Blend the Light

Heal Him, Doctor

I skid to a halt in front of the white doors of the medical wing. "Karla!" I shout.

"Yeah, Arrow? What is it this time?"

"Nothing for me. There's a Gladiator slowly bleeding out in the Pit. You have to help him!"

"Oh, really? How'd that happen?"

"Karla! You're the head doctor! You have to help! Come on, he's dying!"

"Alright. Calm down. I'm coming. I'll take a look and see what I can do."

"Hurry up! He could be nearly dead by now!"

"Arrow. Calm. Down. I'm coming. Give me a chance to get a few things together." Karla's usually happy face is curled into a frown. She grabs a few things from the shelves lining the room before walking out the door. A rumbling growl sounds in my chest and throat. I sigh and grab Karla by the back of her white coat and sprint to where Jay lies.

I roughly set her down. "Heal him." I snarl.

"What's gotten into you, Arrow?"

"Heal him." I repeat, glaring at her.

"He's bleeding out."

"Well, duh. You're a doctor so heal my brother!" Hawk bares his teeth and growls the words.

"He's just gotten here." Karla's looking at Jay's almost motionless body.

"And?" Hawk takes a step towards her.

"I'v-"

"Don't. Say. A. Word. You are not going to tell me that you're not going to heal my brother." Hawk's body is trembling with fury.

"Karla, please heal Jay. Like, right now." I step behind her and place my head right next to hers, whispering the words in her ear.

"Ugh, fine."

"You'd better do it right." Hawk fixes the doctor with a stare, a silent threat written in his eyes. She kneels beside Jay's body and examines the wound on his neck. He's laying in a puddle of blood, his side barely moving with each breath. After pulling on a pair of gloves, she pokes around in his wound then begins to clean it up. Hawk watches Karla's every movement, his stance tense. I can see his muscles trembling beneath his thick coat.

"There you go. I think I'll be going now." Karla stands up and removes her gloves, picking up her tray of materials. Hawk puts a paw on the tray.

"No, you're not."

"Let me go, please, Hawk."

"How do I know that Jay is going to be alright?" Hawk removes his paw and steps aside, circling the doctor.

"Please answer, Karla." I say, my eyes focusing on her. She waits a moment before responding.

"I can't say with one hundred percent certainty that he will be, but I believe he'll live."

"Why can't you?" Hawk roars, lunging for her. I place a foreleg in front of the shaggy dog, preventing him from attacking Karla. Tears spring from the dog's eyes, and he trembles as he looks at his brother. "Hawk, there's never no chance of anything going wrong. However small, there's always a chance that something can happen." I murmur softly.

"Arrow is right. I'll be going now." Karla nods and picks up her tray before walking off.

Hawk bounds to Jay and crouches beside him. There's a bandage wrapped around Jay's neck. His eyes are closed and his breaths are steady. "J-Jay, please wake up. I'm here. You're alright, Karla fixed you. Please." Hawk's voice shakes as he speaks. I sit down beside him, watching Jay's flank rise and fall.