Don't Get Eaten

Chapter Thirty Five

"This should work." Leo says as he tightens the rope more firmly of the makeshift stretcher that we made for Rissa.

We look at our handiwork and deem it suitable to use. At least for now anyways. And it was hard to sit back and watch as Zared and Leo gently tried to place Rissa on it without causing her any more pain than she was already experiencing.

"She has to go back. There's no way we can keep moving on with her like this. It's too dangerous and way to risky. She'll only slow us down." Lacy comments, looking down at my friend with furrow brows.

"I'll take her back." Jacob announces with a grim look.

"I'll go with you." Violet quickly replies, kneeling next to Rissa as she still struggled to breathe.

"You should go as well." Lacy looks to Lani who was already shaking her head.

"Absolutely not. The less there are of us, the lesser chance of making it back alive. I'm going, you need me." She strongly voiced.

Lacy just sighs, not bothering to argue with the girl. I guess she was getting tired of badgering us all the time. I walk to Rissa and kneel next to her, taking a hold of her hand. Her face was even paler than before, and it made me worried.

"You're going to be okay. Jacob is going to take you back to the hotel where Chuck will look after you."

"Make sure...you come...back." She wheezes, squeezing my hand.

I give her a tight smile, my heart twisting at the sound of her voice. "Promise." I whisper.

"I'll stay with her." Violet tells me, her eyes red from all the crying she's been doing.

I nod my head and stand back up just as Jacob lifts one end of the stretcher and starts pulling away from us back in the direction we had come from. It was going to be a tedious way back, but at least they'll make it before night fall.

"Maybe you should go with them?" I look to Zared with furrowed brows.

"Nope." Was his immediate reply.

"You might be able to help Chuck with her condition." I press, already knowing it was a lost cause.

"You're not going back, so neither am I." He presses even harder, finally looking at me.

"Thought you wanted to save lives, wanting to be a doctor?" They weren't really fighting words; it wasn't like I wanted him to go anyways.

"That may be true, but to me your life and safety is way more important than anyone else's. I'm staying with you."

Not to sound dramatic but hearing him say that flushed my entire body and soul with happiness and pleasure. I couldn't help the tiny smile lift my lips as I reach over and softly caress my thumb against his plump bottom lip.

"Okay, but you know I had to try." I gently say.

He grabs my hand and kisses my palm, never taking his eyes off mine. "I know. Besides, there isn't anything I could for her at the moment. She needs surgery if she does have a punctured lung. She hasn't started coughing up blood yet so that's a really good sign. But just in case, I'll need to grab a few more things from the hospital to help her."

"We should start heading downtown and no more side stops. The person who was here previously is either dead or long gone. We need to hurry." Lacy states in a hard tone and doesn't wait for the rest of us as she starts marching after Jacob and Violet.

I sigh guilty. It was my fault we had almost gotten pulverized and Rissa nearly dying. I did exactly what Lacy kept telling me I was going to do. But it was hard to leave others in a peril situation when I know I can help.