Accused + Silence (Continuation) 💣🤍 criminal bromance

6. Infection

Saturday 07.05 :

[Inhale and exhale] - Be strong like father – this was running through my head. I woke up to the fact that I was cold.

[Sigh] - It was like a bad dream, but it was reality.

Tony was sitting next to me and I was focusing on him: "Tony? What the..." - I had confusion in my head.

- "Angus, well finally. You passed out. You should have told me you were tired." - he dug into me nervously, but I couldn't think of anything else to say other than the word cold.

"Cold. It's freaking cold..."

- "Cold? It can be at least 15°C here." - he looked at me incomprehensively - "Your shoulder!" - he shouted.
He started to roughly unwrap the cloth I had wrapped around my shoulder. I didn't care anymore, but I could still feel the pain. Tony grew serious and added - "You have an infection!"

It sounded like something important, but I didn't take it seriously.

-"Your head... Show me!" - He started to dig through my hair as if he was looking for something useful... - "Doesn't it hurt?"

"Mm, maybe?" - I didn't know what I was feeling. I just wanted to close my eyes and cover myself.

- "You've got it rubbed off." - he said with a serious expression and noted - "You look terrible." - his hand started touching my face and he added - "You have a fever."

...

18:25

From Tony's point of view:

I knew very well what the situation was, so staying put was not an option. Angus needed to get the bullet out of his body and I couldn't take it out. However, I wasn't going to give up so easily. I believed we were close to the parking lot, all I had to do was keep going. Looking at him, I felt it was already futile, but he couldn't give up.

- "Hey, Angus! Stand up and put a hood on your head when you're cold." - I ordered him. He obeyed me and I grabbed his wrist to keep him under control - "We can go." - I said determinedly.

In his hood he looked like a lost Eskimo, but he still had me here... So we walked on – I held him with one hand and with the other I shone the light on our path. I wasn't going to stop. At times I felt like he was losing his mind as he asked twice in quick succession where we were going and now he was mumbling something about his father and their family, something to the point that he'd messed up. I didn't want to get involved, so I tried to let him say whatever he wanted – especially so he wouldn't stop going.
I kept pulling him forward and I could feel him slowing down more and more, but I couldn't just let him rest. I had some responsibility for him, and even though we hardly knew each other at all, I didn't want him to die.

The whole thing felt like a bad dream. I replayed my actions in my head and wondered what I had done wrong. Why did I veer off the path? Maybe things would have been different, maybe he wouldn't have even found us and we could have been in the parking lot a long time ago. I knew this forest was huge, but I went into it anyway. And that's why we're here now.
...

I only had 15% left on my cell phone, I was tired, but I could go on for another three hours. But that couldn't be said for Angus. He was exhausted and didn't seem to care, losing all sense of time and not recognizing the seriousness of the situation. I stood still for a moment so I could check the signal on my cell phone – maybe things had gotten better and if so, that would mean we were approaching the parking lot. I turned to face him and checked my phone.

However, what annoyed me was that he was watching me and looking me straight in the face.

- "What?!" - I blurted out, annoyed and irritated.

But he didn't answer and started to slowly sway towards me. His eyes were slightly squinted, but fixed on me, his clothes were dirty with blood, his hair, which was peeking out from behind his hood, was dusty and tousled.

He leaned his whole body against me and rested his head against my chest, then added in a whisper - "Can I do it?"

I was shocked, but confidently said - "Of course we can do it."

"But I was talking about myself... Because I can't handle it." - he said quietly.

- "What are you talking about Angus? Why couldn't you handle it?" - I asked.

He began to shiver from the cold and slowly slide lower to the ground. I was frightened. I caught him and knelt down beside him. I held his head and looked into his eyes, from which a tear rolled.

- "Of course you'll make it." - I encouraged him, wiping away the tear that was running down his cheek with my finger.

He sighed heavily and said - "Will you tell my dad, that I'm sorry?"

I looked at him uncomprehendingly. What he said made me angry: "I won't say anything to him. You'll tell him yourself! Do you hear me!" - I waved his body indignantly, but he slowly closed his eyes - "No, no, no, no, no. Don't do this to me! Do you hear me! Wake up!" - I rushed at him angrily. However, inside I was afraid that this would be the end of it.

"I'm sorry too..." - he whispered, as if with the last of his strength.

I waved with him once again, telling him to wake up, but it didn't help. We had already missed the water long ago. I had nothing to offer him, except that we would get out of here. It was up to me!

- "You're going to be okay! Hang in there!" - I said, picking him up in my arms.

I didn't know how much longer, but I was sure I could get him there. He needed immediate medical attention. With him in my arms, I walked through the dense woods, in the dark, to the sounds of hooting owls, rustling leaves, and the snapping of dry twigs, hoping that around every corner a parking lot would appear – our rescue.

I was terribly angry with myself because I wanted to help that man. How could I even consider it?

...

20:09

My stomach was grumbling with hunger and Angus was still unconscious... I didn't know how long I could hold out. There were two sides fighting in my head – one wanted to keep going and the other wanted to run somewhere easier and without Angus.

I really wanted to go on, but I couldn't. I had the feeling that I was digging my own grave and that the truth would be found out.
I was looking around – looking at his face and telling myself why I was doing this...
I decided to leave him. It was dark and I had no desire to be around him anymore. All of this just reminded me of how I had acted and that I had something to do with it. But I don't – not if I'm not going to be here. I knelt down and slowly lowered Angus to the ground.

Then, I heard some noises – very soft and muffled. I tried to make them out. Were they cars? Oh, yes! They are the sounds of cars. That must be the road that leads to the prison. Could I really have gotten out of there?

So I took him in my arms again and sprinted towards the road. I could already see the lights from the car. My heart was pounding and my legs were weak, but my resolve was not. It was strong and without hesitation I crossed the last thicket.
...