Obscura: The Dark Chamber Series Book 1

Chapter 8

           No! The word echoes in my mind.

        I kneel down beside Kael and check if he is dead or not. I don’t know how to check someone’s pulse. So I lean down and place one ear to hear his heart.

        I hear a faint dubbing ­sound produced by Kael’s heart. He’s alive! I raise my head and shout for help. I check for the bullet wound on his forehead. Luckily, there were none.

        His hospital gown was colored by his blood. I try to find where the blood was coming from. I examine Kael with my eyes. There! A bullet wound just below his right collar bone. “Help! Somebody! He’s been shot!” I shout. “Hold on Kael. Help is coming.” I tell him. He didn’t respond.

        Few seconds later, a nurse and doctor come in with their flashlights, squeezing their way in the cramped storage room. I move back to give them some room. The doctor rips the hospital gown and checks the wound. “Nurse! I need a stretcher here!” The doctor shouts. I stand outside the storage room as the doctor examines the wound. “This is bad. There is an exit wound. He already lost a lot of blood. We have to get him to surgery.” The doctor says. “Where is my stretcher?” He shouts again.

        It took a second or two before I see a group of medical staff rushing with the stretcher. The medical personnel park the stretcher in front of me. They struggle to get Kael out of the small room. When they did, they roll away. My eyes trail them as they leave. That was the time that I realized I was holding my breath as they take Kael away.

        He’s alive! I say to myself while I let myself enjoy a deep breath. But how? I ask myself. I try to find any reason how the Hunter missed him in pointblank. It is either intentional or he got distracted. The girl! She must have done something to make the Hunter miss his shot. The only answer that came out of my mind.

        I see Jarek along the hall talking to a man. He takes out a cellular phone and dials a number. Few second later, he gives the phone to the man.

        The electricity went back up a second later. I squint and slowly open my eyes so that they will adapt in the light. “Jarek!” I hear Elfie shouts. Elfie comes running down the hall. I start to walk towards Jarek. “Where is my brother?” Elfie asks Jarek.

        “He got shot in his lower left rib and sustains heavy beating. The doctor says they need to remove the bullet. They rushed him to the operating room.” Jarek says. Elfie tears start to roll down her cheeks. “They said he will be fine.” Jarek continues.

        Elfie leans to Jarek’s chest as she cries. Jarek rubs her back to comfort her. I always see them bickering at each other but I guess at this time of weakness, we all have each other.

        “And Slayer?” I ask.

        “The doctor thinks that she sustained a concussion and she got beaten up badly in different parts of her body. They will run her through x-ray and MRI.” Jarek says. “They still don’t know what’s wrong with her but I know she will pull through…” His voice trails off. “She always does.” He continues.

        It is my first mission and things are already this bad. Two are struggling in the operation room and another going through tests.

        I sit in the waiting room as I wait for news about Sergeant Salazar, Slayer and Kael. Jarek and Elfie are establishing an interrogation room. All the people here are being detained and are not allowed to leave until they are not done with the interrogation.