The mercy of the rats
During one of the bombing campaigns, a building collapsed on a man, burying him beneath the rubble. Only his head and one hand remained visible. The area was close to the Yellow Line, and no one was able to reach him or rescue him. Two days later, a Civil Defence team managed to reach him despite the ongoing bombardment. They attempted to rescue him, but came under intense fire themselves. While he remained trapped beneath the rubble, rodents had gnawed at his hand, causing gangrene. The team was forced to amputate it there, in an attempt to prevent the infection from spreading further. The rescuers promised him they would return to pull him out as soon as the bombing stopped. Forty-five days passed. The bombardment in the area never stopped. The man remained trapped beneath the rubble, waiting for a moment of calm that might give him another chance at life.