His eyes scanned the sides of the road, two big eyes reflected upon him from up the side of the road. A large cougar lept at Jackson, dropping the gascan he managed to block it from biting his neck. His right arm now clenched in its mouth, the momentum knocked him and the big cat off the road into the woods on the other side. Jackson cursed, trying to reach for the page knife he'd tucked on his side. People he had an advantage on, animals were less predictable. This was a first.
He'd been attacked by dogs before but never something like this. He managed to grab his knife stabbing the cougar in the side but it still was latched to his arm shaking its head ripping into his skin. There was a click-click sound of a shotgun, there standing feet from him and this animal was the gas station girl. "Hold still," she shouted, eyes narrowed down the barrel of the gun. He could see her shaking but her stance and the placement of the gun he could tell she was taught how to shoot. The cougar turned to look at her and she took the shot, hitting its back.
It released his arm, turning to charge at her. Avary shot again and the cougar fell limp to the ground twitching.. Jackson sat up looking at his arm. He needed to go to a hospital. Avary moved to Jackson's side, setting down the gun, she pulled off her shirt to wrap his arm. "Let's get you to a hospital..can you stand?" Jackson nodded, letting her help him up. He grabbed the shotgun and walked to her truck.
Avary turned the truck around driving back down the winding mountain road. Thankfully she knew the roads well enough, "Thank you.." Jackson said looking at her driving she looked terrible, shaking, pale and trying not to freak out. Jackson thought she looked amazing at that moment coming to his rescue. 'Who knew she'd have it in her to come between two predators and save the most dangerous to her between the two.' He now owed her a great debt and didn't hate that idea.
"You'll be okay.. I know a shortcut to the hospital.. so just keep pressure on your wound." Avary tried to stay calm, taking a dirt path which was a little steep to drive but she managed to keep the truck on the clear path.. To Jackson it looked like a reckless decision but she seemed to have some amazing driving experience on this road. "Who taught you to drive like this..?" He couldn't help but ask, Avary cracked a smile. "Some crazy old man.. My Grandpa.. he'd drive down this path all the time, scared the hell out of me when I was a kid.. but I'm glad he taught me to drive like him." Jackson smiles, imagining the old man from the photo driving recklessly with her as a child.
Avary busted through to the main road leading to town, glancing over, she noticed the man passed out.. he looked pale.. "Hold on, hold on we are almost there!" She yelled trying to keep him awake.. Arriving at the small sleepy hospital, her truck's quick braking noises caused a nurse to walk outside. "Avary..? What's wrong?" The older woman asked, her eyes widened seeing the young girl hopping out of the truck covered in blood.
"He's losing a lot of blood, please get help!" Running to the other side of the truck she opened the door. The man's black eyes barely stay open, "Hey I got you.. We got you, you're gonna be okay.." she reassured him. Jackson blacked out, Avary watched as the nurses and the doctor rushed him into the hospital. She sat in the waiting room, waiting for news. The nurse came out, Avary rushed over "How is he?" "We are still trying to control his bleeding.. we need more blood. I'm calling another hospital to fly in more." That would take an hour at the most..
"Can you take mine..? I'm O negative..That a universal don at right..?" She hated needles only knowing her blood type due to a science class experiment. The nurse turned back into the other room, Avary sat moments later with a needle in her arm watching the blood pool into the bag. This was her first time donating, it made her feel sick.. The cold room and the warm feeling of her blood leaving her body through a small plastic tube..
They wouldn't have agreed on normal terms but after testing her blood to make sure she was really o negative. They had called for more blood from the nearest hospital, and decided to draw her blood just in case it didn't arrive soon enough. Avary watched as the nurse took the bag of her blood, and rushed off with it. Another empty bag to be filled again. After a while she heard an ambulance siren blasting and the older nurse came in looking relieved.
"How is he?" The old woman smiled, "He is stable, you bought us enough time to stop the bleeding and the other hospital just arrived with more blood.." Avary laid back sighing in relief.. "Go home and wash up," Avary hesitantly took the advice. "Call me if anything happens." The nurse nodded. Heading back to her home at the gas station she passed it heading back to where she had found him. The gascan smushed to a thin plastic.. Driven over by some truck driver.. Crossing the road she walked over to see the dead cougar, already seemed to have been scavenged on by other animals.
She recalled freezing seeing him trying to fight off the cougar, her grandfather's words echoing in her head. 'When facing dangerous situations, if you do nothing you'll end up dead.' It was those words that helped her find courage to take the two shots. She stopped seeing a wallet and a phone on the ground. She picked both up knowing they were most likely the man's. The phone was cracked and seemed broken, not turning on and the wallet only had cash in it. With that Avary headed back home. After all, she was the only person running the store.