"Ah... oh god... uh..."
Penelope stammered as she tried to come up with the basic first aid knowledge she knew, keeping her eyes shut and facing away from her wounded leg. They needed access to a first aid kit, and quickly. Wrenching her arm around, she freed the straps of her bag and pushed it away from herself, towards Raina.
"Get out... get out as many bandages as possible." She said, her voice pained, hisses of agony escaping her lips every few seconds. "We... tsk... we need to stop the bleeding. Take those bandages and... pressure the wound, as hard as you can. You gotta... you gotta... c-cut off the blood flow."
She stopped hyperventilating, instead trying to take deeper, shallower breaths to stave off the black tendrils of panic that were wrapping themselves around her psyche. She could feel how much blood she was losing, and notions of her own demise were quickly rising to the top of her ocean of thought. What if this was it? What if her life was about to end, right here and now?
Fear and pain turned her crying into violent sobbing as she tried to process the thought, tried to make sense of the idea of suddenly ceasing to exist.
She rejected the thought. No, she couldn't die here. She existed, she was important. A beautiful little light in the cold, unforgiving void that was the universe. She may be only one of many, many lights, but every light was special, every light deserved to have its story told and its life to mean something in the end. She couldn't die just because a girl decided to stab her in the leg for seemingly no reason. If she died, there needed to be a point to it. She needed to die standing up for her morals, showing the terrorists that they couldn't control them. She couldn't die like this.
Her sobs combined themselves with pained grunts, slowing her speech down significantly as every word came out forcefully, between involuntary vocalizations. "Raina... please... hurry... I don't... I don't want to die like this."
Anemia
Noun. A condition marked by a deficiency of red blood cells in the blood, resulting in pallor and weariness.
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VoltTurtle
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"You're not going to die!" Raina's head snapped back up from bending over the open first-aid kit to look at Penelope again. "You're not going to die, okay? You're going to be fine." Her voice shook, but she had to believe her own words. She had to make it true.
Bandages, gauze, pressure. Raina did as she was told and grimaced when she felt Penelope's blood seeping through the gauze onto her fingers. She kept pressing.
"B-breathe, okay? Deep breaths. It'll be okay."
It'll be okay, she repeated to herself as the blood kept soaking through. She didn't feel like she was doing any good.
It'll be okay.
Bandages, gauze, pressure. Raina did as she was told and grimaced when she felt Penelope's blood seeping through the gauze onto her fingers. She kept pressing.
"B-breathe, okay? Deep breaths. It'll be okay."
It'll be okay, she repeated to herself as the blood kept soaking through. She didn't feel like she was doing any good.
It'll be okay.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
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VoltTurtle
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"Okay. I... I trust you."
Penelope kept her eyes closed. laborious breaths being forced in and out of her lungs. The pressure Raina was applying to her leg hurt, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the pain from the wound itself, and any pressure needed to help close a wound would probably hurt for a little while. She was in good hands, hands she could trust with her life.
She racked her brain for more instructions on how to deal with a deep cut, how to keep the blood loss to a minimum. Thoughts of her own death briefly came back, only to be pushed away. She needed to focus on how to live, not what dying would be like. "O-okay... next," she began, "we need to raise my leg up, so it's above my heart. Make it harder for my... my blood to get to the injury. We just need something to put my leg up on..."
"Ah uh..." They were in a library, so certainly there would be chairs around to raise her leg up onto? There had to be, no good library wouldn't have a reading area. "J-Johnny, if you're there, go grab a chair or something and bring it here, please. R-Raina, you just... keep putting pressure on the wound. A-As hard as you can."
Penelope kept her eyes closed. laborious breaths being forced in and out of her lungs. The pressure Raina was applying to her leg hurt, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the pain from the wound itself, and any pressure needed to help close a wound would probably hurt for a little while. She was in good hands, hands she could trust with her life.
She racked her brain for more instructions on how to deal with a deep cut, how to keep the blood loss to a minimum. Thoughts of her own death briefly came back, only to be pushed away. She needed to focus on how to live, not what dying would be like. "O-okay... next," she began, "we need to raise my leg up, so it's above my heart. Make it harder for my... my blood to get to the injury. We just need something to put my leg up on..."
"Ah uh..." They were in a library, so certainly there would be chairs around to raise her leg up onto? There had to be, no good library wouldn't have a reading area. "J-Johnny, if you're there, go grab a chair or something and bring it here, please. R-Raina, you just... keep putting pressure on the wound. A-As hard as you can."
Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. Out of all the shit that was happening, had happened, was gonna happen and could happen this was probably the worst shit of them all.
Johnny froze still furthermore. There'd be too much in his brain for him to handle. Not much of input, but still so much to work on, and Johnny's little mind just couldn't handle it. There'd been two forces, pulling Johnny back and forward. One that made him want to rush and help and one that made him want to turn around and run away.
He'd not have thought of himself to become a coward in such a moment, but the sight - oh the sight it was just too much.
Even when Penny called him out, all Johnny could muster was a stammer and a second one, and only then did he take hold of himself and speeded to the nearest chair. It probably wasn't as heavy as it looked, but even then little Johnny could carry it with ease.
He placed it next to Penny, helpless as to what to do next. Helpless, and with desperation he looked at Raina.
Johnny froze still furthermore. There'd be too much in his brain for him to handle. Not much of input, but still so much to work on, and Johnny's little mind just couldn't handle it. There'd been two forces, pulling Johnny back and forward. One that made him want to rush and help and one that made him want to turn around and run away.
He'd not have thought of himself to become a coward in such a moment, but the sight - oh the sight it was just too much.
Even when Penny called him out, all Johnny could muster was a stammer and a second one, and only then did he take hold of himself and speeded to the nearest chair. It probably wasn't as heavy as it looked, but even then little Johnny could carry it with ease.
He placed it next to Penny, helpless as to what to do next. Helpless, and with desperation he looked at Raina.
Gervais Frans Lambotte 
Blue Jeans and Bloody Tears Martini-Henry Rifle MkIV Pattern
||Selection|Clicks|Lonely|
Blue Jeans and Bloody Tears Martini-Henry Rifle MkIV Pattern||Selection|Clicks|Lonely|
Raina did as she was told - yeah, she could take other people telling her what to do when in a serious situation, suck it, parents - but the bleeding wasn't stopping.
"I-it's slowing down," she said, voice uncertain. It was, wasn't it? It should stop soon. Everything would be fine.
Raina helped lift Penelope's foot onto the chair and resumed pressing down on the wound. Her fingertips were getting stained.
"I-it's slowing down," she said, voice uncertain. It was, wasn't it? It should stop soon. Everything would be fine.
Raina helped lift Penelope's foot onto the chair and resumed pressing down on the wound. Her fingertips were getting stained.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
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VoltTurtle
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Penelope's bleeding was slowing down, that was great, she was happy.
The only problem was, she knew that it wasn't going to stop. The knife had almost certainly cut into the arteries in her leg. An injury like that would be lethal to her even if she was back home; she would probably only have a chance if she was already inside a hospital. Out here? There was nothing, only a first aid kit and a couple of scared teenagers. The first aid could help, but pressure alone wasn't going to stop the bleeding from an injury like that.
No matter what they did, Penelope was going to die.
She inhaled, her breath quivering, in an effort to calm herself down.
She wasn't going to lie to herself, she was terrified, knowing that her life was about to end. But this was okay, she had her friends. She could at least talk to them about other things and just not think about it, until she no longer had to worry about thinking about anything ever again. She knew that thinking about it any further would just result in her panicking, making her last moments of life even more unpleasant.
The only problem was that Raina hadn't realized that Penelope was going to die.
"Raina... I know you said that the bleeding was slowing down but... it isn't stopping, is it?" She said, her voice pained and weary. ""Raina... I-I know this is going to be hard for you to accept, god knows it's hard for me, but... I know where I was hit. I... I didn't want to acknowledge it at first but... but I probably only have ten minutes left, a-and that's only if you keep at it."
She sniffled.
"I'm sorry."
The only problem was, she knew that it wasn't going to stop. The knife had almost certainly cut into the arteries in her leg. An injury like that would be lethal to her even if she was back home; she would probably only have a chance if she was already inside a hospital. Out here? There was nothing, only a first aid kit and a couple of scared teenagers. The first aid could help, but pressure alone wasn't going to stop the bleeding from an injury like that.
No matter what they did, Penelope was going to die.
She inhaled, her breath quivering, in an effort to calm herself down.
She wasn't going to lie to herself, she was terrified, knowing that her life was about to end. But this was okay, she had her friends. She could at least talk to them about other things and just not think about it, until she no longer had to worry about thinking about anything ever again. She knew that thinking about it any further would just result in her panicking, making her last moments of life even more unpleasant.
The only problem was that Raina hadn't realized that Penelope was going to die.
"Raina... I know you said that the bleeding was slowing down but... it isn't stopping, is it?" She said, her voice pained and weary. ""Raina... I-I know this is going to be hard for you to accept, god knows it's hard for me, but... I know where I was hit. I... I didn't want to acknowledge it at first but... but I probably only have ten minutes left, a-and that's only if you keep at it."
She sniffled.
"I'm sorry."
"Shut up."
The words were out of Raina's mouth before she even considered them.
"It's slowing down, it'll stop soon. You're going to be fine." But Raina's throat was closing up and tears were still rolling down her cheeks even as she pressed harder.
"D-don't... don't talk nonsense, okay? It'll stop, we'll get some fluids in you, and you'll be okay. We still need you." Raina tried to smile and ended up with a grimace as she clenched her jaw so her lower lip wouldn't wobble so much.
"Johnny, hand me something to wrap this with."
The words were out of Raina's mouth before she even considered them.
"It's slowing down, it'll stop soon. You're going to be fine." But Raina's throat was closing up and tears were still rolling down her cheeks even as she pressed harder.
"D-don't... don't talk nonsense, okay? It'll stop, we'll get some fluids in you, and you'll be okay. We still need you." Raina tried to smile and ended up with a grimace as she clenched her jaw so her lower lip wouldn't wobble so much.
"Johnny, hand me something to wrap this with."
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
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VoltTurtle
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"Raina..."
Penelope gulped, not sure what to say. Raina was always fairly stubborn, especially when it came to accepting uncomfortable truths. She had to understand, though. Penelope didn't want to leave this world making everyone around her upset, if she was going to do anything with her last moments, it would be making sure that her death hurt as little as possible.
And if Raina couldn't accept that she was going to die, then it was going to hurt a whole lot more when she finally went silent.
"L-Look... that area with that stab wound? That's where my femoral artery is, and it almost definitely got slashed open, with just how much... bl..." She shivered, thinking about the scene that Raina was probably dealing with. "How much blood was... was coming out after the initial wounding."
She breathed in, again in an effort to keep herself calm. "It's... It's okay, just... stay here, with me. I had to... had to die eventually, you know? A-At least... at least this way I... I don't have to die alone."
Her voice was pleading, tears rolling down her face for the final time. "Please... let's just... have one final conversation that's not about... all of this... before I have to die."
Penelope gulped, not sure what to say. Raina was always fairly stubborn, especially when it came to accepting uncomfortable truths. She had to understand, though. Penelope didn't want to leave this world making everyone around her upset, if she was going to do anything with her last moments, it would be making sure that her death hurt as little as possible.
And if Raina couldn't accept that she was going to die, then it was going to hurt a whole lot more when she finally went silent.
"L-Look... that area with that stab wound? That's where my femoral artery is, and it almost definitely got slashed open, with just how much... bl..." She shivered, thinking about the scene that Raina was probably dealing with. "How much blood was... was coming out after the initial wounding."
She breathed in, again in an effort to keep herself calm. "It's... It's okay, just... stay here, with me. I had to... had to die eventually, you know? A-At least... at least this way I... I don't have to die alone."
Her voice was pleading, tears rolling down her face for the final time. "Please... let's just... have one final conversation that's not about... all of this... before I have to die."
Raina sucked in a shuddering breath and it came out as a sob. Johnny wasn't helping. Penelope wasn't helping. She could do a lot of things all on her own, but she couldn't keep Penny alive if Penny had already given up on living.
"Okay," she said weakly. It was the hardest word that she had ever had to force out. She kept pressing the soaked gauze over the wound anyway with one hand, and lifted the other to reach for Penelope's with red-stained fingers.
"What do you want to talk about?"
Keep her distracted, Raina thought. Keep her satisfied and she'll let it all go and everything will be fine. Just like before. She could agree to this for now. The bleeding was slowing down.
She could let Penelope have her way when they were all scared she was going to die, at least. She wouldn't hold a grudge afterwards.
"Okay," she said weakly. It was the hardest word that she had ever had to force out. She kept pressing the soaked gauze over the wound anyway with one hand, and lifted the other to reach for Penelope's with red-stained fingers.
"What do you want to talk about?"
Keep her distracted, Raina thought. Keep her satisfied and she'll let it all go and everything will be fine. Just like before. She could agree to this for now. The bleeding was slowing down.
She could let Penelope have her way when they were all scared she was going to die, at least. She wouldn't hold a grudge afterwards.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
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VoltTurtle
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"Well... um..."
Penelope struggled to think of a topic, in between the burning pain in her leg and the panic trying to take over her mind.
"I... uh..."
She should probably go for something that Raina would appreciate, something to help get both of their minds away from all of this.
"Oh! I finished... I finished Fullmetal Alchemist before... before the trip. I was going to tell you about my thoughts about it and then we uh... got kidnapped." She gave a small, awkward laugh at how she was somehow unable to steer the conversation away from the events currently transpiring around them. "It was really good, I liked it! Probably... probably one of the best animes that you have gotten me to watch, heh, thanks... thanks for the recommendation."
She paused, trying to think of more things to say about it, but specifics eluded her, almost tauntingly. "I uh... I'd... say more about it but... it's kinda difficult to think through all the... the pain."
Penelope struggled to think of a topic, in between the burning pain in her leg and the panic trying to take over her mind.
"I... uh..."
She should probably go for something that Raina would appreciate, something to help get both of their minds away from all of this.
"Oh! I finished... I finished Fullmetal Alchemist before... before the trip. I was going to tell you about my thoughts about it and then we uh... got kidnapped." She gave a small, awkward laugh at how she was somehow unable to steer the conversation away from the events currently transpiring around them. "It was really good, I liked it! Probably... probably one of the best animes that you have gotten me to watch, heh, thanks... thanks for the recommendation."
She paused, trying to think of more things to say about it, but specifics eluded her, almost tauntingly. "I uh... I'd... say more about it but... it's kinda difficult to think through all the... the pain."
"Oh, um, yeah! Fullmetal Alchemist is good... wait, did you watch the original series or Brotherhood?" Raina stopped herself, all her instincts screaming at her that she shouldn't be wasting her time talking about something as banal as anime when she should be tending to Penelope's wounds. The bleeding seemed like it was slowing down more, though, and she pressed harder.
"Um... Brotherhood is more accurate to the manga, but I've never read the manga, actually, so I don't really favor one of the anime series over the other..." She forced a smile and a nod in response to Penelope, even though Penelope was just going on about how much pain she was in. The bleeding was slowing down more. It would stop soon.
"Wh-who... who's your favorite character?"
"Um... Brotherhood is more accurate to the manga, but I've never read the manga, actually, so I don't really favor one of the anime series over the other..." She forced a smile and a nod in response to Penelope, even though Penelope was just going on about how much pain she was in. The bleeding was slowing down more. It would stop soon.
"Wh-who... who's your favorite character?"
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
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VoltTurtle
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"Oh it was uh... Brotherhood, that I watched. Another friend told me it was better for that same reason..."
Penelope hissed in response to the sudden flash of pain coming from Raina pressing harder. "As... as for my favorite character it would... probably have to be Roy, I guess? He was kinda... hot. Hehe... ow, ow."
She felt more proud of herself than she should have felt for that pun. "I uh, anyway, I liked him because..."
Penelope paused, remembering something that she had forgotten about completely, until now.
"Shit! Uh... I just remembered something." She craned her head up, in an effort to project her voice. "H-Hey! Alice! Annie!" She shouted, as loud as she could manage, making sure that the cameras picked up on it. "You guys... really, really shouldn't be watching your big sister die but... if you ARE watching this, do me a favor, please."
She paused, breathing heavily, the strain of simply lifting her neck almost too much for her at this point. "I... I had a game, that I finished about a week before the trip. I need you guys to log in on my laptop and... find the document that I saved all of my passwords to, and the game itself and... publish it on my GameJolt. As... as a goodbye, to everyone that supported me."
She exhaled and inhaled again before continuing, her voice quivering. "T-The password on my laptop is four-thirteen-six-twelve-ten-twenty-five."
She put her head back down, the bulk of her message over. "I-If you guys do that for me, t-thank you. Remember... remember that I always loved you two. Now... stop watching."
Penelope hissed in response to the sudden flash of pain coming from Raina pressing harder. "As... as for my favorite character it would... probably have to be Roy, I guess? He was kinda... hot. Hehe... ow, ow."
She felt more proud of herself than she should have felt for that pun. "I uh, anyway, I liked him because..."
Penelope paused, remembering something that she had forgotten about completely, until now.
"Shit! Uh... I just remembered something." She craned her head up, in an effort to project her voice. "H-Hey! Alice! Annie!" She shouted, as loud as she could manage, making sure that the cameras picked up on it. "You guys... really, really shouldn't be watching your big sister die but... if you ARE watching this, do me a favor, please."
She paused, breathing heavily, the strain of simply lifting her neck almost too much for her at this point. "I... I had a game, that I finished about a week before the trip. I need you guys to log in on my laptop and... find the document that I saved all of my passwords to, and the game itself and... publish it on my GameJolt. As... as a goodbye, to everyone that supported me."
She exhaled and inhaled again before continuing, her voice quivering. "T-The password on my laptop is four-thirteen-six-twelve-ten-twenty-five."
She put her head back down, the bulk of her message over. "I-If you guys do that for me, t-thank you. Remember... remember that I always loved you two. Now... stop watching."
Penelope was saying goodbyes and I love yous and Raina wanted to shout at her to stop it, but she bit her lips and kept quiet. Sure, it'd be awkward as hell once they finally patched her up but that was fine. Whatever.
She squeezed Penelope's hand. "Yeah, Roy was pretty cool." She couldn't think of anything else to say.
She looked at Johnny, but he was looking elsewhere, hands in his pockets as always. Typical.
Raina turned her attention back to Penelope. The bleeding seemed like it would stop any minute now. She managed a smile that was a little less forced.
She squeezed Penelope's hand. "Yeah, Roy was pretty cool." She couldn't think of anything else to say.
She looked at Johnny, but he was looking elsewhere, hands in his pockets as always. Typical.
Raina turned her attention back to Penelope. The bleeding seemed like it would stop any minute now. She managed a smile that was a little less forced.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
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VoltTurtle
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Penelope inhaled, every breath more difficult than the last.
"Y-yeah, Roy was pretty cool. I... I liked how he always wanted to do the right thing, how he cared so much about the people around him, but wasn't afraid to dish out punishment to those who needed it." She shivered, did the room get colder all of a sudden? "I wouldn't personally hurt anyone but... I get that it's sometimes necessary, and I respected Roy's conviction."
She felt damp. She reached up to briefly touch the skin on her face, only to notice just how sweaty she was.
"On that note... wh-who was your favorite character?" She opened her eyes, finally, to get one last good look at her friend's face, only to see nothing but darkness.
"I uh... I uh..." She opened and closed her eyelids several times, panic starting to sink in. "R-Raina. Raina. I can't see, I-I can't–I can't see anything. Raina, I can't see anything. Why can't I see anything?"
"Y-yeah, Roy was pretty cool. I... I liked how he always wanted to do the right thing, how he cared so much about the people around him, but wasn't afraid to dish out punishment to those who needed it." She shivered, did the room get colder all of a sudden? "I wouldn't personally hurt anyone but... I get that it's sometimes necessary, and I respected Roy's conviction."
She felt damp. She reached up to briefly touch the skin on her face, only to notice just how sweaty she was.
"On that note... wh-who was your favorite character?" She opened her eyes, finally, to get one last good look at her friend's face, only to see nothing but darkness.
"I uh... I uh..." She opened and closed her eyelids several times, panic starting to sink in. "R-Raina. Raina. I can't see, I-I can't–I can't see anything. Raina, I can't see anything. Why can't I see anything?"
"Huh?"
Raina... didn't know the answer to Penelope's question.
She stared at Penelope's face for a few seconds as that sank in. Penelope's eyes were open, but she couldn't see. Raina didn't know why.
The bleeding had nearly stopped.
"I-I... uh... sh-shock?" Raina gripped Penelope's hand tighter. "J-just... close your eyes for a bit and I'm sure your head will clear..."
She wasn't sure. She didn't know anything anymore.
Raina... didn't know the answer to Penelope's question.
She stared at Penelope's face for a few seconds as that sank in. Penelope's eyes were open, but she couldn't see. Raina didn't know why.
The bleeding had nearly stopped.
"I-I... uh... sh-shock?" Raina gripped Penelope's hand tighter. "J-just... close your eyes for a bit and I'm sure your head will clear..."
She wasn't sure. She didn't know anything anymore.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."