Divided

Chapter 11

                                                     MAX's P.O.V.

I can't believe I'm doing this. I've just let a wounded fugitive in my house. I know that's that girl from the woods. Looks like someone else was not so merciful as I was. I'm doing this for Phillie, I remind myself. I'll help that girl, and then she can go. I don't want to have nothing with her.

We get inside and I show her with my hand to sit on the couch. That's what she does. Phillie approaches me.

"That's not the truth what they said. I've heard it on a radio which I found in an building. They said they were prisoners and they did something bad, but they didn't. They were just kept there to work for them and they didn't get paid."- he said.

"Look, Phillie, you can't believe everything that girl said to you."- I try to be reasonable.

"She saved my life."- he says.

I'm left speechless. I literally don't know what to say. I just approached the girl sitting on the couch. She seems struggling to keep her mouth shut while she'd like the scream from the pain she feels in her stomach.

"Lay down."- I say.

She laid on the couch and slowly moved her hand uncovering a terrible sight of burnt skin, open wound and a lot of blood. I tear her dress on the place of the wound so I can see it better.

"Phillie give me the tweezers from the bathroom."- I tell him.

Phillie runs to bathroom and comes back carrying tweezers as fast as he could.

"Thank you. Now get me a bowl of warm water and some towels."- I tell him and he leaves again.

I tuck the tweezers in the wound and she lets out a scream.

"It'll hurt a bit. I need to find the bullet."- I say.

"Just... Just try to be more careful.... Please..."- she struggles to talk.

I nod.

"What's your name?"- I dare to ask her.

"Cat....hleee...n...Cathleen... Um... You can call me Cat..."- she tries not to scream while i'm picking with the tweezers inside her wound.

"We... I.... mean no harm... We lived in Gehenna..."- she starts talking.

"Gehenna?"- I asked confusedly.

I manage to find the bullet and get it out. It's bloody and dirty and I put it on the table. Phillie still isn't coming and I need to cover her wound with something so I press it with my hand. She groans.

"Does it hurt?"- I ask.

"A little bit... Gehenna... That's the place on the other side of border... It's... It's... separated in Regions..... A lot of Regions... We lived in small rooms ... made out of stone... We had to work... every day... at fields.... or mine.... Ten hours.... We didn't have a shower for ... months... Our food.... just a meal.... a day.... Some bread... water... soup that tasted like it's made of stone... or... if we're lucky... a potato... no rest... no opportunity... for happiness..."- tears fell down her face.

Phillie came in carrying dozens of towels and a bowl of warm water. I picked a towel and the bowl and started cleaning her wound. Can I trust her? Is she telling the truth? I don't really know.

After I cleaned her wound I sewed it up stopping behind her screams and groans.

"You have to rest now. After a few days you'll be okay, then you can leave."- I said.