Chapter 18

"General Hauser? Are you awake?" A guard's voice rang in his ears, filled with a mix of surprise and relief. Julian struggled to open his eyes. Above him, the makeshift ceiling of the field hospital tent came into view, the air thick with the sharp scent of disinfectant and blood. He moved his cracked lips, trying to speak, but his throat was so hoarse that no sound came out. The guard, Lionel Woodward, quickly dipped a cotton swab in water and carefully moistened Julian's lips. Julian took a long moment to gather some strength. When he finally looked at Lionel, a faint, almost unbelievable hope glimmered in his eyes. He whispered hoarsely, "Does she… know my condition?" He knew it was a foolish question. He was at the border, cut off from almost all communication, and she was across the ocean. There was no way she could know how he was. Yet deep down, he still clung to a faint, fragile hope that she might care about news of him, even if just a little. Lionel paused before he