XIV - Suffering

Kamon barely noticed the convoy roar way. He saw only people that desperately needed help.

He came to two lifeless bodies and a woman grieving over them. He checked for vital signs and found none. The woman appeared unhurt physically. Kamon moved on. The emotional wounds must be dealt with later. To be effective in this situation he needed to be practical. It was chaos all around him at the moment. Triage needed to be established. Order needed to be implemented and quickly.

A block away, there was great commotion. A trio of men stood in what used to be a doorway of a building, struggling to move something. Behind them, others were wailing and shouting. Kamon broke into a run. This looked like an immediate emergency. Order might have to wait a little longer.

Kamon surveyed the situation quickly. What had once been a concrete two-story structure was now a virtual pile of rubble. A large section of the far wall remained in one piece, but it had collapsed and fallen inward, its apex protruding into what had formerly been the doorway. Three men were struggling with this section of the wall, frantically attempting to lift it. But their efforts were fruitless. There was debris in the way, leaving little of the wall to grasp.

Scores of children were scattered close by; many were wailing. The youngsters were frightened; many had been injured. Adults were pulling the children to a safer distance.

The situation was clear. People were trapped beneath the rubble, a few or many, Kamon did not know for sure. As Kamon analyzed the situation, he acted. It was his nature.

Kamon ignored the chattering of the crowd. To ask questions would only waste precious time. It was clear to him with only a cursory examination that this structure was very unstable. The balance of it would soon come crashing down, and whoever was under this wall and rubble would very likely perish, if they had not already.

"Out of the way!" Kamon commanded grimly.

The three men who had been struggling to lift the heavy wall unexpectedly found themselves being pulled away by a towering stranger. He quickly took their place at the only point which provided something to grasp. He quickly squatted on his haunches, his tailbone nearly touching the ground. The palms of his strong hands reached under the wall and grasped it firmly.

The underside of the concrete piece was fairly smooth. It did not provide the most advantageous of grips, but it would have to do. Kamon's intellect told him where to position his feet, to straighten his back. But beyond this, his intelligence would have very little to do with what was about to come.

Kamon adjusted his fingers on the underside of the fallen wall, hurriedly searching for a better hold as he prepared himself. The apex of the object was in his face. The muscles in his massive thighs bunched and tensed for the order they were about to receive.

The stone was heavy, perhaps too heavy. But that would have to be proved.

Kamon sensed that time was running out for whoever might be under this wall. The balance of the structure could come crashing down at any moment. If he were going to act, it had better be now.

The order came. His feet suddenly dug firmly into the hard ground. His face grimaced and contorted under the huge strain. A grunt escaped his lips. His neck muscles quivered while the veins beside them stood out like large cords. A grim drama was playing itself out, a single man attempting to defy nature's force of gravity. One man struggling to move that which should be immovable by a single individual.

Huge thighs suddenly powered Kamon's giant frame upward, his sturdy hands taking the great stone wall with him.

And there he stood, straight and erect, firmly supporting the section of the building. It was an awesome display of raw power. The incredible feat more than hinted at some special power in his giant sinews. Indeed, it shouted the message.

For an instant, no one moved, so quickly had the deed been done, so breathtaking had been the spectacle. It was eerie. Unreal. A stranger stood defiantly in the bright sun holding a concrete wall that three men had been unable to budge. Where had he come from? How had he done it?

But in the next instant, the reality of the situation returned to the amazed villagers. They moved quickly. There was a crisis here.

Kamon could feel people at his feet, but he dared not look. The wall was very heavy. It required all his strength to hold it.

But he could feel people brushing his legs. And from beneath the wall he could hear voices! Children! They were being pulled to safety! Kamon managed to glance backward. Many children! Most seemed dazed and dusty but otherwise unhurt. They continued coming from the depths, scrambling, crawling to safety.

There was a basement or underground shelter beneath him. Kamon glanced upward. The rest of the building could collapse at any moment. When it did, the large amount of concrete and heavy debris would smash downward and seal the fate of anyone remaining in the basement. It would become their grave.

Kamon's strong arms were beginning to weaken. His huge frame was showing signs of strain. His limbs ached. He was quivering. Yet he could still feel bodies brushing his legs. Children were still being pulled to safety. He redoubled his resolve. A little while longer!

Another minute passed. A flurry of bodies swarmed beneath him. His breathing grew labored. He could feel his fingers slipping. Hurry! He had held back death for those children trapped below but he could not support the great wall much longer. There was a limit to his endurance and he was reaching it.

"Hurry!" he barked through gritted teeth.

A moment later, a hand slapped his broad shoulder. "They're all out! All of them! Out!"

"Are you sure?!" he grunted through clenched teeth. He was almost out of strength, but he had to be certain.

"Yes! Yes!"

"Stand back!" Kamon shouted over his shoulder. "Way back!"

Kamon glanced up. He knew when he released the concrete wall, it would send shock waves through the remainder of the structure. It would all collapse. If he did not jump away far enough and with sufficient alacrity, he could very well be caught by bouncing debris in the resulting cataclysm. He was in real danger here.

But his arms were growing numb from the strain. He would drop his burden soon whether he wished it or not. The circumstances were not going to change for the better.

With great suddenness, Kamon released the concrete wall and leaped backward. As he expected, the building shuddered, then the rest of the walls came crashing down. A cloud of dust puffed outward, followed by loose debris and sizable chunks of concrete and stone.

But Kamon had moved with a speed that belied his huge frame. He was well ahead of the deadly chunks as they bounded after him. The dust swirled all about. What had once been a sturdy building was now nothing but a huge mound of rubble.

Kamon turned and surveyed the crowd of villagers. Adults, he assumed parents, were hugging their children. Tears of joy ran down their dusty faces. He estimated that forty children had been pulled to safety.

"We need to treat the injured," Kamon spoke with authority. "Does anyone here have a medical background? A doctor or a nurse?"

A few people shook their heads. No one spoke up.

"Is there a doctor or nurse anywhere in this village?" Kamon asked.

The reaction was the same. There were no medical personnel.

"Then we'll have to do the best we can," Kamon announced with a grim confidence. "I know something about first aid. I'll tend to the injured."

"Who are you?" a gaunt man with a fresh scratch down his forehead asked.

"My name is Kamon?" the big man answered. He knelt beside a boy who was clutching a swollen ankle. The boy was sobbing.

"Where did you come from?" the villager asked.

"A woman named Jasmine brought me here," Kamon answered. He looked at a woman next to the boy. "I think he has a severe ankle sprain. I doubt if any bones are broken. He should be alright."

"Jasmine!" the woman exclaimed. "I know her! She is a good woman! And thank you! Thank you for saving my child!" The woman was in tears. Kamon nodded an acknowledgement, a barely audible, "You're welcome," then he moved on.

Kamon began conducting cursory inspections of the children and some adults. Most injuries appeared not to be serious. The people expressed their gratitude freely.

"We need organization," Kamon soon announced. He looked at the man who had first spoken to him. "Who's searching for victims?"

"Every available person is, I think," the man replied.

"And where are they taking the injured?"

The man shrugged.

"That's not good enough," Kamon said. "The injured need to be treated in a methodical fashion. They must be taken to a central location. People must know what to do. What's your name?

"Peonon."

"Peonon," Kamon ordered. "I want you to act as the coordinator for disaster services. If anyone objects, have her come and see me. Now, find a place that might serve as a temporary hospital. Then find supplies. Bandages, fresh linens, clean cloth, anything like that. We'll need benches, beds or anything that the injured can be laid on. We'll treat the seriously injured as we find them, then evacuate them to the temporary hospital. I'll need someone to assist me in the field. Can you do all this, Peonon? If not, tell me now."

"Yes," Peonon nodded, energized by Kamon's commanding voice. "I think so. But I'll need help."

"Then get it," Kamon ordered. "Get whatever help you need. I'll start tending to people as I find them. If you find any more people trapped or buried and feel you need my help in freeing them, come get me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Kamon."

"Then go!" Kamon commanded.

Hours passed. Some organization came to the chaos. No one challenged Kamon's assumption of command. They did wonder about his fair skin, however. He was obviously a foreigner. Eyebrows were raised when under direct questioning he stated that he was a resident of Marmot. Marmot!? Why would an ally of their enemy be helping them?! It was very strange.

Kamon had not seen Jasmine since she had been speaking with the commanding officer. He wondered about her, even asked the villagers where she might be, but no one had seen her. Where had she gone? It had been her idea to visit this village.

But Kamon had no time to look for her. There were injured people to treat. He established triage. He had to make gut wrenching decisions, the worst of his life. A young woman was brought to him on a make-shift stretcher. Without an x-ray it was impossible to say for sure, but he suspected she had a fractured pelvis. He was certain that she was suffering from severe internal bleeding. The woman was in great pain. He asked her name.

"Lemonon," she said.

Kamon smiled at her and squeezed her hand. He smoothed her hair. He wanted to tell her that everything would be alright, that he would take care of her. Rather than lie, he chose to remain silent. A modern hospital with an emergency room might have been able to save her. He could not, not here. Kamon moved on. There were others who could be saved. He would only waste precious time on her. Lemonon would die.

Kamon never saw her alive again.

Kamon had little time to reflect on the woman he had passed over. There was too much to do. He was kept very busy.

Dusk approached. Orange and pink painted the late afternoon sky. Kamon was just returning from a quick rescue effort. Debris that had proved too large to be moved by the villagers had yielded to Kamon's intellect. Fulcrums and levers had accomplished what brute force could not. In his arms, Kamon carried a wounded boy. Behind him came two stretchers bearing a woman each.

Kamon stepped inside the makeshift structure that was serving as a hospital. Peonon had proved to be effective in his efforts. The building was proving to be adequate considering the circumstances. Kamon placed the boy on a table. Aside from some superficial cuts and bruises the boy was fine. The two women had been similarly fortunate.

Kamon felt a tug on his arm. He looked down into the face of a little girl. Her face was smudged with dirt; her clothes were tattered. Clutched tightly to her chest was a soiled doll.

Kamon squatted and smiled. "Hi," he said pleasantly. "My name is Kamon. Can I help you?"

The girl nodded but did not speak.

Kamon noticed the abrasion on her forehead. "Do you feel alright? Do you have a headache?"

The girl did not answer the question. Instead she said, "My mommy. I want my mommy."

"Okay," Kamon said. "We'll find your mommy." He lifted the girl up and seated her on the edge of a table. Her body barely weighed anything at all. Kamon grabbed a clean rag and began to cleanse the abrasion on her forehead. The girl winced. "Does that hurt?" he asked.

The girl nodded. She had dark hair, a cute face.

"I'll be done in a minute," he assured her. "Don't worry."

"My mommy," the girl insisted. "I want my mommy."

"We'll try to find your mother," Kamon said. "What's your name?"

"Integre," the girl answered.

"Okay, Integre, I'll see if someone here knows your mother. Peonon!" Kamon called out. "Would you come here?"

Peonon was there in an instant. "Yes, Kamon?"

"Do you know this girl? She says her name is Integre."

Peonon studied the face of the girl. "No. I'm sorry. I don't. But there are many children in the village I do not know."

"What's your mommy's name?" Kamon asked the girl.

"Mommy," Integre answered.

"Ask around, will you?" Kamon spoke to Peonon. "See if anybody knows this girl. We need to find her mother."

"My mommy!" the girl exclaimed at the sound of the word 'mother'. "Please take me to my mommy."

"Can you show me where your mommy is?" Kamon asked.

Integre nodded.

Kamon thought about the situation. Everything was going fairly well in the hospital. He had been able to conduct some hands-on training in first aid. Several women had picked it up well. He was needed here, but he might be able to slip away for a short time.

"Peonon, I'm going to go with this girl and see if she can lead me to her mother. Perhaps her mother is trapped or injured somewhere. I should investigate. We shouldn't be gone long."

Peonon nodded. "I'll take care of things."

Kamon lifted the girl from the table and carried her outside. "Point, Integre. Show me where your mother is. We must hurry. It will be dark soon."

Integre pointed north. Kamon set off. He maneuvered through the rubble and debris. Ten minutes later his long quick strides had carried them to the north side of the village.

"Where to now, Integre?" Kamon asked. "Are we close?"

The girl nodded and pointed. The girl leaned her smooth face against Kamon's. She was tired.

Kamon walked toward a pile of rubble. Integre pointed downward.

The big man froze in horror. He saw the slender hand of a woman sticking out from beneath the heavy debris.

Kamon set Integre down on a nearby stone and began the gruesome task of removing the rocks and rubble. The back of a head, face down in the dirt, was soon revealed, then the shoulders followed by the entire back. He stopped just below the woman's torso.

A large stone rested on the remainder of this woman's body. The ground was stained a deep crimson at the edges of the granite. He would not move the stone, at least not while the girl was here to see. There was no point in revealing to Integre the grisly sight of a crushed body.

He stared at the dark brown hair of the dead woman. Then Kamon knelt and gingerly took the woman's head into his hands, turning it to reveal her face. He gently brushed the fine dirt from her skin.

Kamon rose and stepped back. Perspiration rolled freely down his face and arms as he awaited Integre's reaction.

Still clutching the doll tightly, the girl slipped off the rock on which she had been sitting and walked slowly toward the woman. For a moment she stood looking at the body, a puzzled frown on her face. At last, she stooped and, with her free hand, tugged on the dead woman's arm. "Mommy. Wake up, mommy."

Kamon suddenly felt his legs turn rubbery. He sat down on a large stone behind him. His throat tightened as tears came to his eyes. This was too much for him. It had been a long day. He had seen much death, but this sight finally overwhelmed him. He began to sob uncontrollably. He buried his head in his hands.

He had not cried since he was a child. Tears were a sign of weakness in a man. Women would see; they would know he was weak.

But it did not matter at the moment. He could focus on nothing but this little girl tugging on her mother's lifeless body, imploring her to move again.....but she would not.

Kamon felt a tiny hand tapping on his knee. He looked up into Integre's innocent face.

"Mister, would you wake my mommy?"

Kamon gently pulled the little girl into his arms and continued weeping, stroking her hair as he did so. He found himself unable to reply. What was there to say?

Meanwhile, unseen and about twenty yards behind the pair, a lone figure stood in the early evening shadows, watching in silence. It was Jasmine.

END OF CHAPTER