The man’s eyes flickered with confusion. “Why?” he whispered in broken English.
Andrew didn’t hesitate. “Because you’re bleeding.”
Behind him, two American soldiers watched in disbelief. One muttered, “This is insane.” The other said nothing, his expression unreadable.
Andrew applied a tourniquet with steady hands. The enemy soldier screamed, then sagged in relief as the bleeding slowed. Andrew worked methodically, ignoring the chaos around him. In that small circle of dirt and blood, there were no sides, only a body fighting to stay alive.
A fresh barrage forced everyone to take cover. Andrew shielded the wounded man with his own body as debris fell again. For a brief, surreal moment, he was protecting someone who hours earlier might have been aiming a rifle at his chest.
