The Trauma Carrier

Chapter 9: Guerilla

Flashback

Young Julien was swinging on the swing set, in silence, watching the sun set and waiting for his mother to call him to get back into the house. Today was different though, as a new set of neighbors had moved in, and it seemed that their kids have finally started getting comfortable, and many have already grouped up and were playing along the empty street. As he watched, he saw them playing with a crude, wooden stick. One threw the ball and the other swung as hard as they can and the ball flew down to house.

He'd walk up the group, intrigued with the idea of the activity. As he got closer, he felt a sense of fear, and his hands drew behind his back and clenched. Walking up to one of the bigger kids, his mouth stayed shut.

?: "Something wrong?"

Rook: "What are you playing..?"

?: "I... don't know exactly, someone else showed us and it looked cool, so we are now playing it. You want to join in?"

Rook: "Sure." His voice went quiet immediately

He was told to step behind the manhole, and as a kid threw a ball at the one with the stick in front of him, he would instinctively catch the ball.

?: "Well, that's strike... one."

Rook: He'd look at the kids around him "What do I do... with the ball..?"

?: "Pass it back to the thrower."

Rook threw it back to the pitcher, and waited.

Rook: "What am I supposed to do?"

?: "Just catch the ball if he misses with the stick. Just keep an eye out. You can go after he fails on his third swing."

Rook nodded, but as soon he turned back, he saw the ball fly at him, and saw the stick as well. His hands quickly tried to cover his eyes, but the stick won the race, and he felt a sting that forced him onto the asphalt.

His ears slightly ringing, he heard faint gasping, and saw some kids surround him and try to converse on how to deal with the situation. Rook closed his eyes, and the ringing only got louder.

Flashback ends

The ringing eased, but all that Rook felt like he was weighted down. As he slowly opened his eyes, the pure whiteness in his peripherals was only that was visible. Throwing his arms up and out of the snow that strangely buried him, he would wipe his eyes and quickly stood up, pulling out his pistol from his holster and aiming around his surroundings, not checking on the others. Then, a few bangs whizzed by him, in which he turned in the direction of the sound, and fired without hesitation. Putting down his pistol and turning to the group, they would too be trying to stand but Glaz.

He then started to hear someone's cries, and it was familiar. Glaz had his back facing Rook, but the snow was all needed to expose the situation. It must've been red dye surrounding Glaz's leg, but Rook new better, and he quickly pulled out his small med-kit attached on the side of his trauma plate.

Rook: He then turned to Dokkaebi and Ela  "Haul ass here!"

Turning Glaz on his back, Rook saw the devastation. Grabbing a spare piece of cloth and putting it over Glaz's legs, he would notice that his bottom half would be shredded and shaking in response of the puff of snow.

Ela: "It was a mine. If we don't stop the bleeding, we might lose him!" Ela would open her med-kit as well, tying a tourniquet on both of Glaz's legs

Dokkaebi: "Keep it down!" She would tap Glaz's shoulders, and then would shove a shot of morphine on his upper leg

Glaz's cries would calm down, but it was getting dire. Rook now looking at his bloodied gloves, and then decided to fully wrap and press against the wounds. His glove became a sponge, and his eyes started to flinch on closing from the amount of gore was happening in less than a minute.