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*Disclaimer: Please don’t post this chapter in novelupdates since I don’t want to mislead other translators.
Chapter 15
—–
“Senpai, I would also like a grenade or something of the sort.”
“Not my business.”
A morning after getting through life or death as usual, I finished the routinary inspection of my equipment, and made preparations to return to the hospital.
“Why am I not given one?”
“Because the only ones who can handle explosives are 1st class infantry and above.”
I haven’t been told anything yet, but I am most likely going to be working in the hospital today.
Considering the casualties in the defensive battle yesterday night, the field hospital is most likely hell right now.
In that case, there’s no doubt Medic Department Chief Gale will order for me to return.
I find it hard to believe that we will be going on the offensive with this much damage on us. I think it will at least be after the destroyed units have been reorganized.
“How many enemies do you think you can blow up with just one of those?”
“Just how much do you think it costs to make a single grenade? As if they could prepare the share for new recruits too.”
The battle maniac was complaining to Gray-senpai near me.
It seems like Rodley-kun wants grenades from what I could hear.
“If you want it that much, ask Captain-dono. Why are you asking me?” (Gray)
“…Cause Senpai, you have 2.” (Rodley)
“It is my damn spare. If I were to give this to a new recruit, my head would be rolling.” (Gray)
“Eeh, so unfair. I want to blow things up too.” (Rodley)
A grenade is an incredibly scary weapon.
The blast alone has a radius of 4-5 meters, moreover, high speed shrapnel is scattered, killing many people within the blast radius.
I have been caught in a blast myself, and Sarusa-kun lost his life with that.
I personally would like you to not say you want to blow people to death with such light feelings.
“Oh well, I will negotiate with Captain-dono personally.” (Rodley)
“…I think you should not, you know. One of ours messed up with a grenade before.” (Gray)
“What, are you scared that I will get more spotlight than you, Senpai? You’re pedant.” (Rodley)
Rodley-kun clicked his tongue and left.
That attitude of his is not one you would direct to a senior.
“You really aren’t cute. I did warn you.” (Gray)
You normally would get angry at this, but Gray-senpai calmly brushed it off.
Gray-senpai may look gaudy, but he is decently mature.
“Oh?”
I was watching this conversation spaced out, and ended up making eye-contact with Gray-senpai.
“What’s the matter, Touri-chan? Could it be that you fell for me? I am feeling a hot gaze right from the morning.” (Gray)
“…I admire everything aside from that side of you, Gray-senpai.” (Touri)
Gray-senpai spoke to me with a smile.
I feel like I would have relied a bit more on Gray-senpai if it weren’t for him being so conceited.
It is not the favorable emotions for the opposite sex, but more like the ones between a senior and junior.
“A good woman can tell apart a good man by instinct. In other words, Touri-chan, you are a good woman.” (Gray)
“It seems like that phrase is a favorite pickup line of yours. Allen-san has told me a number of your tricks, Gray-senpai.” (Touri)
“Ah, crap. You knew?” (Gray)
“Yes.” (Touri)
Gray-senpai laughed loudly as if to play it off and pat my head.
I would have been able to admire him without complaints if he wasn’t like this.
No, maybe he is purposely acting frivolous like this.
“Touri, run to the field hospital at once. Dash!”
“Eh? Y-Yes!” (Touri)
5 minutes before the briefing.
Captain Gaback, who was already there, ordered this the moment he saw me.
“You will be working in the hospital today. That side is apparently pretty busy.” (Gaback)
“Yes.” (Touri)
“Get there as quickly as possible. Every second counts. Come on, why are you taking your sweet time. Run!” (Gaback)
The order I was given right away in the early morning was to run to the hospital.
I really need to work in the hospital today, but…
“Show me you can run at least a few kilometers.” (Gaback)
It seems like the order of Captain-dono comes with stamina training.
He probably wants me to be able to run on the level of your average soldier already as someone who doesn’t have stamina.
“Understood. I will be running at full speed to the field hospital as of now. After that, I will be under the command of Chief Gale.” (Touri)
“Alright. Go.” (Gaback)
Fuuh, it will be hectic from early morning, but let’s do my best.
“Fu, fu, fu, fu…” (Touri)
And then, a few minutes after I began running, I arrived in the field hospital while drenched in sweat.
Running early in the morning feels good.
It might have been just the perfect exercise if I wasn’t carrying heavy equipment.
Let’s run from the trench to the field hospital when I have to from here on so I can build up stamina.
…Getting all sweaty from early morning is a downside though. Let’s wipe my body lightly with a towel before showing up in front of the patients.
“Touri-chan, nice to see you have come. Can you enter the emergency room?” (Gale)
“The emergency room?” (Touri)
Chief Gale pulled my hand immediately after I showed up in front of her.
I thought she would bring me to the beds of the patients, but she guided me to a different location from usual today.
There was a long queue that I have never seen before.
“The inside of that tent has medical equipment and nurses stationed there. Please treat the injured in order inside there.” (Gale)
“I see. Understood.” (Touri)
At some point in time, a tent had been set at the side of the field hospital that was not there the previous day.
Looks like there’s a line of injured people at the entrance.
“We don’t have enough beds at all. The people who can walk on their own are all lined up there instead.” (Gale)
“…Wow.” (Touri)
“We are treating the minor injuries with the bare minimum and having them rest in the frontlines. We can’t deal with all of them otherwise.” (Gale)
Gale-san said this with a face that shows she is already completely exhausted.
Could it be that this person hasn’t slept since yesterday…?
No, there’s no way she would be able to sleep.
A staggering amount of patients must have been transported here with yesterday’s battle.
“Ouch… It hurts…”
“I don’t feel my arm… Ain’t this necrosis?”
I did a cursory glance on the line and the people who would normally be hospitalized are being made to wait, weather-beaten.
There are people who have had their arm torn off and rotting, and a lot of people who are laying down and aren’t moving.
Isn’t this pretty bad…?
“Only the comparatively lightly injured are lined up. I will leave them all to you, Touri-chan. Don’t mistake when to use healing magic, okay?” (Gale)
“…Eh?” (Touri)
The Medic Department Chief gave me an unbelievable order.
Did she say ‘everyone’ just now? W-Wait a moment.
I have to check all the people in this line that looks like there’s around a hundred people?! By myself?!
“Sorry, we don’t have enough hands at all. I will give you personnel in their shift eventually, so do your best.” (Gale)
“Y-Yes…” (Touri)
…They can’t keep up with the treatment for the people that have minor injuries and are not in risk of losing their lives, so she threw them all to me, huh.
I could sleep yesterday, so I have mana and stamina to spare.
“Counting on you~.” (Gale)
The Department Chief made an apologetic face while hurriedly running off.
Now then, there’s a hundred people no matter how I see it…
Uhm…if I take 10 minutes in the treatment of 1 person… Over 16 hours…
I can’t just make the very last person wait that much.
That’s why I have to deal with this grand amount of injured people within 10 minutes or less.
“…”
“Ah, a medic finally came. Over here. Please come in.”
“…O-Okay.” (Touri)
That said, how is a new recruit going to deal with these numbers?
Can you at least make 1 more line for examinations?
No, if I have time to complain, I have time to work.
Them having no choice but to leave it all to me means that the sickbeds are in an even more hellish state.
The field hospital is as black of a company as ever today as well, but let’s just think this is better than working in the frontlines since there’s no risk of losing my life.
“O-Oi, we are going to receive treatment from this brat after waiting for so long?!”
“…If you don’t like it, you can leave.” (Touri)
“I have been waiting the whole time since yesterday night! Please bring a more proper medic from above!”
Now then, I am treating a patient from outside for the first time, but well, it was a tough job beyond belief.
“Please use healing magic! Come on, my leg won’t move.”
“I am sorry, but I think it is just a bone fracture. It will heal if fixed in place properly, so please wait.”
I am a brat after all, so I can only use healing magic 3 times consecutively. I can’t use them that frequently even if I were to drink medicine to boost it.
And so, the patients were either overplaying their pain or were actually in pain, and I had to discern each one of them.
I had to not mistake when to use healing magic as I treat them.
“Ah, Touri-chan…”
“Ah, Corporal Verdy. Good work. How was your treatment on the arm?” (Touri)
“Aah, it seems to be alright.” (Verdy)
A familiar face entered the examination room at noon. It is Corporal Verdy.
It seems like he was also judged as having a minor injury and made to line up.
…I wasn’t confident yesterday night, but it seems like the arm stuck fine. That’s a relief.
“Now then, you are completely recovered now, Corporal. It is fine for you to return to the frontlines.” (Touri)
“Yeah, thanks.” (Verdy)
Talking to a member of the platoon here feels weird.
Corporal cheered me up by saying ‘do your best’ and left.
Now then, let’s do my best as told.
“Please look. My butt exploded…”
“Oh, this is a terrible burn.” (Touri)
……
In the end, I only finished sweeping that massive line when the sky was getting dark.
I drank medicine countless times to squeeze out my mana. My mental and physical strength are already at their limits.
I didn’t even have the time to take a meal break. I continued moving my body while sipping on rations and doing the medical examinations and treatments.
“2nd class medic Touri, just a few more people to end.”
“S-So it is ending…” (Touri)
The veteran nurse that was working together with me said that to me.
The Department Chief told me she would give me someone in their shift, but she didn’t send someone like that in the end.
Well, it makes sense since they are busy with the more serious patients.
“You are so level-headed for someone so young. Thanks, medic.”
“Thank you very much. Please take care.” (Touri)
There were some who were in pretty bad state, but most of the patients were lightly injured or were polite.
Thanks to that, I was able to examine the injuries systematically, and treat them.
I feel like my brain wasn’t working much at the later stages.
This is far far rougher than the usual ward duties.
“Last one, come in.”
But this is the last one for this rough job.
Even Chief Gale should be giving me a break once this job is done.
She will, right? I can at least take my time with dinner, right?
That’s why I will squeeze out the last of my energy and treat them gently and calmly…
“…”
“…What?”
The last patient that entered was Rodley-kun with outrageous wounds.
“Uhm…” (Touri)
“Treat me already, you incompetent fool.” (Rodley)
“So you really requested permission for grenades from the Captain-dono.” (Touri)
“Shut up.” (Rodley)
And so, Rodley was the patient with the worst injuries today (punishment from an ally).
His whole body was beaten up, bone fractures, and dislocated joints.
“…Please wait for a bit.” (Touri)
“Ah? What are you drinking?” (Rodley)
They are wounds I have to use healing magic on, so I boost my own body, and used [Heal].
It is annoying that I have to treat the wounds that Captain Gaback-dono caused.
Seriously, please don’t increase my workload unnecessarily, Captain…
He still saved my life, so I gave him treatment pretty gently.
But Rodley-kun spit out ‘your treatment was slow and there’s still pain. What an unbelievably bad job’ as he left.
I was assailed with a hard to describe emptiness.
The last patient was the most tiring one.