Caught in the Crossfire

The air was oppressive as they moved along the trenches in this foreign terrain. Sweat, from fear, was dripping down his neck as he pressed himself to the ground. He still couldn't get over how much his heart pounded whenever they had to move to a new location. He was young but he had seen his fair share of war-time atrocity, up close and personal. They had stopped now and he leaned against the hard packed dirt.

"Hey Wyatt, you aren't looking so good," Rick called out. Leo turned his head and flashed his friend a weary smile.

"Neither are you," Leo quipped back just as they started to move on.

What felt like hours later they stopped and finally made camp. Leo soon found himself flanked by Rick and Nathan. They'd joined up together back home and had been lucky enough to convince the recruit officer to keep them in the same unit.

"This is some crazy stuff, huh?" Nathan asked around a mouthful of beef.

"Yeah. But we got each other," Rick murmured.

Leo just listened to his friends banter back and forth, trying to find some quiet in his mind. It was not an easy task, especially for a soldier. The sounds of shells and heavy artillery were like a constant roar in his ears. He silently finished his meal and leaned back, staring up at the sky. It looked the same as it did at home. But it felt different. He knew he was in enemy territory and that made the sky seem menacing. The twinkling stars were signs of danger. But it was quiet tonight.

"You look beat, Leo. Maybe you should turn in," Nathan suggested.

"Yeah, maybe," Leo muttered and pushed himself to his feet, heading for the makeshift barracks.

Leo's sleep wouldn't last long. Only a short time after his head had hit the pillow the very real sounds of bombs going off echoed in his ears. He sat up straight and leapt from the bed. His boots were tied and his helmet was on in record time. He appeared in the doorway to see soldiers diving for cover everywhere. Somehow, amidst all of the noise he heard his name.

"Leo!" Rick called, running towards his friend.

"What the hell's going on?" Leo asked.

"We're being ambushed. They need you out in the field," Rick said, breathless.

"Where's Nathan?" Leo asked, worry for his friend becoming overwhelming.

"I'm right here," Nathan called out, approaching the pair from the other side of the barracks. Leo grabbed a medical kit and with a look back at his friends rushed into the danger zone.

"God, I hope he comes back in one piece," Nathan murmured, sounding fearful.

"Just have to pray, brother," Rick answered, pushing his sibling to the ground as planes flew overheard, dropping bombs.

Out in the field Leo was tending to a very bloody soldier. The young man was sobbing uncontrollably, begging for his mother. Leo's heart went out to him. Just as he managed to stop the bleeding from the very large wound on the man's leg, Leo felt a very heavy force come down on the back of his head. His vision blurred and the image of the young man before started to grow hazy at the edges. The wounded soldier looked panic-stricken. That was the last image Leo saw before he succumbed to the painful ache in his head.