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SHANDON OCT 11th 0833 HRS TEMP : +2 C*
"OhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGod" .The most frequently used summoning of divine powers in the history of languages ran a frenzied loop inside his head as he ran .Behind him the nuclear bunkers klaxons were bellowing out a hoarse "AA-OOO-GAH! AA-OOO-GAH!" in metallic blaring tones.
Jimmy was no coward.He had been in firefights and done combat surgery in foxholes with 81mm HE bursting within 100 feet.
And he had just been sprung from a cell and shot his way through a squad of NDP fanatics 10 minutes ago.
Whatever your grit and cohones - the sound of alarm klaxons in a nuclear bunker should rattle any man.So Jimmy ran ,eyes wide with fear and mind racing .
He could hear his co - prisoner fall back and turn to return to the bunker.
He could see the other two commandos running towards the ravine same as he some hundred meters away.And he could see the hundreds of little figures moving up on the hillside to the north and in the village to the south.
But he barely recognized this in his mind.All he could think of was the ledge of the ravine and diving down into it and to relative safety.
A helicopter buzzed ny overhead.A screeching sound from it as it spit a fiery flash that trailed a smoketail to the ground .And then a sharp bang as the rocket exploded on impact with a bright flash and smoke and dust and debris.
He had seen the wounds from shrapnel many times before.Ghastly wounds that led to slow agonizing deaths with infections and organ failures.Or quick ,relentless bleedings that no one could stop .Internally often.Bleeding out in the abdominal cavity.Lungs filling up .Intramuscular desanguination.
He had lost-and saved -quite a few soldiers and civillians with such wounds.
"OhmyGodOhmyGodOhmy.."
He ran panting in his gasmask .His pulse thumping in his ears.As always he felt choked and claustrophobic inside the mask.Like the filter was not giving him enough air.
It suddenly dawned on him :
There was no one there to do any surgery on him should he be hit by shrapnel.
His mind racing and calling out to his God to save him made an involuntary leap to yet another conclusion and then continued racing -but now it was saying something new-
"OhmyGodOhmyGod-save me from this one -
or make it quick "
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