"GET DOWN", gunfire piercing my Kevlar vest, "I'm wounded!" I cried, rolling over, I grabbed my radio and signaled for backup but all that was heard was static, "shit, it's a dead zone.", I put my radio back into my pocket and crawled forward, wincing every few yards, till we got to the crossroad, where it's not visible to enemy troops. We made a break for it and returned to camp as hastily and fast as our legs could carry us.
I grabbed some foliage and the bare minimum of sticks I'd found in the area and made a small fire, the lieutenant and I were still quaking in our boots from the trench. I rang my socks out, as you could still smell the water quite prominently in them, then we headed to sleep as we had an important briefing right at 4 AM.
As I awoke, the atrocious smell was still in my socks, although not as strong as last night. I turned over to see if the lieutenant was awake, but he wasn't there, but then I looked up. "Wake up sleepy head it's 2 AM", the sun isn't even out, "that's the point, haven't you ever heard of the saying, "The early bird gets the worm "?" I didn't answer. Karlson and I trudged up through the steep banks and inclines, periodically stopping every quarter mile or so to take a break.
"I hid a Jeep across the ravine, it's camouflaged within the bushes," he said, still gasping out of breath. The path we had to cross was a rickety wooden bridge, "it's been eaten away by the termites I see". Yeah, it sure has, oh, and watch your step for the rusty nails, you best believe tetanus won't be your friend.
"AHH, FUCK", were the two words I could barely hear across the steep incline of the ravine I was standing on- yeah, and there was a river up ahead, the water, was shallow and below 50 degrees, meaning you'd be a dead man because of the rip currents and rocks all across the river bank.
I made my way back to the half-eroded bridge, watching out for nails periodically along the pathway. My gunshot wound was infected, although it would be a while till we got back to base camp. I luckily had found some gauze to wrap it in to stop the copious amounts of blood.