Chapter 217
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After the battle Eve went with other soldiers to the medical tents. Everyone who wasn't seriously wounded was expected to help, including giving blood. She saw Jacob here, the look on his face said he had heard about Bianca's death. Eve went near Jacob, but Jacob said, as politely as he could, that he wanted to be left alone. The surgeons were doing their best, but there was only so much they could do. Eve had no reason to go into surgery, but she'd heard stories. Doctors warming themselves over open wounds, supplies so scarce they had to operate with no gloves. Eve did her part by giving blood. She couldn't help but notice there were no wounded loyalists here, unlikely Hamilton would take prisoners. There was soldier on the verge of death, another soldier who needed a new heart to survive. The doctors were waiting for him to die, even the chaplain prayed that God would take this young man quickly. Eve tried to push other thoughts out of her mind. It was only later that night, when the heat of battle and giving blood was long over, that Eve's emotions caught up with her. She'd killed a young boy. It wasn't his fault he'd been manipulated, used, and ultimately abandoned by George Mason's thugs. This boy was trying to defend his country, at 15 he was brave enough, and stupid enough, to join his army. He had fought to protect his country from traitors and scavengers. From Eve, from Bianca. But Eve was still angry at him. Eve asked herself why she had comforted him. Bianca hadn't gotten this comfort before she died. She was angry that he got what Bianca hadn't, even though she realized she was the one who gave him this comfort. Then Eve felt guilty again. Bianca died instantly, Eve had shot him in the chest, let him die in agony. These conflicting emotions, there seemed no way of escaping them, ever.
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Jacob and Eve tried to do their jobs after Bianca died. They felt that they were honoring their friend's memory by continuing to serve. He was never angry with Eve, just angry in general at times. Although they had temporarily defeated the loyalists, more would likely come. Hamilton was requesting reinforcements, but from where? Most of the collective governors were keeping troops only within their own states. Texas soldiers were spread thin as it was. In order to gain more soldiers both sides were encouraging immigration, promising lottery chances to those who served. But this also presented new problems, teaching them english, taxing already scarce food and medical resources, resentment from nativists. Mason's side seemed more organized than the collective side. Eve wondered what the hell they secceeded for if they were just going to fight each other like this. The dis-unity might be the the collective's downfall.
After 2/4 many turned to religion, it gave some much needed hope. Even Karl Marx was being quoted "religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature. It is the heart of a heartless world and the soul of soulless conditions." But now religions seemed to be at war with each other. Whether that was because of theological differences, or just fighting over scarce resources, Eve didn't know. But in January 2035 Eve became discouraged by this fighting. Israel and Pakistan were still at war. On January 23rd Pakistan launched a nuclear missle, destroying Jerusalem. Millions dead, holy sites destroyed, the capitol of both Israel and Palestine obliterated. On January 24th Israel retaliated by destroying Mecca. Aside from immediate loss of life, all across the globe jews and muslims fought each other over this. Even in the loyalist and collective armies fights broke out. In Rome, angry crowds broke out and mobs attacked the Vatican. The pope and Cardinal Matthews were in America when this happened, trying to open back-channels between Mason and Douglas. But other people were killed. Priests, nuns, lay workers. The Sistine chapel was vandalized. These mobs seemed anti-God, blaming Allah for the war and ELE. Without these faiths, people would lose hope, but hope was already in short supplies these days.