What If...

Chapter 2- Bullet

"What's her name? Leena? Leena, stay with me honey!"

I lazily opened my eyes to a dry throat and shouting from those gathered around me. I couldn't have been unconscious for long, maybe a minute or so and then I was shaken awake. While trying to cough up the blood that had gathered in my throat, I caught a glimpse of the boy I had saved- he was crying. "What do we do!? We have to help, she saved me! Please- Help her!", I watched as tears were forming a stream down his face.

A sudden intense pain from my abdomen hit me like a bus, I hadn't realised until now that the Sheriff had been applying pressure to my wound. I jerked away from his firm touch when he strengthened the amount of force on the injury. A pool of red was staining the leaf covered ground, the bullet must have penetrated deeply for there to be this much blood. I let out a hair-raising scream when the wound started to throb fiercely, Darcy- who had been watching me in silent shock- started to sob again and covered her tiny ears.

"Look at what you've done! You shot a little girl!", the gunman pointed at the hunter, pure rage etched into his face. The large man looked at me with fear," I'm sorry! I-I didn't s-see her! I'm sorry!" he cried.

I'm gasping for air now, struggling to breathe through the pain as the brown-haired man tried desperately to keep me alive, "I-I don't know w-what to d-do" he spluttered. The gunman sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose and then turns to the rattled man "I don't know man, she'll bleed out before we make it back to the highway. It's too far."

"We can't just leave her, we have to try!" the boy cries out to both men, he then takes in a shaky breath between racking sobs. The boy collapsed to his knees next to me and clutched my hand in his, "You're going to be okay" he whispered, something in his beautiful blue eyes is telling me that he'd rather be in my place. I wish I could believe him, that I was going to be okay, but I was as good a dead. This is the end for me. I am going to bleed out right here, in the middle of a forest. Leaving little Darcy all on her own with these strangers- she'd shut down- we just lost our family, if she lost me now.... No, I can't let that happen. She needs me here. I need to pull through somehow for her. For Darcy.

The Sheriff's hands are drenched in my thick blood," Help me!" he begged. I hear the hunter gasp and then take in a wheezy breath, "There's a farm! Maybe two or three miles away," he said.

"Where!?"

"That way!" he shouted, pointing in the direction that he shot from.

The Sheriff carefully, but very painfully, scooped me up into his arms. I coil in on myself and my legs and arms hang lethargically against him, my chin is resting on his shoulder and I could see Darcy staring at me. I so want to smile at her to show her I was okay, but it's just too painful; the boy must have read my mind because he took hold of her hand- he looked up at me and gave him a curt nod- thank you.

"Dad, we're coming with you!" the boy declared, while still holding my sister's hand.

The male nodded "Okay," clearly debating with himself on the decision the young boy made, "but you look after her as well" he added looking at Darcy.

Suddenly we started to move and at the rapid movement I leaned my head on the man's chest in pain, as I felt my blood still leaking through my shirt. I glimpse down to see that I'd soaked the man's uniform too. Wincing at each rough step on the earth, I couldn't keep my gasps of pain quiet, "Shh, it's okay Leena. You're going to be okay", he breathed softly.

With every uneven step, my eyes are becoming heavier and it's getting harder to stay awake, to be fair I don't really know how I'm still here- I should be long gone from this world by now. Maybe I haven't lost enough blood, although I don't know how much more I can lose. I'm going to pass out again soon. I can feel my vision becoming blurry.