Duty call

I cleared the lower fence gap and needed to take the weight off my boots. Road dust had settled over my respirator lenses during the march, blurring the perimeter. I hauled myself onto a discarded timber offcut beside the ramp and set the heavy burner unit across my knees. Relieving the spinal load felt necessary. Rolling back the left gauntlet, I used the dry inner wool of my sleeve lining to scrub the left eyepiece, then the right. Two firm circular passes. The chalky film wiped away, leaving clear glass. The entire concrete yard snapped back into sharp view under the noon sun. I sat still for a few minutes, letting my legs recover.