Chapter 69: The Journey Home.

Chase woke up to a sudden cold feeling in his right shoulder. He tried to rub his eyes and felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder, he tried to rub his shoulder when he hit something stuck into him.

"Right," He thought to himself. "The knife."

He sat up and tried to get his bearings. As he looked at the floor of the truck he noticed that something in his head seemed clearer and he was more relaxed now than he had felt in a good long while. He looked outside and realized that it was snowing, hard. Chase tried to start the truck but it was too cold to get the engine to start. He panicked but then remembered that he was on a hill. If he could get the truck rolling he could attempt to start the engine using the truck's momentum. First, he knew he would have to find a way to release the spring brakes. He got out of the truck and made his way around to the toolbox on the passenger side. After sifting through the assortment of tools he found the nuts that could be used to release the spring brakes.

Chase went to back of the truck and laid down in the deepening snow. The cold wasn't making anything easy but at this point he just wanted to get back home to everyone else. After he had released the spring brakes he made sure the truck was in neutral and pulled the wheel as hard as he could to get the truck to turn towards the hill. The truck began to roll backwards and turn down the hill. He pulled the wheel the other direction and the truck began to drift down the hill, as it picked up speed he held the clutch down and put the transmission in gear. Once he was rolling at around 10mph he dumped the clutch causing the truck to jerk and the movement caused the knife in his shoulder to cut deeper. Chase was relieved when the engine rattled to life.

"Thank god." He said, "Now to head back..."

As he headed towards White Forest, Chase began to feel slightly nauseous. At first it was nothing severe but it was definitely noticeable. Shorty before reaching the base, the nausea was much more severe and it was accompanied by disorientation and a headache. Chase couldn't tell what exactly was going on.

As he pulled into the base a medic on watch came out to greet him.

"I'll be damned..." He said as Chase shut the truck off. The excited look on the medics face quickly turned to a mix of confusion and curiosity as Chase climbed down out of the tuck. He then looked at the medic and suddenly lost his balance and began to fall. He attempted to catch himself but had forgotten about the knife in his shoulder and when he moved the pain in his arm made him flinch and he fell forward and caught himself with his left shoulder.

"Good god..." The medic said running over to him, "What happened to you?!"

Chase was silent for a moment, breathing through the pain form the knife and the fall. "I couldn't tell you doc. But please just get this damned knife out of me."

"I'll be right back." was the response and Chase was alone on the floor for a few moments. While the medic was out. the nausea finally got the best of him and Chase threw up and that was followed by a coughing fit. His vision was blurry but he could make out a red and brown puddle on the floor. He rolled onto his back and closed his eyes to ease the pain from the lights on the ceiling.

He heard the door open. "What the hell?!" The medic called as he ran over to him. He began lightly shaking him. "Corporal... Are you still awake."

Chase nodded.

"Alright corporal I'm gonna need you to sit up against the wall. Do you think you can do that?"

Chase slowly squirmed his way towards the wall. The medic helped him sit up.

"Good. Alright, let me get this knife out of you." He said, "I'm probably gonna have you take your jacket off so I can dress the wound."

Chase nodded.

"Ok, ready? This won't hurt at all. 3, 2, 1..."

Chase flinched from the pain. He kept his eyes closed as he raised his arms so that the medic could take off his jacket. The medic began to dress the wound.

"Coroporal, you look like you got sunburned something fierce."

Chase remained silent. After a few seconds he heard the door open.

"Hey what's going on out he..."

It was Adrian's voice.

"Is... Is there anything I can do to help?" He asked, clearly concerned.

"Actually yes, can you go get Jamie? I need help with my diagnosis here."

"Sure thing." Adrian left the room.

Shortly afterwards Chase heard the door open.

"Here they are." Came Adrian's voice again as the door opened.

"Good lord," came another voice "What have you got so far?"

"I just removed a knife and dressed the wound."

"Vital signs?"

"I don't know yet, I needed a second person for time."

"Say no more."

"3... 2... 1... Go!"

Chase remained silent, it seemed like too much was happening. It was strange to him because any other time he could process what was happening in he middle of a firefight without issue.

"Time."

Chase's train of thought was cut off by the continuing conversation between the medics.

"How many seconds was that?"

"Fifteen. What's that get you for his pulse?"

"120. And it feels like he's got hypotension."

"Well we can't check to be sure. Let's do his breathing now."

"Ok. 3... 2... 1... Go."

Chase felt himself beginning to lose consciousness. Background noises faded into silence, his sense of orientation began to leave him.

Before he could hear the medics speak again he had fallen unconscious...