The Battlefield Scars

[N0VA]

The sun was just setting behind the mountains at the edge of the desert. A convoy of vehicles that were moving slowly on the dark and lonesome road shined with their lights and chased the darkness away, slowly the moved into a large military base, men and people rushed to the vehicles knowing that injured were most likely going to be. From the point vehicle stepped out a large man, a team of doctors rushed to him but all they were given was a head shake... the young men inside of the vehicle he was were unloaded slowly and placed into those grim dark bags. The man went to the nurses station and found the nurse that was usually taking care of him, he went and sat on the bed where she worked unstrapping his battle-torn armor and taking off his shirt to reveal two gun shot wounds on his shoulder and numerous scars on his arms. He sat there quietly with his mask on and helmet next to him for the doctor to begin treating him. He was silent and didn't speak a word as per usual, some said that he took a mortar shell to the head or that the insurgents cut his tongue when they were fighting but nobody knows of this man and who he actually was, his eyes were always soulless and he had no friends on the base, the only thing they knew is that he was always the only one returning from combat.

 

[Serpentine]

The smell of iron swarmed around the young nurse. She was used to it, having spent most of her time sewing wounds. It was the smell of blood. Della Hue's honey-brown gaze traveled along the outskirts until she saw a vehicle drive up to the station. With a furrowed brow, she watched as a tall man walked from the vehicle. He looked familiar...but that was because she was always the one to fix his wounds. Then, with a gasp, she watched as they started pulling soldier out one by one, and slipping them into dark bags. Della could feel the tension in the air, but walked back to the area she worked in, seeing the man enter and sit on the bed. Slowly, she started to unstrap in armor, finding herself wondering what type of injury he had. Her eyes searching over his back, she was shocked to see two bullet holes, along with the scars on his arms. How much had this man endured? Biting her lip, Della grabbed a needle filled with a numbing solution. "You'll feel a little pinch, but soon it'll be numb so that I can operate." she said quietly, her voice coming out as slightly raspy and light. Della pushed the needle into the man's skin around his wound, and did the same with the other bullet hole. After a few moments, she grabbed a pair of tweezers and leaned forward, beginning to search for the hidden bullets within the man's body. Within a few minutes, she found them both and grabbed her sewing kit, starting to sew the holes together. Finishing it off, she grabbed a cotton ball and dabbed the stitched wounds with rubbing alcohol. Once finished, Della let out a relieved breath and went to walk in front of him. "There you go, all finished! I hope it didn't hurt too bad." she said, a bright smile lighting her features. She had a feeling the man wouldn't answer, she had tried talking to him before after fixing his wounds. But, that didn't mean he was deaf, so she figured she could at least attempt conversation.

@N0VA

 

[N0VA]

He sat silent on the bed, his back stood straight and he didn't flinch or move both at the woman's words and by the needle piercing his skin. His head was bowed down slightly looking at the floor, every time they would go out on patrol every time they would get attacked in one of the villages and almost every time he was the one driving back alone in-front of a convoy filled with vehicles, the nurses voice rang in his ears but it seemed like per usual he was not listening to her when she finished she stood in-front of him which made him look up at her and look her in the eyes, he gave a slight nod at her and then put his shirt back on and took both his helmet and vest in his arms. As he walked out he looked at the nurse one more time, at times he wanted to speak to her but he knew it was best to keep silent... as he looked at her one more time he then continued to walk out and head for the armory where the gunsmith sat behind the steel cage "Hello brother..." said the man, he was a African-American in his early 40's it seemed he gave a fist-bump as a greeting to which John accepted, the gunsmith was the only man in the whole military base that actually got any sort of reply from John and the man respected him being silent. John placed the plate carrier on the table in-front of him and his sidearm, the gunsmith inspected the plate carrier then looked at John "Damn, brother... were you taking AT shells or something? That's a big chunk of the plate missing..." said the man as he then took the sidearm "Alright my brother, I will have your gear ready tomorrow and assuming you lost you primary again I will have another M4 ready for you." said the man, first seriously then the last words came out with a chuckle. John gave him a fist-bump and then left to the cafeteria where he picked up two MRE's from the cook at the kitchen and then again left, this time heading to a seemingly deserted part of the base where a small tower stood, he climbed up the stairs to the top where a simple bed was, he lit a light in the corner and sat down on his bed, he removed his mask, goggles and placed them all on the side, he then opened up a MRE and began to prepare it for eating as he was finished he began eating the food in silence, in the background crickets could be heard and everything seemed so peaceful but only a hour ago he had bullets flying over his head and at him from all sides.

 

[Serpentine]

Della watched as the man nodded to her before standing. Before he left, she saw as he glanced back at her, almost like wanted to speak to her. But, she watched, disheartened, as he walked away, toward an African American man who fist bumped him. Looking after the man with a sad look, Della leaned her back against one of the wooden beams holding the nurse's tent, giving a small sigh. He was mysterious, and she felt her curiosity grow...she had fixed this man's wounds every time he had gotten shot. Yet, he left without a 'thank you' or 'have a nice day'. Well, it wouldn't be a nice day. With all the soldiers dying and such. Shaking her head, the brown headed girl watched as the masked man fist bumped his friend before walking away. Biting her lip, she furrowed her brow as indecision to follow him started to settle in. Finally, she closed her eyes, feeling her eager curiosity rule out caution. Going back into the tent, she grabbed her nurse's bag and started to walk in the direction the man had left in. Soon, she had arrived at a tall tower, looming eerily over her. Della took a deep breath before walking to the door and walking inside. With the thought of possible danger crossing her mind, she shook it away and began mounting the stairs.

@N0VA

 

[N0VA]

As he ate he had prepared his MRE and began to eat it he looked through the window of the tower, the moon shined bright on the vast desert plains. He let out a large sigh before hearing the door to tower open, he dropped his MRE to the floor quietly, turned off the light and pulled up his mask, taking out his knife he walked over to the dark corner that was behind the stairs away from sight as an person walked up the stairs, immediately he grabbed ahold of them placing a knife under their throat and a hand on their mouth but then out of nowhere soft voice came out, he recognized the voice and pulled away from the seeing as it was the nurse from before. He was vividly angry but held back from speaking any words, he sheathed his knife and turned the light back on… he gestured for her to leave then sat down on the mattress pulling down his mask and continuing to eat his meal.

His face looked weary and tired, he ate and chewed his food slowly. This sudden jump made his blood boil, but what puzzled him more what was she doing here? It wasn't possible that she had just stumbled upon this place… nobody seemed to stumble upon this place, he wanted to ask but as usual he sat there in silence continuing to eat. Attachments weren't something he was good with people as they usually died very quickly around him, or he himself might die one day and thus was the little circle around him, he was so far into this war against terrorists that the soldiers got replaced so many times that he hardly knew anyone now, youthful inexperienced soldiers were brought to the field daily and each and every time one or all of them would lose their lives thanks to their inexperience, it saddened him at the start but no more.

 

[Serpentine]

As she opened the door, Della peered inside, finding it dark. For a second she was puzzled before someone grabbed her and placed a knife underneath her chin, pressing against her throat. She whimpered slightly and the heartbeat she heard in her ears was none other than her own. She pleaded against his hand and felt him release her. She put her hand shakily to her throat, the icy cold touch of the steel still imprinted on her skin. There was no doubt about it. The man was more than angry as he ate. Della furrowed her brow slightly with guilt as she bit her lip, messing with the hem at the bottom of her shirt. "I-I'm sorry for intruding...I know it was out of line for me to follow you, but-" she stopped, not really knowing how to apologize. After all, she had barged into his personal life like it was a natural thing to do. Lifting her brown eyes to the man, she took a few steps forward, but made sure to keep her distance. "U-Um, how are your wounds doing?" she decided to ask finally, averting her gaze to the floor.

@N0VA

 

[N0VA]

He didn't look at her once as she talked to him, instead his eyes simply watched in-front of him… silence settled in between him as he then finally turned to look her in her eyes, he dropped what he was eating softly on the ground and then turned back again to look at her, he opened his mouth with intention to speak but yet again fell silent, then he finally gathered his words "Why must you persist into pushing me to interact with you when tomorrow or even in the next hour I might die? What's the point when all you would do is be saddened at the death of someone you knew, hell someone you might even care for. It perplexes me to see you try over and over again to talk to me to the extent that you now followed me to where I find my rest after the long day out there. I don't understand you but only for tonight I will indulge you because my curiosity's thirst needs to be clenched." He said, his words were not the usual words that a soldier would say, they were sharp and precise, his voice deep, his eyes continuing to look at her as he leaned back on the wall behind him "Well, you are here… might as well sit down now." He spoke once more and looked at her.