Reflections of Light

Deliverance

"Sir! Sir!" Mina's voice was drenched in alarm as she rushed over to Declan; eyes fixed on the knife in his shoulder.

"I'll be fine, go see to Luci!" He barked, pointing with his one good arm. Mina looked reluctant to leave him, but hearing the following groan from Luci, raced to check on the woman.

"Something's gone wrong!" Luci wailed, clutching her stomach. "They're coming too early!"

"Okay, deep breaths, let's calm you down." Mina said, rubbing a soothing circle on Luci's back. "It could be a false alarm. We're going to get you to a doctor, okay?"

"Call Brutus." Dec grunted. "And Travis, and Jerry. In that order."

***

Travis was the first on the scene; barging through the door and charging into the kitchen. "Mate what happened?!"

"No time, Luci needs a hospital."

"You need a hospital!" Travis exclaimed, eyes wide as he took in the sight before him; Declan pinned to the wall by the kitchen knife, red blood staining his silk shirt.

"It's not as bad as it looks." Dec said quickly. "Luci needs help more."

"You're bleeding!"

Almost defiantly, Declan reached up and yanked on the knife handle, trying to remove it from his torso. "Luci needs help!"

Travis grabbed at the older man's wrists, stopping him. "Don't, you'll hurt yourself more."

"I have to get to Luci!"

Travis struggled to restrain him again; relieved at that moment to hear the sound of Brutus coming in through the front door.

"Brutus! Over here! He's bleeding!"

"Not me, Luci needs help!" Dec insisted once more, slurring his words a little as he became lightheaded.

"I'll help Luci, Brutus will help you." Travis told him; confident in the ex-military man's first aid abilities to leave him to help his friend whilst he went where he could be useful.

Hurrying across to Luci, he crouched next to her, speaking to both her and Mina. "What's happening?"

"She's got pains." Mina informed him, her intonation clear. "It could be nothing, but... It could be something."

"Right." Travis nodded. "So... What we're going to do is get her to my truck, and I'll drive her to the hospital. Simple." He didn't quite sound convinced it was simple; however, he did sound determined. Whatever dislike he had towards Luci had been put aside in favour of the bigger picture here; both she and her baby were in trouble, and helping was the unquestionably right thing to do.

"Luci..." He said carefully. "Do you think you can stand up? We're going to help you to my truck; Mina's coming with us, to help look after you."

"Declan." Luci stuttered out through a strangled sob. "I want Declan."

"I know." Travis replied sympathetically. "But he can't come at this precise moment, so you'll have to make do with me."

"He's hurt!" Luci struggled to get up, intending to go over to him, but ended up doubling over mid-movement. Travis held her arm, steadying her, even as she pulled against him. "I have to go help him!"

"He'll be fine." Travis said, feeling somewhat like he was lying to the woman. "Brutus is with him." That was true. "He's going to get him in a stable position, and then bring him up later." And that he had no clue about.

"It's going to be alright, Luce!" Declan shouted from the kitchen as Brutus examined the knife, pressing a cloth gently around the edges of the wound to try and stem the bleeding. "Just pull it out, Brutus! Hurry up and pull it out!"