Pika and the other two n were rendered speechless. Standing in the almost empty room, their eyes fell on the two n lying unconscious on the floor. Next to the group was Izu, narrowing his eyes at these guys.
Pika opened his mouth, only to shut it again as his gaze drifted to Izu. He winced and quickly averted his eyes toward the old granny seated on a cushion on the floor.
She wasn’t serious?! But she looked so serious earlier!
"I hope this won’t determine your friendship," she quipped with a laugh. "Be friends until the end of ti. Treat this as sothing friendship must go through every once in a while."
The three n bit their tongues, slowly shifting their gazes to Izu. He quietly glared back at them, his eyes heavy with resentnt for what they had done.
"Anyway, the two of you should take care," the Madam humd as she pushed herself up, the money safely tucked into the pocket of her long skirt. "I’ve contacted a trusted fellow to take you safely out of Gigante. Don’t worry. I’m not charging a separate paynt."
After all, the amount Izu had given her was enough to buy thirty days of every townspeople’s life here. Offering them an extra ride out safely was nothing in comparison. They had bought the town ti; she would give them a bit of safety in return.
"Co out whenever you’re ready," she added, then left them alone to decide what to do with the injured n.
Once she was out of sight, the three turned to Izu apologetically.
"Izu..." Pika murmured softly. "I’m really sorry. Once we make it out of here alive, I’ll treat you sowhere nice with my next pay."
The other two nodded. "You understand us, right, man?"
Izu felt a bitter edge rise in his chest. Apologizing was easier than standing by him. Under different circumstances, he would’ve dragged this out longer, but they were still in Ravah Territory, and there were more pressing matters at hand.
"We’ll talk about that later," he said, turning to the injured n. "We need to get them back to camp. It’s good that the Madam knew how to treat injuries, but it’s not enough."
"Let check them first," one of the n said, shrugging off his backpack as he knelt between the two bodies.
He lifted the blanket covering the first man and imdiately winced at the stench. The sll was strong enough for Pika to cover his nose and step back. The others rely scrunched their faces.
"This is bad," the kneeling man muttered, glancing up at the others.
Slowly, he peeled the blanket away, revealing more of the injuries. Though the man’s torso was wrapped in bandages, the cloth had already darkened with blood. The old woman had only managed to slow the bleeding and clean the wounds. The injuries themselves were far too severe. They needed professional treatnt.
He moved to the second man.
This one was worse.
Pulling the blanket aside, he exposed blackened toes. Looking up at Izu and the others, his expression turned grave.
"We have two options," he said, fixing his gaze on Izu. "Either I operate right here, right now—or we take them back to camp and risk it."
He paused, glancing back at the injured n. "If the granny did this, then her dical skills deserve praise. With wounds like these, they’d already be dead. They’re alive now, but barely."
One of the n would need an amputation. The other had lost too much blood. The granny’s care had bought them ti, but not much. Either way, they could still die from their injuries... or from sepsis.
One fact remained. They were dangerously close to death.
Izu stayed silent as everyone waited for his decision. With their madam gone, he was the one calling the shots.
"Can you operate?" Izu finally asked.
"This one needs an amputation," the man replied, "and I don’t think the blood we have is enough for the other. I can stitch him up, but you should know I’ll be operating here. You’ll need her permission and the risks."
"It’s fine."
The granny’s voice rang out from behind them.
Everyone turned in surprise, not just because she was there, but because none of them had noticed her return.
"I should warn you," she said calmly, "this isn’t the best place for surgery. It’s old. Poorly kept."
She chuckled at their stunned silence. "Living in Ravah is a battle in itself. Staying alive quietly—like a rat avoiding attention—is one of its residents’ greatest skills."
She spoke as if she had read their thoughts.
"So?" she asked again. "Are you going to operate or not? I have plastic sheets to cover the room. I keep them around to avoid making a ss."
Why would you need plastic to avoid a ss...?
Pika’s eyes widened with suspicion, but the granny only laughed it off.
Izu thought for a mont. After a deep breath, he nodded.
"We operate," he said quietly. "It’ll buy them more ti. Then we move them."
The dic nodded. Ti wasn’t on their side. The journey back to camp was long, and the chances of them dying on the way were terrifyingly high.
With that decided, Izu and the others assisted the man preparing for surgery. With the granny’s help, they covered the adjoining room with plastic, creating a makeshift sterile space.
*****
At the sa ti, underground...
"Yes!" Chuck clutched the bag in relief, only for it to be imdiately snatched away as soone inspected the devices inside.
The others watched with dark expressions. Scarlet, in particular, was far from pleased.
"Double-check everything," she ordered. "Fast."
All this ti, their group was still stuck underground!
Haji leaned on the wall, arms crossed, eyes on the guy rummaging through the bag.
"How shaful," he muttered. "Let’s just hope those guys are still safe while we’re here, retrieving that thing."
And upon saying that, everyone’s eyes lit up with fury. Like wolves in the woods, they shifted their fiery eyes to Chuck, who was the person to bla for all of this.
Reviews
All reviews (0)