Fifth Universe

The New Guy

My heart melts. I'm knee deep in guilt, and it overwhelms my mind. Why did I have to make Fenix break? Why did I tear him apart like I did.

The hurt in his eyes is imprinted in my head. What he said to me is stuck like a broken record. I have to leave this room before anyone notices I'm gone, but I no longer have the courage to face my friends. I run to my dorm instead.

My footsteps echo in the empty halls of the ship. I can't go to my dorm without at least one person noticing me. I decide to lose myself in the massive aircraft like I did the night I found the note in the garage.

My heart skips a beat as I remember the neatly folded paper buried in my pocket. I stop in my tracks and search for it, but a strange noise coming from around the corner stops me. The sound of someone groaning in pain.
I turn my head around the corner slowly.

Instantly I hold my breath and dare not to make a sound. The groaning turns into coughing and spluttering. Anyone could tell easily that this person is dying.

I peer around the corner and watch the limp body, leaning against the wall. He's drowned in blood and he clenches his leg with one hand.
I feel like vomiting at the sight.

I make the small mistake of hiccuping from my hiding place, which is enough for the man to notice.

"Who's there?" He says, searching his pocket for a weapon. I see a gun not far from where he lies, but trying to grab it would be suicide.

Carefully, I peer around the corner, gripping my own arm for comfort. The stranger studies me for a moment, it must be obvious that I've been crying.
"Apologies for interrupting your feeling sorry for yourself. But i kinda need a hand." He says cheekily.

I frown at him, and take a glance at his bloody hand. "Why should I? What have you done to deserve a bullet in your leg?"

The stranger sighs in frustration. "Look, sometimes shit things happen to good people. You can't judge me for the actions of someone else." He says, gesturing towards his leg.

I think about his words for a moment, and realise that's exactly what I've been doing to Fenix. Bad things has happened to him, and I thought that it was his fault. I never even thought about the possibility that his actions had nothing to do with it.

The strange man grits his teeth and presses harder on his wound. "Are you going to help me or not? I haven't got all day, here."

I blink at him and rush to his side, placing his free arm over my shoulder. His blood stains my shirt, but I couldn't care less. The stranger groans in pain as I force him off of the ground.
"Thank you." He mutters through a clenched jaw.

I say nothing. We're silent for the rest of the trip to my dorm.

When we enter my room, the boy I had to take in was nowhere to be seen. I'm glad for it. The last thing that kid needs to see is a wounded soldier.

"Is there someone you're looking for?" The injured man asks, putting half his weight against my shoulder to get me moving. His rudeness irritates me on so many levels. "Not that you would care." I grumble, and drag him to the bathroom.

My feet feel like lead by the time we get there. I lean him against the wall and grab a cloth from the kitchen. I open my mouth to say 'don't move.' but stop after realising it's pointless.

He says nothing as I tear the leg of his pants off just above the knee, and place a bucket of cold water beside his feet.
His skin is covered in dry blood from head to toe.

I dunk the cloth into the water and begin wiping the blood away from around the bullet hole. I allow myself to be buried in the silence between us. It's better that way.