Chapter 17: Operation

When they were about to reach the doorway of the hotel, Seiya and some people suddenly heard a phone like bomb sound. He shouted at the people near the doorway.

"STOP! THE GATE *BOOOOM!*"

He was interrupted as the bomb on top of the doorway exploded and ceiling debris block the entrance, there were some unlucky people who were crushed into meat paste which made Yukiko cover Shinichi's eyes as she said in a panic tone.

"Shinichi! Don't look."

Shinichi trembled as this was the first time he countered such incident, Seiya puts the empty plate as he used the water in the glass cup to clean his hands. He then grabs the collar of a stunned staff and ask.

"Is there any exit inside the building rather than the entrance?!"

"Yes, the kitchen of the buffet should have a way out!!"

Yukiko carried Shinichi onto her arms while Yusaku held Yukiko tightly, who knew that Seiya would just take out a peanut butter and jelly sandwich from his handbag in which he secretly hid after making them in the buffet and start eating again. Mary who injured was also in the survivor group saw this action which made her speechless, she couldn't help but think.

'This glutton...'

"Alright, lets go!"

Even the remaining survivors couldn't help but look at him funny, his serious expression while eating a fudging peanut butter and jelly sandwich even though their lives could be in danger at anytime. But seeing that someone was willing to take the lead, they felt a little bit better and safe as they followed the staff. Seiya at this moment, took another sandwich but it was bacon and eggs. He offered it to Mary who was beside him as he ask.

"Want some?"

"No."

"I see.."

So he took it back and ask little shinichi who was behind him if he wanted, in which the little boy's stomach growled so Seiya gave him the bacon and egg sandwich before taking out another one. Yusaku couldn't help but ask.

"Don't tell me that there is still sandwiches in that bag?"

"There are, I have at least 3 more for emergency while also a medical kit. Speaking of which you are injured, do you need medical aid? I'm a professional doctor."

"No, I'm go*ugh*"

Mary couldn't help but held her bleeding arm, she got shot by gin twice. One was from yesterday, it was graze on the shoulder and today a bullet got stuck inside her arm. Seiya couldn't help but finish the bacon and egg sandwich in one second and support Mary in which she was going to push Seiya away but the little sweat smell that came from Seiya was smelled by Mary's nose, as her body stops and became more cooperative. Mary's mind was like.

'How could I be cooperative? Wait What am I thinking?'

Seiya didn't know the inner conflict of Mary as he tried to check the bleeding, he could feel that the bullet was stuck in the deltoid muscle in which was a serious problem if he could not take it off after 5 hours so he took his handkerchief and ask Mary to put pressure on the wound as he will personally do the operation to take the bullet out when they reach the hospital. Mary who could feel the sting of the bullet inside her muscle just nodded. It was a few minutes later when they were about to reach the kitchen exit way, suddenly.

'BOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOM! BOOOOOM!'

The staff and some people in front of them were smashed to death, the surviving girls screamed as they fell down. The remaining survivors except Seiya, Yusaku and Mary couldn't help but feel that they are going to die here. Seiya spoke in a solemn tone.

"Calm Down! It is not yet the end of the world! remember we can go to the second floor parking lot, they have an open window there."

Hearing Seiya's reasonable statement, their despaired eyes suddenly gain a little bit of hope. Seiya held Mary's shoulder tightly without noticing her reddish face, she was sniffing down his smell as they got closer in the dark. The lights has already turned off at the time when the kitchen's ceilling fell down. So Seiya took out 2 of his emergency flashlights and gave one to Yusaku as he said.

"Follow me, I know the way to the 2nd floor parking lot."

Mary's thoughts were conflicted.

'What are you doing Mary?! You have 3 children and a husband! Get yourself together.'

"I can move on my own."

Mary spoke in a whisper voice without knowing that she was feeling a little bit loss. Seiya nodded as he carefully let her go while he moved forward. She thinks that she is crazy as she felt weird for being comfortable just by being with this strange boy, she didn't know what was wrong with her today. They used the exit staircase to go up the second floor where they could see their window of opportunity to escape. Seiya moved faster as he checks the safest area for them to land, he waive his hand as the firefighter who were near outside noticed them. One of the firefighter shouted.

"LOOK! SURVIVORS! HANG ON WE'RE BRINGING A LADDER!!"

The survivors were relieved as it took a few minutes before they could arrange a ladder and a inflatable slide for them. Yukiko holding little shinichi slide down first then the other females next is Mary before Seiya then Yusaku and then the other remaining survivors. Seiya immediately help Mary get on a ambulance as he showed his Medical Licenses I.D. which allows him to do an emergency operation, when they were inside the ambulance he said as he held an anesthetic liquid that he keeps in his medical kit.

"Pardon me, this simple operation will sting for a while."

Mary nodded as she closed her eyes when Seiya began her bullet removal operation, he used cotton to spread the anesthetic liquid onto the skin then waited for a few seconds before using a scalpel to widen the bullet hole a little bit, He then grabs a surgical tong as he saw the back of the bullet. He looks at Mary who was gritting her teeth before saying.

"I'm going to start removing the bullet, bear with it."

"I Se*uuggh*"

She couldn't help but groan as Seiya straightforwardly took out the bullet then instantly began suturing the bullet hole which took 30 seconds, he then applied betadine onto the graze wound and said with a smile.

"The bullet operation is finish, the wound will heal after a month or so. Do you want me to prescribe you some pain killer ointments?"

"No need, am I allowed to walk now?"

"Yes, you can."

"Thank you."

Mary thanked Seiya before walking away from the scene, Seiya couldn't help but feel relieved that he didn't leave his passport and other important stuff in his luggage but in his handbag. He then grabs his handbag and opened it to grab a bottle of water, he poured it into his hand as he went out the ambulance. After drying his hand with his second handkerchief. He grabs a patty sandwich from his handbag and ate it, Yusaku who was walking towards him and was about say thank you to Seiya felt speechless as ask.

"Your still hungry?"

"I just operated a bullet removal operation, of course I be hungry."

"Anyway, Thank you Seiya-kun for saving us."

"Your welcome. *Munch!*"

"What's your plan now?"

"Still on a road trip, it just sad that some book I borrowed and clothes are probably hard to recover. Luckily I kept all the important things in my handbag. How about you guys?"

"We were planning to go to Hawaii but we will be delayed for a week I guess. *rubbing his head*"

"I see, anyway I will go now since Time doesn't wait for no one. I hope to see you again Mr. Kudo."

"I hope to see you again Seiya-kun."

They shake hands before Seiya left and went to the road and waive his hand to the nearest taxi, his next plan was to find another hotel that is close to a baseball game. He never tried going to a game before so he wants to see if it is interesting as his classmate said before.