Always on the Run

Chapter 7: Matt

This is by no means the final draft, as we get up towards chapters 11 and 12 I find that I am not wholly satisfied by the way they are going, so I may suddenly decide to alter the chapters entirely, Just keep checking in to see if there is something new.

Chapter 7:Matt

          It was dawn and I woke up to the sound of steady breathing beside me; Mira I remembered with a jolt, yesterday’s events pouring into my brain. I couldn’t help gazing at her face; she was so pretty with her long russet brown hair and her thick lashes. She looked so beautiful and kind; I couldn’t imagine why anyone would be hunting for her. As if my thoughts  summoned her she stirred slightly and opened up eyes a light blue so clear and beautiful that the sky looked dull in comparison. Shock rose up into those clear eyes for a moment before it was replaced by understanding. “Good morning” I rumbled shyly, I was certain that I was blushing. “Mornin’”  she whispered back at me, her voice soft and clear, a beautiful sound that I could listen to all day long. “Are you hungry at all?” she said sitting up slowly, as if she was in pain.

          “Are you hurt?” I asked in alarm. Wondering if that was the reason why she had winced the day before. I was suddenly very worried about her, I didn’t understand why I was but that didn’t really matter.  She looked at me and I could see it in those clear blue eyes; she was going to try to tell me that she wasn’t hurt. I wasn’t going to stand for it. Before she could open her mouth and start to say it I cut her off “You are a terrible liar you know, I can see everything in your  eyes. I know you are hurt so just let me see it and we’ll see what can be done, alright?” I told her sternly. She shut her mouth, looking at me with something like respect, or something else in her eyes, although it was gone before I could determine what it was.

          “Alright,” she sighed. “I won’t lie to you and say I’m not hurt” she replied quietly. She sat all the way up in and started to pull off her shirt. When I realized that she was pulling it off I quickly turned my head away, so that I wouldn’t be seeing her half-naked. “Don’t worry Matt; I am used to mean scientists stripping me down so they can stab at me with needles or poke around my skin with their cold hands. You are much better than those doctors, I don’t mind it much.” She said pain in her voice; whether it was mental pain at the memories or the physical pain of a wound I couldn’t tell. Right then I wanted to turn around and hold her, make her feel loved. “You can look, besides I need the help; it was hard enough for me to reach and get the bullet out. I can’t reach far enough to bandage it. Please,” she said, there was obvious despair in her voice, like she thought that I would refuse to help her.

 I slowly turned around to find her sitting on the ground with her head down and her injured shoulder facing me. I couldn’t help but looking at her, she was beautiful, with a lean and muscled back and shoulders, tiny waist and a modest chest.  I couldn’t help the sharp intake of breath when I saw the hole in her shoulder; it was terrible looking, with dirt and grime in it from her travels and sleep. The wound was slowly oozing blood after taking off the shirt and being reopened. “Mira, how did this happen?” I asked her concerned that it would get infected.  “My mother,” she whispered defeated “my so-called mother shot me!”  She said louder this time, her voice cracking as she said the last words.

I was suddenly frustrated that healing magic had never been one of my talents. The gash across her upper arm looked horrible; all red and puffy, full of dirt and grime. I looked around for her bag knowing that there was water in there. I snatched the water-bottle that was sitting in one of the side pouches of the bag. I poured the contents of the bottle over the wound, trying to clean it out as best as I could.  “Do you have any medical supplies?” I asked in a low soothing voice. “In the backpack, I stole some from the gas station before I got on the bus.” She said her voice thick and muffled.