Dianna eyed the woman opposite her with piqued interest. There were fourteen other doctors in the cabin, some speaking to each other in hushed tones, occasionally stealing glances at Eleanor. Dianna heard the word 'failed' murmured a few times, and wondered what Eleanor Friss had done to gain such notoriety among her colleagues.

Eleanor herself did not seem to mind the stares. She gazed unfocused out the window, seemingly unaware of her surroundings.

Dianna had tried pulling up Eleanor's file only to discover her credentials could only access her team's doctors. Dianna had handpicked Dr. Konchesky as team lead, but with him away, Eleanor would have to step into that role.

"You're staring," Eleanor said suddenly, facing Dianna with a hint of a smile.

"Huh?" Dianna replied.

"I didn't think looking like I just rolled out of bed would earn me this much attention," Eleanor chuckled.

"It's not about your looks," Dianna said flatly.

"Is it my brain?" Eleanor joked. "It's the only part of me everyone seems to like."

Dianna gave Eleanor a sweeping glance, about to disagree when the plane rumbled, breaking her train of thought. She gripped her safety belts as the shaking continued.

Eleanor's gaze flickered for a moment, eyes losing focus and then refocusing on Dianna.

"First time flying?" Eleanor asked.

"I usually work from my station," Dianna replied nervously. "Fieldwork was never my forte."

Eleanor cocked her head. "And what exactly is your forte?"

"To put it simply, figuring out the bad stuff before they happen."

Eleanor glanced around the shaking cabin, pressing a palm against the wall. "It's just turbulence, nothing serious," she reassured Dianna. "I read airplanes going down due to emergencies are about 1 in 11 million."

"How long ago was that?" Dianna smiled.

"I don't know," Eleanor grinned toothily. "My mom got me a book on aviation disasters to make me hate flying."

"That didn't help, did it?"

"I've wanted to fly all my life," Eleanor said wistfully. "If not a doctor, I would've tried the Air Force."

"If you wanted to fly your whole life, why not try the Air Force before med school?"

"I did," Eleanor said simply.

The plane shuddered again then settled. "Coming up on base," the pilot announced. "Prepare for landing."

Dianna looked out the window, and her eyes widened as she took in the scene of utter devastation before her. Smoke billowed up from countless fires still burning amidst the wreckage. Entire city blocks had been leveled, concrete and steel reduced to rubble. Here and there, jagged remnants of walls and buildings jutted up at crazy angles like broken teeth.

Streets that had once been crowded with life were now choked with debris and twisted metal. Burned-out carcasses of cars, buses, and trucks dotted the thoroughfares. Dianna's gaze landed on a tanker truck that had been split in half, its charred shell emitting a thin plume of smoke.

The bulbous wreck of what had once been a huge dragon came into view, its hide blistered and blackened, massive wings shattered. Even from a distance, Dianna could make out tiny burn marks and tears in the dragon's flesh - evidence of shrapnel and debris that had perforated its body during the blast.

Beyond the ravaged city streets, entire neighborhoods had been flattened. Where once had stood apartment buildings and homes rose only piles of splintered wood and crumbled masonry. Clothes, furniture, and other remnants of ordinary lives floated eerily amidst the ruins.

Worst of all were the bodies - tiny browned specks amidst the wreckage that Dianna knew were the remains of those unable to escape the devastation. Her eyes welled with tears at the sheer scale of human tragedy laid out before her, lives snuffed out in an instant by the force of the nuclear explosion. It was one thing to have a digital recreation of what happened, to know the theory of it, and another to see it for herself.

As the plane banked, giving her an even broader view, Dianna could only stare in mute horror. The destruction seemed almost total, the remnants of Tarzar little more now than a wasteland of char and rubble. For long moments she struggled to comprehend how anyone could have survived such an apocalyptic scene - or how they might even begin to rebuild from it.

Eleanor shared a similarly grim look. The magnitude of destruction laid out before them was almost too much to comprehend.

As the plane touched down and they exited onto the tarmac, the scene of devastation came into even sharper focus. The acrid stench of smoke, burned flesh and death assaulted Dianna's nose, and she went over to the side to throw up. Wiping her mouth, she straightened up and steeled herself. People were suffering, and she had been sent here to help. Eleanor appeared at her side, looking much more composed than Dianna was.

"You all right?" she asked gently.

Dianna nodded.

They made their way into the sea of tents that comprised the makeshift hospital. The reality was even more horrific up close. Row upon row of cots held the wounded and dying. People lay in their own vomit and waste, crying out in pain. Doctors and nurses rushed about, overwhelmed and exhausted.

The team they had come with looked at Dianna expectantly, waiting for instructions. Eleanor surprisingly took the tablet from Dianna and quickly took charge, assigning roles to the other doctors.

"Frazier, Scott - tend to the radiation burns. Glassman, you're on triage. The rest of you, with me."

Dianna half expected them to refuse based on the way they had treated Eleanor on the plane, but each one she gave instructions instantly rushed to get to work, only pausing to clarify further when something was not clear.

Finally, she turned to Dianna. "You're going to help me with the dragons."

Dianna sighed in frustration as they walked through the camp. "I'm sorry. I should be doing so much more to help."

Eleanor gave her a reassuring look. "Don't worry, this is unlike any disaster I've ever seen either. I've handled mass casualties before but this..." She trailed off, shaking her head.

Dianna looked at her inquisitively. "Tell me."

"A few years ago," Eleanor began, "there was an earthquake in my hometown. The hospital was overloaded, running out of supplies. I worked for days without sleep." Eleanor paused, remembering. "It was chaos. But we managed the best we could."

Dianna nodded slowly. "At least you have some experience in situations like this. I feel so useless."

"You're doing fine," Eleanor said firmly. "Come on."

They walked towards the dragons. One with severe burns was thrashing, scattering supplies, and sending medics scrambling out of the way. Its leathery wings beat the air in pain and panic.

Eleanor calmly approached it, hands raised. She gazed calmly into the dragon's terrified amber eyes and began speaking in a gentle, soothing voice. "It's okay, little one. We're here to help."

If it wasn't for the grimness of the situation, Dianna would have found amusement in Eleanor calling the dragon 'little' despite it being several times her size.

The dragon stilled, fixing its eyes on Eleanor. She spoke softly while gently laying a hand on its scaly hide, tracing soothing circles. The dragon's hide was hot and blistered from burns, reeking of seared flesh. As it relaxed, Eleanor began treating its myriad burn injuries. Dianna assisted, handing Eleanor salves and bandages as she directed. The dragon's wounds were extensive, the burns raw and seeping. But Eleanor attended to each one with the utmost care, speaking so softly that Dianna had trouble making out what she was saying.

When dressing the dragon's left wing, Eleanor paused as the dragon let out a yelp of pain. She made shushing sounds and resumed her gentle stroking until the dragon calmed again. Then she had Dianna hold the wing steady as she wrapped it in bandages.

The dragon whimpered and flinched several times but Eleanor persisted with her ministrations, never raising her voice or losing patience. The dragon seemed to draw strength from her calm, focusing its eyes on Eleanor as she worked.

Once the worst of the burns were treated and wrapped, Eleanor rewarded the dragon with gentle scratches beneath its jaw and chin. The dragon rumbled in pleasure, nuzzling Eleanor's hand. Eleanor smiled softly, thanking the dragon for being so brave.

Eleanor gave the sedated dragon a final pat and rose. "Good work," she said to Dianna, who was staring at her in awe.

"You have a gift," she said.

Eleanor shrugged. "I just treat them like any patient."

The pair got into a rhythm, efficiently working their way through the remaining dragons. As the sky darkened, they finished treating the last injured dragon.

Eleanor and Dianna made their way back to the tent that had been assigned to Eleanor. The small tent was sparsely furnished, with only two narrow double bunk beds, thin mattresses, and scratchy woolen blankets. A wooden crate served as a makeshift side table, holding a lantern and first aid supplies.

Eleanor plopped down heavily on her bunk and it creaked noisily as she yanked off her boots. "Intense first day for you, huh?"

Dianna collapsed onto her own cot. "It was very different from what I usually do."

The tent flap peeled back and Dianna and Eleanor both turned to see a new young woman entering. She had dark hair pulled back neatly and wore a pristine jacket over her plain clothes. The silver embroidery on the sleeves caught Dianna's eye - a distinctive pattern of waves and lightning bolts that could only belong to one rank.

"Dianna Rolf?"

Her rich, tawny skin spoke of Southern heritage, and the look she gave DIanna carried with it a small dose of judgment.

"My name is Lyra," she continued. "General Lenishkov has been looking for you."

Lyra's direct gaze took in their weary, disheveled state. "I see you both have already been hard at work. Thank you for your service." She nodded towards Eleanor.

Dianna exchanged a glance with Eleanor, who nodded back in agreement. "I'll be fine, go."

Lyra led the way, and Dianna noticed the insignia on her jacket.

"You're quite young to be a part of the General's protective unit," she pointed out.

"I only just graduated a few months ago," Lyra told her. "They had stationed me in my home city, and then this happened. They redeployed me here with the General."

"This destruction..." Dianna trailed off, searching for words.

"War leaves a distinct kind of ruin," Lyra said pointedly. "Wait here."

Dianna watched from outside the General's expansive command tent as Lyra strode purposefully inside to deliver her report. The tent stood surrounded by armed guards in mud-caked uniforms, their faces wary and weathered. Dragon sentries patrolled ceaselessly overhead, leathery wings beating the smoky air as they maintained their vigil.

Lyra strode purposefully back towards them, boots beating a clipped rhythm on the charred earth. Though her features remained impassive, Dianna noticed a new tension in Lyra's frame and a hollowness behind her eyes that spoke of the horrors she had briefly escaped within the General's tent.

"The General will see you now," Lyra told her.