“— Meet our new medic, Seryoga,” Bagiyev nods at me, turns around, and leaves. Setting down the heavy backpack on the floor, I look at the team in which I will now serve.
The men’s faces stretched the moment they caught my glance.
— What kind of Seryoga are you, girl? — the oldest of them addresses me with a smile. — Maybe Olya? Lena? Nastya?..” I shake my head at every name. Everyone smiles with their thirty-two teeth—how funny it is for them.
— My name is Alesta, but you can just call me Alya,” my voice sounds hoarse; my throat needs attention.
— I wonder when the commander will notice the setup? — someone in the crowd laughs.
— Don’t tell him, — I’m sure Bagiyev will kick me out of the unit as soon as he realizes he made a mistake.
— Not even in our thoughts, Alya! — they say cheerfully, all at once. I’m already anticipating some kind of disaster.