SURVIVE Part 1

I know I said it'd be out tomorrow, but I had enough free time to get this out early ^U^! Complementary waffles will be provided at the end of the show. Enjoy!

Part 1

Into the Fire

3/6/09, 1500 hours, Quandahar Province, Afghanistan

            Gunfire broke the silence shocking Krieger awake. A man was yelling but he couldn’t hear what he said. Someone grabbed him and hoisted him off of the ground. He looked up, his head swirling and blinked away the stars in his eyes. It was his friend, Sam, or as everyone else called him Patches.

            Patches slapped him once, the impact barely noticeable on his numb, mud caked face. He sensed a faint ringing in his ears before his senses came back. “MORTARTS! THEY HAVE MORTARS!” echoed out the voice of his CO, barely audible through the gunfire. The flashes from a machine gun made him want to close his still stiff eyelids, and a feeling of nausea passed through him as a mortar shell landed several yards away. Patches grabbed Krieger’s hand and dragged him through the rubble. The stars had come back, and he could feel warm, wet blood coming from a cut on his forehead.

             “Hey buddy, you’re gonna be alright. A shell landed near you, the shockwave knocked you out, nearly killed you,” said Patches. “We need to get you a medic though, and quickly. Hey medic! Medic!” he called.

              More gunshots rang out as the fighting continued. Krieger became aware of a sharp, aching pain is his left leg, and looked down. It had been sprayed with shrapnel, which had torn through his uniform and shredded his flesh. He nearly threw up at the sight of his own emaciated body. A soldier slid next to them, and by the small red cross on his helmet, it was apparent that he was a medic.

               “Is he alright?” Asked Patches as the medic attached a tourniquet to Krieger’s hip.

               “Well, the bits are pretty deep in there, I can’t say for sure but I can at least try to help.” He pulled out a syringe and jabbed it into Krieger’s leg. “There, that should help with the pain. Hey, look at me, buddy.”

                Krieger did as he was told, and Patches lifted off his helmet. The medic pulled out a small flashlight and shined it into his eyes. “Hell, he’s going into shock, we need to get him out of here. Hey, Sam, get a Humvee up here, now,” commanded the medic, reading the nametape on Patches’ ballistic vest.

               Patches waved in the air and yelled, beckoning for one of their convoy’s Humvees to come over. The medic and Patches hoisted Krieger up as an Apache flew overhead. They had nearly made it to the Humvee, the driver beckoning and calling out to them, when the helicopter began firing, destroying the OpFor’s gunnery positions. The gunfire died down shortly afterwards leaving the area eerily quiet.

               Patches shouted “Corporal Sam Freeman, US Army, 75^th Ranger corps,” introducing himself to the driver. The driver responded in turn, “PFC Adam Pakowski, US Army, 75^th Ranger Corps.” Patches climbed into the passenger seat and the medic lifted Krieger into the back, sitting next to him. “Where to?”

               “Firebase Echo fast, he’s rapidly losing blood, come on, let’s go!” commanded the medic As he tightened the tourniquet.

               “Copy, okay boys, buckle up!” shouted the driver as he floored the gas, the Humvee bouncing down the road.

               Krieger began to slip into unconsciousness again, losing his connection to the world. Patches looked back and grabbed his unconscious friends hand. “Come on guy, just a little further.” But Krieger had already died.

So, that was part 1. Part 2 will likely be released early next week. As I promised, here are the waffles:

(>'.')>#