Sapling

it's gonna be ok

Novica: I think this is real. This is real, ain't it?
[Loren watches Novica helplessly. A few things are coming back to her now: surely this must be her sisling. A second later she tastes the name on her tongue.]
Loren: Novie?
Novica: Yeah, it's me. It's me, Lorie. What do I do? There's gotta be something I can do to stop you-stop you...
[Loren attempts to roll over so that she can show her sisling the wound, but unfortunately this only causes her to yelp out in pain. Novica's eyes widen and she calms Loren with soothing words, although she is panicking herself.]
Novica: Here, look, you're ok. You're looking at me, ain't you? You're alive. And that's something. And you're gonna live. You're gonna live.
[Novica's words echo Loren's thoughts, and again she tries to speak, recalling something her papling told her to do when someone had been hurt very badly. She looks at Novica imploringly.]
Loren: P-pressure.
Novica: Lorie? Pressure where?
Loren: Pressure! Pressure!
Novica: On the wound, I guess is what you mean... Ok. Got it. Pressure on the wound, pressure on the wound, pressure on the wound-erm. I'm gonna have to roll you over for this, Lorie, ok?
[Novica reaches out and grabs her sisling by her side. Loren braces herself for the pain, and it comes, like a thousand brightly-coloured lights all flashing inside her head. At first she cries out, feeling like she's going to faint from the pain, but she forces her eyes open, groaning with the effort. In the meantime, Novica has been examining the wound, and her face has gone even whiter than it was before.]
Novica: Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Lorie! Lorie! There's blood everywhere! It looks really bad... like you're gonna-like you're gonna... are you sure you want me to put pressure on this?
[She looks desperately over at Loren, who gives a faint nod.]
Novica: Ok, if you're sure. No, I can't do this. I can. I gotta do this. The only way I know to save you and I can't damn do it? I'm such a coward!
Loren: Do. Do it.
Novica: Uhh... yes. I will do it. I'm gonna force myself. I think there'll be a lot of pain, though, Lorie, so just... just prepare yourself.
Loren: Never... mind. Do it.
[Novica closes her eyes and places her hands on the wound, grimacing as she feel the wet blood beneath them, and then she presses. She presses as hard as she thinks she can without breaking something inside Loren. At first Loren screams and screams and Novica thinks people will hear for miles around, but she keeps pressing, until she feels that her sisling has gone limp. Then her hands fly to her head, and she bends over Loren.]
Novica: Have I killed you? Have I? No. Yes! I don't know! What do I do now? Check your... check your heartbeat.
[Gently, Novica places her ear on the right side of Loren's chest, and listens. She is very relieved when she hears the faint but unmistakable thud thud thud: the sound of life. Now the only thing Novica can think of to do is to shout for help. She knows that some people from Roseling's will probably come out soon to take Loren away, thinking she is already dead. But Novica is not shouting to them, she is shouting to anyone else who can and will help.]
Novica: HELP US! HELP US! HELP US!
[A second later a small figure appears just outside the childerling-home. Novica sees that the figure is too small to be a member of staff, so she calls out again.]
Novica: PLEASE HELP US!
[The small figure starts running, and soon it reaches them. The expression on the little face is so full of fear and shock that Novica feels tempted to give its owner a hug, and thinks she would if she were not so full of panic herself. "Novie?" the little girl asks, her voice shaking a little. "What are you doing out here?" It is at this moment that tears begin to spill from Novica's eyes, and she collapses, weeping, onto the ground.]
Novica: I can't do nothing right! Nothing! She's gonna die-she's gonna-die-cuz I'm so damn incompetent...
["Hey, look here," Elie says, put off by Novica's reaction to her impromptu arrival. "You've got to calm down. You've got to calm down and tell me why someone's been shot and why you're here with this person instead of out there having made your escape." Novica looks up at this, and tries to explain in a wavering voice.]
Novica: I came out-yes, I did come out. I was gonna escape but then I saw a body on the ground and I was so scared and I ran up to it and it was my Lorie, really my Lorie... but she'd been shot and was bleeding real bad and I was panicking-we were both panicking-and she said put pressure on the wound so I did and she fainted from pain and now I think she's gonna die and there ain't nothing I can do 'bout it!
[Elie stares at her. She looks down at the body between them. "This is Loren?" she asks, barely able to believe it herself. "Your sisling who you told me about?" Novica looks at her bitterly.]
Novica: The very same.
[At this moment Loren opens her eyes and starts to shake. She tries to sit up, but the pain is too much and she wails. Her eyes settle on Elie.]
Loren: Who... you?
Novica: Oh, Lorie, you're awake! This is Elie, she's my friend and wants to help as much as I do, so don't worry.
[Elie looks at Novica. "Can I see the wound?" Novica pulls down Loren's blood-soaked dark green jumpsuit, exposing the wound. Elie peers at it, and looks very worried. "You've got to get her to a remedier, Novie," she advises her friend. "It's her only chance of survival, I reckon. I'm no expert, but once I broke my leg and had to go to the remediers, and I saw a man being carried in who'd been wounded by a bullet, and they were saying they had to act quickly else he'd die of blood loss."]
Novica: But what if the remediers don't want her? And how am I gonna get her to them? She can't even sit up, let alone stand.
[The smaller girl only shakes her head. "You got to try, pussy. It's her only hope." Novica nods seriously, and looks down at Loren, who has been attempting to make sense of what they are saying. She knows they are discussing her and her injury, but she can't understand anything else. She feels very weak. But then an idea comes to her.]
Loren: Remediers?
Novica: Elie just suggested that. We're gonna try. But unless you can stand it's gonna be very difficult to get you there.
[Loren looks at Elie.]
Loren: Help?
["I suppose we might be able to lift you, both me and Novie," Elie says dubiously. "What do you think, Novie?" Novica is enthusiastic about any idea that could mean they get to the remediers before her sisling dies of blood loss.]
Novica: Let's do it. Lorie, you ready for this?
Loren: Ready...
[Loren thinks of something she wanted to say as soon as she saw her sisling again, but was unable to due to the circumstances. She tries to smile at Novica.]
Loren: I love you, Novie.
Novica: Oh! I love you too, Lorie, so much.
Loren: I missed you.
Novica: I missed you too.
[Gently, Novica and Elie start to lift Loren. "Keep her talking," Elie hisses, and receives a quizzical look from Novica. "Distraction from the pain," she explains. Novica nods, and smiles at Loren, who is grimacing, clamping her teeth together to stop herself from screaming. Novica takes Loren's head while Elie takes her by the legs, and they begin to walk.]
Novica: Did much happen while I was gone, Lorie?
Loren: No... little... argh! Hurts!
Novica: Yeah, I know it hurts. But c'mon, look at me, try not to think about the hurting, ok?
Loren: Ok. I try.
Novica: So what did happen?
Loren: Sobert. He helped.
Novica: Oh! You made up with Mr Haughton, did you?
Loren: Yes. He took me. Galaxies, stars and space-y stuff. Henree. Potatoes. They help. I want to find you. Sobert says it's a bad idea. I go anyway.
Novica: You shouldn't've come, Lorie. I was escaping all by myself. Me and Elie, we knew the fences were alarmed, so I was gonna climb this tree and then let myself drop down to the other side so I didn't trigger no alarm. I would've done it all by myself.
Loren: Oh. I'm sorry.
Novica: No, it's ok, it ain't a good time to be sorry.
[Elie tries to gesture to Novica, who looks up. "Er, Novie?" she says. "We got a problem. Quite a big problem." Novica turns around, and sees the fence towering up above them. She sighs.]
Loren: What problem? There's a problem?
Novica: Yes, Lorie, there's a problem. The fence. How on earth are we gonna get you over the fence without hurting you even more 'n you are already?
Loren: Just drop me over.
Novica: No! We can't do that! You'll hurt yourself so damn badly...
Loren: Just do it. No other way.
[Novica turns to Elie for help, but the smaller girl shrugs. "She's right, I can't see any other way," Elie admits. "Wait, I think I've got a better idea actually. I climb over the fence, while you wait here with Lorie. Then you climb up with her as high as you can and you hold her over the top. I reach up and grab her, and lift her down to the ground." Novica looks more happy about this plan.]
Novica: What d'you think, Lorie?
Loren: Yes. Do it. Now. Quick.
[The girls turns and see a group of silhouettes coming out of the building. Novica claps one hand to her mouth.]
Novica: Oh, damn.
Loren: Is what I mean by quick.
Novica: Yeah, I get you, I get you. Right. Elie, you climb over, as quickly as you can.
[They lower Loren into the grass and then Elie quickly scales the fence. "Ready," she calls a few seconds later. Novica does not delay. She lifts Loren up and starts to climb the fence while supporting her sisling. It is hard work. A few times Loren cries out in pain, but then she falls silent again, and Novica worries that she's fainted again until she says something and Loren replies reassuringly.]
Novica: You hang in there, Lorie.
Loren: I'm... trying.
[Elie climbs up and peers over the fence. "Hurry, Novie!" she squeaks. "They're getting closer!" Finally Novica reaches the summit, and she hands Loren's shaking body over to Elie, who struggles with the weight but manages to gently lower Loren to the ground. Novica lets herself drop down, and the two girls crouch over Loren, panting. Loren seems to have fainted again.
"It's ok," Elie assures Novica. "It'll be easier for her if she's not conscious. She won't feel the pain." Novica nods, seeing the sense in this, but at the same time fearing for Loren's life.]
Novica: Elie, answer me honestly: is she gonna die?
[But Elie only looks at her sadly. "I don't know, pussy," she whispers. "No way to know. How's that wound doing?" Novica bends over the hole in Loren's stomach, and feels relief wash over her.]
Novica: It ain't gushing out too much blood.
["Good." Elie manages a weak smile. "But the bullet's still in there. It's a relief it didn't go right through her. There'd have been much more blood, and she'd have only had a very slim chance of survival." Novica nods.]
Novica: So. What now?
["Now, we get out of here as fast as we can," Elie tells her. Together they lift Loren up again, just as they hear someone unlocking the fence gate. "Now, Novie, now," Elie urges, and they start to run.
"They went over the fence," they hear a voice call. "Come on, after them!" Novica and Elie push on, running for their lives, but mostly for Loren's. They turn at the end of the road, and as soon as they can they dash down a suspicious dark alley. Elie glances behind.
"We lost them," she pants. "They went right past."]
Novica: So can we stop for a rest?
[Elie shakes her head. "No, we've got to keep going," she says. "Once they find they've lost us they'll double back and guess we've gone down here. We need to get much further away before we can stop." So the girls force their legs to keep on running, even though they both have burning stitches and their legs feel like jelly. They reach the end of the alley, which turns onto another big road, so as soon as they can they head down another alley: the darkness and closeness of such places makes them feel much safer.
Loren is still unconscious. One time Novica insists they stop so she can check her sisling's heartbeat, and finds solace in the gentle rhythm that is still present, meaning Loren is still alive. But apart from that, they do not pause. Novica feels like she wants to vomit once or twice, but manages to stop herself for Loren's sake. She admires her sisling's gentle, kind face, the face she has recently seen so wrought with anguish, the face she loves. If anything, Loren looks peaceful, and if one did not see the wound in her chest they would think she was sleeping, absorbed in pleasant dreams.
Novica remembers how much she pined for Loren when she was at Roseling's. She thought that was a terrible time, but realises it was nothing compared with what is happening now. Earlier that day, she never would have imagined that that very night she would be carrying a wounded and possibly dying Loren to a remedier. She didn't even think she would see Loren until the next day, so in one way her sisling's appearance was a pleasant surprise. If only she had been a few minutes earlier, she would have seen Loren and warned her not to touch the fence, and they would have returned home happily. Novica wishes and wishes that had been the case, but she knows that it is done now and there's nothing she can do about it.
Night slowly progresses as they run. Elie thinks they need to get Loren to a remedier before morning because it will make it less likely that they'll be found. The sun is just starting to peak its way over the horizon when the girls finally reach the house of a remedier. All remedier houses have green crosses on them to make them easier to spot. The green cross on this house is peeling off with age, but Novica feels optimistic nevertheless, and calmly she walks up to the door and delivers a sharp knock.
Then she steps backwards and waits patiently, clutching Loren's head, with Elie beside her holding Loren's legs. It takes a long time for anyone to come to the door. They wait and wait, and after a few minutes Novica knocks again. This time they hear footsteps a minute or so after the knock, and Novica holds her breath. She desperately hopes that this remedier can save Loren.
The door creaks open, and a woman peers out at them. She is in her dressing-gown, and looks half-asleep. Novica's hope plummets: this woman looks like any other woman in Ling, and is sure to know of the Edwerd Ling fiasco and Loren's apparent role in it. She can only hope that this remedier will not recognise Loren in the darkness. She clears her throat, and she and Elie hold Loren out towards the woman.]
Novica: Please, miss. My sisling's been shot, and we think she's gonna die, and please-please, can you save her?
[The remedier stares at the body, exasperated. "You wake me up at sunrise," she says sharply, "to tell me that Loren Seen's been shot? What are you doing, taking her to a remedier? This is a time for celebration!" And with those words Novica almost completely gives up. But a second later she tells herself that no, she hasn't given up-she's given up on this one remedier, but there are other remediers in Ling.
At that moment Elie speaks up. "S-so you're saying you're just going to let her die?" the small eight-year-old challenges shakily. "What are you? That would basically make you a murderer!"
The woman laughs. "I think the question we should be asking, little girl, is what are you? Let her die. We'll all be the better for it." She laughs again. That is when Loren notices something quite distinct about this remedier-she is not sure what made her know it for sure. Perhaps it was the bloodshot eyes, or the strange manner? But Novica decides it does not matter. This woman is suffering from a hangover. The effects of drinking an excess of alcohol have not completely worn off yet. This woman is drunk.]
Novica: You're drunk. You're drunk.
[Elie stares at her friend. "She is?" she asks tentatively. As if to confirm Novica's accusation, the woman giggles. Elie's expression becomes more solemn. "I see what you mean." Novica takes one step backwards and prepares to run again.]
Novica: I wouldn't trust you to save my sisling whether you wanted to or not. You'd be more likely to kill her, doing some kinda operation in the state you're in.
[Out of the corner of her mouth, Novica whispers to Elie.]
Novica: Get ready to run again.
[Elie gives a small nod. The woman, meanwhile, takes no notice of what Novica accused her of. She raises her eyes to the gradually lightening night sky. "Divine justice," she murmurs. "Divine justice. A death for a death. Poor young Edwerd Ling is finally being avenged..." She trails off. Novica stares at her, and cannot help giving her a piece if her mind before she sets off once more on a quest to save her sisling.]
Novica: Edwerd Ling ain't being avenged. He wasn't even killed by Lorie in the first place! He was murdered by the Lings, his own mamling and papling, cuz he loved Lorie and cuz he felt empathy and cuz he was the most kind-hearted person in Ling. And they killed him. Damn divine justice. There ain't no such thing as divine justice. There's only people killing each other for stupid reasons and d'you know something? It all needs to stop.
[But the woman only stares at Novica, lost in a world of her own, unable to respond to Novica's fierce rebuke. Loren wakes up and begins to moan, staring at the drunk remedier and wondering where she is. But when she realises that Novica is holding her, she calms down a little bit.]
Loren: Novie?
Novica: Yeah, it's ok, Lorie. This remedier won't help us, that's all. She's a drunk scoundrel. Willing to let you die. C'mon, let's go, Elie.
[All they do is walk away. The remedier stares after them, unseeing. At the end of the street they turn around, and see with some relief that the woman has returned to her house and the door is closed. Then they start running again, knowing that people must be searching for them now and if so, they need to get a move on.]
Novica: It's fine. That old hag won't remember nothing when she wakes up in the morning or, if she does, she'll think it was a dream.
[Elie nods, panting, but does not reply. She keeps her eyes on the horizon, and Novica feels surprised that her friend she only met two weeks ago is as intent on saving Loren as she is. Seeing that Elie will not make very good conversation at the moment, Novica looks down to her sisling. Loren is still awake, and staring around, wide-eyed. She can clearly feel immense pain in her stomach because once or twice she groans, and it is the kind of groan that comes from someone who is holding back a scream.]
Novica: You ok, Lorie?
Loren: No... but...
[Loren smiles weakly at her sisling. With an effort she lifts up her arm and strokes Novica's face.]
Loren: With you... everything is good.
Novica: We're not gonna let you die, Lorie. You know that, right? I wouldn't for the world. We're gonna find another remedier, one that ain't drunk and is actually willing to save you, and they'll fix you up and you'll live. You'll live.
[Novica repeats it almost as if she is assuring herself that it is true.]
Loren: Yes... Novie?
Novica: Yes?
Loren: If I... die, will you...?
Novica: You ain't gonna die, Lorie. But c'mon. What d'you want me to do? Cuz you're gonna be too tired to walk around and do stuff for a while, so maybe I could do this thing while you're recovering. I dunno.
[Loren's face shrivels up as if she is about to cry, but instead she just strokes Novica's face again. Whatever she wants Novica to do is clearly taking a lot of effort to say. She clutches her stomach and moans.]
Loren: Find... him.
Novica: Find who? Who d'you want me to find, Lorie?
[But Loren has passed out again from the pain, and Novica stares at her helplessly. She knows Loren wants to tell her something really important, but without knowing what it is there is nothing she can do. She glances at Elie, wondering if she heard the whole exchange. Elie shrugs.
"Don't worry about it, pussy," she says gently. "You'll find out whatever it is when Lorie's recovered enough to tell you."]
Novica: Will she recover, though?
[Suddenly Novica feels a horrible tingle, and sees herself in her mind's eye all alone. It finally sets it, what life would be like if Loren dies. Although this knowledge would have weakened others, for Novica is acts as a driving force, almost as strong as love for her sisling. It joins all of the other reasons she simply cannot let Loren die.
The girls continue to run. They are not quite sure what they are running from: whether it is the staff from Roseling's or the Lings themselves they do not know. But they run anyway, over rough cobbles and smooth tarmac. And the whole time the sun is rising, making them increasingly vulnerable, and the desire to find another remedier becomes increasingly urgent.
Eventually they stumble upon something. It is not a remedier, but with any luck, it will help them to find a remedier. A large map has been taped to the wall of a building, and Novica and Elie study it as well as they can. They know that there will be a green cross on the map where a remedier's home is.
"There! Look!" Elie cries, pointing excitedly. "See? A tiny green cross. It's not even that far from here... a stroke of luck, for sure..."]
Novica: How d'you know it ain't that far from here?
["Well," Elie says patiently, "that red dot there is saying where we are right now. And that green cross is where the remedier is. We've just got to head down that street-" Elie looks up from the map and points at a nearby street "-turn the corner, and we're pretty much there." She turns back to Novica. "Let's just hope this one isn't drunk or prejudiced against your sisling."]
Novica: Yeah. Hope.
[Elie studies the map once more. "Ok," she says. "Come on, pussy, let's go." Novica looks down at Loren's closed eyes, and watches her sisling's chest rise and fall.]
Novica: She's still breathing.
[Elie looks at Novica sympathetically. "We need to go," she whispers. And they go. Once again they start to run, dashing down the street that Elie indicated. Unfortunately, it is longer than the map told it to be. They rush past houses and foodshops, not stopping once to catch their breaths.
Novica watches the sky. It is gradually turning blue. She wills it to return to orange or, even better, black, but the sun keeps rising. The glare is impossible to look at, so Novica soon puts her eyes back on the road ahead of them. Finally, after what seems an age, they reach the end of the street. "Now we go left," Elie says. They cross the road and turn the corner. Up ahead they can see a green cross sign, and the sight of it spurs them on.
Breathless, they reach the house of the remedier. Novica stares at it, barely believing they have managed to get to it. Elie smiles. "She's going to live, Novie," she says. "She's going to live." Novica smiles back for a moment, but then she remembers that they have not succeeded just yet.]
Novica: First we gotta see if this remedier is actually gonna help Lorie. I mean, it seems pretty damn unlikely when over half of Ling thinks she murdered Werd and hates her for it.
["Just have a little hope," Elie sighs. Again inhaling as much air as will fit in her lungs, Novica steps forward. Keeping one hand supporting Loren's head, she knocks on the door. This door looks as if it has been freshly painted, and Novica feels a small tingle of hope in the pit of her stomach. But she does not let it grow, knowing that she could easily be disappointed.
After a minute or so they hear footsteps. Novica steps backwards again, and kisses Loren's forehead.]
Novica: It's gonna be ok. It's gonna be ok.
[Loren opens her eyes.]
Loren: Novie?
Novica: It's gonna be ok.
Loren: It hurts.
Novica: It's gonna be ok.
Loren: I'm gonna die.
Novica: It's gonna be ok.
[The door opens slowly. Standing in the doorway is a sort of person Novica did not expect to see: it is an elderling. A man. He takes one look at Loren and the blood all over her green jumpsuit, and Novica and Elie, flushed with running and afraid and desperate-and he ushers them inside. "Quick," he urges.
Once Novica and Elie have carried Loren inside, he closes the door swiftly but gently, so that it does not slam. Then he leads them into a small, rather shabby sitting room, with a table and three armchairs. When the girls look around uncertainly, the elderling indicates the table. "You can put her on there," he tells them, looking at Loren. Loren stares back at him, fierceness in her eyes. They are sizing each other up.
As gently as they can, Novica and Elie lower Loren onto the table. She screeches when they let go of her, but manages to stop herself, and whimpers quietly instead. The elderling sits down in one of the armchairs, so Novica and Elie take the other two. Novica looks at Loren, Elie looks at the elderling, and the elderling looks at all three girls. Loren closes her eyes, suddenly wanting to shut the world out.
Novica is the first to speak.]
Novica: Is she gonna die? Tell me the truth!
[In her mixed fear and rage, she bangs her fist on the table, and Loren opens her eyes just long enough for a tear to escape from her eye.]
Loren: Novie?
Novica: Not now, Lorie.
[She continues to stare at the elderling, who looks back down at Loren's body on the table. "I'll need to see the wound."
Elie is getting impatient. "I like how no one's asked anyone else's name, or what's going on," she observes.
The elderling looks at Elie gently. "I assure you, when death is involved," he says, "there is not time for introductions." He turns to Novica, seeing that she is older and therefore assuming that she is in charge. "I'll need to take her to my operating room."]
Novica: You didn't answer my question. Is she gonna die or not?
["I can't answer a question like that," the elderling tells her, shaking his head solemnly.]
Novica: Why ever not?
[He does not reply. Instead he stands up and walks to the table. He looks at Loren. "Tell me if it hurts," he says. A second later he lifts her up, putting her head over his shoulder. She screams, partly due to the pain and partly due to disgust at being lifted by a stranger's hands.]
Novica: You put her down!
["And let her die?" the elderling asks without looking at her. That silences Novica, and she sinks back down in her armchair. Elie looks between them, wanting to help and yet not knowing what to do.]
Novica: Take her then. Do whatever you can. And if she dies...
[Novica cannot finish her sentence. She closes her eyes.]
Novica: Do whatever you can. Save her.
[Loren has become a little more subdued, and she turns to Novica with a strained but hopeful expression on her face.]
Loren: It's gonna be ok.