A Bit of Both
...
...
...
Alexander forced open his eyes... he wasn't going to let himself faint just yet...
If he did so right now, he knew it would mean his death... His second chance cut short by bleeding out in the middle of who-knows-where...
"C'mon!" -He bellowed as a way to tap into every reserve of strength left in his mangled body...
After a few moments passed, he managed to come around, barely get up to his knees, and eventually stand up using a nearby tree as support.
Purple lips... His extremities trembling from exhaustion and being drenched in the cold water of the river... Completely pale from blood loss...
Alexander was barely keeping together at the seams.
Consequently, in an endeavor that would've finished off most other men, he went on to treat his wounds as best he could...
...
...
A few seconds after getting up, pronounced dizziness began to overcome Alexander.
The adrenaline and dopamine from the fight had already diluted and returned to standard levels...
Combined with the pain from his multiple wounds, and the critical amount of blood that had gushed out of them, was enough to make Alexander grit his teeth with all his might...
He was one shrimp hair away from dying right then and there...
Cursing both the Gods and his dumb luck, was somehow keeping him distracted from the torture that was breathing out without spilling out his breakfast (metaphorically, since he hasn't had a bite since coming to this world).
...
...
Without any other alternative, Alexander cut the upper piece of his ragged tunic and put it to the side. He would need it later.
Then he took off his leather belt and put it around his right shoulder, acting as a tourniquet. He adjusted it so that it didn't cover any open wound and to the necessary pressure as well.
The hemorrhage appeared to have been stabilized a bit and was starting to make Alexander feel a little more optimistic about his chances of survival.
But it was still a long way from stopping completely...
Later came the worst part... Although he had done this several other times... It was never with such a deep wound such as the one on his shoulder... or with as many different injuries all over his body...
He wasn't sure if he could pull it off and not die in the process... but it was a chance he was going to take.
He had to.
His main concern wasn't suturing his wounds since he couldn't do it without thread and needle. Disinfecting was simply out of the question at the moment.
The only thing he could try right now, was cauterizing...
...
...
In what could've been considered his 13th labor had his name been Heracles, he picked some dry branches from the edge of the forest, still trying his best not to die.
Thereupon he proceeded to craft a rudimentary campfire (in other words, he just threw the branches on the ground and put them together in a pile).
Afterward using two of the smallest branches to create enough friction, he initiated a fire, kindling up the campfire after a couple of minutes.
He then took the dagger out of its sheath and put it on the fire.
...
...
It took around 8 minutes of waiting, that to Alexander seemed to be an eternity, but now it finally seemed like it was ready to go.
A little hotter and his body wouldn't be able to take it, so he decided to play it carefully.
He didn't want to worry about 2nd-degree burns on top of the bruises, cuts, grazes, and at least two fractures; that already afflicted him...
...
...
He slowly sat on the less pointy rock closest to his campfire and prepared for what was to come...
Using his dagger... and suffering an immense amount of pain (the greatest he had felt so far...) Alexander started cauterizing every one of his bleeding wounds, except for the smaller ones.
He left the one on the shoulder for last. He knew it would be... the hardest one... To say the least...
...
...
...
"AAAAAAGGGHH!!!!!"
"F*******CCK!!!!"
At this point, Alexander couldn't care less if another beast came looking for the source of the screams, or if it smelled his blood, etc...
He was hurting like hell and he could die at any moment. 'To hell with little details like that' -He thought.
He even managed to see the positive side of things: the ravaging pain of burning his flesh kept him somewhat awake...
...
...
The pained cries continued for around 15 minutes...
He was finally down to the last one... The cut that those blade-like claws gave him...
"This is..."
...
"IIIIIIITTTTT...!!!"
"aaaAAAGG!!!!"
He wanted to surprise himself by cauterizing as he was about to complain once more...
But as it turns out, it didn't work out very well...
Then, he used the piece of cloth he had previously cut from his tunic and secured it along his shoulder using his belt. The burn wasn't so bad, so the risk of the makeshift bandage sticking to his flesh wasn't high.
...
...
Alexander's mind was now on the verge of breaking for good... Taken to the maximum limit...
His body? Well... no need to elaborate further, is there?
But... No matter how difficult or painful...
He had done it.
It what could very well be called his greatest feat ever. Conquest of Persia and all. This was -in his mind- the peak of his achievements...
Because of how dire his overall situation was, and how desperate his measures were...
And yet, he had done it...
...
...
Shortly after the slight feel of accomplishment, Alexander was once more having a bath of reality.
Facing certain death for the 4th or 5th time in less than 2 hours since waking up in those beautiful green fields...
'How was I to know...?! That the peace and tranquility I felt back then would be swiftly replaced by the feeling of my insides wanting to come out of every pore of my skin...?'
'Even after I had finally killed that demon...'
...
'Ha!'
'Am I that lucky, or am I that unlucky...?'
'Maybe a bit of both...'
...
...
At this point, going over that kind of irony was his only lifeline. It was his will that was keeping his body together... And it helped him to not lose it.
He was trying his best not to fall on his face against the ground filled with traces of blood; while at the same time trying not to vomit, as it would hurt too much...
But then... he heard something in the distance... it was... a voice...??!!
["Over there, Uncle! I think those screams came from over there!]
Normally he would be alarmed at such exclamation... It would probably mean a potential enemy had found him in his worst possible state...
However, this voice put him at ease... A voice that belonged to a woman...
No... it was more like a teen...
And it sounded sweet, despite it being a loud exclamation...
He somehow felt relieved...
Who was this...? Was she here to help...?
...
...
Just as these thoughts crossed the mind of Mighty Alexander... His consciousness couldn't hold out any longer.
One instant, he was trying to get up to reach the voice... The next, he was already floating in the river that was a mere 3 meters away from the campfire.
He had ultimately collapsed in the spot, falling into the dangerous waters...
That river wasn't done with him yet...
...
...
...