Rebellion

Chapter Fifteen

I felt Neera's body go limp against mine, and I couldn't help but scream. Her eyes closed, and I desperately tried to find her pulse, or hear her heart beat. But I was to distraught to concentrate. Gently, I picked her up bridle style. A fresh wave of blood fell out of her wound, and I felt tears sting my eyes.

"No, please Neera, not you too, please," I whispered.

I was lost, I didn't know what to do. I knew if I moved her too much, she would lose more blood, leading to death. And if I left her, she would bleed out anyway. I looked at her smooth, pale face. All emotion gone, her face completely blank.

"BRISS!!!!" someone yelled. "NEERA!!"

I cleared my throat and yelled back. "OVER HERE!!"

I heard shouting and branches snapping, and a group of people came into view, Callum at the head of the group. He looked at me, then looked at Neera's limp body in my arms. His eyes went wide.

"No..." He whispered.

I frowned, a tear finally falling down my face. Callum ran to me, and looked over Neera's body. He gently lifted up her shirt to reveal the wound. He chocked out a sob and looked at me. "She's dying,"

I couldn't say anything, my words seem to disappear. Callum turned to a member of his group.

"Korah, I need you to help her," He said quietly.

A young adult with round brown eyes and mouse brown hair came to Callum's side. She looked at me and smiled softly. "I need you to set her down for me,"

I nodded once and knelt to the ground and gently placed Neera's limp body on the forest floor. Korah kneeled across from me and lifted Neera's shirt, completely exposing her wound. She pulled a backpack off her shoulders, and opened it, digging through the contents. She pulled out a cream coloured blanket, and shoved it underneath Neera. She then put on a pair of gloves, and took out what looked like disinfectant. She took a smaller cloth, and poured some of the liquid on it, and dabbed the dried blood around the wound. I glanced up and saw Callum pacing, his eyes never leaving Neera's face. I forced my attention back to Korah and her work. The majority of the blood was cleaned now, and she was moving on to the actual wound. Korah took some more disinfectant on the cloth and gently pressed on to the wound. Her eyebrows furrowed together and she pulled the cloth away, looking closely at the wound.

"Callum, this is a serious injury. It's extremely deep. I'm not sure if any of my tools will be able to fix this," She said.

Callum stopped his pacing. "What do you suggest?"

"We have to take her back to the Rebellion. The bleeding has stopped, but I'm worried that either she's bleeding internally, an organ has been struck, or a piece of the weapon is inside the wound. I can't tell here, I don't have the proper tools or training for that, and besides, night is approaching,"

Callum looked at Neera closely, then at me. "Alright. Briss, follow me closely, once we reach the Rebellion, it's straight to the infirmary."

I said nothing. I let Korah put her gloves and such away before picking Neera up off the ground bridle style and walking by Callum's side. Korah was right, darkness slowly crept across the sky, and it worried me. I became anxious of another attack.

We reached the Rebellion entrance with no problem, and the night had completely consumed the sky. Callum was rushing us down the tunnel, and across the bridge. I had to stop briefly before going across. I looked down at Neera and tried my best to smile.

"Don't worry. We'll do this together. I got you," I whispered to her.

We reached the pit in no time at all. Callum, Korah, and I went to the very far left tunnel, and quickly went down it. The infirmary was huge, with white everywhere. Callum was yelling orders, and people in white coats were rushing in from all sides, telling me where to put Neera, and ushering me out of the room for them to do their business. I protested, and fought back, refusing to leave Neera's side. She needed me, I couldn't just leave her alone. I eventually obeyed, and allowked them to push me away. Callum was forced out too. We both watched from the doorway as doctors gathered tools, and pulled a white curtain around Neera's cot. I turned away, and slid down the wall, my knees at me chest. Callum sat down beside me.

"I shouldn't have let her leave," I said.

"We shouldn't have fought," Callum mumbled.

I shook my head. "I wish that our positions were reversed. That I was the one who was attacked."

Callum looked at me curiously. "Why would you wish for that?"

"Because I know that Neera could survive without me. But I...I know for a fact I can't survive without Neera by my side,"

Callum looked away and rana hand down his face. "That's a scary thing to wish for,"

"Well wouldn't you want her out of this position?!"

"Of course I do!! More than anything!"

"Then wouldn't you sacrifice yourself?"

He sighed and looked at his feet. "You're right. I would."

We made eye contact, and I saw the raw sadness that rested in his irises. The pure and utter despair that remained there. I didn't realize that Neera's attack affected him so much. I realized he probably saw the same emotion in my own eyes. I thought then, that we both felt the same way. We reacted the same way as well. Perhaps, we are more alike than I originally thought. I looked away from Callum. I didn't want to be like him.

I ran my fingers through my hair. No, I need to focus on Neera right now. She's the one who was attacked. She's the one who's dying.