SCP 1471 [An anomalous life]

XIV

I materialized just in time to be able to support Quentin, who was about to fall to the ground.

He immediately turned to look at me, frightened.

-Mal0--
-You can't...

-Calm down, Quentin.
-We're close to home. -I murmured, trying to calm him down.
He struggled a bit at first, but I managed to get an arm around my neck and support some of his body weight that way.

My first instinct would have been to carry Quentin like I had done that time, but I didn't want to draw too much attention to myself.

...

We managed to walk the remaining block.
I was on constant alert, in case that guy decided to attack Quentin again, though I doubted it.

The helplessness I felt as I watched Quentin struggle....

I was about to jump out of the phone and slit that man's throat in the blink of an eye.

But the foundation said I was not to materialize on the streets again.

That didn't matter to me right now, though.

In the few meters we had left to get home I could see that man on the street begging for cash, drinking from a beer bottle.

I was sure Quentin would have some funny comment to make, but right now he was busy with not passing out on the spot.

I reached into Quentin's pocket, and after a few seconds of poking around I managed to pull out his keys.

My hands were shaking too much and I ended up taking longer than necessary to open the front door.

As soon as we got in the door, I picked up Quentin and carried him through the halls of the building.

I turned a corner and I could have sworn my heart stopped beating blood and started pumping ice.

Quentin's mother stood in the middle of the hallway, still wearing her dentist's outfit, with a hard-to-read expression on her face.

Being in a situation like this I could not dematerialize and return Quentin's cell phone, leaving him lying on the floor.
Nor could I return to the streets, and risk being seen there.

I remained motionless on the spot, holding Quentin in my arms, unable to utter a single word.

As soon as she saw her son, her eyes widened and she put her hand to her chest.

-QUENTIN? -She exclaimed, horrified..

I could see her hesitating to walk towards me, clearly terrified by my appearance, but still standing up for the love of her son.

-Miss, I ask you to...

-Who are you?!
-What happened to Quentin?! -She screamed again, terrified.

Quentin just shook his head, being too tired to vocalize a response.
-Ma'am, Quentin was attacked, we need help right away! -I exclaimed, trying to be as cordial as possible.

The look of terror on the woman's face showed that she still didn't trust me, but she had no choice but to concede, since I had her son in my arms.

She let out an exasperated sigh and shook her head.
-Come in, quick! -She exclaimed, opening the door to her apartment.

I walked inside the apartment, as fast as I could, and left Quentin lying on the couch in the living room.

He was still conscious, though barely.

I moved a few steps away, so that the woman could be with her son, without being frightened by my presence.

Frightened, she lifted his white shirt, now dyed an ominous red, and grimaced when she saw his cuts.