A Soldier's Memoir

[Corrosion]

Evans let out a breath that he'd basically been holding since the start of the mission. He had almost lost a man, and Echo Squad had been eliminated. He walked over to then medic and looked over to Mickey. "How is he?" He asked. The medic looked up, his hands bloody. "He's lost a lot of blood, but he's stable." He said. Evans gave a relieved sigh. "That's good to know." He said, walking over to to cowering woman, and sat down next to her. "Ma'am, I'm Staff Sergeant Evans from the US Marine Corps. I need to to tell us your name and where you're from."

 

[RavenMist]

She looks up at him, "Lucille, Lucille Vainnè. I'm from- I'm- I'm from.." She stutters, she was lost for words now. She looks around slowly. She blinks and then sighs, stares at the floor, "Nothing works here." She mutters thinking back to having tried magic. She furrows her eye brows, "The man, he died." She mutters to herself, "So much blood." She mutters again obviously confused. She didn't know what to say, not without sounding any crazier than she already did. She closes her eyes, rubbing her temples before opening them again. She sighs, using her hands to try and dust of her dress.

 

[Corrosion]

"Yes. The man. He died. But it was either you or him, and he was part of a terror group we're fighting." Evans said, putting a reassuring hand over Lucille's shoulder. "See if you can lie down. Try to relax." He told her, his brown eyes meeting her hazel ones. "Now, I need you to tell me what you can remember, why you were in Kujat in the first place."

 

[RavenMist]

She does as he says and lies down, trying to relax but she can't. Her body aches, "I can't remember. How long have I been here?" She murmurs, rubbing her face in confusion, "Kurat? Where's that?" She adds slowly looking at him and then away.

 

[Corrosion]

"The name of the town we were in. Ma'am, I need you to remember." Evans said, taking of his helmet and letting some strands of his hair fall over his eyebrows. "Where did you come from, and how you ended up there." He said, over the sound of the Chinook's rotors.

 

[RavenMist]

She looks at him and furrows her eyebrows, "I don't know. I don't know how long I've been unconscious for. The first time I can remember being awake was with the gun fire and explosions just. I'm sorry but I can't answer your questions." She says shaking her eyes, "I'm from a small place, called.. Euria.." She murmurs.

 

[Corrosion]

Evans gave Lucille an even more confused look. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I'm not familiar with that location." He looked out one of the viewports, noticing that they were nearing Dusty Plains. He turned back to her. "We can get you some medical attention once we reach our destination. It's standard procedure."

 

[RavenMist]

She sighs, "I don't need medical attention. Do I look hurt?" She remarks even with the pounding headache that hadn't quite gone. She sighs now, and closes her eyes, her hand against her temple again.

 

[Corrosion]

"Ma'am, Lucille. We need to get to some help. It's standard procedure. We're approaching Dusty Plains Military Base now." Evans said. A few minutes later, the Chinook landed and its ramp lowered. Several medics immediately rushed to Mickey's aid, carrying him on s stretcher. Evans helped Lucille up, helping her walk towards the base. "We have a field hospital here. We just need to run some checks, that's all. After that, we have some questions for you."

 

[RavenMist]

Lucille shakes him off, moving slightly away from him as she walked. She was tired but she wanted to show she was fine. She didn't trust people and being touched just bothered here, "Fine." She mumbles, looking around slowly, paying more attention to her surroundings that she was to him or anyone else. Where the hell did that spell take me? She thinks, silently trying to think of what went wrong.

 

[Corrosion]

Evans smiled, relieved that Lucille was finally co-operating with him. "Good. Walk this way, ma'am." He said, guiding her towards the small, one-storey building. He opened the door, and was immediately blasted with the cold smell of sterile equipment. A medic was waiting there, a red cross logo on his helmet. He was holding a clipboard. "Ah, so are you the one that needs to be checked?" He said, giving the woman a friendly smile. "Yeah, said she doesn't know how she got here." Evans butted in. The medic scowled at him. "I know, Felix. Now if you excuse me, I need to have a patient-doctor talk." He said, lightly pushing the Staff Sergeant out the door, before closing it. He then turned to Lucille. "Now, I need to just give you a small check, make sure you don't have any major injuries." He said, guiding her over to a table.

 

[RavenMist]

Her arms cross over her chest, and she sniffs the air. She watches as the man from before is pushed out of the room and the door is shut. She looks at the medic and and then the table. She hesitates before letting out a sigh and moving over to the table, "I'm fine." She mutters, sitting on the table, her legs hanging over the edge. She looks at her dress and her cloak and sighs again.

 

[Corrosion]

The medic gave a kind smile. "It's a compulsory check. It won't hurt." He said, patting the young woman's shoulder. "I'm Medical Officer James Valentine, but most people call me Doc. I'm one of the most experienced medics out here." He then walked over to the equipment table and picked up some instruments. "I just need to make sure you're fine. Evans said you had a slight case of amnesia."

 

[RavenMist]

Lucille looks at him and shrugs, "I've not got amnesia. There's nothing wrong with me." She mutters, rolling her eyes, "I don't know how long I was there, I was out cold the whole time." She mumbles slowly, looking at him. She looks around slowly again.

 

[Corrosion]

"O-kay, then." Doc muttered rather awkwardly, checking his clipboard. "Okay, let's see here. Your name is Lucille Vainne." He looked at her again. "I need you to remember where you came from, and how you ended up in Kujat."

 

[RavenMist]

"Yes, Lucille Vainnè." She says lightly, "If I could tell you how I got there. I'd happily explain." She mumbles, "It's magic really, unexplainable, pure magic." She says, smirking slightly. Her head had started to feel better, "As for where I'm from, the place is called Euria. Not round here." She mutters, jumping off the table and turning to him. "You're about to assess me as a mental patient right?" She says, her eyes narrowing, "I feel fine. Other than going through the most traumatic things in my life. I saw men die, explosions, is any of this necessary."

 

[Corrosion]

Doc looked at Lucille as if she was crazy, even though she had just said that. "...Magic." He said, with a skeptical deadpan. "Euria." He said after more silence, with a completely emotionless expression. "I'm sorry, but this simply could be stress from your ordeal." He said, looking down to meet Lucille's gaze. "I... really need you to cooperate with me. Not this magic thing."

 

[RavenMist]

She looks away from him and sighs, "What would you like me to say? That I come from a place you know. A place you're comfortable believing." She says, "Yes. Magic. But hey, if you don't believe me go ahead and write the word insane onto my notes." She mutters. She walks around the room, looking at different things now. She was frustrated and annoyed now, she was trying to think. What did I do wrong? She thinks, her mind stressing over it, How do I get back.

 

[Corrosion]

"Yes, I want you to try to remember how you got here." Doc said, scribbling down some notes on his clipboard. "Listen, you don't have any... serious injuries, or any injuries at all other than a few bruises here and there." He applied some gel on Lucille's bruised knees. "Listen, you have to tell me where you really came from, so the United States can send you back safely."

 

[RavenMist]

Lucille gives out a frustrated groan, "I don't know how I got there. One moment I was at home and then the next I woke up there after God knows how long." She mutters looking around, "I have no where to go it seems." She mumbles.

 

[Corrosion]

Doc frowned. "Please, I need to know where your home is." He said, walking up to Lucille. "According to our reports, you were there since... This morning?!" Doc said, sounding confused. "It's impossible. ISIS don't release hostage claims that early."

 

[RavenMist]

She sighs, rubbing her face staring away. She looks around slowly and frowns, "Well I can't answer any of your questions." She mutters, shaking her head. She looks around again before turning to him, "So what happens? I have no where to go." She says, "Unless the military think I'm hiding something, then do I have to stay here?" she asks.

 

[Corrosion]

Doc sighed, looking down at his clipboard. "I... I really don't know what to do. I wasn't really trained in the field of psychology. I think you should look for Staff Sergeant Evans." The medic looked at Lucille. "He knows how to deal with these situations more than anyone else here. He's probably hanging around the shooting range after mission debrief." Doc said, pointing at the door. "Until then, come to me if you have any problems."

 

[RavenMist]

Lucille nods lightly, too tired to even argue with the man. She exits out of the door, no idea where to go. She didn't know her way around and heads in the direction she assumes the shooting range will be. She sighs, "Stupid spells. Never plan out." She mutters lowly.

 

[Corrosion]

The ever-present crack of weapons fire lingered around the shooting range. The bright orange cone sat on a raised platform, before getting shot by a 5.56mm round. Evans swore, imagining that the cones were the heads of enemy ISIS soldiers. No, soldiers weren't the word. Sure, they were fighters, but not soldiers. The staff sergeant sighed and shot another round. How could he be so careless?