Variables → Group B [AU]

38 → "WOUNDED"

38 → "WOUNDED"

"OH MY GOD!" Adeline exclaimed. "Esther what happened to you?"

Esther sat propped up against the wall behind her, clutching the side of her hip. She was covered in scratches and bruises, a long gash on her left leg and blood was soaking through the material of her t-shirt. Adeline moved her hand away and slightly pulled up her shirt to get a look, only to find a gash on the right of her stomach, near her hip. The wound was still oozing of blood, as with her leg, and Esther had been placing her hand to put pressure on her hip to stop the bleeding. She was still conscious, but obviously in a lot of pain currently.

"A Crank got me." She winced at the pain as Adeline pressed down on the wound with her hand. "This woman came out of nowhere, dragged me down a few streets before she tried to stab me. I fought like crazy, but she managed to stab me with a large shard of glass in my leg and hip. She left me to bleed out on the street, and took my bow and arrows. I managed to crawl my way into this alleyway."

"I heard your screams." Adeline breathed. "I heard them and went to find you."

"And I'm thankful you did." Esther winced once more. "Because I wouldn't be able to survive injured out here and alone."

"We should get you patched up." Adeline said. "Wrap something tight around your stomach and leg and find the others and get out of the city."

Esther nodded. "Good idea."

Adeline then proceeded to think of a way to make — do with something to tie around Esther's stomach to pressure on the wound her hip. Adeline ripped at the end of Esther's long t — shirt and helped her sit a little more upright and moved her forward slowly and gently before she tied the material from the end of her long shirt around the wound tightly, tying a knot on the side to keep it from coming undone. Adeline then proceeded by ripping the material from the pant leg of the black pants they'd been given after escaping, tying it around the gash on her leg. She had no problem with ripping them; considering it was scorching hot. After, Adeline tried to get Esther to her feet. It was harder than imagined, but Esther wasn't heavy and Adeline managed to get her standing, supporting her by Esther placing her arm around Adeline's waist to support herself and Adeline did the same. There they started wondering out of the alleyway, Esther wincing at the pain but could walk on her feet.

—

They walked down street after street. They stopped to rest, then continued. This went on for hours until they finally stopped for the night. Adeline let Esther sleep, staying awake as guard and a look out for Cranks. They would continue on in the morning. Until then, Esther had dozed off while Adeline tried to fight the sleep. She finally succumbed to sleep hours later, head lolling to the side as she fell a sleep. By the time she woke again, it was dawn, the sun close to rising. Adeline scolded herself for falling a sleep when she was on watch. Adeline woke Esther up moments later, explaining that they should get going now rather than later. Groggily, Esther allowed Adeline to help her up, using the wall to support herself as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, before they continued on again.

—

Another hour of walking lead to the same routine; walk, rest, walk. Both girls were famished, having gone many hours without food. Their mission to find a corner store or supermarket and look for food had been forgotten by the time they were chased by the male crank and Adeline had been dragged into the alleyway by Newt and Minho many hours ago. Adeline wondered if they were safe with their group currently, unlike them.

"Do you think they left the city?" Esther pondered.

"What?" Adeline quizzed.

"The group. Do you think Teresa persuaded them to leave the city?" Esther questioned.

"Harriet and Sonya wouldn't allow for her to do that." Adeline answered her question. "Neither would the other girls."

"What if she did persuade them though?" Esther quizzed. "What if they're already out of the city without us?"

Adeline didn't want to think negatively like that; Teresa hadn't shown any signs of unfaithfulness towards their group, and Adeline didn't just want to assume that she'd persuaded their friends to leave them in the city.

"Don't worry about that." Adeline replied. "Just focus on walking for now."

So Esther didn't question it again. They walked on.

—

It had become increasingly hot over the next hour. They'd stopped to rest when Adeline realised Esther's stomach wound was bleeding again, and she had to rip the material from her own shirt to tie around Esther's stomach. Adeline then proceeded again by ripping the second pant leg and changing the one on Esther's leg. Adeline feared they would become infected, considering she was stabbed with a shard of glass, which would make it harder to treat. It was not hard to agree that Esther needed medical help. She was starting to complain a lot more over it. Adeline settled down across from Esther, resting for a few moments to take a break from the heat. They'd have to continue walking again, but it didn't hurt to break from their walking.

Adeline pushed them to keep going again, despite the fact that Adeline knew that Esther was in pain. Adeline checked her wounds before they left, and she wasn't bleeding again and they didn't appear to be infected — but that didn't mean that they couldn't become infected. For all they knew, the glass shard could've had infectious bacteria. Adeline tried not to think about it for now, wanting to focus on finding their friends.

So she didn't think about it. Instead, she set her mind on the goal of finding the group.

—

Another hour had passed, and Adeline had become discouraged. Although she had set her mind on finding her friends, it was hard not to feel discouraged in a situation like this, especially since Adeline kept reconsidering Esther's words about Teresa persuading her friends to leave the city. It was no secret she'd want to leave and find Group A so they could complete what they were assigned to do. They'd decided to stop again and check Esther's wounds when from the top of the street Adeline made out two figures walking their way in a casual pace. Adeline helped Esther steady herself against the wall as she pressed her hand against the stomach wound when the people came into view. The feeling of discouragement faded when she recognized the faces, both of them noticing them both, also. They ran towards her when they noticed Adeline and Esther.

"Harriet! Sonya!" Adeline exclaimed, racing towards them.