*Trigger warning for blood and gore in this chapter*
(Drip, Drip, Drip)
"Ohh..." I groaned as I sat up. My head and face ached. I could hear water dripping from somewhere. I glanced around and noticed I was in a dark and musty place.
"Hazel? Are you okay?" Croy's voice filled me with relief.
"Yeah, I'm fine, where are you?" I asked anxiously. It was hard to see.
"Behind you." He wheezed. I turned around and sure enough, managed to pinpoint the mound of golden hair on his head. Quickly, I crawled towards him. When I reached him, I noticed that he was clutching his stomach.
"Are you okay?" I asked warily. His complexion was pasty and sweaty. He shook his head before glancing down. I followed his gaze to his stomach; my heart sank to my knees when I noticed the dark liquid oozing out from between his fingers.
"Croy you're hurt!" I gasped in horror. "Tell me how I can help!" I begged, my eyes watering.
"Your bag." He began in a ragged voice as he motioned behind me. I got up and retrieved it.
"I've got it."
"Do you still have the first aid kit they gave us during this week's health seminar?" He asked through clenched teeth.
"Yes, I still have it!" I exclaimed as I opened the bag and pulled out the red pack.
"Okay, I'm going to need your help with something important." He wheezed again.
"Anything, what do you need me to do?" I asked, my heart pounding in my chest.
"I need you...to help me take my shirt off..." He trailed off before tensing again.
"Okay, lift your arms." I instructed. Croy clenched his eyes shut and lifted his arms above his head for a second. Hastily, I yanked the black t-shirt over his head.
"Aggh!" He groaned as he covered his cut again. Blood continued to ooze out of it. My stomach churned at the sight of so much blood. "Hazel, concentrate. " His agonized voice pulled me back.
"I'm okay, what do you need me to do next?" He motioned towards the opened kit.
"You see that saline solution?" I nodded as I picked up the bottle. "I need you to pour some on my cut. After that, I want you to take that needle and thread, and stitch me back up." Another wave of pain caused him to wince.
"What!? Croy, I don't know how to do that! What if I do it wrong and I hurt you?" I asked anxiously.
"Read the instructions on the needle packets. It'll tell you how to thread them." He huffed; his features contorted with pain.
"You need a doctor! Why don't we call for help?" He shook his head.
"No one is coming for us. This is the only way. I think it's just a flesh wound; I should be fine after you stitch me up." He hissed.
"But I-"
"Stop it! Can you for once, just do what I'm asking!? Do you want me to bleed out!?" He asked, more aggravated than before.
"No, I don't want anything bad to happen to you." I mumbled as I picked up the needle and thread. It took me a few tries, but eventually I managed to thread it correctly. Once everything was prepared, I handed Croy his T-shirt. He rolled it up like a burrito and placed it in his mouth.
"Ready?" I asked anxiously. He gave me a quick nod and bit into the shirt as he took his hand off the cut. My gag reflex nearly made me sick when I laid eyes on the gaping, five inch slit he had on his side. Once I regained my composure, I poured the solution over his wound. He flinched a little.
"Okay, I'm going to start suturing." I informed before taking in a deep breath. I fought my queasiness back as I pinched the skin and pierced it with the hook-like needle.
"Mmphh!!" His muffled cries made my heart cringe with every stitch. Towards the end, tears were pouring down his blood-stained cheeks. After an excruciating fifteen minutes, I finished. Croy let out a weak sigh as I stood up and wobbled away from him. I lost my composure and hurled near a corner. When I finished, I sauntered back to where he sat. My stomach relaxed when I saw he had covered his cut with a thick piece of gauze.
"Are you okay?" He asked, his voice a bit calmer now. I nodded wearily. "You look like a butcher." He informed as he pointed to my white shirt and hands. I glanced down and noticed he was right. I had blood all over my clothes. My stomach turned again. "Wait here." He instructed as he stood up carefully and made his way towards the opposite side of the dungeon.
I watched curiously as he removed what seemed to be a brick from the wall. He stuck his hand inside and took out two water bottles, two bags of chips and two clean, black shirts.
"Here, let me help you wash that off." He said after bringing all the supplies over to where we sat. I stood up wearily as he opened one of the bottles. I scrubbed my hands and arms as he poured water over them. When I was clean, I used the hand sanitizer from the kit. "I know this might be a little big on you, but at least it's clean..." He trailed off as he handed me one of the shirts.
"Thank you." I managed to say as he turned around. "What are you doing?" I asked as I observed him.
"Giving you privacy." He mumbled as he buried his face in the other shirt. Quickly, I slid out of the bloody garment and slipped into the clean one.
"I'm finished." I told him so he could open his eyes. "Are you okay?" I asked when I caught him staring. He cleared his throat loudly and turned back around.
"Yeah. My shirt, it looks good on you." He complimented causing heat to rise to my face. "So how about some lunch?" He changed the subject and sat down.
"Where did you get all this stuff?" I asked as I opened a bag of cool ranch chips.
"Believe it or not, I've been in here more times than I can count. So, I took it upon myself to build a stash, so I won't starve whenever I end up in here. " He said before popping a cheese chip in his mouth.
"Where are we?" I asked before taking a sip of water.
"This is what everybody calls the pit. It's a punishment dungeon for people who break rules and misbehave. It's usually a solitary type of punishment, but not exclusively solitary. It's actually under the warden's quarters." I nodded before glancing up at the ceiling.
"Does she know we're in here?" I asked. Croy shook his head.
"Probably not. The warden hardly ever involves herself in our punishments or squabbles. That's why she has the Sergeants, so they can do all the dirty work for her."
A comfortable silence settled between us as we ate our food. Once we finished, Croy folded the wrappers and shoved them in his pocket. He didn't want to leave any evidence. I picked up a sharp rock and began drawing on the concrete floor. I turned when Croy placed his hand on my shoulder.
"Hey, thank you by the way. If it hadn't been for you, I probably would have bled to death already." He said as he ran his fingers through his hair.
"Don't mention it. You would've done the same for me right?" He nodded. "Well there you go. Besides, you were the one who rescued me from Scaggot, so as far as I'm concerned, we're even."
"You're weird, you know that?" He began as he stared at his boots.
"How so?" I asked cautiously.
"Despite being absolutely helpless, you're still willing to put your life on the line for someone like me." I arched an eyebrow.
"Of course, you're an amazing person. It would be terrible if something bad happened to you." I blurted out. His eyes widened.
"You think I'm amazing? Why?" He asked incredulously.
"You're really smart and kindhearted. You always put others' well-being before your own. You're honest, and aren't afraid to call me on my shit." I glanced down when I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks. "You're also the most courageous person I've ever met." My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when I glanced up and noticed he was close to me.
"C-Croy what are youÂ-"
"Hold still." He interrupted as he leaned in. I closed my eyes anxiously, my face boiling as he rested his forehead on my shoulder. After a few seconds, I noticed Croy's body got heavier as he leaned on me.
"Croy, quit playing. You're heavy." I protested as I pulled away. It was when he slumped to the floor that I realized he had passed out.
"Croy? Croy!" I shouted as I shook him, but he didn't wake. His complexion was paper white and his breathing shallow. Hastily, I folded his dirty shirt into a square and placed it under his head. "Please be okay." I whispered as I folded my shirt as well and laid beside him on the cold concrete. I fell asleep that night, hoping and praying that he would be okay.
(A/n: I always get queasy writing this one. What did you guys think? Thank you all for reading and if you're liking the story so far, hit that star button! I love you guys!)