As he watched more men fall, guilt and anxiety tormented his thoughts. He had now killed many human beings and the thought of it caused him great sadness. Tears welled in his eyes.
Suddenly, he heard a guttural sound from behind him. He turned in time to see the sharp shooter at the end collapse to the ground. Geoff stared in shock as the man lay dead across a single log.
“Keep shooting,” Pvt. Holley shouted. “Fight like you’re going to live.”
The words registered in his mind and gave him strength. He lifted his rifle and quickly reloaded. Wiping a tear from his eye, he sighted the weapon and pulled the trigger. He held his stare down the barrel and watched a distant man drop. In seconds, he repeated the action. Over and over, he fired with determination to live.
Nearly an hour of repeated attacks and withdrawals, the union advance was now sustaining heavy casualties. Inspired by their weakening strength, Rebel soldiers increased their effort. Geoff watched dozens of men fall in a hail of lead. Screams of agony could be heard between lulls in the actions. As he stared down upon the dead and the injured, the horrific scene stunned him. Never before had he seen such suffering and for a moment, it was too much for him to stand. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he wished for it all to go away. He closed his eyes in desperation, but the nightmare was still there, loud and frightening.
Suddenly, his mind flashed to the one person he counted on for strength: Bobby. He smiled at his brother’s image and for a moment, he felt comforted.
“Keep shooting boy. Don’t give up. Fight like you’re going to live,” the voice shouted from behind.
Startled with a jolt, Geoff’s eyes popped open. He snapped his head around to see Pvt. Holley glaring at him. Once again, the private’s words inspired him. He nodded in determination, then fired.
-----*-----*-----*-----
Sgt. Cooper scanned the field as he reloaded his rifle. Seconds later, he discharged his weapon at an approaching enemy. As he continued to reload, he watched the wounded man fall, only to be replaced by two more. Quickly, he squeezed off another round. Watching his shot hit its mark, he soon realized two more men had replaced the next fallen soldier. Within seconds, the enemy to his front began to swell. Large numbers of men charged closer to the breastworks.
Instantly, he scanned the activities of his men further down the line. Halfway toward the end, his men had concentrated their fire at the Union’s left flank, thereby reducing the firepower on the opposite side. The lack of strength suddenly allowed the Union’s right flank to grow and now threatened to overrun the Rebel line.
Sgt. Cooper burst from his stance and hurried up the line.
“Concentrate y’alls fire on the left,” he shouted as he ran.
Stopping at one of his corporal’s, he shouted over the thunderous sound, “The Yanks are flanking our left. Concentrate y’alls fire on our left.”
Without waiting for a response, he rushed off to continue his message, reloading while he ran. Several yards up the line, he stopped, fired and shouted his message again.
“Concentrate y’alls fire on the left!”
Looking up and down the wall, he monitored the activity. With orders now in place, he hurried back down the line to the far side of the skirmish line.
“Steady, don’t get rattled. Hold the line!” he shouted in quick succession.
Nearing the left end, just before the incline to the bluff, he watched in horror as the Union right flank broke through and climbed over the skirmish line. His mouth dried and his stomach churned as he realized the gravity of their situation. Rushing in to help, he loaded on the run. Thirty yards away, he observed as several of his men engaged in hand to hand combat. He fired his rifle at an enemy soldier, killing him as he leaped across the wall. Instantly, he sprinted into action.
David fired his weapon into the stomach of a Union soldier. The soldier’s eyes bulged as they instantly registered his pain. He let out a guttural cry and fell forward. David leaped to his feet. With no time to reload, he rammed his bayonet into the stomach of another man charging forward. He pulled it out and tried to stab another as the man stepped over the low wall. As the blade contacted the Union private’s heavy woolen coat, the man stepped sideways, causing the bayonet to snap off under the heavy force.
The soldier thrust his bayonet toward David. Instantly, David blocked it with the butt of his rifle, then grabbed the barrel and swung it like a club. The heavy stock of his gun contacted the Union soldier, crushing his skull and knocking him to the ground. David spun around with the barrel once more, instinctively sensing an enemy behind him. Even before his eyes made contact, his rifle butt made contact first. Blood and teeth exploded from a Union man’s mouth, knocking him unconscious.
Sgt. Cooper rushed into the fight. Pulling his long knife from his sheath, he blocked a bayonet charge, then wildly slashed across a soldier’s throat, nearly decapitating the man from the initial blow. As more charged in, he kicked one man in the groin, while blocking another’s bayonet. Spinning around, he slashed at the two charging men, then thrust his blade deep into them. He pulled his bloody blade from the man’s stomach and searched for another attacker.
Geoff glanced down to check on David. Instantly, his mind raced as he watched him violently swinging his rifle. He knew he was in real trouble and needed help as more Union men poured over the shallow wall. Too far away to run to his aide, he elected to fire down upon the melee and hope his aim missed his comrades.
David dropped his rifle and picked up another with a functioning bayonet. Standing quickly, his mouth dropped open as he stared into the barrel of an enemy rifle. As the Union man pulled back the hammer, he quickly tried to squeeze the trigger.
Horrific and violent, the Union soldier’s face erupted in blood as a bullet tore through tissue and bone. Falling to the side, David grabbed his loaded weapon. He spun it around, lined it up on the enemy and fired. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement. He turned his head and saw a Union soldier about to bayonet him. Even before he could move, the top of the man’s head exploded. David stepped back quickly and allowed the man to fall forward.
Suddenly, the reality of the shot registered in his mind. He quickly glanced up to the bluff in time to see Geoff fire down into the crowded conflict once again. Just in front of him, another enemy soldier fell. For a moment, the two made eye contact, smiled, then continued to fight.
Sgt. Cooper sidestepped a lunging bayonet charge. In reflex, he thrust his knife into the soldier’s chest, then withdrew. Before the man could fall, another stepped up and pointed his weapon. Sgt. Cooper was trapped. The falling man blocked his path, preventing him from defending himself against the loaded weapon. As he watched the Union soldier pull back the hammer, he stared bravely into his eyes and waited his fate.
Suddenly, the Union man’s chest tore open. As the bullet passed through, his back exploded in a shower of blood, tissue and fabric, covering the man behind him. Sgt. Cooper leaped over the two falling soldiers and thrust his knife into the blood spattered man. Surprise swept the soldier’s face. As he fell backward, Sgt. Cooper checked the trajectory of the shot. Looking up to the bluff, he watched in astonishment as Geoff skillfully picked off another Union soldier. For a brief moment, the two caught each other’s stare. Sgt. Cooper, in uncharacteristic appreciation, raised his hand and saluted. As Geoff smiled back, his focus became distracted, but then quickly reloaded. Seconds later, another soldier fell.
As the majority of his men concentrated their fire on the overrunning enemy, their efforts began to pay off. Withering fire pushed back the Union advance and now the Rebels had them on the run. Over the next two hours, volleys from both sides surged and abated, but with the greater loss of Union men, their lacking strength was not enough to turn the tide of the battle. Reluctantly, the Union commanders sounded a retreat.
-----*-----*-----*-----
David’s hands shook. Looking around at the wounded, he knew he should be helping but the intensity of the bat
tle drained him of every ounce of his physical strength. He dropped to his knees and sat against a log to catch his breath. Dazed and exhausted, he took off his sweat soaked cap and laid it on the ground beside him. As he took a deep breath, he looked up and saw Geoff staring back at him.
He smiled in relief, pointed at him, then made an OK gesture with his index finger and thumb. As he flashed his hand signal, he mouthed the words: “You Ok?”
Geoff flashed a smile back then gave the ‘thumbs up’ sign in return.
David felt relief. He waved back to Geoff and nodded, then raised his thumb up to signal his satisfaction.
As Geoff laid his head back to rest, David lifted his canteen and took a drink of water. He heard a familiar voice from behind:
“Don’t get too comfy. They’ll be back,” Sgt. Cooper said in a cordial tone. He paused a moment, then added, “You fought well, New Mexican.”
David smiled back in appreciation. “I’d say you fought pretty well yourself. I’m sure glad you found someone else to use that knife on,” he teased.
“For now,” Sgt Cooper replied in good humor, then added, “but that could all change in a minute.”
He flashed an uncharacteristic smile, then turned and headed down the line. David laid his head on the log and rested. Looking up toward the bluff, he could see Geoff was doing the same. A wave of guilt overwhelmed his thoughts once more. He recalled Bobby’s fateful surgery and wondered the outcome had he only been rested and clear in mind.
“You should have waited. You had no business operating on that kid,” he said under his breath. “Why didn’t you just wait for the neurosurgeon?” he asked himself, second guessing his abilities.
Instantly, he blurted in anger, “Because there wasn’t time to wait, you idiot! His vitals were dropping way too fast. By the time the neurosurgeon got there, he would have been dead. You did the best you could under the circumstances,” he said, sitting up and looking around to see if anyone heard him.
Seeing his outburst went unnoticed, he lay back down and continued in his thoughts.
“You didn’t have to take all the other surgeries though,” he countered in his mind. “Maybe if you didn’t act like you were superman all the time, someone else could’ve taken the other work and you could’ve been rested up for when it really counted.”
He thought about the truth of his statement and the words cut through him like a knife.
“SHIT!” he shouted out in anger, now convinced of his guilt.
Looking back up to Geoff, he felt sad that the teen was suffering for his error in judgment. As much as he hated the idea of changing the past to affect the future, he felt compelled to do so for the teen’s sake.
“Whatever it takes,” he vowed to himself.
He looked back up to Geoff once more and wondered about his thoughts.
-----*-----*-----*-----
Geoff lay against a log and rested. He felt physically and emotionally drained. With his eyes closed, he tried to think of happier times that would take his mind off the horrific battle. He began to think about Bobby. A smile spread across his face and for a brief moment, he was transported away from the carnage.
As his mind drifted from one memory to the next, his thoughts eventually drifted back to that fateful night when Bobby lost his life. He could still see his brother’s mangled body as he lay pinned inside the wreckage. Instantly, he thought of Arles Moore.
“Freakin’ idiot,” he said under his breath. “He’ll get his someday.”
He felt deep hatred for the troubled teen, then realized something…
“Man, he’s dead,” he said aloud, adding, “I guess he got his already.”
“Who’re you talking about?” Pvt. Holley asked, seated next to Geoff.
Geoff opened his eyes and realized his comment.
“Nobody, just a guy I once knew,” he answered.
Pvt. Holley nodded simply, then closed his eyes and continued to rest.
Geoff looked down from the bluff and stared at David as he rested. He looked tired and worn, nothing like the man he first met. His mind then flashed through the savage battle scenes where David had almost been killed. He thought about how David tried to save the man next to him, at the risk to his own life. He remembered David’s kindness in the face of his angry outbursts. The more he thought about the doctor turned soldier, the more he realized he was responsible for that transformation. Suddenly, he felt guilt.
“Man, what a mess I dragged him into,” he said aloud.
“Who’re you talking about?” Pvt. Holley inquired again, this time with his eyes closed.
Geoff stared down at David and replied, “A friend… just a friend.”
-----*-----*-----*-----
With most men ordered to remain at their stations, only a few were ordered to help in removing the dead and wounded from the field. As horse-drawn ambulances pulled away from the skirmish line, cries of suffering could be heard from the wounded. All men sat in solemn quiet, realizing that at any time, those same cries of pain could be heard from their own voice.
Nearly three hours had passed since the last rifle was fired. An eerie still settled over the battlefield as the men waited. Looking across the field to the enemy, Sgt. Cooper stared through his field glass and tried to second-guess their next move. From a mile away, he could just make out the Northern commander, Gen. George Thomas, sitting on his horse waving his sword as he shouted orders.
“What’re y’all up to,” Sgt. Cooper said to himself, barely audible.
Suddenly, barely detectable through his low powered monocular, he saw a cloud of smoke. Instantly, his eyes widened.
“Y’all take cover!” he shouted over and over across the line.
In seconds, the loud piercing scream of the shell grew in volume as it neared. With a thunderous roar, it landed several yards in front of the skirmish line and exploded. Although the impact was violent, the effects were merely superficial on the section of heavily fortified wall, saving the startled men hiding behind it.
Over the next ten minutes, many more shells were hurled at the entrenched southern soldiers with varying degrees of success. Some men died, others wounded, most felt terror as they waited on their fate.
Sgt. Cooper sat up quickly and checked on the enemy through his field glass. With a determined nod, he stuffed the monocular back into his pocket and shouted to his men.
“Prepare to fire!”
Although the shelling telegraphed the enemies intensions, the initial call to arms sent waves of anxiety through the men. As they clutched their weapons with their sweat-soaked hands, they slowly raised them above the makeshift wall. Moments later, the shelling stopped. In seconds, rifles open fired down from the bluff into the sea of charging men.
“Fire!” Sgt. Cooper shouted.
Instantly, the roar of Rebel guns unleashed a furry of lead upon the blue coated men. Within seconds, their attack was answered with return fire from the fast approaching Union line. Devastating volleys reaped carnage on both sides. Determined to win, neither side relented. As the minutes became two hours, tactical strategies failed resulting in acts of desperation.
David fired on the enemy with speed and accuracy. Every minute, four shots sounded from his rifle. With more logs added to the top of the wall during the battle’s lull, he was now able to kneel and fire fully protected. Staring down the sights of his rifle, fear and apprehension surged through his body. With shaking hands, he hauled back on the hammer, took aim and pulled the trigger. Out in the distance, a hundred and fifty yards away, another Union soldier fell.
As he reloaded, he noticed a massing of soldiers on the Union’s right flank beginning to break out from the regular line. Led by a crazed corporal and several privates, they had watched the men on the bluff repeatedly thwart any attempts to advance. Wreaking havoc with their sniper fire, the enraged corporal had had enough. With a spirited call to charge, the band of Union soldiers made a desperate run for the bluff.
David took
aim at the main leader. Suddenly, splinters of wood exploded as a barrage of lead impacted the logs directly in front of him. Instantly, he dropped his rifle and fell backward. Lying on the ground, he held his eyes in pain, while he detected a warm sticky fluid trickle through his fingers.
“I’ve been shot,” he shouted loudly.
-----*-----*-----*-----
Up on the bluff, Geoff and the other sharp shooters continued to fire down onto the Union line. Standing behind their reinforced wall, they were taking heavy fire by the Union’s right flank as their comrades laid down cover-fire for those storming the hill.
With the sounds of lead impacting the wood wall, Geoff began to flinch and duck behind it for safety. His mind raced with fear each time he stood and fired. Quickly, he reloaded his weapon, then raised his head above the wall. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement. As he turned slightly, he watched a rifle tumble over the wall and lay on the grass on the opposite side. Turning further, he watched in horror as a private in the middle, collapsed rearward. Lying flat with his arms outstretched, his wound was conspicuous and shocking. Geoff felt sick as he noted the young mans’ missing jaw.
Prisoner in Time (Time travel) Page 21