The next morning she used the bath and soap to wash him up a little bit. The sterile morning sunlight through the curtains cast a harsh glow on Emily's face as she washed away the grime and blood caking the unconscious man's skin.
It occurred to her to make him something to eat or at least some soup but she wasn't really sure that he should or could eat anything seeing as to the fact that he had a stab wound.
This entire situation keeps getting more confusing and complicated and she doesn't do complicated.
He needed medical care but logic seemed to have fled her mind when she'd brought him back to her apartment. Was there even any reasoning behind the choice to bring him to her apartment instead?
Taking him to the hospital had been the clear choice, yet here she was, playing a reluctant nurse. She isn't a doctor for crying out loud! The best course of action would have been to take him to the hospital but apparently, her reasoning has been really flawed recently.
"This is getting out of control," she muttered to herself, the frustration evident in her clenched jaw.
'I mean what if he had died' she thought to herself. He could have bled out on their way here; did she factor that into her decision? What was she even thinking?' Her impulsive decision could really cause her trouble. Thinking of the repercussions of her actions made her head spin. She has done some very irresponsible things in her life but she has extremely raised the bar high for her next stupid decision in the future.
Her thoughts were interrupted by an awakened Max wincing in pain. His eyes fluttered open, confusion clouded his gaze as he took in the unfamiliar surroundings.
"Hi, I'm Emily," she said, her voice strained but calm. "You helped me out a few days ago, remember? The car crash?" She forced a smile, hoping to appear reassuring.
"Do you remember anything from last night?'' She voiced out nervously hoping that he didn't have any concussion from his head injury.
Max just stared blankly at her, his expression unreadable. She couldn't tell if he was concussed, confused, or just plain old dumb. Just as she was about to prod him further, a gruff voice filled the silence.
"I remember going to the club with some friends," he rasped, wincing as the movement sent a jolt of pain through him. "I went outside for a smoke when I saw a guy on the floor, crying for help. I went to assist him but as it turned out, it was all a charade." He replied while trying to grasp his current surroundings.
"So, dumb then," she thought, the judgmental barb sharp in her mind.
Emily scoffed internally. Who the hell goes to have a smoke in an alley? The answer, it seemed, was the infuriatingly naive man lying before her. And why not call the cops instead of going to help? Thank God she isn't that clueless and selfless. She couldn't help but feel a surge of irritation. At least she hadn't been so foolish right?' She wondered but then her thoughts were interrupted again by Max.
"On a more important note," he continued, his brow furrowing, "where are we?" He asked with a questioning look.
"My apartment. And since you're awake, you can be on your way out now. I don't entertain strangers," she replied curtly, her voice clipped.
"Shouldn't we be at the hospital?" he countered, his voice weak but laced with a hint of defiance.
"I can't exactly see myself in the mirror, but I'm pretty sure I'm in bad shape, judging by the pain."
"Oh, so suddenly you have good judgment?" she shot back, her earlier frustration bubbling to the surface.
"Where was your good judgment when you wandered into a dark alley for a smoke break? I only brought you here because I had something important to do last night, and I wasn't about to cancel or postpone it just because someone decided to play hero and get themselves stabbed."