The Enemy and Vague Memories of the Past

Frank, after losing half of his battalion, despite his hopeless mind and body filled with wounds, was still holding firm and steadfast on the battlefield with unparalleled courage. In the sudden attack by the enemy forces the previous night, more than half of Frank’s battalion was killed, and the few remaining soldiers were severely wounded and exhausted.

Frank had been left behind. The rest of the soldiers had crossed the dense forest and reached the other side of the river safely. His battalion didn’t even know that Frank Vogel was still alive and had been left behind.

"He was looking at the aftermath of the attack, surrounded by the suffocating smell of gunpowder and smoke. The bodies of dead soldiers were scattered all around, their lifeless eyes still reflecting unfulfilled desires. Some had rifles clutched in their hands, others had their wallets tightly held, as if in their final moments, they desperately wished to see the pictures of their wives, children, and parents that were in their wallets. But their faces clearly showed that every wish, every hope had remained unfulfilled. Frank was rummaging through the bodies, hoping to find any surviving comrades who might need help. He carefully examined each body, one by one."

Suddenly, Frank’s attention was drawn to a lifeless body. It was a girl dressed in the uniform of a nurse from the enemy army, as indicated by the insignia on her clothes. Frank stared at her in surprise for a moment, then he inspected the nurse. She had a gunshot wound in her leg, and a lot of blood had been lost. There were scratches on her face, and several deep wounds on her body. Her body was covered in dust and dirt, looking exhausted and helpless. When Frank checked her pulse, it was weak, and she was still alive. But seeing her condition, it seemed unlikely she would survive much longer. Her weak breaths seemed as though they might stop at any moment.

Frank was still deeply conflicted. His first thought was to shoot the nurse and end her life, as she was his enemy. Or perhaps leave her as she was, so she would eventually die on her own. But when Frank looked at her innocent, lifeless face, it told a mute story of pain, sacrifice, and unfulfilled duty, far beyond hatred or rivalry." As soon as Frank looked at her face, his thoughts changed. He then remembered her wounds and gently touched them with his fingers. As soon as he touched her, fresh blood began to flow, but his skilled hands were doing what they could to stop the bleeding. The flesh had turned black due to the gunpowder, and it hadn’t been long since she had been shot. Frank quickly wanted to remove the bullet from her leg to give the nurse some relief.

Fortunately, he noticed a field surgical kit next to her. "He immediately started treating her, using his skilled hands to remove the bullet from her body. She groaned lightly in an unconscious state, but she didn’t wake up. After some time, Frank successfully removed the bullet from her leg and applied medicine and bandages to the wound. He cleaned and treated the other wounds as well. Frank carefully lifted her and placed her in a clean and safe spot where she could rest, ensuring that she could recover a little." "Now, he went in search of some food and water, and luckily he found some ration packs. He fetched water from a nearby river, where he bathed and cleaned his own wounds, which gave him some energy and refreshment."

Within a few hours, night had fallen, and the forest was silent. Frank thought about lighting a fire, but he feared that if he did, the enemy forces would detect him and could attack again. However, due to the severe cold, he had no choice but to light a fire. If he didn’t, both the wounded nurse and he himself might not survive the night. Sitting by the fire, he gazed at the nurse lying next to him, still unsure why he had saved her. But he had little hope that she would survive. She was still unconscious.

"Then Frank checked her coat pocket and found only a photo. Upon seeing the photo, Frank was stunned. The faces in the photo were familiar to him. Memories of a forgotten past echoed in Frank’s heart. He now stared at the nurse’s surprised eyes, still lying half-dead next to the bonfire."

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A/N: Will the nurse survive? Is there a secret connected to their past? What will happen to both of them now? The next part will be written by the talented and creative writer Maryam Batool. So stay tuned and let's see what happens next.

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