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Ch. 4

Pain. Still. Lots of it, but maybe less than before, I don't really know. Just darkness and pain, that's all I'm aware of, except for that a growing realization that it's getting harder and harder to breath. Soon every breath is a rasp, gurgling blood in the back of my throat. I try to breath, so hard to breath, but the blood chokes me and every breath is getting shorter and shorter. Less air is getting to my lungs with every breath and I know that if something doesn't change fast, I haven't got much time. Slowly, painfully, I open my eyes. Mallory's there beside me, as always, slumped over, asleep in a chair. I hate to wake her up, since she looks so peaceful, but I need her help.

I reach over to grab her arm and shake her awake, but another coughing spasm grips me and I can't, I'm just lying there, on my back, too weak to move, just trying not to drown in my own blood, and by the time I've gotten the coughing under control again, Mallory's already awake, at my side, wiping the blood off my face gently. She's kneeling on the floor next to the couch and her eyes are just about level with mine, and I can see that she's been through my mind and knows what I've been up to and how much pain I'm in. I know because my misery is reflected in her eyes. It takes me a minute to realize she's speaking. I gulp down half a breath of air while I can still breathe and croak, weakly, "Huh?" "You're going to have to get on your side, otherwise you're… you're going to drown in your own blood, essentially… But, turning you is... it's going to hurt." I nod and grit my teeth, not really understanding, until she puts one hand on as much of the good part of my side as she can, and starts to move me. It takes ever bit of my willpower not to scream as she simply touches me, it hurts that much, but I manage it, barely. As the pain recedes some, I try to help her as much as I can by shifting myself, but the stitches tug and hurt and bleed a little bit more, and Mallory stops me with a glare. Then a cough comes and I can't breathe again. I gasp and hack and finally manage to spit blood out of my mouth enough to breathe again.

Another look at the stitches and I realize that she must've stitched me up. I'm glad I hadn't been conscious for that part. I've had stitches before and it was always a very painful and unpleasant experience. At least, unconscious, I hadn't given Mallory much of a fight. It takes me a second to realize that I'm lying on my side, and that it's somewhat easier to breath. My chest hurts and I cough again, and Mallory's right there, looking concerned but I just cough a few more times and spit blood onto the floor. Suddenly, I'm exhausted, weak from loss of blood and the exertion of turning onto my side and all of the coughing. I glance up into Mallory's eyes and I can see that she's concerned. I do my best to reassure her in my mind before I pass out.