ALL WE CAN DO

I press my head against the cool metal of the shipping rack. I'm going to be glad to get back to my bunk; the events of the day have given me a massive headache.

"All finished, private?" booms a voice behind me.

I snap to attention, or at least I try to. I feel wrung out and drained, but the captain pretends not to notice. "Yes, sir! All packages secured and ready for shipment." I notice a smear of blood where I rested my head. Unfortunately, you get messy on this job. After a while you don't even notice it anymore.

"Good, good… However, we do have one more," he says with sympathy in his voice.

I quickly stifle a moan of disappointment. I feel so damned tired and empty inside. All I want to do is get rid of this headache, but duty comes first.

He leads me over to the final shipping rack. Two other grunts from my unit are standing there and I look around for the package, but don't see it. Then they grab my arms.

"Sir, I don't understand…"

"Easy, son, just get in the rack." I stare at him in horror as my friends secure my arms first, just like they taught us.

"The Science Corps is very interested in you. No other soldier infected under the dampening field has ever lasted as long as you have, but we can see the signs; you're starting to turn."

Realization dawns on me and my mouth falls open in disbelief. A groan escapes me, the same groan we've all heard every day from the beginning of this tour. A groan echoed and multiplied by those in the racks around me.

I try to catch the eyes of my friends, but they efficiently go about their duty and won't meet my gaze. I squeeze my eyes shut; I can't look at them anymore. "I'm not one of them! I can't be!"

"I'm sorry, son, if it's any consolation; the boffins think they will get a lot of intel from you. They say it might be a new strain of the disease. Personally I think they're full of shit and it's because you cared so much for your girlfriend that you couldn't let her go even after she caught you and chewed up the back of your head. You don't remember that, do you?"

I'm shaking my head back and forth and can't seem to stop. As strong hands grab and hold my head, I hear the hiss of a spray can and feel wet paint on my forehead.

"Goodbye, son, it was an honor serving with you." The finality of the captain's words fill me with despair.

I open my eyes and see he has had me positioned across from Sara. Watching him leave, I don't try to say anything more; I'm not sure I could say anything even if I wanted to, so I thank him silently. He's a decent man.

Sara and I stare into each other's eyes like we once did on a warm and sunny day on a hillside all to ourselves. It's all we can do.