Chapter 26

Sarah gazed at Avril. Avril shoveled fries into her mouth as she awaited Sarah's response. It was a response that was brewing since last night. Avril had finally spoken to her closest friend, telling her a summarized version of the events that happened. After her explanations, Sarah had immediately said that they should leave the rest of the conversation for when they were face to face. Those were dreaded words for Avril.

Sarah still didn't have the words. Now that Avril was face to face with Sarah all of her fears and anxiety tripled. Avril didn't know if the Nate situation had scared her or the fact that she told Sarah she might have unreciprocated feelings for a certain dangerous stranger. It was uncertain which revelation was the most shocking.

"Are you going to say something or are you going to stare at me eating? I don't advise the latter since it's a bit creepy." Avril picked up another one of her fries, unable to bear the blank expression on Sarah's face.

"I don't know how to respond." Sarah turned her gaze away.

"Try, so we can be over this weirdness." Avril twirled her fork in the air.

"Okaaayyy...." She drew out the syllables. " let's start with Nate..."

Avril sighed. She really didn't want to go back into the whole Nate thing again but she had to have the discussion with Sarah, because it was Avril's fault. She didn't tell Sarah when everything had happened, if she did they wouldn't have had to go through this again after almost a month.

Sarah was genuinely mortified at what he'd said to Avril. She even swore up and down that had she known he was such a scumbag she would never have allowed Avril to be friends with him. Avril smiled. It was just like Sarah to act overprotective, but it was Avril who had introduced him to Sarah and brought him into their friendship so if anyone was blinded or fooled it was Avril. All Sarah was guilty of was trusting Avril's judgment.

Then Sarah turned to the topic of Thomas and Avril desperately wanted this topic to be over. She was questioned about how long had it been and what fueled the attraction... questions that Avril didn't have the answer to.

"Hey, let's not make a big deal out of that. I have had enough of unrequited crushes." Avril had held Sarah's hands in hers as a signal for her to stop what she was saying. Sarah respected Avril's decision to table the discussions around Thomas, spending the rest of the day worry about assignments and courses.

She stayed after hours to use the university library and headed home in time for dinner. As Avril strolled up the walkway she felt a bit relieved. The weight she had been carrying around had floated off. She can finally put Nate behind her, she had no more reason to think or talk about him.

As soon as she entered, Trish shuffled her off to a seat at the dinner table.

"What's wrong?" Avril looked up from her plate to find Trish staring at her.

"Nothing." Avril smiled her most convincing smile. If she had to choose something, it was that her next assignment was due next week and she had no idea what she was going to do with it and on top of that she didn't want to see books for a couple of days. But it didn't matter that she felt drained and tired, things had to be done, she had her responsibilities...not to mention her parents would kill her if she slacked off.

"You're picking at your food depressingly." Trish acknowledged with a smile.

"Oh..." Avril placed her fork down. " I am just stressed with school a bit. Nothing a full night of sleep can't cure." She reassured Trish.

"Well, if you need anything..." Trish didn't need to finish the sentence for Avril to know what she meant.

They finished off diner and Avril helped Trish clean up and then went to bed.

Avril rolled off her bed and onto the floor with a thud, immediately blinking awake to hear the reason for her unrest. Someone was banging on her door.

She called out for them to enter since her legs were still very much asleep. Trish opened the door.

"Oh, hunny are you okay?" Trish immediately helped her up on her bed.

"I am. What's wrong?" Avril questioned.

"My sister is having her baby, I have to leave to go to the hospital," Trish explained.

"Oh my God! That's amazing!" Avril exclaimed. Her mood-brightening.

Trish smiled brilliantly. "Will you be alright alone?"

"Yes! Go!!!" Avril was excited.

After Trish left, Avril checked the time. It was after ten. She had been asleep for over two hours and she felt as if she only had a ten-minute nap.

She laid down on her bed, covered up, then she kicked it off and sat up in bed. She decided to make a snack.

********

Thomas rushed home. The pain in his arm and his stomach keeping him awake. When he pulled up in the driveway, he took his phone and dialed for Trish.

"Thomas?"

"I need your help. I have a dislocated shoulder and a gunshot in my abdomen." His voice raspy between breaths.

"Oh, dear! Okay, I'm about 20 minutes away, I am gonna turn around and come back home." Trish sounded concerned.

"Thank you." He dropped the phone on the floor of his car. He pushed the door open and limped to the front door while keeping pressure on his wound. It didn't stop blood from oozing out between his fingers.

It had been a while since he had been this injured. He drudged his way into the kitchen.

As he turned the light switch, Avril had just made her way down. She stared at him blindly for a second and then her face contorted and she rushed over to him.

"What happened?" She questioned, turning around to grab the house line. "I am gonna call..."

Thomas grabbed the phone from her trembling arms and placed it down, shaking his head.

" You can't call anyone. I have got this covered. Trish is twenty minutes away." he gasped.

"Twenty minutes!" Avril's voice cracked. Her eyes trained on the blood covering him from head to toe. His face bruised and his white shirt soaked all the way through. She didn't know what to do and feeling more and more anxious by the second.

"What can I do to help?" She asked desperately.

Thomas seemed to think about it for a second. " there is something..." He groaned and she trembled by the sound.

"My room." he nodded slightly. Avril stuttered, she moved forward, leaning his body on her's for support. She helped him up the stairs and his the room. The blood soaking his shirt transferring onto her. Tiny beads of sweat forming on her forehead and neck.

She helped him lay down on his bed.

"Open the first draw on the right..uhh...there is a first aid kit." He directed. His breathing labored and his pain spiking.

Avril did as she was told...her entire body shaking.

"There are scissors in there, I need you to cut the shirt off." he clenched his teeth to dull some of the pain.

"Okay," she rummaged through the kit and hesitated when she pulled out the scissors.

"This is the easiest part, Avril." He goaded, forcing a sly smile and immediately regretting it.

She nodded as she started cutting the damp crimson fabric. The cut jagged from the shaking in her hands. When she was done she helped him pull it off. He placed his arm back on the wound to add pressure.

"Bullet didn't hit any major organs, it missed my liver and stomach so don't worry... You just have to remove it." He tried to calm her.

"How are you so sure?" Her eyes two large blank orbs.

"You learn to tell after a while," he responded with a small laugh.

Avril wanted to question that statement but thought better of it. Now wasn't the time.

"There should be a small bottle of whisky in there." He directed. She fished it out, he grabbed hold of it and swung his head back as he took a long gulp.

Avril looked on in surprise.

"Okay, I am going to walk you through this." He rasped.

Avril stayed quiet. She needed to focus, to erase any unnecessary sound but the disorienting gushing in her ears was making it hard to concentrate.

"Apply pressure to the wound. It should minimize the bleeding."

Avril placed the palm of her hand firmly over the wound, slightly cringing by Thomas's recoil.

"Okay good. Now I need you to clean the area, with alcohol." he handed her the bottle of whisky

She saw him flinch as the alcohol drowned the break in his skin. He grabbed hold of the bottle from her hands and took another swing of the whisky.

"Take the scalpel." He directed after swallowing.

Before Avril took it up. She stared at the scalpel and then at Thomas.

"Do we really need a scalpel?" She asked hopefully.

"You can't get the bullet... There is some skin blocking it. You need to cut the skin to move the tissue covering the bullet."

Avril began to stutter.

"I will show you where." He encouraged. "It's just a small incision."

Avril sucked up her fear and moved toward the area he pointed to.

"You need to keep your eyes open for this." He advised.

Her eyes flew open and she gave an apologetic smile. "Right."

After the incision was made, he handed her tweezers to dig out the bullet.

He held her arm before she tried. "When the bullet comes out, be prepared for the wound to start up bleeding again. You will need to add pressure again."

"Okay." She replied.

It took her a few seconds to firmly grip and pulled the bullet out. Just as Thomas said, blood starts flowing again. She applied pressure immediately. He handed her alcohol to clean the wound again.

He fished out the suturing kit and handed it to her, coaching her on how to stitch up the wound. She then treated it with flavine, covered the wound with gauze, and applied a pressure bandage to it.

When she was done she took some warm water and a washcloth and cleaned up his face. She looked at the wound she bandaged and couldn't believe that she had done that.

Then his door flew open and Trish rushed in. She seemed slightly taken aback at Avril's presence. Before she could say anything Thomas called her over to yank his dislocated shoulder back into place.

He laid into his bed and dozed off. Avril and Trish exited.

"Did your sister have the baby yet?" Avril questioned.

"Not yet. Her contractions are not as far along as necessary." Trish explained.

"You can still go if you want." Avril saw the turmoil in her.

"I can't leave Thomas."

"I will stay with him...I will call if anything happens." Avril offered.

"Are you certain dear? You have class tomorrow."

"I can get the recording and tomorrow is my lightest day." Avril persuaded.

Trish smiled. "Thank you so much, dear. I should be back by tomorrow evening."

Avril walked back into Thomas' room. She then realized that she was in Thomas' room and she suddenly felt really aware of where she was. She sat next to his bed and patted his forehead with the warm cloth.

She saw his eyes open, her hand hovered over his forehead as she stared at her. He sat up in bed, groaning as he moved.

"Thank you, Avril." His voice was soft. His hands coming to cup her face.

Her eyes widened but her body eased into his touch.

"I am sorry, I can't hold back for much longer."

"What?"

Before any more words passed between them, his lips were pressed against hers.