The Overlord Trilogy: The Light

26 • The Wager

Logan

"And why would I care about Liz?" I stay silent in the doorway as Kali shakes her head at James, James wincing as he shifts his weight while leaning on the wall.

"What is wrong with you James?!" Kali slams her fists onto his chest, James' jaw clenching as his hands ball up into fists. "Liz cares about you and you are not going to give a crap about her? She loves you!" Kali steps back from him. "You know what James?" She puts her hands to her chest, her body shaking. "I-I watched Zoey die today... I watched her die b-because of me. I am the reason she died and I am the reason you are like this." She shakes her head and brings her hands up to her face, wiping away tears. "I ruined two people's lives James... I don't deserve to be here, I should have been the one to die. Me. Not Zoey."

James stands up straight and pulls Kali into a hug, his face contorting with pain as he hugs her. Kali cries into his chest, holding him close to her. A part of me wants to step out from behind the doorway and pull Kali close to me but I don't move. She needs this. She needs to make up with James, he's her closest friend, and she needs him too.

"It's okay Kali." James' voice sounds strained as he speaks, his face pale.

"I'm so sorry James, I made your life horrible!" James shakes his head as he holds her close, Kali's voice cracking through her tears.

"It's not your fault Kali, I promise. You didn't make my life horrible, you helped to make it better." They stay silent as Kali slowly stops crying, James whispering something to her before she backs up and smiles at him.

"Thanks James." He nods and smiles weakly at her. I move out of the doorway quickly as James stumbles forward. Kali and I catch him as he falls, unconscious in our arms. "W-What happened to him?"

"Help me get him into one of the rooms!" Kali nods and helps me carry James towards our room, helping me lay him down on the bed. I quickly pull his jacket off, Kali's eyes widening at the amount of blood that soaks through his shirt. "Kali go try to find some medical supplies, now!" I don't wait for her to leave the room, pulling James' shirt off.

His shoulder is covered in blood, dried and new, from the two bullet wounds in it. What the hell were you doing to get wounds like this? Kali runs into the room, a medical kit in her hand. I turn around and take it from her, opening it and placing it on the floor. I quickly put rubbing alcohol on a towel, wiping the blood from the wounds on the shoulder. Kali hands me antiseptic wipe packets as well, allowing me to wipe closer to the wound and to make sure it is cleaned.

"Here, take the tweezers while I get the stuff to sew up the bullet wound." I grab the tweezers from her while she rummages through the first aid kit.

I take a breath and steady my shaking hand before I lean over and put the tweezers into the bullet hole. I slowly pull out the bullet, James shifting slightly and moaning. I place the bullet on the table beside the bed before moving back over the wound. Kali hands me a new rag, already somewhat soaked with rubbing alcohol. I mutter a quick "Thank you." before beginning to dab the area around the wound, blood beginning to come out again.

"I got it." I move back after I get the second bullet out of the wound, Kali moving forward with the sewing kit. She takes a deep breath before beginning to sew up the wound, her hand shaking as the needle goes through the skin. I sit next to her, helping to keep the wound closed as she continues to sew it all together.

"You're doing great, keep going." She nods, lost in concentration as she continues to sew. I'll need to talk to her about what happened with Zoey after all of this, she can't keep beating herself up over it. It was Thana's fault for putting us in that situation, it was Thana's fault that Kali had to attack. She has to understand that, I can't watch her beat herself up over it. If she keeps it all in, she will end up hurting herself or worse.