teenage tragedy (Max Mayfield)

3. ten

Small thuds shook the vent Cammie was slumped over in as Dustin and Erica crawled towards her. Dustin grabbed her as soon as he got close enough. Her skin was cold to the couch and she was too pale, covered in blood, but he could see the rising and falling of her chest as her breaths wracked through her ribcage.

"I've got a first aid kit but fuck knows what use it'll be," Erica rummaged through her backpack and produced a first aid kit.

Dustin opened it and grabbed the gauze and tape. That would have to do until they could get someone to stitch up whatever wound she had.

He unraveled her makeshift bandages and winced.

The cut was long but it was thin, which was good, and it didn't seem to be too deep either. He couldn't see anything internal and it had stopped bleeding in the hour they'd been looking for her in the vents.

It gave him enough hope that she'd be okay. At most, he hoped it was just her vocal chords that had been severed. It didn't seem to be any major veins or arteries and he'd rather have Cammie alive and unable to talk than Cammie dead, so Dustin was taking what he could get right now.

He wiped her neck clean and put the gauze on it, taping it into place heavily. They couldn't risk it coming off. He wrapped a bandage around it, courtesy of Erica, and then grabbed a painkiller. He popped it in Cammie's mouth and shoved it down her throat.

Cammie winced as her eyes fluttered open, pupils slightly dazed from the blood loss. She frowned and looked around, trying to sit up. Dustin shook his head, pushing her against the side of the vent so she didn't jostle her neck too much.

"Hey, hey, it's me and Erica. You're okay, okay? We're gonna go and rescue Steve and Robin. They didn't get out, either. You think you can do it or do you need us to get you back?" Dustin said.

Cammie opened her mouth to speak but no words were formed. She frowned and reached up, touching her bandaged throat. Her eyes widened and she pulled her hand back in horror, tears stinging in bloodshot green eyes as she looked at Dustin.

He looked terrified and it made Cammie feel ill. What the hell had happened to her?

"It's okay. It's not too deep so hopefully, it's just cut your vocal cords instead of any major arteries. You'll be fine once we get you out of here," Erica said.

Cammie nodded and tapped her response on Dustin's hand in Morse code.

"Morse code. Let's go save their asses," he translated. He smiled and helped her up. "Let's go," he wrapped an arm around her waist to help support her while she got her footing back.

"So, when we set fire to the hub, we drew the Demodogs away so El and Cam could close the gate. But now, for some insane reason, the Russians appear to be trying to reopen it, which just destroys everything we risked our lives for," Dustin finished explaining the story to Erica as he and Cammie worked to unscrew a fan in the vent.

"By we, you're including Lucas?" Erica frowned.

"Yes, of course," Dustin said.

Cammie nodded in agreement.

"So, all that shit you told me, Lucas was there?" Erica said. They nodded.

"Yeah," Dustin said.

"My brother, Lucas Charles Sinclair?" Erica repeated.

"Yes!" Dustin huffed.

"I don't believe you," Erica crossed her arms over her chest.

"Wait, so you believe everything about El and Cam and the gate and the Demodogs and the Mind Flayer, but you question your brother's involvement?" Dustin said.