Hellebores
"First aid is the initial step in providing medical emergency treatment, with the goal of preserving life and alleviating pain and discomfort until professional medical help arrives."
I forgot where I heard that, but I did apply it in real time.
Fuck, was I even doing it right?
I heard a murmur and turned my head to see the man groaning and struggling. His body is contorting and writhing a little bit, and he seems to be in pain that hurts like a bitch.
He looks like he's about to pass out any minute. I try to dial emergency services more than 5 times, but it keeps saying "No Signal".
So yeah, fuck this shit, I'm out.
I sighed. My head hurts.
I should be prioritizing the money problem here, yet here is where the fuck I am. What am I gonna do?
Deep breath in...
Deep breath out...
I stared at him. There's a moment of silence where I think about what I should do. I was thinking of carrying him like a sack of rice on my shoulder, like a one-person lift or a 'firefighter carry'.
But that will hurt his abdomen.
But I did cryotherapy, so would it really hurt?
If I carried him in my arms, wouldn't he block my view of the road?
Ankle pull would make me a psychopath. A shoulder pull would hurt my back. Blanket pull won't help either.
Hm...
Piggyback carry? Or should I drag him across the road with his arm on my shoulder?
Fuck, this is a serious situation, and I don't have time to be messing around.
"Look, I'm taking you to the clinic right now. You don't look so good, and we need to get this taken care of immediately. Just stay with me and try to keep up as best you can." I said.
I decided to pick him up and start carrying him, single human crutch style, trying to support him the best I could. I know that it's not ideal, but it's the best way I can do right now to get him to the nearest clinic quickly.
I waited for a response from him but heard no coherent answer.
I keep dragging him towards the direction of the nearest clinic. I'm estimating that we could reach there in 15 or 20 minutes.
Fuck.
The streets are almost empty at this time, and I don't see anybody passing by. I could barely see in front of me. The cold air stings my eyes, and I feel the freezing temperature seep through my bones.
Ah, shit.
I stopped in my tracks. I took a deep breath before taking off my jacket, then I wrapped him in it. As cold as the air is, a good jacket can surely provide some much-needed warmth, especially if it's lined with some good insulation.
Now, I'm cold. Fuck me.
But the clinic was nearby, and I could see it in the distance. I keep dragging the man along, his dead weight making it difficult to move, but I have no other fucking choice but to keep going.
I continued head towards the clinic, dragging the man, when suddenly, I felt a sharp tug on my arm. I turned my head to see several shady-looking figures clad in black suits stepping out of a white van and now standing in my way. They look tough and intimidating with their tattoos.
I hear a gruff voice ask as the figures step closer.
"Hey, where are you taking him?" A man barks, stepping into my way.
The other figures close in around me as a threatening aura emanates off of them.
What the fuck is going on around here? Do they have beef against him?
I was taken aback by the unexpected turn of events. I'm not sure what to make of the situation, and I'm left feeling completely stunned and disoriented. My eyes widen in bewilderment as I try to figure out what's going on.
"Clinic," I said shortly.
There was a tense moment of silence as I tried to figure out what more to say. But before I can, a gang member barks, "Who the hell are you?"
I gave them silence as my answer.
I don't trust these gang members, and I certainly don't feel like giving them any information or shit about me. I don't know if I would end up feeding into their game if I did so.
"Don't just stand there and stare, it's only gonna get worse for you, dumb bitch." They barked at me.
"What do you think you are playing at?" They yelled at me.
"What're you staring at, you bitch?" They snarled.
What? Wow. Are they ganging up on me?
I stare them right in the eye. Instead of crying like a fucking baby, I glared at them with dead serious eyes.
I let out a deep exhale.
"Look, this is my business, and I'm taking my friend to the clinic. I'm going to suggest that you leave now unless you want to end up in the hospital too." I talked back to them.
"Oh, he's your friend, little girl?" They snorted.
"Yeah, and I'm taking good care of him, so back off." I replied firm.
"He's one of ours" they growled.
"Look, I don't know what world you're living in, but this man is clearly in need of medical attention. You can't just step in and take custody of him because you think that you own him."
"Oh, so you think you can decide the fate of another person's life, huh? Well, let me tell you something, little girl." They snickered.
The guy who acts superior to them comes forward to me. The men behind him laugh and exchange a few looks before the superior one walks up to me directly and grabs my arm.
"You don't seem to be getting the message. Either you leave him here and walk away, or we'll take him back by force. Those are your only choices." He growls.
I pushed his arm away from me and had enough of all their barks and pushed my way out of them. Dragging him--the pretty fucker who got me into this shit.
Those shady bastards may be telling the truth about him being one of their men by the looks of it but I ain't trusting them. I will get this pretty fucker to the clinic and there, happily ever after shit or something.
Abruptly, I was snatched up and shoved into the van. I'm being hauled away against my will.
They didn't even give me time to think what the fuck was happening and just fuck it, did it without warning. I'm a little bit of a slow, so they got me easily dragged and kidnapped along with the pretty fucker. These men have no regard for my rights or my safety, but the pretty fucker--I don't know. They separated him from me. They got him into another van.
I watch as the men get into the front seat and start driving away. I stare out the window and wonder where they're taking me. I didn't move or make a noise for a while.
"You think you're so tough, don't you? Well, you're gonna see how tough we are when we get to where we're going." They laughed.
"Oh, look at that. She's crying right now. What's wrong, princess? Did we hurt your fragile emotions?" They snickered.
"Oh, that is good. We're really making her uncomfortable now, huh? Let's keep this up. Let's keep pushing her buttons and see just how much we can piss her off." They snorted.
"Hey, princess, look at me. Let me give you a little lesson in your place in the world. You may think that you deserve respect, but you're nothing to me and the rest of these bad boys." They whistled.
These shady bastard are barking taunts at me and are low-key, showing off their guns. They really do mean business.
One of them smokes a cigarette, and the smoke is drifting towards my direction as I think calmly.
I took a deep sigh.
Fuck, it's been a damn while.
I snatched one of these kidnapping bastards' guns, and aimed in one swift motion. I aimed and fired it directly towards the window intentionally to provoke them. The bullet shatters the window and sends shards of glass flying everywhere.
They went into panic and in confusion for a moment.
I took advantage of it and quickly aimed towards the driver and fired a shot into his shoulder.
The driver screams in agony and falls from his seat, losing control of the van. The van erratically veers off in the wrong direction, and the kidnappers inside are thrown all over.
I took my chance to strike, and I intend to make it count.