//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: The War to End All Wars 
// by p4z0 
//------------------------------//

	Hobbs awoke to find himself staring into the sky. He tried to turn to the side, and was met with a stabbing pain through his sides. He heard a ringing in his ears as he tried to piece together the events that had landed him here. He was resting on a soft cotton sheet, but he still heard the battlefield around him. He still heard the screams of men and saw the explosions of fireballs. Suddenly, it struck him that he was atop a stretcher. Was he moving? His entire body throbbed with pain, and it felt as if he had been hit with a truck. Had he been? All he could recall was being aboard a Humvee firing his M4A1, before being flung through the air. 
"Whereee am.... I?" He croaked gently.
"He's waking up!" Shouted a voice in a muffled response.
He felt himself being put in the back of a spacious vehicle as he was sped away from the action. Lt. Hobbs hated being away from the action when his fellow servicemen needed him, but he was in no condition to fight. He lapsed in and out of consciousness. When he finally awakened, he was laying on a mattress. He tilted his head to the left and cringed in pain. He could see an IV Drip in his arm. With great strength, he tilted his head in the other direction to see an array of monitors, displaying his vital conditions. A handsome blonde man was sitting in a chair the opposite end of the room. He had a medium build, and had a magazine in hand. He was eyeing Hobbs excitedly. He stood up out of his chair and walked over to the injured warrior.
"Are you awake, Lt. Hobbs?" spoke the man with a slight English accent.
"Y... Yeah...." he replied weakly.
"My name is Doctor Hayes, you look like you've been through a lot."
"What... happened to me?"
"You were hurt on the battlefield, your armored vehicle was hit with a magic fireball."
"Am.... I... okay?"
"Well, that's just the reason why I'm here." Hayes reached for a clipboard at the foot of Hobbs' bed.
"What's... what's the news?"
"Well, your in good shape and you're going to survive. On the other hand, you have a few bruised ribs, a lot of minor burns, and a minor concussion. With the right bedrest, you'll be out of here and back on the fields in... a few days."
"Not bad..."
"In the meantime, why don't you sit back and enjoy your stay. Are you hungry?"
"I could go for some food."
"It'll be right up."
With that, Dr. Hayes walked out of the room. Within a few moments, a nurse walked in with a platter of food. She handed the platter to Hobbs and silently walked out of the room, headed to go tend to other patients. A banana, eggs, milk, an apple, and a slice of dull steak. As Hobbs glumly ate his meal, he thought of the battle mere miles from the hospital. Just 50 Miles away, his comrades were getting slaughtered by the dozens as the unicorns and pegasi pushed forwards, and he was reduced to eating hospital foods for a few more days. He yawned as he realized how exhausted he was. He pushed his platter onto a stand beside his bed, and fell into a dreamless sleep.