PURPLE HEART - Soliders Of Fortune [BOOK TWO]

Chapter FORTY FOUR

Sunday 'Sunny' Santos

A heavy thud wakes me from a deep sleep, the sound of metal clinking and fabric shifting stirs me from a peaceful rest and into an immediate state of paralysed panic.. When a weary sigh accompanied by a sudden and immense weight sinks into the mattress beside me, I scramble aside with a squeal, disoriented and confused.. "Eeek!"

At the shrill sound of my terror, the lumbering creature gives a startled shout before he tumbles to the floor with a pained moan.. "Argghhh- suka- blyat!" (shit, fuck)

The husky voice is a familiar, calming balm to my racing heart as I blink in the dark, crawling across to the edge of the mattress to peer down at him, only just able to make out his silhouette in the vervet black of night.. "Max?"

"Da.." (yes) He groans..

"Are you alright?" I gasp, hurrying to turn on the bedside lamp, horrified when light floods the room to illuminate the bloody red smears that trail across the floor and stain the sheets around me.. "Ay Dios Mio- you're hurt!"

"It's nothing.." He winces, sitting up on the floor to prop himself against the bed, clutching at his shoulder where his skin is stained a rusty red.. His bloody shirt lays in a heap by the dresser, along with his belt and boots..

"It's not nothing, Max.. Let me see-" Sliding down to form a dainty puddle on the floor beside him, I gingerly lift my hands to pry his fingers away from the bleeding wound.

A deep hole, tunnelling into the torn flesh is revealed and I can feel the colour draining from my cheeks as I gape at the gore in horror.. "Maybe you should go to the hospital-"

A gunshot wound is a little beyond my nursing skillset, which pretty much begins and ends at covering bruises with concealer and hoping for the best..

"I can't go to the hospital, Bunny-" Max grits his teeth as his eyes flutter tiredly closed.. "They have to report shit like this.." His head falls back and he quiets for a moment as he begins to breathe through the pain.. "Damnit- I think some of the shrapnel is still in there.. Zakya, you gotta dig it out for me.."

"Dig it out?!" A shocked snort of disbelief escapes me as he tosses out the outrageous request as if it were simple as can be.. "Uh- maybe I should go and wake Viktor- or your sister-"

Max grabs my wrist, preventing me from leaving his side, his midnight blue eyes pleading and soft as silk.. "They can't know about this, Sunday.. I need you.."

"You need me?" I whisper, helpless and unable to deny the man anything he might ask of me, yet so afraid of everything I could do wrong..

"Please, Malyshka.. Do this for me?" (babygirl) He lifts my knuckles to his lips, kissing them gently in encouragement..

"Merida- Okay.." (shit) I swallow my fear.. "Tell me what to do.."

"In the draw over there is a knife and a flask of vodka.." Max lifts a bloody hand to direct me over to the bedside.. "You're gonna need both.."