Chapter 111: The Aftermath

Chapter 111: The Aftermath
Stacy grabbed the first-aid kit and pushed him onto a chair. Chad was quiet as he observed her carefully. “This will sting a bit,” she said with a flat tone as she reached for the wound. Chad gave no response. He simply watched as she got the bullet out of his arm. The only indication of the pain he felt was the beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Her actions were skilled and precise, as if she’s done it a thousand times before.
“Are you sure you lost your memories?” Chad asked when she’s done handling his wound. “Are you doubting me?” Her tone betrayed nothing. Chad chuckled. “You navigated this whole situation so well, I thought you’ve regained your memories.”
“I don’t remember. My body does. My muscles reacted,” she said. “Fair enough,” he smirked, “seems like you are naturally a torturer. I have to keep in mind to not get on your bad side in the future.” Stacy smiled as she tugged on the edge of the bandage. “Are you afraid of me?” Chad reached up to cup her face. “I’m afraid you will be unhappy.” That made her chuckle. “Smart mouth.”
Will limped in the room and froze immediately. He was shirtless, showing off abs and countless battle wounds. His shirt was pressed to his side, on the wound that seemed to have opened up again. He recovered quickly, clearing his throat while pointing at the kit. “I’m here for that,” he said, careful to avoid any eye contact.
Injured men piled in behind Will. “Nelly’s not here,” someone said, sounding surprisingly disappointed. His announcement got more men behind him to fuss.
“Handle your own wound, man,” Chad said as he stood from the chair. “It’s painful,” someone sighed. “Having Nelly here won’t make it less painful,” Stacy chuckled as she watched their disappointed faces, “the first aid is over there.” She nodded her head in the direction. The men piled into the room.
Chad smiled at Stacy. “I’ll go make sure the loose ends are tied up.” She nodded.
The man with the most comments was standing nearby. He rolled his sleeves up to reveal a superficial cut. “You really need Nelly for that. The wound will close up if you come a minute later,” Chad teased. “Yeah, like there’s no pretty girl to handle your wound,” someone else shot back.
Chad chuckled. His eyes softened when they fell on Stacy. “Go,” she urged and he walked out the room. Will watched quietly from the side as he handled his wound.
“Do you need help?” She reached for him. Will held his hand forward to stop her. “It’s okay. Don’t want to risk Chad getting jealous.”
She snatched the bandage from his hand. “Like what Nelly said, in the eyes of a doctor, there’s no gender differences.” Despite his protests, she helped him with his wound. Someone sneered, “but you are no doctor.”
“Yeah, I’m not. But I’m not treating you,” she shot back effectively. The man’s face turned red and he jerked up reflectively. A few men at his sides calmed him down and pushed him back to the chair. “Remember what happened to Matt?” Someone reminded him. He simply glared and went back to treating his wound.
Stacy remained unaffected and continued her work on the wound.
The room remained uneventful for a while. Suddenly, everyone stopped talking. The room was so quiet, one could hear a pin drop. Stacy raised her head curiously.
Everyone’s eyes were at the door. Nelly stood at the entrance, looking like her soul left her body. Her usually neat hair was sticking out. The bags under her eyes made her look a few years older. There was blood on her hands. Nobody made a sound.
“Did you kill someone?” Someone mindlessly tried to be funny. A few of his friends chuckled. Nelly didn’t react. She simply looked around the room, scanning the men with her eyes. She drifted into the room. Men parted as she walked past them.
She reached the cabinet and took a few things before turning around to leave.
“Is Neil and Jack alright?” Stacy asked. Nelly stopped but didn’t turn around. “Yes,” she said before leaving the room.
Men were confused. “What’s wrong with her?” “Was she possessed?” “You are possessed.” The atmosphere was back to normal, as if nothing happened that afternoon. Men were joking as they tended to their own wounds, as if the huge disaster was a norm. Right. When things as such happen so often, it would be tiring to be mourning all the time. Even when some were joking, sadness was hidden in the depth of their eyes, buried deep in their heart.
“Done,” Stacy patted the bandage, “take care.” Not waiting for Will’s response, she grabbed a few things and rushed out of the room.
Nelly was squatting at the side, checking on an unconscious man. She took a black tag and strapped it around his wrist. ‘Deceased.’
Immediately, she moved on to the next person. He was lying on the floor, unmoving. She saw a knife lodged in his body. Carefully, she checked the wound. “Ugh,” he groaned and grabbed Nelly’s hand in a reflex. Her eyes widened in shock.
“Don’t move,” she said, “let me take a look. I can treat it.” The man wasn’t taking it. His grip on her wrist tightened, causing her to wince in pain. “You have to treat that,” she said through her teeth as tears rolled down her cheek. She tried to pry his hand open to free her wrist but his grip only tightened.
Stacy rushed out in time to see it. She ran over and squatted down beside them. “I won’t harm you,” she was still trying to calm him down. Blood oozed out of his wound. There was a killing intent in his eyes. “Liar,” he hissed as his other hand shot out to her throat before his whole body limped on the floor.
Nelly’s eyes widened as she turned to see Stacy hitting the man on his neck. She was still too shocked to react. “You can handle him now. I’ll look around,” Stacy said as she moved away. Nelly’s eyes followed her as she moved down the corridor.
She turned suddenly, causing Nelly to jump and pulled back a little. There was fear in her eyes. Stacy forced a smile. The sight was like a literal blade slicing at her heart.
“Scream if you need help,” she said, “I’ll be nearby.”