--------- The year is 2133 and America has taken a drastic turn. Only the elite, the modified and the over trained survive as mercenaries. But even in an Utopian world not everything is as it seems. And Zephra, a twenty-one year old veteran is about to find out that killing in the name of your country is still killing. And when the hunters become the hunted only the fiercest survive-----------
*Enjoy!
“Zephra,
why didn’t you just pull yourself up? You’re strong enough.”
“I
was stuck,” I gently roll onto my side so I can briefly lift my shirt and show where
one of the boards had gouged into my ribs. “And I panicked.”
“Zephra,
jeese, let me see that.”
I
lift my shirt again and pain as real and raw as I have ever felt ripples
through me and I clinch my teeth. Hyact looks at me.
“Take
your shirt off.” He says as he scrambles to his knees.
“I’m
sorry what?”
“The
board that had you pinned, pinned you because it was lodged in your side.
Panicked or not if you had tried to lift yourself out, you would have punctured
a lung. I don’t know how, when I pulled you out, the movement didn’t rupture
something. But Zephra, if I don’t tend to this, it will heal, but I promise
you, you will have a scar.”
I
sit up, ignoring the pain and I put my hands over my head. “Off.”
As
Hyact shimmies my shirt over my head I feel a stabbing pain and it grows by the
minute.
“It
shouldn’t hurt this much.” I lay back as gently as I can, but the room seems to
tilt a little with the effort.
Hyact
looks at me. “Are you serious?”
“What?”
“I
don’t know how many times I have to say this, but you had a floor board
embedded in your ribs. A few are probably cracked, but worst of all you have a
hole in the side of your body that still has not started healing.”
“Ok,
yeah I get it now.”
“Your
blood is everywhere.” I try to ignore that Hyact’s fingers are exploring the
flesh around my ribs, ribs- may I remind you- are right underneath your chest.
Yup, ok so you get it now, good.
“It’s
not obstructing my sight though. Never thought I’d be happy to see someone
bleed clear before. But there is still so much of it, I can’t get the hole to
close up.”
“What
can I do to help?”
Hyact
looks at me and shakes his head. “Give me your hands.” I hold my hands out and
he twists one to hold my back and the other he places on my side. My finger
tips touch something hard and slippery.
“Hyact
what is that?”
“Your
ribs.”
“Oh
my God.”
“Yeah
now you get it. Ok, Zephra it may hurt but I need you to push the two sides you
are holding towards each other. Can you do that?”
I
nod. He nods and I push. The pain...oh I can’t describe it. I grind my teeth to
keep me from passing out. But I see plenty of stars. I don’t let up. The pain
roars in my ears and I can’t hear anything else. Everything is tunnel-vision
effort and I focus on the only thing I can see clearly, the lines in the wood
floor.
I
feel like the pain goes on forever. I try breathing through my nose and I can
faintly feel my body rocking as Hyact works on the wound. I keep breathing and
I know if something doesn’t give soon I will pass out and look like a fool. The
slow rocking stops and I feel a wave of warmth stream through my body. I feel
flush, like I am floating in a pool of hot water.
Hyact
comes into my very limited line of vision. He puts his hand on my cheek and I smell
blood. Then he holds the hand out to me and I grab it. Sound comes rushing back,
but is accompanied by a ringing. I gasp but the pain immediately starts to ebb.
“Oh
it doesn’t hurt any more.” I say airily.
“I
gave you enough morphine to drown a horse. You probably won’t feel anything for
a few hours. Seriously Bonnie, I don’t
know how you didn’t pass out from that. A greater man would have- shit I
probably would have.”
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