Staredown

[Courtography]

(Keith Bauer continued from Late to the Party)

It hadn't been very far, but Keith felt like he'd run three miles in the Arizona heat. He was panting while lying on the floor and the blood was everywhere. He inhaled. Then exhaled. He needed to do something about the wound before it killed him. His bag was on his back. He'd have to turn over to get it.

He rolled partway once, groaning in pain. It felt like he was being stabbed in the guts. His head was spinning. He blinked his eyes. They felt so heavy. He didn't want to move at all. He grunted and pulled the backpack off. There was a first-aid kit inside right? He hadn't used anything from it his whole time on the island, but hopefully it had something. His fingers ran over the bag next to him, leaving red fingerprints. When had he touched the wound?

It was sickening. He felt burning in his throat and then it was dark.

~

His eyes blinked open lazily. There was a red fingerprint on his glasses lenses. When had he fallen asleep? The floor was hard. He sat up, and that's when the burning pain started again, and it all came back. Emma has slashed him and he was trying to live. Had he fixed his wound? He pulled his ripped shirt over. A couple flies buzzed off into the air. He looked down at the wound. Through the red stain there was what looked like a reddish-brown tube.

He wasn't supposed to see that. He needed to fix that.

He inhaled quickly once.

The fingers on his right hand twitched at his side.

He looked up. He wasn't supposed to see his insides like that.

His upper lip twitched.

He needed to fix himself.

He didn't move.

He stared off into the distance for awhile. He wasn't aware of when he stopped.

B028: BAUER, KEITH: DECEASED