Dancing in Her Webs | Yelena Belova [1]

Chapter 12

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  "I need to see more of it," Natasha unzipped Irene's suit further, revealing more of Yelena's grey blazer that's soaked in blood.

  Yelena came over, kneeling on Irina's other side —the side that's wound free. She placed her hand on the dark-haired woman's thigh, trying to examine the gunshot wound herself, "How bad is it?"

  "A graze," Irina sucked in a breath, then it picked up as Natasha removed more of Yelena's blazer off the fresh wound.

  Yelena applied more pressure, Irene shifting uncomfortably as she hissed and groaned, "A graze doesn't bleed like that."

  "There's gotta be a med-kit somewhere," Nat muttered to herself and stood, searching the helicopter for one.

  "That's two jackets you've ruined," Yelena mentioned, lightening the mood, and Irina chuckled —but it's cut short from the sharp pain under Yelena's hand.

  "Ahhh .  .  . mmmm .  .  ."

  "I still got that ibuprofen I've been carrying around for you," Yelena said, the corner of her lips turning up.

  "She's gonna need it." Natasha approached, med-kit in hand. She came to the side the wound's on and placed the med-kit on the bench while glancing at the wound Yelena uncovered, and her face fell. "Shit .  .  ."

  Yelena's brows furrowed, "What?"

  "Irene, you need to lean forward, okay?" Irina nodded, groaning as she did, eyes squeezed shut to suppress her pained moans. Natasha then sighed heavily, "There's no exit wound." She helped Irina lean back, "The bullet's still inside."

  Yelena reapplied pressure to the right side of Irina's stomach, "That's not good."

  Nat shot up from the floor and marched straight to the cockpit, beginning to converse with Alexei, as he now piloted the chopper. "Is this a cool way to die?" Irene began to memorize every feature of Yelena's side profile while admiring it, "Being shot?"

  Yelena shook her head, "Don't say that. You're not going to die."

  "You guys can't do an operation in the air." Their eyes locked, "And, even if you could, there isn't anyone remotely qualified to perform it."

  "You are not dying, Irina." Yelena repeated, more sternly.

  Natasha quickly re-approached, "Alexei said Melina'll help. She's got the technology and supplies to save her."

  "Look at her." And Natasha did. Irene's skin paled by the minute, her deep brown eyes appearing darker than normal from the amount of blood she's lost. "I don't care what he said," Yelena said, meaning Alexei. "We don't have enough fuel for St. Petersburg .  .  ." she kept her voice steady yet urgent —she could feel Irene's temperature dropping the more time past. "She doesn't have time."

  Irina met Natasha's glossy emerald green eyes and grabbed her hand, squeezing it —she read the look in her eye. "You can't operate up here .  .  . it's okay, Nat."

  "Don't." Natasha shook her head, releasing another, "I never should've let you come. I should've taken you back to that godawful trailer."