Bleu.

Facing a new reality

"Se non la riprendo, tutti mangerai le palle per il brunch" he says in a final tone in a language I now feel like I should learn (If I don't get her back all of you will be eating your balls for brunch)

They all turn abruptly at my entrance and Apollo speaks, "Grazie a Dio, perché non ho fame" (Thank god, because I'm not hungry)

" I want answers and I can't get them by making a dramatic exit. So we are going to help what's his face stop bleeding and then you assholes are going to give me the skinny on all of this .... Capisce?", I say in tone that lives no room for argument

I get a chorus of deep replies back.

Mr. Gun shot wound looks at me and speaks painfully, " My name is Arturo by the way"

" Hi Arturo, I'm Bleu you seem to be shot, why don't we try and do something about that", I say in the tone of a nurse coming over and kneeling next to him

I look back at the other men in room and say, " Bring what ever first aid kit you have and some warm water, towels, hand sanitizer and tweezers if you have them"

They sit and stare at me before looking Ares to see if they should comply with my request.

" Don't look at him.... Go! He's lost enough blood already!" I say forcefully and they jump into action

" Cara, don't be cross with me" Ares says sitting in the arm chair closest to where I am sitting on the floor

" Too late, I'm not very happy with you at the moment", I say not looking his way as I help Arturo out of his soiled shirt

I finally turn to him with an impassive face, " Ares go make your self useful and get me a trash bag and and some gloves if you have them "

He looks at me one last time before gets up and goes off to fill my request. I roll my eyes at his retreating figure.

" Do you always talk to the boss like that?", Arturo says like he's really look at me for the first time

" Who's your boss?", I say inspecting his wound closer

" Mr. Amante", he says again seriously 

" Ares? I don't think I've ever thought about the way I talk to him I just do", I say back glancing at him before looking back to his arm

Donnie returns with the first aide kit and Apollo comes back with the water, towels and sanitizer. The last guy whose name I still don't know returns with one of those bathroom kits that has tweezers, little scissors, and nail clippers. Ares returns with the bag but hangs back. Probably thinking I'll get madder if he gets close.

After cleaning my hands, I take the towel and warm water and go to work cleaning the wound. After, painfully in Arturo's case, pulling out the bullet I clean up the wound and get to work sewing him up.

" How do you know how do all this?", Donnie says watching me carefully

" My aunt is a nurse, my grandmother taught me to sow, and my other grandmother thinks cleaning a bullet wound is a character trait.", I say without looking up from my task

There is no more talking as I finish up cleaning the wound and bandaging it up. I turn around and point, " Hand me my purse" Apollo moves quickest getting it off the chair where I threw it when I came back into the room. I take off the gloves and dig through it for my bottle of ibuprofen.

" Grab a glass of water please", I say to no name guy

He walks off quickly toward the kitchen and knock three pills out of the bottle and put then into Arturo's hand. I hear the sink turn on briefly before he returns to the room.