A Quiet Moment That Didn't Last
For almost twenty minutes, the war disappeared. Not completely. The distant artillery still rumbled far beyond the cliffs like a storm that refused to leave, but inside the medical wing the beds were quiet, the wounded were resting, and Dr. Kessler had finally allowed everyone to breathe.
I stood by the narrow window at the end of the corridor. From there the sea stretched endlessly beneath the island. The water looked calm, almost peaceful, as if the world beyond the horizon had forgotten there was a war.
I imagined holding a camera. It had always been a habit of mine. Even now my mind framed the view like a photograph—light, horizon, movement. A perfect shot. If the war had never happened, I would probably be somewhere in the mountains right now, crouched behind a rock, waiting for wolves to appear between the trees.
"Jane."
I turned.
Luca leaned against the wall with the fresh bandage around his head slightly crooked. He looked like someone who had tried to stand up too quickly and immediately regretted it.
"You're supposed to be in bed," I said.
"I was bored," he replied.
"That's not a medical condition."
"It should be."
He stepped closer to the window and looked out over the sea.
"You know," he said thoughtfully, "this might be the strangest hospital view I've ever seen."
"You've seen many hospitals?"
"I'm a priest. People tend to get injured around priests."
I raised an eyebrow. "That sounds suspicious."
"Faith causes many accidents."
Before I could answer, a small voice interrupted us.
"Jane?"
Mii stood a few steps away holding something behind her back. Her braid had partially unraveled again and her shoes tapped softly against the floor as she walked toward us.
"I drew something," she said.
Luca groaned. "Oh no."
"It's a portrait," she announced proudly.
She handed the paper to me. Three stick figures stood in front of something that was probably meant to be a helicopter. One of them had extremely long legs.
"That must be Adrian," Luca said.
Mii nodded enthusiastically.
"And this one is you," she added, pointing at the second figure. The drawing showed me holding something enormous.
"That's a camera," she explained.
"You remembered."
"You said you want to photograph animals."
"Wildlife photography," Luca said thoughtfully. "That is a very optimistic career during a war."
"I had the plan before the war," I replied.
Mii tilted her head. "Do animals know when there's a war?"
I thought about that. "Probably. Animals notice danger faster than people do."
Before she could ask another question, the hallway lights flickered.
Then the alarm screamed through the base.
The metallic siren echoed down the corridor like a blade cutting through metal. Every soldier moved instantly.
"Air raid!" someone shouted.
My stomach dropped.
The loudspeaker crackled overhead. "Missile strike detected. All personnel move to reinforced sections immediately."
The peaceful moment shattered. Soldiers rushed past us toward the stairwell. Somewhere down the corridor a heavy metal door slammed shut.
Mii froze. Her drawing slipped from her hands and fluttered to the floor.
Luca bent quickly and picked it up. "It's alright," he said gently.
But the humor had vanished from his voice.
Footsteps approached rapidly from the opposite end of the hallway.
Adrian appeared.
His calm expression had sharpened instantly. "Lower level," he said. "Now."
He took Mii's hand and guided her toward the stairwell.
I followed with Luca behind me.
The base vibrated faintly as something exploded somewhere across the sea. Dust drifted from the ceiling.
Inside the reinforced hallway people stood pressed against the walls, waiting in tense silence.
Mii squeezed Adrian's hand. "Is the island going to explode?"
"No," Adrian said calmly.
His voice remained steady, but his eyes moved constantly, scanning exits and distances.
The siren finally stopped.
A long silence followed.
Then the loudspeaker crackled again. "False alarm. Enemy missile intercepted offshore."
The tension broke all at once. A few soldiers laughed nervously.
Mii let out a long breath. "That was scary."
"Yes," Luca said quietly. "War usually is."
People slowly returned to their duties.
Adrian released Mii's hand and looked at me. "You stayed calm."
"I panicked internally."
"That seems to be a habit of yours."
Before I could respond, Sergeant Morozov appeared from the stairwell, his expression serious.
"Commander."
Adrian turned toward him. "What happened?"
Morozov lowered his voice. "A prisoner arrived with the transport convoy."
Adrian frowned. "And?"
"He refuses treatment."
"That sounds like his problem."
Morozov hesitated. "He keeps asking for someone."
"Who?"
Morozov glanced briefly toward me. "The girl called Jane."
The corridor suddenly felt colder.
Adrian looked at me slowly. "Do you know him?"
"No."
Morozov added, "When the guards asked why, he said something strange."
"What?" Adrian asked.
Morozov shrugged. "He said the girl looked kind… and that she was beautiful."
Luca snorted quietly. "That's one way to request medical care."
I felt heat rise faintly in my face.
Adrian's expression did not change, but his gaze lingered on me for a moment longer.
"And you've never seen him before?" he asked.
"No."
Morozov spread his hands. "He refuses to speak to anyone else."
Adrian considered this for a moment before giving a short nod.
"Fine. If he insists on Jane, let the doctor decide."
Morozov nodded.
Somewhere deep below the base, behind locked doors and armed guards, a wounded prisoner was waiting.
And for reasons I could not explain, I had the strange feeling that meeting him was about to change everything.