Ira watched Dounia stride out of the tent and smiled to herself. Dounia always wanted to take care of everybody so much, and although most people found her vigilance stifling, Ira found it comforting. Somebody had to look after everyone, after all.
“Ira, you’re up next,” the girl behind her said.
Ira looked over her shoulder. “Oh, Zina, are you sure? Your wrist looks broken.”
Zina shook her head. “It’s my own fault. I jumped out of my plane and slipped on the ice. I wasn’t injured in battle; this was just me being clumsy! You keep your place in line.”
Ira was about to protest, but now that she was paying attention, she felt slightly lightheaded from blood loss. Meow must have noticed her slightly off-balance stance and growled low in his throat.
“Lieutenant Sverzhenskaya, you’re up,”
