A Medic With Mission

Guard duty was a long stretch . It was always a lonely period . Night watch was shared around on a weekly roster and it was usually done alone .
It was my turn and I took my radio and binoculars up to White Strand Hill near the gap of Barshot The blanket of the night spread itself over the city and slowly one by one the lights inside little homes went out as people were getting into bed . I sat on the hill watching over the city streets .
Suddenly the silence was broken by the sound of aircraft over head . I listened carefully to determine the drone of the engines . To my shock it was enemy . I grabbed the radio and switched it on and began transmission .

" QC QC this is a Mayday . This is a Mayday . This is Medic Mac serial number 54 on night watch do you read me . I repeat this is a mayday . A large number of enemy aircraft is about ten minutes from the city . There is an immediate danger . Evacuate the people now , do you read me . Over ."
By the time my message was send the planes were directly over head .
" Roger there Medic Mac , this is Mess Hall Dan at home base receiving you loud and clear . Can you give me an estimate of how many enemy planes are in the air . Over "
"Roger there Mess Hall Dan this is Mac . I would say approximately two hundred . Over "
There was a few moments silence in communication and the I heard the noise of the air raid sirens echo around the city .

"This is Mess Hall Dan Mac . Can you hear that . Over "
"Roger Mess Hall . Over ."
"Hey Mac .This must be your lucky night . How does the city look from up on the hill . Over ."

I looked through my binoculars and saw the troops rally . People came running from their homes making their way to the air raid shelters . I could only watch helplessly as the bombing began .
"This is Mac . Do you read me Mess Hall . Do you read me over "
"Roger Mac . Things are getting hot here . We are under siege . Over .

"Roger Dan . I'm going to contact RAF headquarters . We need to get some Flyers up . Over "
'Roger Mac . Don't know if that will help . The city is finished . Over and out ."
Through my binoculars I saw the city being bombarded . There was some tracer fire from the ground but it was useless . The bombers continued their assault without mercy . Building after building collapsed and fell .
I manager to contact RAF and they sent an immediate response . It would be at least a half an hour before they would be anywhere nearby .
Until the RAF arrived I kept transmitting everything I saw .
Suddenly it was on . The first squadron of our planes arrived to face the enemy . Until further back up aircraft come join in the fight our lads were outnumber . Like the underprivileged of the sky our lads went into battle . They were like rats gnawing on dinosaur . They made runs in between the enemy lines throwing everything they had at them .
As the battle continued I saw an enemy plane take a direct hit and it plummeted to the ground like a lead balloon with smoke pouring from its tail . Just before it exploded I saw the pilot and another eject from the plane . They seemed to have landed nearby to where I stood . I said to myself ,
I will wait until the time is right then I will go . Then I started to question myself .
Hang on Mac you're a medic not a soldier . What are you going to do . Hit them over the head with your radio and then give them the kiss of life . Don't be silly . But something inside me protested . No you must go now . You must not wait any longer . Those who hesitate are lost . I slowly began to make my way in the direction of where I though the plane had crashed . After a few moments I saw the plane . Smoke slowly rose from the enemy aircraft and as I made my way over to the wreckage I heard hissing and crackling sounds . Plastic hoses were bursting and the smell of rubber burning got up my nose I stood there inspecting the wreckage . Among the embers I saw some note books and maps and I snatched them from the flames . I stood there in the middle of the wreckage that was burning . No longer a medic but I was transformed into a lone warrior on a mission in the wilderness . I could sense a presence behind me and although I had no weapon I spun around to confront the enemy . Two wild pigs came running at me . I rolled over three times and reached for a firey log near to the wreckage . The pigs seemed to respect the burning log and decided to run away in the other direction . I had survived the attack .But the wild pigs brought something else to my attention . The two enemy soldiers who ejected from the plane . I walked away from the wreckage towards the marsh and wondered where they could be hiding . When I came to the lowlands I found some footprints and followed them to the White Strand . I was just in time to see the white silk of a parachute and then the other . I looked through my binoculars and watched the two enemy soldiers bury their parachutes and then make their way into Angry Bear Cave at foot of White Cliff Bay . My feeble efforts had paid off . I had paper work and documents . I also had located two of the enemy .
I switched my radio on and immediately transmitted all the information I had to RAF Head Quarters . I was told to remain where I was until back up arrived . That made me feel much better . I thought for a moment I was going to receive an order to combat the enemy alone .
"Don't move ."
I felt a gun at my head .
"Do you wish to die like a morsel or like a man ?"
I froze and responded .
"I'm not going to move stranger and let me tell you why . I am standing on a land mine and if I should make one move , we'll both be dead morsels . Now tell me is that really how you want to die ?
I was playing the biggest bluff of my life and hoped with all my heart that he would buy it . I had nothing to loose .
The reply came .
"I am going to blow your head off your shoulders .
I answered ,
"Ok then , but get ready to meet your maker as well ,because I am going to lift my foot from the mine . 
He said ,
"Do you think I am a stupid idiot ?
I replied .
"If you don't believe me then maybe you are ."
It was at this point that I took a big chance . I turned around and looked at my enemy who dropped his weapon .
"Ok you win . There were no bullets in the gun anyway . "
I stood up and laughed .
"That's ok because I don't have my foot on a land mine .
The two of us stood there and laughed for a while, at the silliness of it all .
"I don't know If you are my enemy or not but can you please help me ?
He fell to the ground and then I saw his wound . There was blood stains over his shirt and slowly I removed some of the clothing until I located a few exit wounds . The I saw something that looked like a piece of metal stuck in his side . It was in deep and at last I was able to do something that I was trained to do . I always carried with me an emergency first aid kit and took out some alcohol and first cleaned the wound and removed the shrapnel from his side .
I gave him a shot to kill the pain and he smiled and whispered .
"You are the bold deceiver . Thank you . Tell me what is your name ?"
I returned the smile and said ,
"My name is Brian but most people call me Medic Mac . Now listen you're going to be ok . You've lost some blood and I think there might be a fracture here and there . Shortly there will be some soldiers arriving . Don't let that worry you . You will receive some proper care at one of our hospital barracks near here . "
Then the back up arrived as promised . The wounded soldier was placed on a truck and a small group of men made their way to Angry Bear Cave . I handed over all the documents that I had pulled from the wreckage and passed them over to the office in charge who thanked me for a job well done .
I asked if I could leave and return to the city as I had some family there ad I was concerned for their safety .
I was given permission and a lift back into the city by the Captains own driver . I got into the land rover and remained quiet until I was dropped off. I stood in the town centre where once a tall tower clock had stood . I was stunned at what I saw . I was totally devastated . I took small steps as I walked through the streets of the city . Some of the smoke had still not cleared and a lot of the dust had not yet settled . I could amongst the rubble and ruins , clusters of burnt out cars and trucks many of them were upturned and still burning .
People were making their way out of the air raid shelters like zombies . Many of them were still in shock at what had happened to their City . Small children still in their pyjamas clutched on to their teddy bears and dolls . I saw a priest bent over a man giving him the last rights . I saw great holes in the ground . Where the bridge used to be there was now just a few strands of metal that clung on to a remaining stanchion . Troops were pouring into the city . Red cross trucks were everywhere .
There were people on their knees praying for their loved ones . I felt like joining them and doing the same . Suddenly an army transport truck stopped beside me and the driver said .
"Hey medic . We could sure use your help in the barrack hospital ."
I gave a sigh and said ,
"Ok I'll be there soon ?"
As the truck drove away I saw my wife and kids walking slowly on the road towards out little home . I called out to them and we hugged one another . On the way back home I saw a rose growing in a garden and decided I would pluck it . It looked so beautiful . I held it in my hands until we retuned to our home . Apart from a few broken windows the house was ok .
I took an empty glass jam jar and half filled it with water then I placed the rose in it .

The city was rebuilt after blitz and the war is over now but sometimes even still I can still smell that rose .

Bby Paul McCann

THE END