PROJECT ANDERSON

CHAPTER 77: ANDIE/SARGE

I know Sarge said I could talk to Stevie, but I just couldn't.

That wasn't how I wanted to say goodbye to him. That wasn't how I wanted to remember him.

"How much blood has he lost?" I finally asked probably a bit louder than I should have.

"About two pints...if I were to guess." Melissa answered, still a little flustered. "Enough to make him woozy, but hopefully not enough to kill him."

"Have you stopped the bleeding yet?" I asked mirroring her worry.

"We got the tourniquet on...we're working on tightening it now."

I could hear him scream on the other end...it was weak, but at least I knew that he was still alive...for the most the part.

"How much longer until you get here?" I asked trying to keep my mind from thinking the worst.

"Two days or so." Sarge answered calmly.

At least one of them was calm.

But that was too long to go with just a tourniquet...he probably wouldn't make it.

"He won't make it here, Sarge." Andie's voice was soft and almost tearful. "He'll probably die from blood loss or an infection...if it comes to that, than...do whatever you think is best."

"Andie, you can't seriously be suggesting -"

"Sarge, the way I see it you have two options...either you try to save the leg and risk infection or failure, or you cut the leg off and risk the same things...either way my best friend is going to be dead." She said through tears now.

"They could carderise the stump...that would prevent further blood loss and we could doctor it, and keep an eye out for any signs of infection." Johnny said from the hallway. "I can give him some of my blood...I'm a universal donor."

"But how are we going to do that?" Melissa questioned softly.

"There's a...machete...in the food trunk." Steven said weakly.

"Find a way to get it red hot and then...cut through his leg." Andie said as she tried to calm her emotions. "You might have trouble getting through the bone...but I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"Wait, was she listening the whole time?" John asked surprised.

"Yeah, Steven's holding the button down and when his body tries to make him pass out he releases it." Melissa explained when she finally got the bleeding to stop. "He's ready whenever you guys are."

"I'll get the machete and heat it up." I said softly before getting up and heading over to the food truck. "Melissa, see if you have anything that will take blood for the transfusion."

"I can already tell you that I don't." She said sadly. "I was just trained to bandage wounds on the battlefield, not perform medical procedures."

"We have everything you'll need here to save him...just get him here." Anderson said, probably a bit louder than she intended.

"I know you want to help him, Andie, but he needs blood now."

"Then I will come to you with the supplies." She argued back.

"You can't be serious!" Jesse yelled in the background.

Jess grabbed the walkie talkie from my hand and threw it on the bed behind me.

"You aren't going anywhere, Andie...not tonight." His voice was furious, but his eyes were filled with worry.

And that's when I realized...he probably woke up when I yelled, but he didn't know who I was talking to.