"Oh, Styx. Oh my gods." I worked frantically as I tried to stop the bleeding. I finally decided on washing it out. Using my water supply, I was slowly able to get the wound to stop bleeding. I quickly tried to bandage the huge wound in his side, my heart slowly quickening in pace.
Finally, I was able to finish wrapping the gash up and kneeled in front of Brandon, panting, hands slick with blood. Brandon had paled dramatically since the beginning of it all; all of the blood I had drained was doing a number on him, and now, I was seriously doubting whether that was a good idea. His breathing was soft and slow, barely able to sustain him much longer.
I fumbled with his wrist, trying to find his pulse. Still doing all right, for now. I thought of how I could possibly help him in this situation. I moved him into the shade of the trees to help slow the loss of his fluids. I tried to get food and water down his mouth, in the hopes of keeping him sustained.
I groaned and put my face in my hands. What was the use of this? I wouldn't be able to get him to pull through, no matter what I did. His life was already draining out of him. After everything we had done together, after all the adventures and months, it ended like this. Him bleeding out while I watched.
In a way, I should have seen this coming. Brandon was always doing the most daring things for his friends. The lava wall incident, risking death, destroying his own body to help the rest of us out. It was only a matter of time before his luck ran out.
I slumped over and began to sob. It was my fault, all of it. I had left him at the beginning when I was scared. He'd saved my life by giving me the protection I needed and the quest. He'd risked everything for our escape, all for me. Now, he was slipping away. I couldn't bear it.
I continued to cry there for a while before I felt a hand touch my shoulder. I flinched and backed away only to see a familiar man in a track suit, holding a staff with two snakes. He put his hand in front of him. "Sh. It's all right. I'm actually Hermes."
I glowered at him and pulled out my sword. "How can I trust you?"
He shrugged. "Well, guess you can't. But, given what's happening right now, you should probably trust me." I groaned and sheathed my sword. He was right. There was nothing I could really do at that moment.
The man looked at Brandon and sighed. "So, this is how it ends for him?" I didn't know what to say, so I just stared at the ground and tried to wipe away my tears.
"Such a good boy. I expected at least a few more years out of him. If this is how it ends, then so be it." He knelt down and stared at Brandon's bloody face. "Goodbye." He stood up and turned to leave.
"Wait!" He looked back at me hesitantly. "You're a god! Can't you do something?"
"I'm sorry, dear. Brandon's gone. There's nothing we can do."
"He's still alive! Barely holding on. Don't you have at least something you could give him?"
Hermes seemed to be thinking for a moment. Then, he consulted his snakes, which was a very interesting sight. The two were hissing softly at him while he whispered back. Finally, he nodded.
"There is one thing I can do, if it can even work. Martha."
The snake on the right belched up a small cube. I picked it up gingerly and inspected it.
"This is somewhat of a long shot, but try and play it. If it works, good job. If not, we tried." And with that, he was gone.
I examined the cube to find a crank on the side. A music box. I sat on the grass next to Brandon, close to his ear, before slowly turning the handle. A few notes tumbled out before a slow melody began to play. It was sweet and calming and relaxed my mind for some reason.
Suddenly, someone began to hum in the background of the music. I listened closely as the woman singing vocalized and turned the song to life.
I sat there, absentmindedly turning the crank as the music filled me up. It reminded me of the happier times at camp and back home with my step dad. I remembered the piggy back rides he'd give me and the candy and treats he'd shower me with. At camp, I remembered the sing alongs, my cabinmates, and a single boy who never could make me stop laughing. Brandon was everywhere: in training, in the strawberry fields, at the campfire laughing. He was in so many of my memories that I had to take a step back and think about how much he cared about me. All of this was for me. The quest, the sacrifice, it was all because he loved me.
At that moment, I realized I loved him back.
The box abruptly stopped. I suddenly remembered the vocalist behind the music. It was a soft voice that I had only heard in Brandon's dreams.
Brandon's mother.
I grabbed Brandon and pressed my head into his chest. I pulled him into a hug and began to cry again. "Please, Brandon. You have to come back."