บท 8: Headed Back Home

"First team, strip the place of everything, weapons, tools, everything. Bring it all up for the second unit to take. We need this drained dry. Once the task is done, head back to the home trenches and receive some medical treatment from the medics, the, can't afford to regrow new bodies just to waste it after a battle." The officer ordered.

"Hope i can get back there already, pain is horrible." Corbin complained with his hand on a wound in his stomach.

Grunting from the pain Corbin limped forward, helping the others in bringing a few crates out. In other rooms soldiers, also wounded just like Corbin lifted different things, heading out with them while the second team walked through.

A line of soldiers headed back to the lift, carrying different things from weapons and apparel to boxes to scavenged gear from the bodies in the tunnel. Visibly struggling from the wounds as they went on.

The line extended long, hearing the muffled groaning of masked soldiers as they lifted their cargo to the lift. Some stacked smaller things above their cargo.

Soon the entire area was ransacked, boxes above boxes or gear above crates, making sure to not return again and finally rest.

The lift slowly filled with injured soldiers and cargo, setting it all down on the ground as they awaited the remaining team members to head up, visibly smaller than before.

The door shut and the lift began slowly rising upwards. Everyone awaited for the lift to stop as they rested once again, sitting down or leaning on their own cargo. Corbin joined with the rest, sitting on top of his crate, his weapon on his side while he waited.

A minute or so passed, the lift came to a slow loud halt. The doors opened to the outside, still bright and blazing hot as more soldiers were standing around, most trying to hide from the heat. Hiding in the dugouts or raising anything above their heads while the massive crater still stood in front of them.

At the sight of the lift's soldiers, the ones who were resting exited, they grabbed everything inside, relieving Corbin and his unit.

They all left, Corbin's group took their resting spots, lying down or sitting down under the unoccupied slots of shade, seeing the soldiers earlier begin leaving through trench tunnels with cargo in their hands.

After minutes of heavily breathing, regaining some energy from what they went through. The soldiers stood up, carrying their rifles with one hand, their bodies coated with either dried blood or marks of black from the bolts, some blocked by the layered clothing.

They walked through the tunnel, soldiers above walked onwards to the lift, joining with the rest underground. Corbin walked on, before meeting with a familiar soldier, Moris.

He patted Moris in the back, grabbing his attention.

"Wounded as well?" He asked.

"Yeah, got hit in the chest, thankfully the clothing managed to block some of it." Moris replied, audibly tired.

"Did you die?"

"Nope, not this time." Moris laughed.

The soldiers soon reached the end of the trench, having went through tunnels and craters of destroyed pathways.

They began stepping outside, grabbing onto wooden supports and firesteps.

The ground above was practically boiling from the heat, heat vapors rose from every direction far from them, ushering them to quicken their footing to head back home, away from it.

"What about you?" Moris continued with the conversation.

"Died to those explosions. Thinking of just getting myself killed but i suppose too late." Corbin chuckled.

"Well the medicine will help, you heard the officer earlier we can't just die off after we won a battle. Take your chances with the medics."

"Fair." The conversation ended, soldiers stumbled around from the intense heat, soon few were being carried by their fellow soldiers.

The walk felt longer than before, following the ropes that brought them to the trench.

As minutes passed, they finally catch a glimpse of the trench lines of their home, the rope leading to it. The soldiers began moving faster at the sight of it, eager to head back home and get medical help.

They rapidly headed down the trenches, helped by a few soldiers patrolling the area. A few pathways were covered in wooden planks, blocking the sun from entering, giving good shelter.

Descending deeper, more soldiers were walking around, carrying wooden planks as they went around Corbin and his comrades, heading back to home.

Through more pathways, periodically getting hit by the sun's beams or walking underneath planks of wood with little spots of light shining through. They arrived at the lift heading to their home. Guarded by some soldiers. The entrance was fully covered by wooden planks, lit up only by lamps or by the open spots in the planks.

Soldiers rushed inside the lift, waiting for it to head down while outside, guarding soldiers continued resting or standing around, looking at the injured in the lift before the doors slowly closed.

Corbin breathed a sigh of relief, finally, away from the radiation.

"Gonna get some medical help first?" Moris asked, still standing alongside Corbin in the cramped space.

The pain continued on as Corbin desperately awaited for the lift to finally arrive down.

A minute passed and the lift slowed to a stop. Through the doors, a group of soldiers stood in front of the entrace, quickly, they took the injured. Corbin was taken by one of these soldiers, escorted to the medical room nearby inside the tunnel.

Around him he saw other infantry like him, unmasked while doing their own tasks.

The group arrived at a well lit room filled with beds, similar in look to the quarters but filled with drawers and boxes. The soldiers rested the wounded, placing them on the beds while taking off their equipment to provide medical aid.

The small medical room quickly filled with wounded soldiers, those without beds rested on chairs.

The soldiers who brought them there immediately began treating any wounds they can find. Removing the gear of the injured soldiers while injecting something into them.