4th March 2031 — 23:25
Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka
Sohel slowly regained consciousness to the steady, mechanical beep of an ECG machine. The harsh white glow from the hospital ceiling light pierced his eyes as he blinked away the haze. His head felt heavy, but his mind was slowly catching up.
Turning his head slightly, he spotted Jacob lying on a nearby bed, deep in sleep. Relief washed over him — at least his friend was okay. Then his gaze shifted to the window beside him, where the night sky stretched endlessly, a faint cool breeze making the curtains flutter.
Confusion clouded his mind as he tried to piece together the time and date. What day was it? How long had he been out?
His eyes dropped involuntarily to his left side. The sight that greeted him froze him in place — his left arm was gone.
A scream tore through his throat, echoing in the sterile room.
Moments later, the door creaked open. Naomi rushed inside and threw herself into a tight embrace around Sohel's shoulders. Mitali stood by the door, tears streaming down her face, but there was a smile on her lips — a strange mix of sorrow and relief.
Naomi pulled back, wiping her own eyes. Mitali approached slowly and softly asked, "How are you feeling?"
Sohel's eyes flickered between their faces, and then, as if to dispel the heaviness in the room, he suddenly shouted with a laugh, "Who the fuck stole my arm?"
Mitali was momentarily stunned, struggling to find words. But then she noticed Naomi laughing too, and Sohel's grin growing wider despite his injury.
Seeing her confusion, Sohel chuckled again, "He knew something like this might happen." Then he added, "Yeah. I was just a little unprepared. Sorry if I woke the other patients up."
Mitali frowned in disbelief, "How are you two so calm? He lost an entire arm!"
Sohel and Naomi exchanged a quick, serious glance, then burst out laughing again. Naomi leaned toward Mitali, whispering, "You'll understand soon enough."
She turned to Sohel and said, "Looks like you're stable now. You should pack. We have to report for the graduation ceremony at HQ tomorrow, 1800 hours sharp."
Still dazed, Sohel asked, "What day is it today?"
"4th of March," Naomi replied.
Sohel's eyes widened. "I was out for four freakin' days?!"
Mitali shook her head in mock scolding. "Be grateful you survived. I don't know how you were so lucky — the helicopter was flying low, and you were thrown clear before it crashed and caught fire."
The memories of the crash flashed through Sohel's mind like a nightmare. He suddenly asked about Naser.
Mitali's face darkened. "They found Naser's body inside the wreck — burnt beyond recognition. And you? You were found about 10 to 12 feet from the crash site. Missing an arm."
Sohel forced a shaky smile and said, "All's well that ends well... I guess."
Naomi put a hand on Mitali's shoulder and urged her to get some rest after the long, exhausting days. Mitali nodded and smiled at Sohel.
"Don't apologize. Now that you look alright, I'm going to take a long nap. I'm heading home for the night."
As Mitali reached the door, Naomi called out to her, "Remember — a helicopter will pick us up from here tomorrow at 1000 sharp."
"I'll be here by 0900," Mitali replied, then left quietly.
Once the door closed, Sohel's face hardened. Naomi noticed immediately and moved to sit beside him, resting her hand on the side where his arm had been.
"What's on your mind?" she asked gently.
He sighed deeply. "How many people did we kill that day?"
Naomi's voice was steady. "They were terrorists, Sohel. Do you feel bad?"
He nodded. "Of course. I know every person we kill has or will do something terrible. But still, I can't help but feel guilty every time."
She squeezed his hand. "I've told you — feeling guilty is natural. Remember what the general said before the mission? 'It's scary to take a life, but scarier still to get used to it.' Everyone in the SNA feels that way."
Sohel exhaled slowly, trying to organize his tangled thoughts.
"Yeah... I think I need to get my head straight."
Suddenly, a familiar voice interrupted.
"Damn right you do."
Jacob appeared, half sitting up on his bed, eyes tired but alert.
Naomi smiled and asked, "How long have you been awake?"
"Quite a while," he replied, wincing slightly. "How's your wound?"
"So far, so good. Nothing compared to yours."
Jacob smirked, "Can't argue with that."
Naomi pushed Sohel gently back down onto the bed. "Alright, enough talk. Sohel needs rest."
Jacob protested, "Come on, I just want to talk to him a bit."
Naomi shook her head firmly. "Tomorrow, Jacob. Now, rest."
Sohel wanted to say something but seeing Naomi's determined expression, he nodded and closed his eyes.