The Streisand Effect [Spectra Fanfiction, book 2/3]

18 - Galaxy's Most Wanted

"Blondie? Blondie can you hear me? Stay with me," Erica frantically repeated as she held both her hands down on the nox's chest wounds. Blood seeped through her fingers, not even the ragged cloth she had pressed against him was enough to halt the flow. 

She did her best to cauterise what she could with what little she had on her, mainly just a single bottle of foam that could be used to seal wounds. It wasn't much but it would hold the more serious ones together at least for the time being.

"Jolona, keep your eyes on me, come on buddy," she repeated with false comfort in her voice. There was panic inside her but she did her best to keep it down. His chest wounds were sealed for now, but there were still major problems, mainly the fact he was now missing an eye and an ear, both of which were spewing blood everywhere.

Blondie felt his whole body growing heavier and heavier by the second. The bumps in the road as the truck sped through the night were becoming less and less jarring as his senses slowly faded. An intense wave of tiredness began washing over him.

"Need... to rest," he muttered his eyes slowly closing. Erica immediately went into panic mode.

"Jolona? No no, Jolona I need you to stay awake, stay awake! Blondie, keep your eyes open for me," she urged desperately, snapping her fingers and gently shaking his shoulders in an attempt to keep him conscious. 

"Just... five... minutes,"

"No, no you can't do that, you need to stay awake for me ok?"

Despite Erica's protests, the nox's head began to sink as his eyes rolled. Erica felt his heart rate slowing as she pressed against his chest. There was so much blood on the base of the truck it had become slippery. Her own heart rate skyrocketed. She began fearing for the worst.

Breathe Erica.

Remember your training.

He's just another patient.

He's not your friend.

You don't know him.

He's just another patient. Like Vex.

Vex was just another patient.

She died because you couldn't help her.

She died because of you.

Because of you.

Bad doctor.

Bad friend.

Bad.

Bad.

Bad.

Vex's face flashed in her mind. Her smile, her laugh. Her eyes. She began to feel herself tensing up. The world around her gradually became blurry, the large patches of blood on the floor of the truck turned to faded red blobs. 

She could hear her voice.

"Erica..."

That voice. The one she'd give anything to see the owner of again.

"Erica..."

She looked down. Her hands were smothered in blood. Her whole coat was covered in red. Blondie's still form lay in front of her. Her hands were shaking. Her own senses seemed to fade as she looked around. Everything felt like it was fading, but growing louder at the same time.

Sounds began to merge together and created an incoherent cacophony of white noise. She felt like she could hear her own heartbeat through everything.

"Erica!"