✯ North Star ✯

5 - When The Light Faded

I let out a groan as all the pain hits me at once- hard and sharp, like someone flipping a switch inside my body.
The adrenaline was gone.
Every nerve suddenly remembered it was supposed to hurt.

"Uh..." John B mumbles, ripping off his dad's bandana and pressing it against my stomach.

"I need you to push down, okay? Look- this is gonna hurt but I need you to push down." He says.

I gasp as he presses the cloth m deeper into the wound. My eyes blur with tears.

"I'm sorry. I know it hurts. We've gotta stop the bleeding. Push down. Push down." He moves my hand over his so I can apply pressure.

The second his hand touched mine, I can feel he's shaking.
Unknown to me, losing me was the one thing he couldn't survive.

"Look we gotta take this shirt off. I'm gonna push down. You take the shirt off." He said, I try to pull the fabric up with trembling fingers.

"Okay here you go. Okay. Okay lean back. Lean back. Just stay as still as possible. I'm gonna call Terrance." John b says

I can hear him talking, but my head feels underwater. His voice is just sound, not meaning.

"Hey look we got it. We got it but listen we have bigger problems. Stella's been shot. Yes she's been shot in the gut. I need your help. We're up in the cane field a mile up on the left. I'm not sure. I'll drop a pin. I don't know how to get here. Hurry. Okay." John b says

I blink down at my hands.
They're soaked in blood.

My blood.

My jeans are dark with it. I can't even tell where the wound stops.

"Help is on the way okay? Just stay with me." John b says, his voice tight like he's barely holding himself together.

A moment later, Terrance and cleo runs forward.

"Stella!" Cleo yells,  helping me into their truck.

"I just texted you the address of a doctor! Tell him I sent you!" Terrance tells John B.

"Okay and it's a hospital right?" John B asks, desperately.

"No. You wanna get caught?" Terrance raised a brow.

"I really don't give a shit T. She needs help." John b snaps.

"He's better than any of the doctors in that shitcan. He's my guy. He got ya. Stella look you gon' be okay. Okay baby? Just breathe relax. Everything's good. We're gonna meet at the wharf in eight hours. No more. It is hot as hell out there. My guy's good. He's gonna take care of you." Terrance says, squeezing my hand.

"And this is him right?" John b asks, holding up the phone.

"That's him. He got you. He's a good guy" Terrance said

"T? Thank you" I mange to breathe.