Saving Eli

The Beginning of The End (Pt. 1 )||

11:45 pm

"What do we have here?" The frantic doctor asked as he rushed over to incoming gurney at the emergency entrance of the hospital.

Dr. Payne had been working in the medical field for over 25 years and has seen his fair share of bloodied bodies yet he's never seen anything remotely close to the incoming blood bath of a human stretched out before him. It's a young man, he can tell, probably late teens with an air of familiarity to him.

He couldn't quite pin where he recognized him from however.

"Eighteen year old male, he's got four GSWs to the chest!" The first responder spoke as she hurriedly shoved the vitals chart into the doctor's chest. "He's not looking too good. We've tried to stop blood loss on the way-- not much success!"

"What the hell happened tonight?" The doctor questioned as he took notice of the four other incoming ambulances.

"Sting operation gone wrong," She sorrowfully stated. "Poor kid was just an informant. Didn't sign up for this."

"Patient's name?" Dr. Payne demanded in urgency as they began barreling down the hospital's hallway to the operating room.

"Prep OR 3!" Another doctor yelled as they entered the elevator. "I'm gonna need O-neg and lots of it! It's a god damn blood bath here."

"Page Dr. Stevens now!" Dr. Payne yelled. "What's the patient's name?!" He demanded once more.

"Uh-" The assisting nurse fumbled as she flipped through the blood painted chart that'd been handed to her. "Hastings! Elijah Hastings!"

The doctor paused for a split second as he glanced down at the bloodied face of the familiar young man, finally being able to place his face.

"Oh fuck."

*************Earlier That Day************

05:15 pm

"You promise me you'll be safe?" Tessa questioned her boyfriend for what felt like the hundredth time.

Elijah huffed in annoyance as he eyed his overly protective girlfriend in agitation. He loved the girl to death but her current nagging was beginning to bug him. Just when he thought he was the protective one. "Babe, I'll be okay."

"It's just-- you nor dad aren't telling me much about what's going on. I'm worried about you Eli."

"There's nothing for you to worry about."

"There are two police officers stationed outside my room door and about twenty-five downstairs setting up God knows what, of course I'm gonna be worried."

"They're for protection and they'll be monitoring everything tonight," Elijah admitted as he walked over to her, dropping a reassuring kiss on her worry lined forehead.

"I know you're going to meet with your dad tonight, Elijah. I know you guys are planning something and I really need you to be okay and come back to me because I can't-- I can't lose you."

"And you won't, I promise," Elijah spoke in feigned confidence.

The truth was, he wasn't sure if was going to come back but Tessa did not need to hear that. The last thing she needed was unnecessary stress. She'd only returned home from the hospital yesterday and Dr. Payne had specifically stated that any stress would be detrimental to her ongoing recovery.