I stepped into the medical tent, and the sharp smell of disinfectants like strong alcohol hit my nose. Only two people were inside: Lee, sitting on a bench, and Clementine, asleep on a stretcher.
Her injured arm was wrapped neatly in fresh bandages. Color had returned to her cheeks; she looked brighter and less pale than before. Lee stared at her silently until he noticed me enter.
"Thank you, kid," he said quietly, voice thick with gratitude. "For helping Clementine."
"I didn't do much," I replied, taking a seat beside him. "How is she? And where's everyone else?"
"They went to another tent to eat," he said. "As for Clementine… with the medicine, her fever's dropping. She's looking better already. The medic said she'll recover fast."
A long, shaky breath escaped me.
If anything had happened to her… I don't think I could've lived with the guilt.
Lee looked at me again, worry still lingering.
"Max… can we trust these soldiers?"
"For now, yeah," I said. "If they wanted to hurt us, they would've done it already."
Even as I said it, a part of me wasn't convinced—but for now, they seemed safe enough.
"Alright," he murmured, calming slightly. His eyes drifted back to Clementine.
"You should get some rest," I said. "You look terrible. And it's okay—you don't have to watch her every second."
He didn't answer, but he nodded.
I stepped outside in search of Amir. Soldiers were gathering wood, building a bonfire for the night. In another tent, the rest of the group ate MREs. Kenny and Omid played cards with a few soldiers, laughing loudly.
Everyone looked better.
Safer.
At least for now.
I made my way to Amir's tent. He sat on his cot, deep in thought, but looked up the moment he heard me approach.
His expression said everything: "What is it?"
"You offered me the chance to go with you," I said.
Amir raised an eyebrow. "Which you declined. Are you changing your mind? It'd be a smart choice. You're not safe with those people."
When he first offered, I'd felt the pull of the food, safety, and protection. But I had a priority more important than all that.
"I haven't changed my mind," I said. "I still need to find my father."
I hesitated, then added, "I came to ask you something else."
I met his eyes.
"Can you teach me how to protect myself?"
He leaned back with a sigh.
"Kid, this isn't easy. And we don't have much time. We're staying here only for a few days. Nobody became a soldier at that time. Even becoming decent takes months." He exhaled slowly, watching me. "If you came with me, I could teach you everything. So, I still suggest you stay."
He looked genuinely hopeful, like he wanted me to say yes.
I shook my head.
His disappointment was instant—his shoulders slumped slightly.
"Kid…" he muttered, rubbing his face. "I can't teach you anything meaningful in just a few days."
"I learn fast," I said firmly. "Please. Teach me whatever you can. I'll work hard."
He hesitated.
"Please," I repeated, voice cracking with desperation. "I need this. Even a few days of training are better than nothing."
Amir sighed deeply, then finally nodded.
"…Alright. Let's see what you've got. Come outside."
We walked to an open patch of ground. He had me start with basic conditioning drills to test my physical ability.
The results clearly shocked him.
"Jesus Christ, kid—were you a professional athlete?" Amir stared like I'd grown a second head. "You're in peak physical condition."
I kept a straight face.
"Well," he muttered, still baffled, "That's the hard part done. Your body doesn't need work. What you need now is martial arts and firearms skills."
Then his expression hardened.
"But before any of that… we need to talk about something important."
"What is it?"
"We need to talk about your stupid ass," he snapped.
I blinked.
He stepped closer, voice sharp and strict.
"What part of your shithole brain thought it was a good idea to point a gun at my head? Twenty-seven armed soldiers are around you. No backup. No plans. No idea what you were dealing with. You rushed in blind. What the hell were you thinking?"
My mouth opened, but no answer came.
"I'll give you this—you're brave," he said. "But bravery without brains? It is suicide. Fix that."
Embarrassment burned through me.
"Always analyze your environment," he said. "Look at your enemies. Understand their advantages and your disadvantages. Assess the threat before acting. You don't run in and pray things magically work out."
He sounded like a drill sergeant tearing into a recruit—but beneath it, I heard concern.
And he wasn't wrong.
When I saw Clementine in danger, the logic vanished.
I acted without thinking.
Without considering what would happen if I failed.
"I understand," I said quietly.
"If you understand," Amir barked, "say it louder. Look at me. And when you talk to me during training, you say 'Yes, sir.' Got it?"
I straightened my back and shouted:
"Yes, sir!"
He smirked.
"Good. Let's get to work."
He began teaching me Jiu-Jitsu, explaining each move's purpose.
"Most fights end up on the ground," he said. "Punching looks cool, but grappling saves your life. If you can control someone, size and strength don't matter—technique does."
He showed me submissions of armbars, triangle chokes, and rear naked chokes. He demonstrated slowly and precisely, and I mirrored his movements as closely as I could.
Every correction he gave, I adapted instantly.
Hours passed.
Night fell.
A bonfire flickered in the distance.
Amir was drenched in sweat, breathing hard, hands on his hips. The ground beneath him was slick from his effort. Our clothes were dirty from wrestling on the mat.
"Okay, kid… that's enough… God damn, you're learning fast," he panted. "My old forty-year-old body can't keep up with you."
His cigar sat unlit in his hand, completely forgotten.
I nodded, every muscle burning from the practice. I wasn't exhausted, but I pretended to be. I didn't want to alarm him anymore; he was already suspicious of my strength.
He returned to his tent, rummaged through a duffel bag, and pulled out a thick martial arts manual; its pages filled with Jiu-Jitsu diagrams.
"Here," he said, handing it over. "This'll help. Don't slack off. I'll be watching. Focus only on the Jiu-Jitsu section, I'm going to test you on it tomorrow. So be ready."
Excitement surged as I snapped to attention.
"Yes, sir!"
He grinned.
"That's what I like to hear."
He went back inside.
I stayed outside under a dim lantern, opened the manual…
…and started reading while doing push-ups.