The Young Spy (Book One)

Chapter 21: Doctor In The House

Too far away. The apartment's too far away. Swift silently panics in his thoughts as he steps on the gas. He knew he wouldn't make it in time. But if he didn't try, he wouldn't survive. The only thing he can do now is to apply pressure on his stab wound, the other hand keeping a grip on the steering wheel. It's quite hard for him to maintain his driving, almost hitting another car in the process. Come on, Swift. Think. He would go to a hospital, but little he knows about where those are located in Los Angeles. It's such a struggle for him to keep his head straight. He keeps on disregarding his nausea caused by the rapid blood loss. What's worse is that he feels like he doesn't even know where he's going. But never mind that, he continues to drive into a residential area where he suddenly experiences a sense of recollection.

I know this street. Swift remembers almost immediately. This was the exact road Swift took to get Audrey home. He takes to the right. Even with the scarce visibility that is grouped in his eyes, he continues to drive. He just hopes that Audrey knows a thing or two about suturing. If she doesn't have the thread, a stapler would do the trick, and don't forget a bottle of rubbing alcohol too. He tries to amuse himself while trying to find Audrey's house, he remembers exactly where it is. But then, a short chuckle leaves him, thinking what would Audrey's reaction be if she sees him treating his puncture wound with a stapler. Not even a surgical one, just a regular stapler one would use to stick their paper together. He had to be honest, it is a bit sloppy and irregular, but it's necessary if it's urgent.

Swift's eyes promptly catch the familiar monochrome, gray house that is Audrey's place. Without thinking, he takes the car to swerve to the right.

Meanwhile, Audrey sat at her desk, her textbooks and notes spread out in front of her. It was a quiet evening without her aunt at home this late at night, and the only sounds she could hear were the rustling of the leaves outside her window and the occasional distant car passing by. As she delves deeper into her studies, she feels a sense of unease creeping up on her. It's as if someone was watching her. She turns around to look, but there's no one there. She shrugs it off and goes back to her books. Obviously, the silence is playing with her mind, making her feel a little anxious this time of evening.

Swift becomes aware of what he does, and steps on the brakes, not in time enough to hit a couple of trash cans outside of the house. That would surely wake up the entire neighborhood. But he didn't hope that it did, he hoped it only woke her up, if she was already sleeping, of course.

Audrey jumps, hearing the sound of a loud metal crash that follows a car engine noise out in front of her house. The sound came out of nowhere and it almost tore her heart in half hearing it. A dim set of headlights shines through her window's curtains. She bravely makes her way out of her room and heads off downstairs to confront whatever it is that fell in her front yard. She thinks as if an alien spaceship crashed in front of her house.

Swinging the car door open, Swift weakly crawls out, dropping to the curb's floor and letting a pint of his blood drip onto the ground. He kicks the car door shut before, and with every ounce of strength left, he gets up and rushes to Audrey's front porch. He collapses on the steps leading to the porch, holding his injury as firmly as possible.

A moment later, Audrey opens her front door. The sheer horror she takes in seeing Swift looking up at her while holding a bleeding shoulder is beyond unbearable. To make it worse, he has a scar under his hair, and on his forehead that's also leaking out blood. She puts up her hand to cover her mouth out of apprehension, keeping herself from screaming.

"Ryan?!" Repulsed, Audrey's jaw rattles.

"Audrey..." Swift groans weakly, climbing up the stairs slowly like a zombie. He lets out a painful cough, enough to convince Audrey to help him up.