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Chapter 2
7 months earlier
Shay
I scream and bite down on a rag as I flush out my wounds from the burns. I’ve been in constant agony since I woke up in Josh’s arms. I don’t know how long ago that was, and I don’t know how we’re surviving out here in the wild. I don’t think I’ll be able to continue the way I am because the burns are infected, my body is getting weaker, and I’m sweating out more fluids than I can take in. I’m a medic. I know how the body works. I know with deep burns like mine the body needs to be kept hydrated. But, when you’re stuck in the middle of a warzone, in the middle of nowhere, with no supplies, you’ve just got to do the best with what you have. And, right now, that’s nothing. I’m using the water from the small river we’ve found to clean my wounds. Even boiling the water on the small fire Josh has made is making no difference because we’re using an old tin we found lying around. I know there could be anything in the water, but that’s a chance I must take. I need to try and make myself better. I need to get stronger to fight back and find a way to get out of here, and boiling water is the only thing we have.
“We need to get out of here.” Josh inspects my legs as he drops down beside me.
Josh has been out trying to find us something to eat from the wild. I know he’s trying to keep our strength up, but I don’t have the guts to tell him I can’t stomach a single thing, never mind something he kills and cooks over a fire. I’m a fussy eater at the best of times. I could never survive out in the wild for long periods of time; it turns my stomach thinking about it. It’s worse than the rubbish MREs we get out in combat. The cold, congealed contents is enough to make me gag.
“I can’t take this anymore, Josh. We’re never getting out of here,” I sob.
I was always classed as the Iron Maiden within my squad, because I was the hard-faced bitch. I could stomach anything; wounds, blood and guts, and I didn’t take any nonsense, even from the biggest, maddest guys. Now, here I am, a sniveling wreck, crying into Josh’s shoulder. I’m literally falling apart. There’s only so long before these burns cause blood poisoning and my body shuts down, piece by piece, organ by organ. Animals get put to sleep for less. All I’m doing is suffering, and that suffering leaves lasting memories that won’t fade.
Having a meltdown in the middle of nowhere is the last thing Josh or I need, but I just can’t control the emotions running through me.
“You can do this. You will.” He puts his hands on my cheeks and wipes away the falling tears, dirt, and snot. “I promise I’ll get you out of here, Shay. I don’t break my promises.”
I shake my head. “I’m the medic, Josh. I know what’s happening to my body. You can’t bullshit me. Stop feeding me lies.” I thump his shoulder.
“There she is. Keep up that fight.” He winks at me. “You need to fight through this. You can scream, yell, and punch me all you like. Just don’t give up hope.”
“You sound like Clay.” I smile weakly.
“And he certainly wouldn’t let you give up, so I’ll take that remark and own it.”
I look around us, taking in everything I can, but I can’t remain positive. Nothing looks familiar and nothing is shouting positivity at me. We’re in the middle of nowhere. We have no supplies. And we have no way of getting help to us. Yeah, I’d say we’re screwed, and we’re just putting off the inevitable. Josh is living in cloud cuckoo land if he thinks we’re getting out of here alive. He must have hit his head harder than I realized because his brain isn’t working.
A branch snaps behind Josh and he jumps to his feet. Three men dressed in camouflage gear step out from the trees. Their guns are pointed toward us. I can’t move, even though I want to. I need all the help I can get to get up from the ground. I’m an invalid. A burden. I told Josh to go on without me, but would he listen? Hell no. Now we’re both doomed.
“Who are you?” asks Josh, holding his hands up to show them we’re no threat.
Yeah, I mean, we really look like a couple of strong soldiers.
We’re literally falling apart, we have no weapons, and we’re alone. The U.S Army badges we wear mean nothing right now; we’ve been stripped of our strength and power. In fact, the badges could get us fucking killed.
The men speak in a language I don’t understand. I doubt Josh knows what they’re saying either. What could be worse than being ill in our position? Being in a country you know very little about.
“Do you speak English?”
Another man steps out from the trees and walks over to me. He bends down and inspects my wounds. He’s in the same camouflage clothing, but he’s minus any weapons. He looks relatively normal, or as normal as can be under the circumstances.
“This woman needs antibiotics.” He speaks in proper English.
“Who are you?” I ask.
“I’m your knight in shining armor. We have medical supplies back at our camp. It’s not ideal, but it might just save your life.” He shrugs and looks over at the other guys. “We can deal with everything else once we have her on the mend.”
“I’m a trained medic. I can take care of my own injuries if I’m given supplies. I don’t want to put anyone out,” I say breathlessly.
“Good to know. I’m a doctor. My name is Keir.” He smiles at me.
The other men start shouting at one another in their lingo. I want to scream at them to stop. It’s annoying, I don’t understand a word of it, and it’s hurting my head more.
“What are they saying?” asks Josh.
“They’re fighting amongst themselves.” Keir looks over his shoulder and back to us quickly. “Look, this camp isn’t ideal. You’ll see and hear things you don’t want to, but it’s your best chance of survival. They’ll put a bullet through your head if you don’t come with us now.”
