CH 75

Huntingham was pushed to the brink of being captured, and the operation turned to street fighting.

The allied forces were sneaking into the city to defend Huntingham, while the enemy forces were busy trying to find the people hiding in the city.

Power lines were pushed out and the Huntingham Field Hospital prepared to move to the rear. The problem, however, was the wounded soldiers who could not be moved.

A minimal medical staff was needed for them and the rest of their allies. Someone had to remain on this site.

“Are there any more volunteers? Volunteers, please raise your hands! We are short on staff, and if you can stay, I’d appreciate it if you could!”

One nurse walked around among the people packing their bags and asked for volunteers. Most, however, only looked at each other and did not readily raise their hands.

Had the situation been slightly different, many would have stayed. But now a search-and-find operation was in effect. They weren’t sure what would happen.

Annette’s drooping hand jolted. She looked at the nurse recruiting volunteers with anxious eyes.

Someone had to stay.

“Only one of you can ……”

Someone had to stay ……..

“You are the only one left in this world.”

A low voice buzzed in her ears like tinnitus. Annette clenched her fists. She turned her back to the nurse and began packing.

There was a flurry of activity in the area as people prepared to leave. Annette packed her luggage bag with a handful of clothes and items.

Before leaving the hospital, Annette looked for Hans. But he was just lying in bed, unprepared.

“Hans? What are you doing here? Aren’t you going?”

“Ah…I.”

Hans scratched his cheek and smiled shyly.

“I think I’ll stay here.”

“You’re going to stay? Why?”

In the case of wounded soldiers like Hans, they were to be placed in a transport vehicle first. There was even a separate duty vehicle for transporting wounded soldiers.

He could not move on his own. But had no problem moving around long as he had the help of others.

Annette spoke urgently, wondering if he knew the protocols.

“The army has an obligation to return wounded soldiers to their homes. You don’t have a single thing to worry about.”

“Oh, no, no, no. It’s more than that.”

Hans hesitated for a moment, then gently looked down at the white comforter covering his legs and continued speaking.

“I honestly …… don’t have the confidence to go back home and see my family. It’s obvious that I will become a burden in the future.”

“My God, Hans, why do you even think that?”

“I’m being realistic. With this body, I won’t be able to do what I normally do, and there isn’t anything else I can do, so I’m just going to walk away.”

Annette was speechless and only moved her lips. She wanted to say that’s not true, but that didn’t mean she could give practical advice.

“Also, I’m sure others will go through all sorts of trouble to relocate me. I think it would be better to put someone more deserving in my place.”

“Hans, it is your seat that has to be made even if you don’t have it.”

“That’s all right, lady. There is nothing to worry about. Just put off leaving, and just because I’m staying here doesn’t mean I’m going to die, does it?”

Hans laughed out loud in a light tone. It was the same hearty smile as always. For some reason, Annette felt embarrassed in front of that smile.

She stared at Hans with new eyes.

At first she thought he was rude. When she met him again, she thought he was a poor young man. And now………..

Annette felt the same way when Justin told her that he wasn’t that kind of guy to begin with.

Do people make situations, or do situations make people? Annette couldn’t tell what was right and what was wrong.

Her world, which had always been divided into black and white, became all but unclear after the revolution. What she thought she understood became ambiguous, and she learned what she did not know.

Annette tried to remove the confusion from her face. Then, as usual, she smiled faintly.

“Well…yes, I guess I will see you again in Cynthia.”

“Of course. Good luck, Annette.”

***

Outside the hospital, there was a long line of people in front of the transport trucks. Annette didn’t know what to do, so she kept her head down and looked only at the situation ahead.

After wandering around for a while, Annette eventually asked the nursing officer standing next to her.

“Um, where do the nurses stand?”

The nursing officer’s face turned noticeably polite as she spotted Annette.

“They have to pick up the wounded first, so those who can walk will move on foot because there are not enough vehicles.”

“I see, I understand.”

“Well—If you wait a moment, I will try to find you a seat.”

The nursing officer’s attitude was very cautious. She could see that she was treated differently because she was the former wife of the Commander-in-Chief. Annette shook her head stiffly.

“No, it’s all right. I’ll walk.”

“At least one seat……………”

“I will walk.”

A decisive reply fell. The nursing officer seemed to hesitate for a moment, but eventually nodded,

“Just go to the line over there.”

Annette moved with her bag to where the nursing officer pointed. People were buzzing, waiting to leave.

Fog hung in the air. An uneasy feeling suddenly came over her that if they advanced in this condition, they would not notice any enemy forces ahead.

Annette hugged her bag tightly. The others were also anxious, but little by little she could hear them complaining why they weren’t leaving quickly yet.

Soon the transport trucks began to depart. Wheels rattled on the ground full of broken wreckage.

Soldiers and medical staff moved in after the transports. They were dressed as if they were evacuees. Even so, everyone was demoralized by the news that the Huntingham suburbs were almost completely occupied.

“Is anything being built as we move to the rear?”

“Is there room for reinforcements to come in…?”

A quiet whisper spread through the procession. Annette looked pale and pensive. Her thoughts kept coming to her without trying to remember, but it was inevitable.

‘I wonder if he’s okay.’

She was worried about the Commander-in-Chief of this country, and her own person.

No matter how competent Heiner was, the difference between the Commander-in-Chief’s individual abilities and the military power of different nations was another matter.

“Hey.”

Someone whispered nearby. Annette turned her head to the side. A weak-looking nurse widened her eyes and asked.

“I’m sorry, have you heard anything about this news………..?”

“…What?”

“Well, about the subsequent operation, or the news about the reinforcements…………?”

Annette looked puzzled.

It was odd to ask a military nurse about such military secrets. But the other person seemed convinced that Annette knew something.

“How would I know such a thing?”

“But.”

“I don’t know anything. I haven’t heard anything, sorry.”

“Oh, yes. ……. ………..”

The woman slurred her words in disappointment. Then another nurse, walking beside her, poked the woman in the waist with her elbow and said.

“Hey, why are you asking her that?”

“No, she might know.”

“Sometimes you can tell. Excuse me.”

She heard the woman mumbling. Annette pretended not to hear and walked with her head, looking straight ahead.

In the distance, the sounds of gunfire and shells continued constantly. Even though the sounds were now as familiar as everyday life, they were still chilling.

As they continued walking, they began to see other refugees. The remaining residents of Huntingham seemed to be evacuating further back.

It was getting late in the evening. Everyone was completely exhausted. When the sky was completely dark, the group stopped moving and prepared shelters.

The soldiers who had followed the transport continued to exchange signals in front of the communicator. Annette, who was spreading a blanket, glanced at them with anxious eyes.

“This is Eagle Six, I want you to take a look at the situation. That’s all.”

“Sentry, can you hear me? Stop moving and stand by. Over.”

The others’ whispered chatter mingled among the hard, rigid voices.

“They say there’s a minefield in front of us and it’s slowing down our movement.”

“Still, I heard that the Northern Group forces succeeded in stopping them, so there is hope, isn’t there?”

“They say the French bombers are dropping bombs on the mainland again…………”

Even though she tried not to listen, the news of the war was still coming into her ears. Annette sat curled up in a corner, tightly wrapped in a blanket.

It was uncomfortable, cold, and hard, but she had no other choice. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep. It was the easiest way to escape in this situation.

At that moment, someone’s words came into her ears.

“They say bombers flew into Cynthia. I hear the city is in complete ruins…”