The Roman Project: The Wronged

Chapter 13

Londen clutched his bleeding leg, his hair covering his face as his arms trembled from the pain.

Jeen walked over with wobbly legs and a spinning head. Saule was leaned on the counter as if it was the only thing holding her up. On the floor behind her was Ona. Her face was streaked with tears as she whispered with a shaking voice, "ona's dead."

"She's dead." She kept saying it over and over.
"Hey, hey, hey." Roman said with a calming voice, trying to get Saule's attention away from her mother. "There's nothing we can do about it now. But there is something we can do for Londen to keep him alive." Roman tried to reason, his eyes pleading with Saule.
"Please."
She finally nodded after a couple more minutes.

Jeen fell into a crouch and immediately put her hands to the bullet hole that had blood pouring out of it.

Londen looked at her, his face contorted in agony.

"Roman, get me a towel. Get me anything." She ordered as her mind frantically formed a plan.

The bleeding was out of control, it was everywhere. It already covered Jeen's hands and her jeans as she tried to put pressure where the bullets had gone in. Londen made a sound that was a mix of words and a cry of pain, though Jeen was sure he said "I'm gonna kill him."
"Roman, hurry!" Jeen yelled into the kitchen, where Roman was running frantically around trying to find something that would put pressure on a bullet wound.
"Roll his pant leg up." Jeen told Saule.

She nodded jerkily and began rolling his pants up. Roman came running back, his slinkers squeaking on the white tiles.

He handed Jeen a white hand towel. She grabbed it and began wrapping it as tightly as possible around the wound.

"I need another one." Jeen said as she quickly analyzed how they were going to get out while keeping pressure on the wound. Roman got up and ran back to find another towel.
"Don't move, it's going to be okay." Jeen said as Londen began to become restless.
"Saule, keep him calm."

Saule nodded and took Londen's hand, keeping it from shaking. He calmed down some, his eyes blinking, as if he wasn't sure to close his eyes or not.

"How bad is it?" His shakily said. "I'm gonna kill him."

"Not too bad. You're gonna be okay. Who are you talking about?" Jeen asked.

"Sunny. He ratted us out. I should've known he'd find us out." He said, flinching midsentece. "Can I still walk?"He asked after a moment.
"Not at the moment, but soon. I think the bullet missed all your major arteries." She wasn't sure if that comforted him or not, but he nodded anyway.
Roman came back with three more rags.
"First help me with this." Jeen nodded her head towards Londen's leg. He came and squatted down beside her. "I need you to keep his leg elevated."
"Okay."
"Londen, this might hurt." Jeen said as she began to gently elevate his leg in the air, keeping it above his heart. Londen nodded shakily again, but seemed to handle it better than Jeen expected.
"Roman, hold his leg." Jeen said as she kept Londen's leg in the air, not letting go until Roman took her place. She grabbed one of the rags and began to wrap it over the bullet wound again. She wrapped the rag around two times before she pulled tightly and tied with as much pressure as she could.
"Keep his leg there." She told Roman as she got up, blood dripping down unto her shoes. She jogged over to the storeroom with the empty alcohol shelves. She looked around the room until she spotted a plastic fold up table leaning against the wall.
"Help me get him on here." Jeen said as she dragged the plastic table with it's legs folded up over. She slid the table on the floor right up next to Londen, then walked over to him and placed her hands under his arms.
"I think I can walk." Londen said, somehow smiling like he thought it was funny that Jeen suggested they carry him on a clunky table.
Jeen knew it wouldn't help his situation, but it would be faster than carrying him on a table. She looked at Roman, who shrugged.
"Only if you're sure you can." Jeen said uncertainly.