Awakening - The Last Science #1

Chapter 16 - Angels and Devils - I

  Alden's wound was starting to concern the group.

  "This would be a great time for us to discover healing magic," Rika said, looking uneasy.

  "Can't be done," Hailey said grimly, while Jessica checked the bandage. "Trust me, I've tried everything I could think of."

  "I'm probably okay though, right? It's just bleeding," Alden asked. He was trying to keep himself from panicking. He'd never been seriously injured before, and the throbbing in his arm was getting worse.

  "Relax, Zack," Rika said, patting him on the shoulder. He winced as a new wave of pain shot down his arm. "It's just a surface-level cut. Looks way worse than it is. Worst case, it gets infected and we lop the arm off. No biggie."

  "What!?"

  He tried to twist away from her, but Jessica held him back firmly, waving a finger in his face and 'hmm'ing loudly. Alden slumped back and let her continue to examine it.

  Hailey took a deep breath. "I think we need to take him to the doctor."

  Rika shook her head. "No way. We can't get that far unnoticed. That's practically across town."

  "You can't get that far," Hailey replied. "I can, and I can take him with me."

  "Flying?" Alden asked excitedly. After he'd seen Hailey's majestic dive out of the clouds, he'd been dreaming of pulling off the same stunt himself. One day, he promised himself, he'd manage to do that on his own.

  "Yeah, but it's not gonna be fun," she sighed.

  "So you take him to the doctor, he turns Zack into the sheriff, and then what—you just float away?" asked Rika.

  "I don't think the doctor would turn anyone in. He's pretty well known for his discretion. Besides that, I don't think anyone's really looking for Zack. They only ever mentioned you."

  "Rika, I think it's a good idea," Alden said, feeling woozy. The excitement coupled with the blood loss had him lightheaded.

  She shrugged. "Fine. I guess I'll stay here with Squeaky then."

  Hailey's eyes narrowed. "Jess."

  Jessica looked up. Hailey pointed at Rika, then punched her own hand, followed by a thumbs up. Jessica nodded with a small smile.

  "What did you just tell her?" Rika asked, looking uneasy.

  "That beating you up is totally fine. I've gotta grab a few things. We'll go as soon as the sun gets low."

  For a few intense moments, it was fun—but it took a lot of buildup for Alden to get there.

  Hailey took him to the rear balcony, and Jessica double-checked his bandage to make sure it was tightly strapped to his arm. Hailey was wearing the same tight leather jacket as before, with her hair pinned back in place and pouches across her belt. This time, however, she also had a sort of harness that looked like several thick black car seatbelts set around her chest.

  "This is safe, right?" Alden asked, suddenly apprehensive again.

  "Jess and I have flown together a few times. We only used the harness once," Hailey answered, double-checking the straps. "I don't like using it, but I'm not sure how your extra weight might throw me off, plus I don't want you losing grip because you're injured. Better safe than sorry."