Fresh off the plane in Afghanistan, John humps his kit over to the tent. He unpacks his bag and sets up his things, doing his best to make his cot look like home. Once settled, John takes a walk around the base with Genevieve, another newly-arrived doctor. The British base is nicer than John expected, and the American base is even rumoured to have a Starbucks.
Two days later, John starts his first shift at the field hospital. They don't just treat wounded soldiers; civilians come in as well. Many Afghanis bring their children in since there are so few other hospitals in the area. It's the children that tear John up most; too many little ones run across an IED or a mine and have their limbs blown off. (Christ. It's one thing to see this happen to adults who freely undertook the risk. Quite another to watch it happen to children who were only minding their own business.)
John's greatest fear is that he'll never get used to this.