Keep Me Safe Y/n Routledge x JJ Maybank

part 19- Impact

My eyes slowly fluttered open, revealing three figures looming above me. Pain radiated through my body as I lay on the floor, and in that instant, I realised I had been shot. With great effort, I turned my head, and the sight of blood trickling from my left shoulder to the ground confirmed my worst fear. I gasped, shock coursing through me.

"You're gonna be okay, bubs," JJ said, his voice filled with a shaky reassurance. I nodded faintly as he took my hand, and I noticed tears welling in his eyes, mirroring the ones that began to spill down my cheeks.

I glanced over at John B, who quickly turned away, desperately trying to mask his own tears from me.

I tried to sit up but my shoulder felt like it was on fire. It felt like a burning hot knife was piercing through my skin.

"Okay, okay, hold on, y/n," Neville said firmly. "I'm going to need to remove the bullet. It's going to hurt like a bitch, but I need you to stay calm. Can you do that?"

I nodded again, my heart racing as Neville rose to fetch his tweezers and a cloth. He handed the cloth to JJ, instructing him to apply pressure to the wound after he extracted the bullet.

Then, I noticed Neville disinfecting the tweezers, and it offered me a flicker of reassurance.

"JJ, w-what happened to the guys?" I asked weakly, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I'll tell you when we get home, okay?" he replied. I nodded, but deep down, I couldn't shake the nagging thought that I might not make it off this boat alive.

JJ caught the worried look on my face. No matter how hard I tried to mask my fear, he always seemed to know when something was off. "You're gonna be okay, love. I won't let anything happen"

"Promise?" I asked, my voice even softer than before.

"I promise," JJ said, though I could see the uncertainty in his eyes. He wanted to reassure me, even if he knew he couldn't control the situation.

As Neville continued disinfecting the tweezers, John B suddenly asked, "Wait, Neville, are you sure this is safe?"

"I've done this before, kid. If I don't do it now, she won't make it to the hospital," he replied, sending my heart racing even faster. The thought of dying was terrifying, but I tried to stay calm for the sake of John B and JJ.

Neville warned me that he was about to remove the bullet, and I gripped JJ's hand tighter with my good one, seeking comfort in his presence.

The moment those tweezers touched my skin, I squeezed my eyes shut and screamed at the top of my lungs, the pain overwhelming me.

I could see JJ and John B both look away, unable to witness the agonising scene unfolding before them. The agony persisted for what felt like an eternity, but after what seemed like twenty long seconds, the bullet was finally out.

A sigh of relief escaped my lips as the pain began to subside. It still hurt like hell, but it was a relief compared to what I had just endured.

"Don't calm down just yet; the next part is going to hurt even worse," Neville warned, and I cursed under my breath, unsure if I could endure the pain.

He instructed JJ to use the cloth he had given him earlier and press down on the wound. I noticed JJ hesitating, clearly torn between wanting to help and fearing he might hurt me. He was fighting just as hard as I was to keep his composure.

He released my hand to apply pressure, and I called out for John B to come and take JJ's place in holding my hand, I was desperate for something to grip as I braced myself for the pain.