First Prayer

By the time I am crawling into our shelter Gabby had the kit in front of her. Her good hand shakes as she fumbles with the latch. I come up beside her, she was far too worried about her injury to worry about me anymore. I reach down and open the latch. She is moaning in pain as she opens it up with clumsy trembling fingers.

“Unghh...it hurts Filth...it hurts real bad...” She is gritting her teeth as she tries to hold herself together. “Unghhhh...”

She reaches for the kit, then toward her shirt, then toward the kit again. She was having trouble focusing on what she had to do next, in her pain and panic she was trying to do too much at once. She was in pain, she was scared, and she was confused. She had also lost a lot of blood. She was pale and sweating hard. Worry grips my heart.

I sit beside her, facing her, and croak. “Shirt...off...”

I pull the clean drinking water closer then reach over and pull medical kit toward me. Gabriela shrugs off her shoulder strap and unbuttons her shirt with a shaking hand. I help her peel her shirt off and quickly inspect her shoulder. It was hard to make out details with all the blood but it looked bad, real bad. Judging from the pattern and ragged edges it looks like she had been bitten right at the shoulder joint, it looks like it had damn near bit right through. Powerful closely spaced front teeth, huge incisors, probably a gore rat. Most of them were the size of normal rats but it was not uncommon for them to mutate and get much larger. I had seen some as big as Pitbulls.

With the wound now before me my battlefield experience kicks in and my emotions shut down as I do what I had to do. I wasn't a medic but I knew some basics. Gabby's breath was rapid and shallow. She is hunched over, her good hand gripping my leg. I could see by her wavering unfocused gaze that she was struggling to maintain consciousness, she would be of no help now. She was lucky to have made it back at all.

Grabbing one of the larger bandage packs I rip it open with my teeth and clamp it down hard over her shoulder with my big hand. Pressing equally on both sides at once. She screams in pain and grips my leg as hard as she could. “AHHHHH!” I take her good hand and bring it up to her her wound, getting her to hold it for a time. She just does what she is supposed to, she was past the point of putting up any struggle or questioning things now. I grit my teeth from my own pain as I lean back and snatch the whiskey bottle from the side of the shelter. With some difficulty I open the bottle one handed. I pour a bit in her mouth, she swallows it and coughs.

I pull the bandage back and then pour the rest of the whiskey over both sides of her wounded shoulder. I had to work fast and it was the best disinfectant I had at the ready. She shrieks in pain as the **** makes contact. I let the half bottle drain, letting the stream hit the wounds directly. Her hand digs into my leg hard as she cries out. “OWWWW AAHHHH!” I am impressed that she is able to stay still for it. She might not look like it but this girl was tough as nails. The whiskey and blood flow down to the floor. With the bandage I clean and dry the wound as best I can. Fuck...it was as bad as I had worried it was. Taking a fresh bandage I clamp it down once more, holding firm on both sides of her shoulder, trying to staunch the bleeding. She cries out again before her eyes roll up and she loses consciousness. I hold her upright as her slack body slumps forward.

I hear another roll of thunder, much closer now, and the first pitter-pat of rain coming down. Shit, just what I needed. I can hear the wind picking up. The edges of the tarp flap and snap from in increasing gusts. The shelter was in no condition for a storm. Damn these injuries slowing me down!

It was getting dark now too, the storm clouds blocking out the sun. Working with one hand and my mouth I apply the tightest wrapping I could manage. I keep pressure on the wounds as much as possible as I finish up and tie it off. The dark crimson stain of blood is already peaking through the white of the gauze. It was the best I would be able to do.

The cool moist air is blowing in hard. If I didn't do something soon the shelter would be gone. Torn away by the wind. I pull Gabby to the furthest in and most sheltered section, the area we'd been using as a bed. Her small body slips right out of her too big overalls as I awkwardly pull her over. I lay her down on her good side, foam under her head. I look over her lean tanned form. She's so small, so ****, so...perfect. I shake my head. I had more to do. I couldn't be soft right now.

The pain was threatening to overwhelm me but with goals to focus on I am able to push through it. I pull all of the support poles down, the tarp falls and flaps. I crawl under the rustling thick plastic sheeting. The rain is ever intensifying, but the cool drops feel good on me after the hot dry day. Judging by the feel and the smell I am thinking it is just normal rain, though it was hard to be sure. Sometimes the rain was acidic or irradiated, but that didn't matter right now. Right now I had a job to do.

Using my spear as a cane I go around and bring anything heavy that I could manage to carry in my condition to anchor down the fluttering tarp. I fold the green plastic over on itself and I make the sheltered area as small as possible. There was barely any space inside our makeshift tent now. Basically just down to the bed area. That was good, the smaller the better as the wind threatened to snatch up any bit of loose tarp and carry the whole thing away.

Lightning flashes and the rain suddenly escalates. A boom of thunder shakes me to my bones. I plant down a few more heavy chunks of cement before wriggling my way back into the cramped shelter along one of the sides. I pull myself up Gabriela's head. Pulling the foam pillow from under her I place it behind me as I make myself as comfortable as possible in a sitting position. I carefully lay Gabby's head back down on my thigh.

I was done. I could do no more. My current strength and endurance had reached their limits. I sit with my eyes closed and focus everything on controlling my breathing and managing the pain roaring through my right side. I let out a low growl of agony. Reaching out into the now dark interior I find the water jug. I drink four long blessed swallows from it and let out a relieved sigh. And another. As I rest I can feel things settle down within me, the pain returns to a dull constant hum.

“Whooo...” I croak. I listen to my new friend's rapid shallow breathing. I can feel it as her body heat rises steadily.

Outside the storm rages. The rain pounds down and the wind howls with nature's fury. I can hear bits of trash and debris skitter and fly by. Thankfully I knew we were tucked away, none should hit us. It would blow by or over us. Flashes of lightning lit the reduced shelter's green walls every few seconds. The rumbling thunderclaps rolled into each other, one on top the next, shaking the soaking earth below. The shelter was holding firm, right now that was all I cared about. Let it storm, as long as we were safe that was all that mattered.

Pouring a little of the water into my hand I stroke it over her hot forehead and into her short soft hair. I do it again and wet her lips, I manage to get a few drops into her dry mouth. She unconsciously suckles on my wet finger. Her body wanting some of that precious liquid. I give her more, and then again, and then again. When she awoke I would give her a proper drink, but not until then. If she awoke at all...I shake my head. I wet her burning neck and face. Petting her and stroking her furnace of a body.

I'd seen her naked now, I knew that she had no obvious external mutations. I wondered what was different about her on the inside that made her get so warm when she slept. I can't help but ponder how the pure bloods could throw this girl to the Wastes just for being hot when she slept? Was this one small woman really such a threat to them? Why were they so insistent on purity? Sometimes they seemed more monstrous than any mutated creature I had encountered in the Wastes. They had a choice.

As I feel her against me I remember how Gabby had prayed the previous night. I recall how important she seemed to think it was. How she said I should pray even though I couldn't be saved. Fucking ridiculous, but...if it could help her...

Looking up I say in my mind. 'Hey! Hey you! You up there? Well I'm talking if you're listening, you fucking cunt. How fucking dare you do this to Gabriela! She was trying to save a wretch. Trying to save someone who didn't deserve it. And THIS is how she is rewarded!? If you have to take anyone take ME you fucking cocksucker. It is so fucking obvious. Take me! Leave her alone! Fuck you. FUCK YOU! If you do exist I hope you eat shit and die!'

I shake my head. Okay, that wasn't going to help anything. I don't think prayer was really my thing. I let out a long breath, my fatigued and over stressed body was giving up.

I lay my head back and close my eyes. Sleep was coming for me now, whether I wanted it or not. My fingers stroke my savior's hair and slender neck as I slowly drift off to the sounds of the storm. The heat emanating from Gabriela easily warmed our small area even as the cool wind of the storm blew the hotness of the day away. I hoped she would make it. I hoped that we would be okay. I hoped I would hear her lovely voice again.

My thoughts are only with Gabby as sleep finally claims me.