The Risks

June: Chapter 14

"Below my soul

I feel an engine

Collapsing as it sees the pain

If I could only shut it out"

-Nothing Left to Say, Imagine Dragons-

I came to slowly, blinking heavy eyelids.

Parker was sitting beside me and he smiled down at me. His clothes were clean but his skin was smeared with dirt.

I tried to sit up.

"Hey now," he objected. "You need to relax."

The pain began to catch up with me. I glanced toward the throbbing in my shoulder. I had on the same cream tank top. My arm was pulled out of the right strap and I expected to find a bloody gash in my shoulder, but instead found lightly blood soaked gauze.

"I should change that," he said, getting the supplies ready.

"Just got over the last one and now I'm onto the next." I sighed after he'd finished. "How did you get the bullet out?"

He pinched his thumb and pointer finger together. "Not exactly the most sanitary route, but my options were limited."

"Thank you," I whispered. "How long have I been out?"

"About a day," he said. "Hungry?"

I nodded and he got up. I listened to his footsteps go around to the kitchen. When he came back he had a can of green beans, a bottle of water and a bottle of antibiotics. He handed the can to me and I took it with my left hand. Lifting my right arm was too much of a pain for me. I devoured the can of food and after taking the medication, drank most of the water. It sloshed in my stomach when I moved, but it felt nice to actually have something in my stomach.

"What happened?" I finally asked. My grogginess had faded and I remembered yesterday's events. I had been too involved with Oakley that I hadn't paid any attention on what was happening around me.

"Francis," he said through his teeth.

"Where is he?"

He flexed his right hand. I looked down at his hands and saw that the skin over each of his knuckles on his right hand were badly bruised. I knew how it had gone down. It had to be done.

"That looks bad," I told him. "You should wrap that up."

He did.

"Oakley..." My words trailed off.

He shook his head as he finished bandaging his hand.

I closed my eyes lightly, letting myself be engulfed by the emptiness. I saw her face in my mind and nearly lost myself. I knew she hadn't made it, I just hoped that somehow maybe she had. I had to ask. I knew she was too good to live in a world like this and she was far too stubborn. She had lied to Parker, telling him she was getting breakfast when really she was sneaking outside to pick apples. I felt angry. If she would have just listened to us then she'd still be alive. Well maybe. Francis would still be alive too and we'd still be living in fear cooped up in the house. It's not how I wanted things to be. I wanted her to still be with us so badly I thought I would die of the pain. This wasn't how this was supposed to happen. It was supposed to be me, not Oakley.

I began to shake my head mechanically.

Parker finally looked up at me and held my gaze. "I'm so sorry, Claire."