I knew I had to lose the negative internal chit-chat, and fast. Whenever I’d been in life-or-death events in the past, I had used Suchi to restore my focus and a sense of determination. I’d think of her during gun battles whenever my unit was pinned back by enemy fighters – the emotions were fuel and I was able to reset myself and then concentrate on the job in hand. Now I’d use the thought of her, waiting for me to return home, as the inspiration to push up towards shelter at Camp 2. I rummaged around in my pockets and found my phone, recording a brief video message.
