Charles Ordeal - Part 1

Running for my life and I have to be the one with the irritating task of dragging this lump of meat with me. I wonder how I got the short end of the stick.

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry for slowing you down." He said, as if his apology was going to speed up the process. The alien albeit far, was eventually going to catch up if we continued at this slow pace.

I cursed the stars and I cursed Franklin for being such a liability. This big hump was just slowing me down. I already had a low chance of survival but coupled with this half dead body, my chances were reduced drastically.

The thought of me leaving him for dead and escaping myself crossed my mind multiple times but I had to keep him alive. The trust that Mark and his friend had in me was little. Though they try to hide it, I know that they have their reservations about me.

Bringing Franklin back alive is a vital part in gaining even more of their trust. Pitiful as it may be, being together with Mark and the rest of them was my best chance of survival, currently.

We were close to a building and I pulled him up so he could walk into the house himself.

"Get up! There's a building there, let's get in." I said.

He groaned as I lifted him up and he groaned even more when he was up on his two feet. The glass shards that impaled his body probably sunk deeper into his body as he stood up but he had to endure it because I had no intention of helping him inside the house. I had already done enough just dragging him over to the doorstep.

He was in pain with every step he took and I almost actually felt for him, but there was no time for pity as every second we wasted outside, the alien inched closer to us.

We finally got inside the house and I locked the door. Franklin collapsed on the floor and I had the task of looking for supplies to at least keep him alive till we meet up with the others. That means I had to look for things to keep him alive for at least twelve hours! Quite an arduous task.

I ran to every room I could find and eventually I found a makeshift first aid kit in what looked like the parent's room. It had cotton bods, bandages, and a few other items. Methylated spirit however, was already finished.

I ran downstairs to the kitchen and opened the fridge. Luckily, they had some alcohol. Limited as I was, I had to make use of the little I had.

I left the kitchen after washing my hands and made my way to Franklin. I had to do this fast and it was going to be a very delicate operation.

Seeing as every glass shard I took out of his body was going to be excruciatingly painful for him and release a lot of blood, I had to be swift in my operation.

I took out one of the shards and he let out a pained grunt. Blood gushed out from the wound and I drowned the cotton bod in alcohol, I pressed against his wound with the cotton bod and he let out a scream that cut through my ear drums.

"Shhhh. Control yourself, you're a doctor." I said.

He nodded in agreement, his eyes turning red from the pain as he held back his tears. This was truly painful for him but if he was going to survive, he needed to keep calm.

I pulled out the other shards and he held in his pain. He couldn't however, hold in his tears. I carefully operated on my fellow doctor and slowly but surely, all the shards were out. At least all the ones I could identify. If any of them had reached his organs which they most definitely would have, there was nothing I could do to help as I didn't have the adequate tools.

I did, however, stop the bleeding and buy him at least a day more. If he could get medical attention in a good enough hospital, he would survive.

It was a grueling process, for Franklin. The glass shards slowly coming out from inside his body with blood following closely behind.

The glass cutting inside him as it came out and the alcohol pressed upon his wounds. Alcohol coursing through his injuries and his nerves sending signals to his brain to inform him of the agonizing pain he was being put through.

To do this properly, I needed anesthetic and pain killers, but I had none of that so he had to feel every grueling moment. It would have been like hell for him but I couldn't really say I cared too much.

I thought about how I just spent my time. The precious time I could have used to get even farther away from the monster approaching us, I spent aiding a dead man back to life. It was my job however, but in times like these, if I spend my time saving the lives of others, I might not have enough time to save my own.

It would be foolish of me to prioritize the life of another person over my own. In a hospital, it is a controlled environment, the doctor holds all the power and he really doesn't have to face any life threatening consequences, which is why we can go around spouting all that self-righteous crap.

But in a situation like this, I can bet you most of them are looking out for themselves. If they can help a few people here and there, they will. But if these things show themselves in the process of them helping someone, I can guarantee you that doctor will turn tail and run for his life.

It's like this, if I can stay alive, I can help more people down the line when things eventually go back to normal. But if I allow myself to foolishly die, I waste the skills I have spent years perfecting and I can't help anyone. My self-preservation is paramount.

I have to keep Franklin alive because he's my ticket to the trust of Mark Alexander. I'm sure he put me with Franklin to test me. He's probably banking on me not showing up with Franklin to prove his suspicions but I'm not going to give him that satisfaction.

I honestly don't care about Franklin all that much, but I will reluctantly do my best to keep him alive. He is my chess piece, my pawn to be precise, and if I keep him alive long enough, he might just end up becoming a queen.