The Wounded Healer

Chapter 31: Infected

The agonizing pain in her shoulder woke her again. It might have had something to do with Sonya putting most of her body weight on her shoulder.

"Newt! Another one, hurry!"

Something was passed over her line of vision and Sonya's body weight lifted, the blood soaked cloth was switched, a clean wad was pressed down with Sonya's body weight. Making her body convulse with pain, and her eyes roll.

"I'm sorry Love! I'm so bloody sorry!" Newt's voice sounded rough, like he was trying hard not to cry.

She heard someone crying out in agony beside her. Thomas. Thomas was withering in pain right beside her. She had no idea how he was shot, or where, but she understood his pain.

A fire flicked and spit somewhere close. She felt the heat wafting across her body, hot wind through hot air. She saw a glimpse of the flames behind Sonya.

Someone said, "You better hold 'em down. Legs and arms."

Though her mind still floated in and out of focus, those words didn't sound good. And made her panic. She almost begged the crank to come out to help absorb some of the pain.

A flash of light on silver in his vision, the fading sun's reflection on ... a knife? Was it glowing red?

"Take the little ones away, they don't need to see this." It was Captain Jaz, maybe?

She felt people grab hold of her limbs and some held her head in their hands. It must be Newt, she could feel his warm callased hands stocking her cheek upsidedown.

"This is gonna hurt somethin' awful." No idea who said it.

Evelyn heard Thomas scream in pure agony seconds before she heard a hiss right beside her... right before a billion pounds of dynamite exploded in her shoulder.

Evelyn arched her back screaming in pure white hot tourture. She felt the scream rip her vocal cords. The crank finally came to the surface. It took over her mind, blocking her, shielding her from the pain. Evelyn didn't remember anything else.

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Evelyn sensed that a long spell of time had passed. When she opened her eyes again, stars like pinpricks of daylight shone down from the dark sky. Her loved ones came to check, came to say hi. Someone held her hand. She tried to turn her head to look over, but it sent a fresh wave of agony shooting down her spine and through her body. It hurt to take a proper breathe. She chest rose and fell in short shallow gasps.

She didn't need to look to know it was Newt. He lay beside her, asleep, holding her clammy one.

The intense pain of before had been replaced. In some ways, she now felt worse. Something like an illness crept through the inner workings of her body. A gnawing, itching filthiness. Something foul, like some thick poison through her veins and the hollows of her bones and between her muscles. Eating away at her. And it wasn't the Flare. This felt different.

It hurt, but now it was more of an ache. Deep and raw. Her stomach, twisted and clenched and felt unstable. She could feel the Flare freezing in her arm and a white hot fire burn where she had taken the bullet.

She knew something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong. She knew she had a serious infection, mixing with the Flare.

Her mind clouded and it took her back into the darkness of nothingness.

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The sunrise woke Evelyn in the morning. The first thing she noticed was that Newt no longer held her hand. Chuck was beside her now. His eyes looked lost and sad. He stared off into the distance. Then she noticed the cool air of early morning on her skin, which gave her the briefest moment of pleasure.