Instinct ↠ Liam Dunbar

| fourteen: resolute

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Resolute
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"I need your help."

I stood still for a few seconds after. It wasn't until Lindy began falling that I regained my strength. Before I had the chance of running to her aid, she had already fallen onto the ground. I rushed through the mountain ash protected reception area - which just so happened to be left open thanks to Deaton - and slid down beside Lindy.

"Lindy!" I called as I grabbed onto her shoulders. She was still conscious as she scrunched up her face while holding on to her bleeding stomach. "Come on, I'll help you up."

I slung one of her arms around my neck and I could've expected her to push me away, but instead she let me lift her from the ground and on to her feet. Her body was limp and weak, and she tripped a little with every step she took. The two of us did our best at shuffling into the back room without falling, and once we were beside the examination table, I leaned her against it and took in her wound while I had the chance. The bullet could be clearly seen, and her shirt had slightly torn around the entry point. The blood obscured any minor damage, but I could still feel my body shivering at the sight of the deep red blood. I was never any good when it came to gory wounds, despite having a nurse as a mother.

"Where's Deaton? I need Deaton." Lindy grasped her hand tighter to her stomach - which only seemed to make it worse - and her head turned each and every way to search around the room.

"I don't know he- he left." I tried to be calm, but I was immensely horrified. Even though she was injured and bleeding, my whole body seized at the sight of her. Once again, I'm useless.

Lindy shook her head in response and looked as though she was about to cry. "Okay, then I need you to-to" She couldn't finish her sentence in time, because she let out a deep shout that sounded like she was being shot all over again. "Just get this thing out!"

"How?" I stepped closer to her but kept a decent amount of distance between us. I didn't want her to lash out at me, even with the state she's in.

"I don't know, you work here don't you?" I could hear the terror in her voice, and something inside of me clicked. Instead of doing nothing, I bent down lower in front of her to inspect the wound.

"I literally just started an hour ago and plus, you're a person, not an animal!" I lifted up her shirt slightly - which would've been awkward if we weren't in such a panic - and my eyes widened at the sight. Seconds after lifting the shirt, I brought it back down since I was unable to handle it.

"I'm a werewolf, I can withstand a whole lot more pain. Which means you need to get this thing out somehow." Lindy sounded a hell of a lot calm, even with a bullet in her. She grabbed my wrists after I had stood up, which caused me to look straight into her hazel green eyes that were glazed with fear. "Use your hands, use a fork, cut me in half, who cares! If this bullet doesn't come out, i'll be dead before you know it."

"Okay, okay i'll- i'll try." My voice sounded much more worried compared to how I actually felt. She nodded at me once and I nodded back before stepping away to the counters behind me. I rummaged through drawers, the small boxes and even around the papers. Deaton must have something I can use to get this bullet out of her. Surely, I wouldn't have to claw it out.

Almost as if my non existent prayers had been answered, my eyes landed on a pair of tweezers on the counter. I mentally high fived myself and grabbed the silver metal with my hands before turning around again to face Lindy. She had somehow managed to lie herself down on the table, so I walked over to her with the life saving tweezers in hand.

She was groaning in agony and I tried my hardest to not throw up after lifting her shirt until the wound was fully visible. Her whole stomach had become red and purple, but it wouldn't stop me from getting the damn thing out. I gently slapped my spare hand against one of her legs since she wouldn't stop squirming, and I brought the tweezers up close to the bullet hole. After one short glance, I could see the silver bullet that was lodged within. At a closer look, I could see that it was bigger than I had anticipated, maybe even wider than the tweezers could handle. I cringed at the thought of having to do this, so I looked over at Lindy's face to see that she had broken out into a sweat. She still looked just as afraid as before, and the few tears that ran down the sides of her face told me just that.