Lapis Lazuli

14 - Established

14 - Established

Fighting the darkness that threatened to consume my vision was hard. Doing exactly the same thing while walking across rough ground with an aid that has the tendency to worsen the pain on my thigh was harder. And as soon as we reached the mine-filled lawn, I felt like passing out. Suddenly the stepping stones seemed smaller and spaced farther than it did when I left.

Billfort didn't seem to notice my inner battle with exhaustion. Sure the wound didn't look major at all, but there was no telling how damaging a grenade's shrapnels could be, especially when they hit the right spots. In my case, I've been lucky to injure only my thigh, but the shrapnel seemed to have embedded itself deeper than what I considered safe.

Billfort readjusted my arm around her shoulder, but I lightly shoved her aside, gaining my own balance as I stared at the lawn ahead.

"What, you're planning to dive in and swim?"

I glared at her. Enduring the pain was difficult alone, but trying to keep it from showing on my face is another thing. But given with how she's less than how alarmed she should be, I was doing a good job at it.

"We'd be blown to tidbits if we keep this thing up," I strained, motioning my head towards the shack. "You first. I'll follow."

She stared at me incredulously. "Are you kidding me? You can barely stand on your own!"

I stared at her, making sure that despite the darkness, she was able to see my cold expression. Her eyes narrowed as I let my expression speak for itself. Seconds after and her left eyebrow raised.

"Are you sure you can walk on your own?"

I gulped. My throat is starting to feel dry. "Just go."

She glanced at me with uncertainty before stepping on the first stone. I followed after she was a few steps away, just a precaution in case I pass out in the middle of this lawn and detonate a mine. She glanced at me as soon as I stepped forward, but I didn't dare look back as I concentrated on the stones that were starting to blur in my vision.

Luckily, we made it through the lawn without blowing ourselves up. Billfort caught me by my arm as soon as I was past the danger zone, and she led us both to the shack. The homy feeling struck me, but the pain that shot up on my thigh as I climbed up the shack quickly erased other senses. I was already slumped on the bed before the door could even fully close. I strained to look at my company, watching as she stares stupefied at my wound, the lit candles finally enhancing our vision.

"What--what happened?"

Just after the question left her lips, she flinched as if having a sudden realization. Before I could respond, she started rushing for the bags on the table, ransacking through the supplies and stopping as soon as she found a box---Nicole's first aid kit.

She scuffled back to me, her weight sinking a part of the bed down as she sits beside me. I tried to open my mouth to speak, but my throat felt frozen and dry. She hurriedly opened the kit and placed some of its contents on the mattress. I was too tired to even insist on patching myself up. How would a student like her from a therapeutic school be able to fix a wound caused by a shrapnel?

I didn't even realize I was already unconscious until darkness completely enveloped me.

Something nudged against my cheek.

My nerves automatically stood in attention, and my right hand grabbed whoever was close to me. Pulling him towards me, my left hand went around his neck, and I slammed him against the bed beside me. My eyes widened in surprise as soon as green eyes reached my vision.