KEEP DRIVING - H.S

Chapter 8

September 18 2021, DC

"HOLY SHIT, THAT'S BLOOD!" Alliah shrieked, turning her face away from the gruesome sight. She screamed at Harry, "STOP THE BLEEDING!"

"YOU'RE THE IDIOT THAT GOT HURT!" He screamed back, pressing a towel to the warm liquid running down Alliah's leg. "How'd you even do this to yourself?"

Harry was pushed to the side by the medic, who pulled out a first aid kit.

"What happened to Treat People With Kindness, huh, Harold-?" Alliah began, only to cut off with a sharp exhale when the medic poured liquid onto the bleeding wound. "Shiiiiiiittttt," she hissed out at the burning pain.

"It's a shallow cut, the blood simply makes it look worse than it is," the medic explained as she wiped down Alliah's leg. "Just give it time and it'll stop bleeding. I can bandage you up and you should be able to perform tonight, but you'll have to be careful. No jumping around like you usually do."

"But jumping around is the best part," Alliah whined, supressing a whimper when the medic applied a balm to Alliah's knee.

"Doctor's orders, Ali," Harry teased.

Alliah glared at him. "Shut it, Harold."

Harry simply laughed, placing a comforting hand on Alliah's shoulder, rubbing it up and down her upper arm as the medic wrapped up Alliah's knee.

Alliah gave Harry's hand a gentle squeeze once the medic was done, signaling him that she was okay. The medic started packing up her things.

"What's your name?" Alliah prompted.

The medic looked up. "Sandra."

Alliah smiled, extending a hand. "Nice to meet you, Sandra. I'm Alliah, thanks a lot for everything. I appreciate it."

Sandra took her hand, shaking it before standing up. "You should be all set. Like I said, take it easy and give yourself time to recover. And don't jump around."

Alliah let out a small laugh. "Promise. And I'll try not to hurt myself again. Thank you!"

Sandra walked away, leaving Harry and Alliah alone.

"Shit, shit, shiiitttt, that hurt like a bitchhhh," Alliah whined once she was out of earshot. Alliah clutched Harry's hands in her own, bowing her head between them. "I'm done, they should've just amputated my leg, it would've hurt less than that shit."

Harry laughed, rubbing his thumb over Alliah's knuckles. "You'll be okay, it stopped bleeding and as long as you stay safe, it'll be fine. You're okay, right?"

Alliah chuckled. "Yeah, don't worry." She got to her feet, testing her weight to see how much she could handle. Before she could even take a single step, Harry had wrapped an arm around her waist and slung her arm over his shoulder. "Thanks."

They made their way to the edge of the stage, where Harry helped Alliah sit down, their legs hanging over the ledge.

"This place is huge," Alliah whispered.

Harry nodded. "I'm not sure if it looks bigger empty or full."

"Empty. 'Cause when it's full, you get distracted by the people, the lights and the flashy outfits," Alliah explained, "You're so captivated by their energy, you forget about everything else."