Bleed, Patch, And Keep Moving - An Apex Legends Story

Chapter 46 - Some Things Are Better Left Hidden

As Ajay laid awake in bed that night because she couldn't wrap her mind around what Bloodhound had told all of them. She wouldn't have put much thought into it but Natalie had said her piece. "She's right." Her right shoulder and chest ached with the possibilities that plagued her brain. She got out her bottle of pills from her backpack that laid next to her on the bed. She took two pills out and put the bottle away. She took the pills and tried to push her thoughts away but it was no use.

She pulled her phone from her backpack and looked at the bright screen as it lit up room around her. Ajay wanted to call Octavio and tell him everything but she couldn't risk anyone else finding out. She didn't want to put him in some fucked up situation either. A sigh fell from her lips as she put her phone away and turned onto her side. She closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep but for her it was always hard to sleep; even without the extra added stress.

The ground was cold against her back and sent chills along her spine. She opened her eyes and heard voices around her but they sounded too far away. She tried to stand up but she could hardly move her body. The only thing she could manage to move was her left arm as she raised. Her chest felt like it was being crushed as she took a shallow breath. A rush of warmth spread along her chest and then her chest felt cold and wet.

She wondered where the hell the day had gone and why her lungs hurt when she tried to breathe. She coaxed her left hand across her chest and winced in pain as ran her fingertips trembled. She lifted her fingers from her chest and brought them into her view. She rubbed her crimson stained fingers together before dropping her hand to the ground. Of course it was blood but she couldn't figure out why she was bleeding. Before another thought crossed her mind she heard gun fire above her head.

Ajay could only watch as Natalie fell to the ground beside her. Ajay tried to move but her body was paralyzed. Natalie shifted her body to her side so that she could face Ajay. Blood flew to ground and splattered after Natalie coughed it out from her mouth. Blood began to form around Natalie's body and pool out towards Ajay. She wanted to scream for help but Ajay couldn't speak; she couldn't do anything but lay there and watch her friend bleed out.

Tears streamed down the side of Ajay's face and onto the pavement as Natalie's eyes stared lifelessly as her because life had escaped her small body. In her panicked state Ajay's breathing became erratic and then almost non-existent. She closed her eyes and silently choked on her own tears and blood until she stopped breathing completely.

"Breathe!" Ajay gasped for air through her labored breathing as she pried her eyes open. She reached for her chest as she quickly sat up. She pulled her hand from her chest and looked at her hand, "No blood."  She released a staggered sigh as she rubbed the scars along her chest and looked around the room. The sun was barely peeking through the window as she threw the blankets off of herself and got up out of the bed. "I thought I was done wit des fuckin nightmares."

She rubbed some sweat from forehead before she got her clothing out. She pulled out black legs, black shorts, a black shoulder shirt, a hoodie, a bra, and panties. She laid everything out the bed and got into the shower to wash away her sweat and nightmares. When she got out of the shower she braided the hair on the right side of her head; from the top of her forehead, down behind her ear, all the way down to her neck. She put a small hair tie in it and let the rest hang free.

Ajay knew that sleeping was no longer an option so she got dressed and headed to Natalie's room. She also check on Natalie to make sure that her nightmare was just a nightmare. Growing up and living in a constant it nightmare sometimes made it hard to distinguish what was actually reality and what was actually a nightmare. As she walked down the short hallway to Natalie's room her body trembled at the thought of Natalie being hurt or even worse.