Deadly Secrets

7. A Secret Revealed, part 2

America's POV:

After I got pictures of all of them on my phone I started to walk away, " Alright everyone! Go back inside!" I yelled, all of the states proceeded to get up and go back into the house. Once we were all in the house I waited for Dixie, locking the door behind him. After I made sure everyone was accounted for I said," Alright is anyone hurt? Even if it's only a scratch I want anyone who is hurt to come up to me immediately," California and Michigan came up, they had scrapes on their arms and knees from crawling around on the asphalt shingles on the roof. "Uh... Ame?" Dixie said staring at my arm, "What? What is it?" I replied, he pointed down at my arm so I looked too "...oh" I said. Blood had seeped through my jacket and there was a rip where it was the darkest. " Come on, we need to get that taken care of," Dixie said grabbing my good arm and trying to pull me over to the stairs. " Wait," I said, remembering that I had left the other countries without an explanation and they definitely heard the gunshots," I'll take Cali and Michigan up to my bathroom and get us all patched up while you go into my office and tell the other countries that I'm not dead," Dixie was silent for a moment before he said," Oh, I forgot about them... alright, they do know about me though, right?" "Yes they do, now go," I said, I knew that I had only been gone for about six or seven minutes even though it felt like longer, but I felt bad leaving Canada and the rest of my family without an explanation...and with the gunshots.

Dixie went up the stairs and into my office as I got Cali and Michigan, Texas had offered to help patch us up so I brought her along too. I quickly went up the stairs with the three states right behind me while trying my best not to drip blood onto the clean(ish) floor. Once all of us were in the bathroom I pulled out some rubbing alcohol and cotton balls, "Texas I need you to get the band-aids, they're in the top right drawer under the sink," I said as I took my jacket off, I decided to tend to Cali and Michigan first, disinfecting their cuts then letting Texas help them with the band-aids. After we were done with that I shooed them out, but I wasn't entirely successful, "Ma, let me help you! I've helped patch up bullet wounds before." Texas said, I didn't feel like arguing with her about it and was actually starting to feel a bit light headed so I relented and let her stay. I washed as much of the blood off of my arm as possible and saw the bullet hole in my arm, there was not exit wound though so that meant I had to dig the bullet out. Great. I could've went to the hospital but I didn't feel like paying a fortune and am perfectly capable of taking care of the wound myself. "This is gonna hurt," Texas said, "Ya think?" I replied.

" Alright I need you to take these tweezers and dig the bullet out of my arm after I pour the alcohol on it," I told Texas, she reflexively scrunched her face, "Are you sure you don't want me to get some meds from a first aid kit downstairs?" she asked, "No those painkillers make me really tired and I need to be alert after this," I responded, "You mean if you don't pass out" she said darkly. I knew I wouldn't pass out, I had a freakishly high pain tolerance, but she was right, this was going to hurt like hell. "You don't have to help me with this if you don't want to," I told Texas, "No, I want to help," she said, "I just think you should use the painkillers." I hummed in response as I took off my belt, folded it and placed it in my mouth so I don't accidently damage my teeth by biting down too hard. I gave Texas a look as if to say 'ready?', she nodded and I started to pour the alcohol on my arm, the burning was intense and I almost yelped. I stopped pouring the alcohol and Texas took this as her cue to try to get the bullet out. As soon as she started a shooting pain shot up my arm, I bit down on my belt and screwed my eyes shut, trying not to scream. I'm lucky that Texas has done this before because it only took her a few moments to get the bullet out. As soon as she grabbed the bullet with the tweezers pulled it out ,"Done!" she said, holding up the bullet. I let out a huge sigh of relief and grabbed a roll of bandages off of the sink's counter. I paused for a moment to look at the small lump of metal that had lodge itself in my arm before rinsing my wound under the bathroom faucet, "Thanks, Tex," I said "No problem ma," she replied, washing her hands after I finished using the sink. "I'll go tell Dixie that you're okay, he looked pretty worried earlier," Texas said while drying her hands. "Ok, I guess it wouldn't hurt since the other countries heard you earlier," I replied as I started wrapping bandages around a piece of clean cloth I put over my wound, making sure to wrap it tightly.

(Sorry if I got some details wrong when describing how they took care of the wound, I've never been shot before so I just used some common sense and google)

Dixie's POV:

(We're travelling back in time a few minutes here)

As soon as I entered America's office I could hear the countries, some (our family) were panicking and others were speculating on what had just happened since Ame didn't give them an explanation. I didn't want to do this but I didn't want one of our brothers to come breaking down our door either so I walked around America's desk and sat in front of her computer. The other countries noticed right away, "Dix! What happened!? Where is Ame!? Is she okay?!" Canada yelled, he along with Australia and New Zealand looked extremely worried. "Everything's fine, we took care of the situation, ya don't got ta worry about anything," I said with a heavy southern accent, it always gets thicker when I'm worried or upset I'm not sure why. The countries immediately started to bombard me with more questions, it was very overwhelming 'cause I couldn't get a word in to explain or answer any of their questions. This went on for a few minutes before this fellow with light blue skin and a white symbol in the center of his face that looked like a map with laurel wreathes underneath it, I assumed he was United Nations based off of the description that Ame had given me years ago. "Everyone be quiet, you're asking questions that you don't let him answer," he said before turning to me, "Mr. Confederate, would you please tell us what happened," "And tell us what happened to Ame!" Australia added, UN turned to glare at him but said nothing so I tried my best to answer, " Well, uh, Ame is fine she just had something to take care of and wanted me to tell ya'll that she wasn't dead. As for what happened I think that it might be best if I just waited for her to come back," there was silence for a moment, Britain was the first to speak," Why does America have to be present for you to tell us what happened?" he asked. I didn't like situations like this, I preferred to avoid most social situations anymore, it's one of the main reasons I asked America to keep my continued existence a relative secret.

As I opened my mouth to speak I noticed Texas in the doorway, "Uh, hold that thought," I said, Britain looked annoyed but kept quiet as I got up to speak with Texas near the door. "Ma says she's okay, she should be done in the bathroom any moment now," she told me, "Good, these countries want an explanation of what happened but I'm not sure if America still wants to keep you guys a secret," I told Texas, "Oh, well speak of the devil," I added when I saw America walking into the office holding her bandaged arm, she looked like she was in a lot of pain but she smiled at me anyways. "I'm glad you're okay, the countries want an explanation," I told her, "Alright I'll talk with them" she said as she made her way to her office chair and sat down in front of her computer. Immediately after she sat down countries started asking her questions, Britain started, " America, what on earth happened to your arm?!" he asked, 'tch, he actually sounds worried, that's a first' I thought as I went to stand next to Ame, who was still holding her arm, while Texas stood a few feet behind the computer listening in on the conversation.