Scene 1: Unwanted Guests
The morning came with a rush of noise—vehicles, radios, boots hitting gravel.
Dr. Hana Mir walked out of the clinic rubbing her eyes, only to freeze at the sight of a government convoy entering Camp Khidmat. Politicians, media reps, and brass—exactly the kind of people who liked to pose in front of the suffering.
Zayan stood near the gates, already in uniform. His posture was stiffer than usual. Beside him was Colonel Farooq, a towering man with silver hair and sharp eyes, someone who radiated authority and buried secrets.
The colonel saw Hana and nodded curtly. "Doctor Mir. I've heard good things."
"From your press team?" she muttered under her breath.
Zayan caught her tone and smirked, just slightly. "Play nice, Doc. Today, it's not about saving lives—it's about saving face."
She frowned. "So we pretend?"
"Isn't that what you do in politics and medicine both?"
"Not when someone's dying," she snapped.
Scene 2: A Race Against Time
The tour began. Flashbulbs popped as officials smiled in front of sick children. Hana gave forced answers, biting her tongue.
But then—it happened.
A jeep skidded to the entrance, blood smeared across its hood. A local man jumped out, shouting, "She's not breathing! My wife—please!"
Hana and her team rushed to the backseat. A woman, pregnant and unconscious, gasped faintly. Blood pooled beneath her.
Zayan appeared, his jaw set. "There's no surgical team left. The mobile OR left for the city."
"She's crashing," Hana said. "I need to operate—now."
Colonel Farooq walked up. "You can't operate here. The press is everywhere. If she dies under your hands, it becomes national shame."
Hana's hands clenched. "So you'd rather let her die quietly?"
Zayan pulled her aside. "He's not wrong about the politics. But we'll buy you time. Do what you have to do."
She stared at him. "This might cost you your rank."
He met her gaze. "And it might cost her everything."
Scene 3: Operating Under Fire
They converted a supply tent into an emergency surgery bay.
No lights. No monitor. No anesthesia beyond local numbing.
Hana scrubbed in. Her team of three worked like shadows. Sweat dripped from her brow. Her hands never trembled—not once.
Outside, Zayan and Captain Rameen created a diversion—media blocked, brass delayed, excuses invented.
Inside, the woman bled. Hana fought to save two lives—the mother and the unborn child.
Then—the silence.
Then—the cry.
A baby's cry.
Everyone inside froze. One nurse wiped tears.
"She's breathing," Hana whispered. "Both are alive."
Scene 4: The Cost of Defiance
An hour later, Hana exited the tent, exhausted. Zayan met her outside.
"You did it," he said simply.
"So did you."
But the atmosphere shifted when Colonel Farooq stepped toward them, eyes cold.
"You defied a direct order, Major."
Zayan straightened. "I take full responsibility, sir."
"And you, Doctor," the colonel said to Hana, "Your heroics make headlines—but don't forget, medicine without protocol becomes malpractice."
Zayan stepped in front of her. "She saved lives. That's more than most of us did today."
The colonel paused. "You both may think today was a victory. But the real war—political, personal, and moral—is coming."
He walked away.
Zayan turned to Hana. "Still glad you broke the rules?"
She smiled faintly. "Only when I have a soldier to cover me."
Scene 5: Letters and Regrets
That night, Hana sat by the lantern light, scribbling in her notebook. She didn't know if it was a letter to herself, or someone she'd never send it to.
"I came here to help people. I didn't know I'd find a reason to fight harder. Or someone who'd stand beside me when I did…"
Across the camp, Zayan stood near the fence, staring into the distance. His radio crackled with new orders. His next mission was classified. Dangerous.
He looked toward the medical tent, where her light still glowed.
And for once, he wished the war would wait.
[To be continued...]