Realm of Opportunity

2: Guts and Magic

I nodded and started wrapping his stomach with the shreds of his shirt while Dotty sat on his shoulder, kneading his skin gently. He protested, but I glared at him to shut him up. "If you're dying, then you won't mind me stopping you from bleeding all over my cat?"

He grumbled, but allowed my ministrations, rudimentary as they were.

Once I done tying his skin closed, I hauled him over my shoulders like he'd taught me, a fireman's carry, and Dotty leapt into my jacket again.

Then I had to decide which direction I was going... "That one is lighter than this one, which could mean the surface of whatever tunnel I'm in, but it could also be the nest of those Ants that got Johnny... brighter tunnel it is. The dark is starting to wig me out."

I walked, straining under his weight, but pressed on. The surface was a while away, from the density of the air, but that was fine. With a torn gut and no Doctor for miles, I was just transporting his corpse, by now. No way he survived this.

"Say... if I survive... can we still go to that championship? I promise I'll stay in my wheelchair with my hot nurse." He mumbled.

"Sure thing, buddy. I'll even get you a hot nurse, giant jugs, nice ass, short skirt, the whole shebang. Whatever you want, man." I nodded.

"Promise?"

"Promise. 100%." I nodded again, straining to climb an incline in the tunnel.

"Imma... hold ya to that..." he chuckled softly. "Mmm... can she have cat ears? Love me some neko's, man-"

"Whoa, buddy. Let's stick with reality... and I'll make sure to delete your browser history, ya freak." I laughed breathlessly.

He coughed, then grinned. "Did that already. I do it every morning, just after-"

"Oversharing!" I interrupted. "Did you watch that baseball game, buddy? Mets and... who was it?"

"Mets and Dodgers? Maybe... I didn't really watch it. My Ma had me washin' dishes instead of listenin' to the TV."

"Ha! 36, still livin' with your mother, still doin' dishes! Dork." I laughed.

He snorted. "Says you, asshole."

"I'm 18, thank you, and that's a reasonable age. Oh, and I help pay the bills." I retorted.

He didn't respond, and I looked over my shoulder to see his eyes closed. I nudged him roughly, waking him, and tsk'ed. "Can't sleep, Johnny, not allowed, nope. Not until you tell me about that gal, what was her name... Melissa?"

"Melinda... yeah... what a woman... dunno if... I can tell the story... my head's real heavy."

"Yeah well your ass is heavier, trust me." I grunted, climbing over some rocks slowly. I noticed the tunnel floor had changed, and was less dirt, and more stone now.

Suddenly, a small creature appeared in front of us, looking to be a small green person.

I blinked. "Weird..." It snapped its gaze to me, raising a large nose to sniff loudly, then drew a small axe off its belt. "Oh. Great. Does everything in this godforsaken tunnel want to kill us?"

An arrow exited the beasts chest, and a tall woman appeared, bow in hand. "Mostly, Yes. How wounded is your comrade?" She nodded to Jack.

I blinked slowly. "Uh... badly? Gut tear. Trying to... find the surface... sorry, who are you?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh... I'm Sadie. And... that doesn't smell like a normal Gut Tear. Set him here, I'll take a look."

I quickly set him down as she pulled out several different bottles and jars, and she ripped my binding off easily, making me grumble about effort wasted.