The Promised School

The way Norman helps us

Ray cursed again, and stopped kicking the door. Wait, Emma had gone quiet. 

"Emma?" 

"Yes?"

She sounded like she was forcing herself to sound happy. He narrowed his eyes.

"Save you're energy. Shut up, in other words. I'm going to try and break the door again."

"We both know that-"

"SHUT UP."

He got in position. This wasn't going to work, and Emma was... No, he couldn't give up, as much as he hated thinking that. 

Emma and Norman aren't going to die before me.

He was about to kick again, when he heard footsteps behind him. Footsteps he knew only to well.

Ray turned around.

"Uh." Norman said. "What's going on?"

İt was a big mess of relief and annoyance after that, in Ray's mind. The first thing he wanted to do was hug him, and the second thing he wanted to do was slap him in the face. He decided he should do what he needed to do.

"You're still wearing you're slippers? SERİOUSLY?"

"Yes."

"Oh my god..."

"So." Norman looked around. "What's going on? Did Emma steal your book or something-"

No, Emma doesn't do stuff like that any more.

"Uh, no, not exactly..."

This is hard. Norman has a history of reacting badly to stuff like this. Just break the news slowly...

Or first, use him a bit.

"Norman, is getting stabbed in the shoulder serious? I mean, could you die from it?"

"Uh... I don't understand why-"

"JUST TELL ME."

"Oh, okay..." Norman frowned. "Well, there's not much more than bone, nerve and major blood vessels in your shoulder, and there are three major arteries running through it. So if you're stabbed somewhere else, like fat or muscle, that would be really painful but you would bleed out slowly."

No no no no no no no no no NO.

He bit his lip. "Thing is, If the knife hits an artery, you're in serious trouble. It's probably one of the most vulnerable set of arteries in the body. I mean, the Axillary arterie is connected to the-"

"And what." said Ray, gritting his teeth. "would you do to stop whoever from dying?"

"Uh..." Norman tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I guess you would have to sit up so the blood wouldn't flow so easily. And everybody knows the rule don't take the knife out, so yeah. You would have to bandage around the knife until you  could get serious medical attention."

"Okay." Ray nodded. "Okay. Now, Norman..."

"What? Why did you even want to know that? You're obviously fine and-"

Norman froze. "No."

"Uh, yeah. I don't want you to panic okay, but a certain idiot got herself stabbed."

"He means me." Said Emma from the other side. She closed her eyes. "I'm really glad you guys are here."

"EMMA!!" Norman ran to the door. "EMMA, WHAT HAPPENED???!!"

"Hey, Norman." Emma winced. "I'm... I'm a bit... woozy"

"Oh my god." Norman staggered back. "Oh my... Emma, what the hell-"

"The murderer stabbed me, Norman. İt's a learning experience."

"Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my-"

"Will you shut up, Norman?" Hissed Ray. "She's fine."

"Well..."

"Shut up, will you. And sit up, like Norman said."

"Oh my god." Said Norman. "I... I feel a bit faint..."

"I can see that. Oh no, do whatever but please, don't cry, goddammit"

"Awww..." 

"Emma, I swear I'm killing you when we get you out of there."

Emma didn't reply.

"R...R...Ray? Uh, I think I might faint."

"DON'T YOU DARE!"

"I CAN'T TAAAAAKKKEE THİİİSSSS!!" Wailed Norman. Ray slapped him in the face, allowing himself a moment of satisfaction.

"İf you faint, I swear..."

Emma heard them arguing, and smiled. İf there was one day she wanted to die, this would be it, but without the pain and a knife sticking through her shoulder, listening to their voices. Although maybe they could've been  by her side...

There was a loud thud, and then the sound of Ray cursing loudly. 

Emma clenched her fists and forced herself to sit up, crying out with the pain.

"W...W...What happened? Ray? İs Norman okay?"

She heard Ray give an annoyed sigh. "Guess what.That stupid idiotic dummy..." 

She had the feeling he was gritting his teeth.

 "That damn idiot has just gone and FAİNTED!" groaned Ray.

Emma couldn't help it. Despite herself, she burst out laughing.