His body ached in anguish as he awoke. The midday sun blinded his eyes as it pierced through the canopy of trees overhead. He turned his bruised and beaten body to the side, pulled his leg out from under him and rolled back upon the packed and moistened leaves underneath.

His muddled mind raced to find a reason for his being there; how it happened… how long had it been… where was everyone else. A memory returned with each muted cry for help; the crackling sound of fire silenced by distant but thunderous booms.

The ringing in his ears ceased as the tingling in his legs began. He closed his eyes hoping the painful prick of a thousand needles was the blood flowing back to his feet and not a swarm of ants on the forest floor. Squeezing his eyelids tighter he bore the brunt of the torture it took to stand and stumbled twice before running to rescue the others.

The clearing at the edge of the trees was littered with broken glass A mountain of mangled steel and concrete now lay where his hospital once stood.