The soldier lay on the battlefield, his head was spinning, he hurt everywhere. He lifted his head and realized that he could not see his legs, he tried to move his arm and realized that it wouldn't move. Pain shot through his entire body. He looked about for help, was there ANYONE out there? All he could see were other bodies, like his, lying about, missing limbs, he couldn't tell if they were dead or alive.
Hopeless, it was hopeless, he was too far gone, "I may as well give up." He thought, "I may as well die here, on enemy ground, they've won, they've won against me."
No chance of rescue at all, there were still bombs going off all over the place and there were still people dying all around, his friends, dying.
A man fell next to him only to begin crawling away uninjured, but he recognised this man, he called out his name and his friend turned to look, the mans face went pale as he recognised this injured soldier. "Help me!" whispered the injured man weakly. But his friend only turned and crawled away.
"You can't leave me here alone! Remember! We were buddies! Remember me! Please!" But his friend never turned his head again.
The soldier began to cry, he was not only injured and unable to move or to resist any attack, completely unable to protect himself from the enemy who he could hear closing coming closer, but now he was friendless, apparently he was too messed up for even his companion to help him. How then would the enemy let him live?
But did he even want to live? He wondered if he was missing limbs, he wondered if he could live even if he was rescued.
Another soldier tripped over him, this one was an aquaintance. "Help!" He cried, and the man was startled "You're alive?!" He asked, "Oh man, how can I help?" The injured soldier made a quick decision, "Shoot me! Kill me all the way! Please, I would but I cant move, please, I'm in pain, you've gotta help me!" The man shook his head quickly "No way! I'm not gonna do that! I can't do that! You've gotta be crazy!" And he rushed away.
Now the injured soldier could hear the enemy tanks coming closer and his heart beat nearly as loud as the gunshots that still rang out. The only thing for it was to pretend he was dead and perhaps he wouldn't be noticed. He closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing, but it came in such great gasps that he could not. Suddenly there was an explosion that was louder than all the rest and he could no longer hear the tank. The shots became fewer and with more space in between until he could no longer hear any.
Now the moaning from the wounded began, and the shouts for a medic. The injured soldier was by now in so much pain that he did not even want to cry out anymore. "Maybe they'll find me here, maybe they won't, it probably doesn't matter at this point, I'll probably just die anyway." And he didn't cry for help.
"Hey! This one is alive!" Shouted a voice, and he heard their feet close to him, but they weren't helping him, they were helping someone else who groaned nearby. This was his last chance, die or ask for help... and possibly still die.
"Please, help..." He murmured, he mustered his strength and opened his eyes. It took all his strength but he reached out his hand, toward his fellow soldiers.
Sometimes I find myself in this place, where I know I am weak and can no longer fight on my own. I am so tempted to just give up, but there is still something in me that wants to live, and I reach out for help from my friends. I reach out for help from God, and though I am maimed; He still wants me.
