Between Me & You - n.r.

Chapter 11

Hailee's POV

The crack of the gunshots pierced the air and made my heart stop. A window to my right shattered, sending shards of glass flying in all directions.

I screamed and ducked while another gunshot rang through the air. 

Nick crouched to the ground beside me. 

"Hailee, run", he said, his voice dripping with fear.

I didn't waste any time. I got to my feet and ran, but I didn't get very far. 

I heard even more gunshots and I knew that I couldn't leave Nick there by himself. Instead of running away, I ducked into a dark alleyway.

I pressed my back against the cold brick wall and listened.

"I told you there would be consequences", said a voice of someone I didn't know.

Nick said nothing.

"You're lucky that you're little girlfriend got away", the voice continued. "If she was still here, she'd be the first to die."

My heart raced. He had no idea I was here. I searched my pockets for my phone, hoping to call the police from my hiding place. All my pockets were empty. I didn't have my phone with me. 

All I could do was wait. 

"Leave her out of this", Nick said in a shaky voice. 

"I'm holding a gun to your chest", the mystery voice said. "Does it really seem like a good idea to tell me what to do right now?"

There was silence for a while. Eery silence. I tried not to move. Not to breathe to loudly. It was everything I could do to keep quiet. 

"Robinson, this is what you get for failing in the drug business. I hope you'll make wiser decisions from now on. That's if you survive of course."

There was one last gunshot and the sound of a body hit the pavement. 

"Pleasure doing business with you", the man said. 

I waited for his footsteps to fade away before I rushed to Nick's side. 

"Nick!", I yelled as I ran to him and knelt beside him. There was a bullet hole right under his ribcage and the blood was coming quickly. 

This was nothing I hadn't seen before. I'd watched my dad do surgery on people in conditions much worse. But he was in a hospital. I was on the street.

The shaky rise and fall of his chest told me that he was still breathing but I didn't know how long that would last. 

I knew the first thing to do was make sure that he had no brain damage. He could have hit his head when he fell and dealing with the bullet hole wouldn't do much good if he was brain dead.

"Nick", I said as I took his face in my hands. "Nick, wake up." I gently shook his shoulders and sure enough, his eyes fluttered open. 

"Nick can you hear me?", I asked. He slowly nodded in response. Now I had to make sure that there was no memory loss. All I had to do was ask simple questions.

"Nick how old are you?"

"17", he answered in a quiet, unsteady voice. 

"Good, do you know who I am?"

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and for a second I was sure he had no clue who I was. He was quiet for a while. 

"Yes, I know you", he answered.

"Okay, what's my name?"

"Hailee."

I sighed in relief. He hadn't forgotten me. 

Nick showed no signs of brain damage. Or at least no damage that I could assess without getting him scanned. 

I turned my attention to his wound. The blood was coming faster now so I unzipped his jacket and peeled back his shirt to get access.

"Oh my god", I muttered.

"You can't help me, can you?", Nick asked.

"Yes, I can."

"How?"

I thought back to everything my dad had ever taught me. This was textbook: apply pressure.

"I'm going to apply pressure to your wound."

He nodded. 

"But first, I have to call an ambulance. Pressure will do nothing if you don't get medical attention", I said. 

I fished through Nick's pockets and located his phone. I hastily dialled 911 and started to roll up my sleeves.

"911 what is your emergency?", the operator asked.

"Hi, I'm here with a boy who was just shot. I need an ambulance right away." After telling our location, I hung up.

"Okay Nick, are you ready?"

"No."

"Well if you lose too much more blood, you'll die. I have to help you, okay?"

He nodded slowly and I knew he would go unconscious soon.

"Okay, Nick take a deep breath."

"Why?"

"Because this is going to hurt."

Before he could argue, I put both my hands over his wound and pressed down, hard. He screamed in pain and protest, but I couldn't stop. The bleeding was already slowing down.

Nick's eyes started to close so I tried to keep him awake. If he was awake, he was alive and right now that's all I needed.

"Stay with me, Nick. Stay with me."

+ + + + + + + + + +

The ambulance finally came. 

The paramedics took over for me and loaded Nick into the waiting ambulance. 

"Is he going to be okay?", I asked a paramedic who was rushing around the scene.

"That kid owes you big time. You saved his life."

A flood of relief so strong washed over me and I fell to my knees. I didn't care that I was covered in Nick's blood or that I had almost been shot. He was going to be okay and that was enough for me. 

I watched the ambulance drive away and started my long walk home.

I turned around and something on the sidewalk caught my eye. It was Nick's wallet. 

I picked it up and something fluttered out and landed on the ground. 

Curious, I bent down to retrieve it. It was a piece of thick paper. From a yearbook. On the other side was a picture. Of me. 

*************

Hi readers,

Lot's of people were excited for another update, so here it is! Let me know what you think. Also, thanks for the votes :)

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That_Epiphany