The Latest War to End All Wars- Chapter 5
Thanks once more to all my reviewers! I truly appreciate your feedback and would love more! I'm sorry this chapter is so short, but I'm super busy. I was wanting to wait until I had more before posting, but decided to add this just so you would know I was still writing. Once my schedule settles down, more will get added. Thanks again guys, enjoy!
Alex rolled over with a groan as her eyes slowly opened. For a flash of an instant, her groggy mind thought it was just another morning. But just as fast she was closing her eyes again, wishing she could go to sleep and wake up back home in the States, or 36 hours earlier. Anything to keep her from needing to face what was outside of her tent. Before she knew it though, the inevitable call from the P.A. came, informing her that they had wounded entering the compound. Moaning in frustration, she threw on her robe and ran outside.
As she raced out, she barely noticed the bus that was speeding into the compound. It was almost on top of her when an arm reached out and pulled her out of harm's way. Without even looking at the face of her rescuer, she knew it was Hawkeye. His firm grip on her waist was unmistakable. Yet as suddenly as he had reached for her he was gone, not even waiting for the thank you that was on her lips. Wanting to cry in frustration, Alex instead ran towards the now parked bus and climbed in, eager to get on with the latest batch of wounded. The faster they were operated on, the faster she could return to the safety of her tent.
O.R. was brisk and efficient. The radio was on, playing a broadcast of a football game back in the States, so no one spoke much. Every nerve of Alex's body was silently screaming at the silence of the room. She was sure no one else was feeling the tension between her and Hawkeye, but it was weighing on her constantly. As she waited for her next patient, she watched him work.
His hands were so steady, so sure. His eyes, those piercing blue eyes that rarely missed anything were focussed intensely on the wound he was treating. His tall frame was hunched lightly over the operating table. Suddenly, all eyes snapped to the gas passer at the head of his table as the words everyone dreaded hearing were uttered.
"I'm not getting a pulse!"
All eyes were on Hawkeye as he started barking out orders. Seconds ticked by agonizingly slowly until he demanded a scalpel and a rib-spreader. His hand was soon buried in the man's chest, his fingers massaging and pumping the heart that was refusing to beat. The radio cheered in the background as one of the teams scored. Despite the bitter irony of it, no one moved to turn it off. They were all frozen.
The moments continued to drag.
No one spoke.
No one dared to breathe.
She didn't know how long they stood there before she heard Colonel Potter say,
"It's over son. Let him go."
Hawkeye kept furiously pumping for another few seconds, before slowly, regretfully, stopping. Everyone stood, dreamlike, and stared at the body they'd watch slowly die. Only the announcer's voice broke the silence, crackling out from the radio, but no one seemed to notice.
Hawkeye's shoulders were now completely hunched over. His eyes were screwed shut. Alex wanted to run over and put her arms around him, massage his shoulders, tell him he did his best. Instead, she stayed where she was, feeling the entire room stare at their chief surgeon in sympathy. Everyone knew how much he was hurting now.
Suddenly, with a jerk, Hawkeye snapped the sheet up over the corpse's head and yelled for a new patient. The game was over. Margaret shut the radio off; everyone turned back to his or her work.
Sorry this one was a bit of a downer! As I said earlier, more will be added when my life calms down a bit.