STRANDED

NINETEEN

Amy's vision blurred as she awoke in the village. Two doctors stood over her on either side of her. They were examining her, talking to each other in a language Amy could not discern, her ears were ringing. Amy then realized that she could hardly feel her back, as if it had been numbed. Her forearms and knees felt numb as well. Amy looked and saw that she was half-naked in the hospital bed. Her knees arms were bandaged. She also took notice that there were bandages strung across her torso for the back injuries she had sustained.

Amy sat up, but seized all movement when she felt as if her back was being stretched farther than it should. She let out a shriek of pain and lay back down, her back slightly stinging.

One of the doctors put her hands on Amy's shoulders. "You mustn't move your back or knees too much!" she ordered. "The glass cut you deep, but you'll recover in time."

"D-Dave..." Amy felt and sounded as if she wasn't used to talking. Her voice was crackly and dry. "I need... to get... him..."

"Calm down," the other doctor said. "What happened to him is a shame, but we'll get him back. We all know how much you meant for each other." He looked off, nodding sorely.

"You, however," the female doctor said, "need to get some rest. Those wounds still need to heal. Just be glad you were out cold when we went plucking those shards of glass out of you. Would've been a horror show if you were conscious."

"Water..." Amy choked out.

"You heard her," the female doctor looked up at the male doctor. "Get the lady some water."

The male doctor ran off and came back with a solo cup full of water. He poured it into Amy's mouth. Amy swallowed, cleared her throat, and attempted speech again.

"Thank you," Amy said clearly but still weakly. "Where did they take Dave?"

"We're trying to find out," the male doctor said. "We've tried with that Mike guy-"

"He's still alive?" Amy interjected.

"Erm... yes," the male doctor said, "but he wouldn't give us anything."

"I want him. Now," Amy ordered.

"But you can't get up!" the female doctor said.

"If I can be horizontal, I can sure as hell be vertical. Now help. I have somebody to talk to."

The doctors helped Amy get out of bed and get dressed. Once they were finished, Amy limped out of the office and out into the village. She walked over to the building where Mike was being stowed away. There was a militiaman outside.

"Amy!" he greeted her. "Good to see you're in better condition!"

"Hardly," Amy said. "Mike in there?"

"Yeah, but-" the militiaman barely got to finished as Amy stormed into the building.

Mike stared at her, smirking. "Figured Chervobskii woulda finished you off."

"He didn't even get a chance before I drove a knife into his throat," Amy limped forward.

"Lookin' a bit worse for wear there, darlin'," Mike laughed at Amy's pain.

"Doesn't mean I can't still beat the shit out of you," Amy threatened.

Mike sighed, "Alright, girl, waddaya wanna know?"

"Where does James take his captured victims?" Amy asked.

"The hell do ya think? Cittá di il Morto," Mike said.