hitch stared toward the door of the hospital tent, a faraway look in his blue eyes. "The doc is releasing me today." Hitch stated in a flat voice. "I gotta go; he wants to see me before I leave. I'll see you later Sarge."
"Yeah," Troy responded in a soft voice, "you will."
