Salvation Equation - Chapter 26. Into The Abyss

The Nottingham Rehabilitation Hospital began having more patients. The concept of  “rehabilitation hospital” itself was not familiar at first, but soldiers who were seriously injured increased.

 

At first, they were simple diseases. There were many soldiers with diseases that were healed by keeping their hands and feet clean and restoring their nutrition. However, as the war worsened, more and more serious cases emerged.

 

The number of soldiers with no limbs, burns all over their bodies, or suffered major psychological trauma increased. What was also worse was that there was a limit to what the hospital could do. The limitations of medical technology became evident.

 

The feeling of helplessness due to being unable to help them sank heavily among the people. Even Isabel, who was active, was quiet. Arlington was calm, but he couldn’t completely hide his agitation.

 

Madeline was the calmest one. Ian’s letter shook her quite a bit, but that didn’t mean she could show a weak figure.

 

She killed her own feelings. She hid them.

 

​​But at night, even she was forced to be sentimental. Something began to boil violently from the bottom of her heart.

 

From whether her actions are really to help the patients, to what she’s going to do in the future, to her father. In the end, her thoughts always came back to Ian.

 

It wasn’t good looking after patients while having miscellaneous thoughts. She barely managed to pull herself together and finish the round when…

 

“Nurse…., Nurse…”

 

Suddenly a patient in the corner began to call.

 

When Madeline turned her head, it was to the side of Patient X, no, John. As Madeline approached, John was groaning.

 

“John, are you okay?”

 

“….Water… Please…”

 

Madeline quickly filled a cup with water. She wet the man’s throat through a funnel. Only then did John come to his senses and groaned, and Madeline examined his body.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Concerned, she asked him again.

 

The man whose body began to warm up, muttered.

 

“…. dream… I had a dream.”

 

“……!”

 

No way. Madeline leaned closer to the man. John continued to murmur.

 

“…On the train… My mother and I…”

 

“Tell me more.”

 

Madeline calmly listened  to the man.

 

“Hearst… I remember the name Hearst….”

 

Hearst. Is that a name? Of course, it was a surname that Madeline did not know. But she calmly continued to talk to the man.

 

The man began to talk about his dream. It was practically as long as a story of one’s life.

 

The story of riding a train with his mother, the candy his father bought him, that one time with his beloved lover, the comrades whose names he couldn’t remember…. It was a movie-like story.

 

It felt as if his whole life was passing by in front of his eyes like people on a merry-go-round.

 

“Maybe it’s all a dream.”

 

The man groaned as if he were thirsty again. Madeline moistened his throat again.

 

It was terribly lonely. A man who lost his memories to darkness and a woman who had memories that no one knows sat alone, exchanging stories about whether they were true or not.

 

“I believe you.”

 

Madeline replied slowly. The man’s melted face turned into a faint smile.

 

“Your name is…Was it Madeline…?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

When Madeline nodded, the man shut his mouth and suddenly asked.

 

“Now that I told you about my dream, tell me about your dream.”

 

“…….”

 

What could have possessed her? An unbearable feeling and emotion rose.

 

Madeline hesitated for a moment. Then,  she began to talk in a very small voice.

 

‘I was once married to a man. I used to plant roses, watch movies, and take care of a dog in a large and gloomy mansion… I used to hate the man. He had a hobby of secretly picking my roses. I thought he hated himself, too, but now I don’t know.

 

I betrayed, hated, pitied, and eventually ruined everything with my own hands.’

 

She said them all.

 

After the long story, Madeline shut her mouth. Soon it was time for another nurse to come in.

 

‘Is he sleeping?’

 

Looking at John who had his eyes closed and was still, she rose from her seat. She felt like she had to write down the story John told her in a notebook before she forgot about it.

 

She stood up and turned her back when she heard a small noise behind her.

 

“I… also… believe.. I believe your words.”

 

Madeline closed her eyes quietly.

 

“Sleep well.”

 

* * *

 

The battle began at dawn. The Allied forces scattered like autumn leaves in front of the German machine gun shooters. At least, when they launched a supply offensive, the victory seemed to be in sight.

 

But the resistance was stubborn. The Germans threw grenades and bombs dropped here and there, quickly turning the battlefield into hell.

 

It was impossible to tell whether it was a shell fired by our troops or a shell fired by the enemy. But it didn’t matter.

(tn: shell = cannonball, bombshell)

 

The important thing was to recapture the immediate goal–

 

It was then. –Bang!– He heard a sound, and a huge fire began to catch in front of him. The fire seemed to have spread to the German powder keg.

 

“George…!”

 

The front platoon was where George Colhas belonged. Their soldiers fled around and began to fall under the guns of the Germans.

 

This made it difficult to avoid annihilation, let alone recapture. The front lines got tangled up and became a mess.

 

Ian raised his voice.

 

“I will cover all of the retreating soldiers!”

 

He had no choice but to step back into the trenches and help George’s platoon retreat safely.

 

In the middle of the cover fire. One of the soldiers, who escaped safely, rushed to Ian.

 

“Lieutenant, lieutenant. This is bad!”

 

“What is it? Quickly.”

 

“Lieutenant Colhas is down right now–.”

 

“What?”

 

Ian shouted loudly, and the soldier stammered.

 

“We were retreating together, and he suddenly disappeared. I couldn’t find him no matter how hard I looked…. He might have been struck by a German mine!”

 

“…….”

 

Ian’s insides started to boil. George Colhas was abandoned in an unmanned area. Of course, he couldn’t blame the soldiers in front of him. How could they figure out where their boss was in a panic?

 

Ian took a calm breath. He then gave orders to Sergeant Jenkins.

 

“I’m going to leave for a minute. Until then, strictly restrict our troops’ movements. React passively without leaving this trench.”

 

“Lieutenant?”

 

Jenkins’ face turned pale.

 

“Starting right now, I will safely recover Lieutenant Colhas.”

 

“Let me go as well!”

 

“.. No. The remaining people here need someone they can trust and rely on.”

 

“I’ll go.”

 

The soldier in front of him volunteered. Ian nodded his head.

 

“Alright, come with me. You must remember where Lieutenant Colhas is.”

 

The soldier nodded continuously.

 

He vaguely knew it was crazy. But rationally thinking, it wasn’t a completely absurd plan. First of all, the situation was being supported by our troops, and according to the soldier, it wasn’t too far from here.

 

George must be saved. The loss of a soldier would not only cause great damage to his battalion, but he was also a close friend of his.

 

It was then.

 

“Help! Help!”

 

George’s voice could be heard beyond the chaos of shells and guns. Ian could no longer hesitate when he heard the pitiful cry for help.

 

“We’re leaving now.”

 

Ian lowered his body, holding a gun. As soon as he left the trench, bullets poured in.

 

* * *

 

Ian blamed himself.

 

Maybe he should have just left George. However, as soon as he heard the voice pleading for help, his body reacted first.

 

He lay low as flat as he could and headed towards George. A bleeding man could be seen behind a large tree. Bang! Bang! Shells flew from side to side.

 

He lost his mind, not being able to avoid the flying bullets and shells. At first, he lowered his body and ran, but then began to crawl. His face, covered in mud and dirt.

 

For the first time, he seriously thought that he would die.

 

‘…….’

 

Ian managed to approach the bleeding officer. Looking closely at his face, George Colhas was hit. His whole face was covered in blood, as if his forehead had been torn.

 

“George. George, wake up.”

 

“…Ian.”

 

“Can you move? We need to hurry up and move.”

 

Ian shook George’s shoulder. Fortunately, he was not seriously injured and just seemed to be exhausted. Ian nodded to the soldier lying down next to him and said,

“George, get on my back.”

 

The soldier quickly moved George to Ian’s back.

 

He sped through the rain of gunfire. He was so immersed that he couldn’t hear the sounds around. His heart raced. He was determined to survive and escape.

 

He didn’t know how many times he hit the ground. It couldn’t be counted. Again and again, he stood up when he fell, the unknown soldier in front was no longer there.

 

Did he go ahead? Then it was a good thing.

 

He couldn’t see anything in front. Continuing ahead, and forward through the unmanned area. And then.

 

“Lieutenant!!”

 

He could hear the voices of the people. They were almost there. “George. George, we’re gonna live.”

 

-BANG!

 

With the roaring sound, Ian felt pain, it felt like his whole body was being torn. His body trembled and tore into a thousand pieces.

 

His consciousness flickered for a moment and soon sank into the pit of infinite pain.

 

“Madeline… there’s something I couldn’t tell you. I’m sorry.”

 

Why he thought of her at the very last moment, he didn’t know.

 

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