Bell stood inside the command tent, gazing at the progress they had made so far. Unfortunately, they hadn't stumbled upon many points of interest yet, leaving the command tent's map mostly blank, featuring only basic details like elevations, rivers, and such. The map was displayed on a large television screen in the center of the room, allowing for zooming in and out.
One of the specialists, who was busy working in the tent, chimed in, "Sir, if we could get a drone, we could map this area much more quickly."
Curious, Bell inquired, "How costly would that be?"
The woman pondered for a moment before responding, "I'd estimate it to be in the millions, sir."
Bell shook his head, "Not an option for now."
The specialist nodded, understanding the budget constraints, and returned to her tasks.
What intrigued Bell the most were the small dots scattered across the map. When he zoomed in, each dot revealed the position and details of what it represented. For instance, three dots moving toward the encampment marked the locations of Harris, Lisa, and Moore. They were already nearing their destination, and the iconography indicated they had reached the forest's edge.
Bell stepped out of the command tent, and the distant hum of diesel engines gradually grew louder. Before long, the Oshkosh JLTV led the way, trailed by two pickup trucks. What deeply concerned Bell was the sight of red liquid dripping from the back of one of the pickups.
The JLTV came to a stop right in front of the medical tent, and Lisa swiftly disembarked from the vehicle.
"LOAD THEM INTO THE MEDICAL TENT, MOVE!" she barked out orders.
Bell circled the pickup truck to assess the situation. With deliberate care, the Air Assault personnel began unloading the injured individuals from both the interior of the JLTV and the back of the pickup trucks. Inside the JLTV, there were mostly children, crammed together in tight quarters. The more seriously injured were located in the rear of the pickup trucks.
Wounded individuals were packed onto the pickup bed, resembling sardines, many of them bleeding from multiple small wounds on their skin. Lisa coordinated with the Air Assault team to efficiently transfer these injured individuals, some of whom had ice fragments embedded in their faces, while others had them lodged in their extremities.
Harris then approached Bell, "What the fuck was that? A suicide ice-spirit bomber?"
Harris approached Bell, clearly shaken by the recent events. "What the heck was that? A suicide ice-spirit bomber?"
Bell attempted to lighten the mood, asking, "Did you jinx them?"
Harris protested, "I didn't. Seriously? From a distance, they just looked like regular ice shards, and then suddenly, we were surrounded by these ice spirits with wings. The .50 caliber took care of them quickly, but those who got too close exploded into small ice shards, like IEDs or something. What the heck?"
It seemed Harris might have missed some critical intel details, as to an uninformed observer, those objects did indeed resemble ice spikes and shards from a distance.
Bell observed Lisa's actions from the command center, which was separated from the medical tent by a small road with pickup trucks and JLTV.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
"BELL, I COULD USE ANOTHER DOCTOR HERE!" Lisa's urgent voice echoed from the medical tent. She wore gloves and was surrounded by a healing spell that emitted white lights, intended to alleviate the pain of the wounded bodies laid on cots. IV channels were attached to their hands with the assistance of the AAs.
Bell questioned, "Can you even summon specific personnel?"
"YES! DO IT, I'M OVERWHELMED HERE!" Lisa replied desperately.
Bell inquired further, "Who do you need?"
"A GENERAL SURGEON and ANESTHESIOLOGIST WOULD BE NICE!" Lisa shouted, her attention divided between stopping bleeding by stuffing gauze into a woman's armpit, where the tourniquet had failed, and trying to optimize the healing spell's effect when dealing with severe bleeding.
Bell sought guidance, "And how do I do that?"
"OPEN THE SUB-MENU, DAMN IT! THIS PATIENT HAS A PNEUMOTHORAX! CODES ARE 60N and 61J!" Lisa shouted back urgently, then whispered reassuringly to the patient, "Yes, ma'am, you'll be alright."
Bell then shifted his gaze towards Harris.
"Don't worry, I got your back boss, open the specialized personnel sub-menu."
[Specialized Personnel Sub-Menu][Input Code: ___ ][EP: 485,950]
• [Engineers]
• [Medicines]
• [Cybermagicals]
• [Legals and Civil Affairs]
• [ISRs]
Bell inputted the codes into the search menu, and two occupations showed up, both with hefty prices on their price tags.
[Specialized Personnel Sub-Menu][Input Code: ___ ][EP: 485,950]
• Anesthesiologist [120,000 EP]
• General Surgeon [120,000 EP]
[Summon All Soldiers] [240,000 EP + 21,600 EP For Training]
Bell inquired, "Is there a good explanation for why they are so incredibly expensive?"
Harris responded, "Student debts, education costs, and the like. Why do you think putting them in the military would be any cheaper?"
Bell sighed, acknowledging the valid point. Everything he did was for the well-being of his people.
After pressing the summon button, Bell anxiously awaited assistance. Within moments, two figures materialized near the medical tent: an anesthesiologist and a general surgeon. However, they appeared no different from the AAs he had summoned earlier. Their readiness for action was evident, even if they didn't match the conventional image of medical professionals.
The surgeon wasted no time, employing swift and precise movements to tend to the most critical cases, expertly managing wounds, and preparing for potential surgical procedures. Simultaneously, the anesthesiologist worked in close collaboration, administering specialized spells for pain relief and ensuring patients were stable and as comfortable as possible given the dire circumstances.
Lisa efficiently managed the triage alongside the AAs, methodically placing patients with lesser bleeding outside while swiftly moving the gravely wounded into an austere surgical room. Lisa remained visible outside, tending to the injured, administering medications, and providing vital information to the personnel in the operating room.
Lukas chimed in, observing the bustling activity at the medical tent. "Look at how that woman is handling things."
Bell agreed, noting, "Yes, I won't deny it. That woman is incredibly busy."
Lukas continued, "Quite an oddball, to be honest, especially considering Lisa is an internist."
Bell, curious about Lukas's comment, asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Lukas clarified, "To put it simply, she's not exactly the typical choice for combat medicine if you catch my drift."
As dusk settled over the encampment, the frenetic pace of emergency care gradually subsided. The summoned surgeons had stabilized the critical cases, and the sounds emanating from the medical tent transformed from chaotic triage to a more subdued sense of urgency. Bell, standing by the command tent, watched as the encampment regained its composure.
Lukas nudged him gently, "It's time to rest up, Bell. Tomorrow is a new day."
Bell nodded, his mind already brimming with plans for the next steps. With the fading light, he turned away from the medical tent. The day had brought numerous challenges, but the civilians had survived, which was a relief. He proceeded towards the barracks tent in search of his rucksack.
Inside, he found a cot alongside his rucksack, surrounded by other cots used by the key officers of his ground force. Bell realized that amidst all the adrenaline and excitement, he had forgotten to rest. He carefully stowed away his essential equipment and then settled onto the cot. Exhausted from the day's events, he reclined on the cot and closed his eyes, finally allowing sleep to claim him.