Devour

Chapter 43 - Errol

When you nearly die you always expect everything to go quiet quickly. People are supposed to rush you to hospitals and you're supposed to pass out quietly until everything is all right again.

It doesn't work like that.

One of Dax's girls did ring the police, and they arrive before all of us have limped back up to the house. Nobody is particularly thrilled to see myself or Dax standing, and we are quickly tased. By default, that means Cora and one of the girls with Dax get tased. That pisses me off so I break all their tasers and start demanding to see my kids. That doesn't make me popular.

As it happens one of the girls with Dax, his handler I guess, has this really extended, competent, wordy, totally believable explanation as to what we're all doing up here bleeding to death, which she explains really, really calmly and coherently. So much so, that they figure she must be lying and arrest her with the rest of us.

All this goes on while Dax and I are bleeding profusely from every orifice, which means that by the time they have us cuffed and in the back of a paddy wagon, Dax is passing out from blood loss. I'm pretty close myself, but adrenaline and spite are keeping me awake. I don't believe Pasch is gone. I don't believe it's over. And I desperately need to find the other kids.

The girls decide to take charge of the situation. That is, Cora and Dax's handler. The other little girl who I'm 98 percent sure is a local who got caught in the crossfire says something to the effect of 'this isn't a good idea'.

So, I learn the interesting way that Cora knows how to get out of handcuffs. I learn because she fucking hands me the cuffs and says 'what's your blood-type?' as she climbs out of the paddy wagon. She gets all the way over to the ambulance as well before she's caught and detained while stealing blood.

"All I need's a needle I've got coconut water, I've read that can be used to replenish blood!" nobody even asks why in hell this girl has coconut water in her purse and I'd read her mind and find out but frankly I'm pretty sure I'm literally dying.

"They are bleeding to death--- you can't do this it's illegal they've done nothing wrong and even if they had it'd be illegal—hello, you still alive? They're getting Emma loaded up they're worried about her neck," Cora says, the hello bit to me while patting my leg.

"Did you get a needle and bag? I've got coconut water that can be used to prevent vein collapse," Dax's handler who has gotten out like five boxes of water from a huge leather handbag, while cuffed. She's very confident, if talkative.

"Emma's okay?" she has to be okay. They all have to be okay.

"She wasn't conscious but they were getting good vitals----here, yes, I've got a bag," Cora says, getting things out of her bra. She apparently lifted, like, half of one of the ambulances.

"Does somebody other than her confirm this is safe?" I ask, pointing at Dax's over eager handler as best I can when I can hardly see from the blood in my eyes.

"Yes," the local girl says, as she basically holds up Dax in between moping blood from his face. "I've read it as well-- it's better than him bleeding out even if he is allergic."

"All right then, whatever I'm a moron, carry on," I mumble, spitting blood onto the floor so I can speak.

"Exactly, we'll just do a bit, hopefully if they see us injecting things they'll come give you actual medical treatment," Cora says, moving to roll up Dax's sleeve. "There, love, here help me support his head he's nearly gone---sorry I'm Cora Brightfield."

"I'm Rose, I'm---kind of a friend," the girl says, holding Dax up as directed. That doesn't go well because Dax completely freaks out at this exchange.