Shifters (Feline english version)

Chapter 12

I woke up with a start, dazed. I felt like I had been beaten up, a dull pain ran through my body and I felt the blood pulsating under my skull. It took me a few seconds to remember where I was and, as the memories flowed, my brain started to work again.

Something had woken me up.

I tried to desperately probe the outside of our shelter in the hope of determining the noise that had put me on alert. When I began to bend my legs, I had to repress a cry of pain. My sore muscles didn't like waking up and my jeans, stiffened by the dried blood, didn't make my movements any easier.

I managed to get up and approached one of the door's gaps carefully to take a look outside. It was barely daylight. I must have only fallen asleep for half an hour, at most. I understood my headache better. Detecting nothing in particular, I relaxed, when I realized that it was actually the silence that had woken me up. I couldn't hear Jude breathing!

I rushed to his side and checked his pulse. It was weak and intermittent and his breathing was barely noticeable. He had not fallen into a restful sleep as I thought he had, but he was dying. I lifted up the jacket I had covered him with to check the condition of his injuries: they looked exactly the same as before. As if his body, after closing the wounds, had not had the strength to go any further. His skin was covered with a layer of sweat, but most of all it was icy and pale. Then the evidence hit me like a freight train at full speed. He needed blood! Why didn't I think of that right away? But how do I get him some? I couldn't reach anyone or take him to the hospital, let alone get help.

I let myself slide to the ground, in despair. I did all this for nothing. In the end, he was still going to die, and all because of me! While treating him, I had come to the conclusion that the first bullet had hit him when I hesitated to run away. Placed in front of me, I remembered his growl of pain as well as his stiffening body. At the time, I blamed it on his anger, but now I was pretty sure I was right. The first injury weakened him and that's probably why they managed to hit him again later. Oh, my God! My feelings suddenly overwhelmed me and tears began to flow silently on my cheeks.

No! I had to pull myself together, I couldn't give up. I had to find a solution and quickly. That's when I saw the pieces of broken glass that were strewn over the ground a little further away. Before I even understood exactly what I wanted to do, I found myself standing with a broken piece of bottle in my hand, and everything became clear.

Following my instincts, I suddenly turned Jude on his back, before sitting against one of the filthy walls. Then I put him in a semi-seated position, his back against my chest. Once settled, I took a deep breath, cut my wrist with the piece of glass and pressed it against his mouth. While encouraging him to swallow, I gently massaged his throat to provoke his swallowing. I was well aware that what I was doing was, from a medical point of view, completely stupid, but I felt deep down that it was his only chance to make it through. When I finally felt his mouth pressing against my wrist and his swallowing natural, I stopped the massage and put my free arm around his chest to hold him.

After a few minutes, he moaned and pulled my wrist away from his mouth with his hand, before being overcome with a violent gag. I tightened my grip while wondering with concern if I hadn't made the situation worse. At the time, I went with my guts but... My doubts were quickly swept away when his spasms stopped and he opened his eyes. He stared at me for a few seconds with an interrogating look, then he covered my hand which held him with his own and closed his eyes while letting his head rest against my shoulder with a weary sigh. I only relaxed when I saw he had regained some colors and his breathing and pulse were better and more regular.

***

I must have dozed off while I watched over him, for it seemed that hours had passed when I felt him regaining consciousness. A glance at my watch indicated me that only one hour had passed.