Chapter 17

Everyone had barely climbed out of the rubble when the hospital called an emergency meeting on the spot. The situation had taken a sudden turn overnight. The fighting had spread tens of miles into residential neighborhoods. Civilian casualties were mounting, and the devastation was overwhelming. "The residential areas are still under heavy fire. Many civilians are critically injured and desperately need medical reinforcements." The hospital director, Justin Foster, was an elderly man with a white beard. His cloudy gray eyes shimmered with a thin layer of tears. "There's no way to guarantee anyone's safety out there, so we can't compel anyone to go… "There are two buses. One is headed to the new base in the safe zone. The other is going straight into the combat area. You'll choose for yourselves. "Don't feel pressured. My family and fellow citizens are out there. I'll be on the bus myself. It won't make the trip empty." With that, he turned away, wiping his eyes. Then, he boarded