There's Light at the End of the Tunnel

Chapter 4

"Brother was a druggy" He gets back in tent and hands me some and my canteen.

I take a one amoxicillin and two pain killers. I know these will work.

"Thanks" I say as I lay down again.

"Wasn't gon use 'em anyway" He lays closer to me than before.

Not long after that, he falls asleep as I lay restless. It wasn't the meds, it was the pain. The pain from my side was gone, but the pain of loosing people I cared about still lingered with me. Every since the accident, every time someone tries to get close to me, I push them away. Thing is, I should have pushed him away yesterday. Pushing him away now would hurt both of us. Good job me, you just caused yourself more pain you don't need...

As the sun rises, so does he. I haven't slept at all. I close my eyes to pretend I'm sleeping.

"Ya think I'm stupid? I know ya up" He teases.

"Ya smartass too huh? Mornin' to ya too" I smile, something I haven't done in awhile.

He sits up some, "Ya got no idea girl. Mornin'" He smiles.

"So y'all gon send me on my way today?"

"Nah. I know ya didn't sleep last night and ya part of us now. Ya can't leave"

"How'd ya know I didn't sleep"

"I could tell. Ya should see the doctor today, ta make sure y'all right"

"If ya say so"

"I'll carry ya over in a bit. Nobody is up yet"

"The sun's barely up, who would be?"

"Me. I hunt so I gotta get up"

I nod.

"Why ya so stubborn" He asks.

"I should ask you the same thing" He smiles.

"Sometime's I think ya more stubborn than me"

"Yeah probably. N I ain't sure why I'm so stubborn"

About an hour passes, we asked each other the dumbest questions. I'm pretty sure he was supposed to go out hunting, but he knew he couldn't leave me alone. When everyone started to moving around, he got out of the tent and helped me up. I stretch.

"Ya ready?" He asks ready to carry me

I nod and he picks me up bridal style and carries me inside.

"Mornin', got the girl he told ya 'bout yesterday"

"Alright, put her in the bedroom" An old man with white hair and a white scruff said.

He carried me into the bedroom and gently laid me on the bed and sat in the chair next to me.

"Ya don't gotta sit here with me" I tell him.

"Ya don't know 'em. I'll stay" He gets comfy in the chair.

"Ya can go hunt I'm fine" There I go, pushing people away.

Before he could answer, the old man came in. He sat on the bed next me.

"May I see it?"

I left up my shirt and take away the bandages.

"You did this?"

"I did" I tell him, he looked so amazed.

"We should change your stitches and clean it up some more. What you did was very nice work, but you should have cleaned it more" He tells me, but not scolding me.

"Not my best though"

"It decent though" The old man says putting on gloves.

He grabs scissors and a tweezers.

"Lay on your left side"

"Ya gon cut her open!?" The man who carried me in says concerned.

"No, I need to remove the stitches. I have to cut them out" The old man says as he gets to work.

He stands next to me with his hand on my shoulder. Taking out stitches was as bad as putting them in. He could tell I was in pain, he wanted to do something, but he didn't want to do anything in front of people.

"Let them air out for a few then I'll come back clean it, and restitch it" Old man says taking off his gloves.

"I'll be here" I say as I lay on side.

The old man leaves the room closing the door behind him. He comes to the other side of the bed and sits there, not leaving my side.

"Ya don't gotta stay here ya know" I tell him.

"I'm stubborn ain't I?" He smiles

"Ya are indeed" I smile back at him.

After about an hour, I lay there half asleep. He still sits next to me.

"How are you feeling?" The old man says coming back in the room.

"Tired" I tell him, preparing myself for the stitches.

"I can see that. You ready?" He says needle in hand.

"Always" I say grasping the bed sheets.

As he begins to stitch me up, the pain is worse than before. My knuckles are white and I'm not breathing like I should be.

"You need to breath" The old man tells me.

"I'm sorry, it jus' really hurts" I explain.

"I know, I know. We are almost done the front. Then your back" He says stitching away.

As the old man finishes stitching the front, they switch places. He is now in front of me, he sees my pain, his eyes icy blue. He holds my hand as the old man begins to stitch my back.

"Y'alright" He says is a soft voice.

I don't respond, I just breath and hold his hands.

After about another twenty minutes of excruciating pain, he is finally finished. He them and wraps them up.

"Get some rest, you need it" The old man says closing the door behind him as he leaves.