War

doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7575.977-a

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Trisha Greenhalgh, professor of primary health care

University College London

I lie in my ditch, one cheek against damp earth, the other against the cold metal of my gun. Since my course this morning, I am fully trained and certified proficient. But my rifle still feels strange and heavy. I'm uneasy that the safety catch is finally in the “off” position. I can hear enemy artillery only yards away. Bullets ricochet from a nearby tree. My heart thumps a rapid rhythm; my mouth is so dry I cannot swallow.

Occasionally, a comrade falls …