Blood of the Ancient - The Helix Rebellion saga #1

Chapter 23

"He's going to be fine," Doctor Chabrik announced, a practised smile stretching both of her cheeks.

Blythe smiled back at the doctor, nodding her appreciation. Gunshot wounds generated unwanted attention, Chabrik had seen that it was contained and dealt with quietly.

When Ezra burst through the main infirmary doors carrying Oscar in his arms, Chabrik and her team had been waiting. He was placed on a crash trolley, which was fully laden with resuscitation gear, and transported to Accident and Emergency. Blythe had sent word that she needed a quiet favour, and her doctor friend had duly obliged. Once assessed, he was taken to Theatre where bullet fragments were removed, and his wound cleaned and sewn. Antibiotics were squeezed into his arm through a long, uncomfortable needle that made him wince, and he was left to rest.

Ezra and Blythe sat by Oscar in his stale cubicle the entire time he'd slept. On the other side of their sunny curtain, was an endless wail of suffering. Nurses hurried for drugs and equipment like relentless zombies, caring unconditionally for the rude and ungrateful. The dead and dying obstructed corridors, children received treatment for bumps and bruises, and an aggressive queue pushed noisily towards a terrified receptionist.

Ezra had sat in silence, ignoring Blythe's attempted small-talk. His behaviour wasn't particularly out of rudeness, but because he worried the continuous audible alarms would drive him mad, and she'd be the unfortunate to feel the backlash of his stress. He'd shuffled gracelessly on his uncomfortable seat like he had itching powder in his pants, and was grateful when the doctor finally entered the musky alcove.

"He's been lucky...your friend," said Chabrik, pointing at Oscar with an upturned thumb. "The bullet missed his subclavian artery by a fraction. The bandage may have been well wrapped, but nothing would have stopped the blood flow if it'd been severed." She strode past Ezra in his seat, over to Oscar's bedside cabinet, collecting the remnants of a half-chewed cheese sandwich. "There is some damage though, around the brachial plexus...which could-"

"Listen doc," interrupted Ezra, rising tall from his small chair. "We ain't medics...we don't need a surgical summary, just give it to us plain...okay?" He'd allowed Blythe to do most of the talking to this point, since she was acquainted with the doctor. But the uneasy fear of being in a hospital nibbled at his mind, the lack of control stifling him. He wanted to leave as soon as possible.

"My apologies," replied Chabrik, smiling weakly at his threatening advance. She took a step back, fear clawing at her throat. "There's...basically a large bundle of n-nerves in the area where the bullet landed. Those nerves control limb func-" she paused, "They control the arm. It may take Oscar many years to regain all the movement of his upper arm."

"What?" bellowed Oscar, sitting upright at hearing the prognosis. "Are you fucking serious?"

Chabrik sighed. "I'm sorry, sir, but your body has suffered extensive damage. You're lucky there's still an arm hanging from your shoulder at all."

"Whatever." Oscar dismissed the doctor with a wave of his free arm, gently lowering himself down onto the bed, mindful of his injured arm hanging from a sling. "Fuckin' years..." He sunk into his pillow as a wave of nausea surged through his body.

"Thank you, doctor," Blythe said on behalf of Oscar, noticing her expression of uselessness. "Once again, you've done an amazing job - I really can't thank you enough."

Chabrik smiled at her friend. "Don't mention it." She politely ushered Blythe out of the cubicle, leaving Ezra with the sickly patient. "He'll need to stay in over-night, possibly two. I've arranged for a specialist to work with Oscar to maintain his motor functions. It's possible that in the future he'll need follow-up surgery, and it's vital he does everything to regain full strength. I've put on my report that he was the victim of a hit and run but didn't see anything, so I doubt security will want to see him. If you need anything, just call, okay?" She leant in to give Blythe a hug.