Don't Talk to Strangers

XXI

- Dan -
My heart skipped a beat. I knew she looked pale, but it totally caught me off guard when she dropped. “What’s wrong? Cassie!” I cried out as she fell. I caught her arms, pulling her up and trying to support her. I heard her rasp my name before she went limp. She was so fragile.

I dragged her desperately to the couch. Her forehead was shiny with sweat and I had to take a few slow breaths to stop from panicking. What was wrong with her?

As I went to pull her legs up onto the couch, I nudged her shirt and it rode up her side. I saw the edge of her bandage and I gasped. Pulling her up farther on the couch, I carefully peeled away at the bandage. My heart dropped as I saw how awful it looked.

I swore, breaking out in a sweat myself. It was infected. The cloths must not have been the best to use, and that disinfectant… I looked around and found the bottle by the end of the couch. Frustrations boiled up inside me, rolling and burning around the fact that I'd caused all of this. I'd caused her pain, and this time her health was in danger.

“What the hell were you thinking?” I scolded myself, throwing the bottle.

I leaned on the couch, grabbing Cassie’s hand. “It’s going to be okay,” I told her desperately. “Come on, wake up. It’s not that bad, Goddammit!” I stood up, pacing around the room.

Why hadn’t she told me? That must have been what she’d noticed this morning. What she'd hid from me, sneaking off to her room. I dug my nails into my palm, telling myself tears wouldn't solve anything. I needed to fix it.

"Come on," I groaned, clenching my fists. "What do I do?"

A thought I hadn't wanted to consider forced its way into my head. Hospital. You have to take her to the hospital. Now. It's the only way. She was counting on me, her life resting on my decision.

It only took me a few seconds to decide.

I know next to nothing about medical things… so bear with me.