Farewell Dinner

To keep her mind off Elias and the constant worries, Callie threw herself into work. Days blurred into nights as she honed her surgical skills, and, when she had the time, she learned about battlefield first aid from the experienced nurse Craig. Given his position as a major general, Elias was likely to be deployed to yet another active battlefield after he returned from his present mission. When that came, Callie didn’t want to just wait around for him; she wanted to join him. And Craig, a seasoned and battle-hardened nurse, whose weathered face bore witness to countless trials, was the best teacher she could find in the military academy. With a steady yet gentle voice, Craig began his teachings, each word carrying the weight of countless lives he had touched. ‘Now, Dr Hawthorne, out there, you won’t have all the fancy equipment and medications you’re used to. It’s your wits, your hands, and what basic supplies we can muster. But make no mistake, they’re often enough to make all the d