Chapter 35: The War Doctor

Nelly woke up to the commotion from the bar. She sat up and rubbed her eyes groggily. She didn’t know how and when she fell asleep but she was lying on the wooden floor, curled up in a ball when she came to. Right then, the door to her room burst open, almost hitting her toe in the process.

Shocked, she leaped up from her sitting position. Neil rushed in with Jack. “Get your things, we have to go. Quick!” Nelly reached for her backpack at once. The moment she grabbed it, she didn’t even have the time to straighten her body before Neil grabbed her by her hand and pulled her out of the room and straight to the ladder leading upstairs to the bar.

The situation upstairs shocked her. She’d never seen anything like it before. The whole area was in chaos. People were running around, screaming and pushing their way out of the bar. There were gunshots everywhere. People trip over each other. Tables and chairs laid on the wooden floor and the broken pieces of glass from the bar scattered around the place. The wooden floor was a mess soaked with a mixture of alcohol and blood.

Neil held her close, shielding her with his body while he shot the enemies with the gun held steadily in his other hand. Nelly tucked her head into his brother’s embrace while they ran out of the bar. During the short escape, there were some moments when she felt like the energy was draining from her body. She had the urge to simply give up on trying to use her leg muscles and sat on the spot with her eyes closed. It would end there. Yes, she might die but it would end. This nightmare would end.

However, whenever she had the thought, she tilted her head up to look at his brother’s face. He looked so determined. She knew that he was adamant to protect her with his life. With that, she pushed on. She forced her legs to continue moving forward, matching the pace of the dangerous situation.

The escape felt endless. It seemed never-ending. She lifted her head to look and let out a sigh of relief. The exit was not more than ten steps away. Just then, a man fell right in front of them. She couldn’t help but scream. The man seemed to have been shot in the head. Blood dripped down his face as he laid at her feet. She happened to meet his eyes. She saw life drained from him as his eyes stared blankly at her. She didn’t have time to blink before Neil tugged her forward towards the exit.

The incident shocked her to the core. She remained in that state as her legs continued moving on their own. Her mind was blank as her brother dragged what looked like her empty shell out of the bar.

As a doctor, she’s always known that life’s fragile. She’s also no stranger to a dying patient. However, the place she came from was way more peaceful than where she is at the moment. She worked in a private clinic as an assistant where she had time to try saving a patient as they were sent in. In that chaos, her mind couldn’t process the situation. There were way too many dying people. She should’ve saved them but most of them were enemies. She couldn’t stop to do what she used to do lest she want to end up like them. The contrast was too much for her to take. The dying man lying at her feet a few seconds ago left so quickly. The way she saw it, the man’s body was a container and his soul was liquid stored in it. The moment he hit the floor, it was as if the container broke and the liquid flowed out without mercy. It happened that fast. What’s the meaning of life? It was supposed to be something priceless. The chaos in the bar was a huge contradiction to that. Life was being wasted like it meant nothing.

Nelly went from being confused to being angry. “This is wrong,” she said suddenly, standing rooted on the spot. They managed to get out of the bar. Both Neil and Jack looked at her, slightly confused by her change of attitude. “What’s wrong?” Neil asked her while trying to tug her to a safe place. “Let’s get out of here first. The priority is to stay alive. Whatever that is, we can figure it out later,” Jack urged.

Nelly shook her head. “This whole thing is wrong! Why is everyone treating life like it worth nothing?” She balled her fists as she continued, “make it stop. Stop it right now!” The men appeared helpless as they were faced with her sudden breakdown. They looked at each other as they nodded in unison. Right then, both the men carried her and ran. “Let me down!” Nelly struggled but her strength was nothing against those two even when she’s riled up.

They managed to reach their team. James helped cover them while they moved to their bikes hidden behind the buildings. Nelly was like a helpless, flailing teddy carried forward. They only let her down once they reached their bikes.

By that time, she was already too tired from all the struggling. “Make it stop. Please..” she sobbed softly. Neil stepped closer. “What’s wrong?” He asked, concerned. “So many people are dying. Can all the fighting stop? Please make it stop. Do something!” She looked at Neil with pleading eyes. Tears streamed down her face. She couldn’t control it.

Neil tried to calm her down but he ended up looking awkward and helpless. “No can do, princess,” Jack said, his voice soothing. “If we go in there, we die,” he looked her right in the eye. Gone were his usual playfulness. “But..”

“But?” Nelly asked softly. Jack got her full interest. “But we got this. The other Reapers will get the situation under control in no time. Then, we can get those injured to a safe place and you can save them. That’ll be the best solution and most people will be saved,” Jack continued, “if you run in there now, you might end up getting injured. Who would save those people later on?”

He watched Nelly closely. He knew he got her approval as her expression relaxed. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. Then, with newfound determination, she looked up at them. “Let's get ready to receive the injured.”