Chapter 12
After shouting her lover's name, the green witch collapsed back into unconsciousness. Glinda pushed aside her nausea and left her bed. Taking the seat next to the bed, she quickly tried to get her bearings as the world was spinning again. The nurses backed up as they watched the White Witch place a hand on her best friend's forehead.
"She's burning up," the confusion in her voice was evident. Quickly one of the nurses ran to get cold compresses and ordered the other nurses to get the emergency tub full of melted snow.
"We'll get her fever down. Do you think there is any possibility of infection?" The nurse asked Glinda.
"The bullet was removed but if Yero is in trouble, that is what is causing the fever," the blonde replied.
"Where is this Yero? Can he be brought here?" The nurse asked.
"He's a three day ride in good weather," Khalil responded.
"Oh dear," the nurse replied.
"Khalil can we get a message to the Village somehow?" Glinda wanted to know.
"Even if we could, we have no idea what we're sending the messenger into," the Captain said.
"Why does she have a fever? I'm sorry, I am confused how Yero's condition affects Miss Fae," Brrr spoke up. To this Glinda heaved a deep sigh and closed her eyes. It wasn't easy to talk about but it had to be done.
"Fae can feel and know when Yero is in danger. It is a unique bond that they share. They are truly soul mates and as such they can feel when each other are in trouble. Fae's powers amplify this and with the trauma she just suffered at the hands of someone she considered a friend, it may be too much to handle. I literally exhausted myself trying to save her. I only hope that my magic was enough to do so," Glinda explained. Khalil could feel her pain and suddenly wondered if he and she shared the same gift. He moved to her and pulled her close, whispering in her ear that he loved her and that they would figure this out.
"The other nurses will handle Miss Fae's troubles as best they can. In the meantime, I need to see that nasty bruise on your chest Captain," the nurse they'd been speaking to said.
"But of course," he reluctantly left Glinda's side and headed to the table where he'd been before.
Meanwhile the good Doctor Haluk was trying to work some different magic to get Boq to stay alive. He'd been able to remove the shoulder wound's bullet and the one from the stomach, both had been surprisingly simple which he could not for the life of him figure out. However the leg wound was causing him troubles. It was deeply imbedded in the kneecap and he was trying to do something incredibly difficult and delicate with tools that did not allow him to be delicate.
"How is the stomach wound?" Haluk asked his assistant, soon to be doctor himself, Karl.
"I'm stitching up the damage but he seems to be bleeding somewhere that I cannot find," Karl admitted.
"The bullet did not look fragmented," Haluk said.
"I know but it must have nicked something that is hiding," Karl told him.
"Can you switch with me? I cannot perform the delicacy needed with this surgery if he is still bleeding out," the doctor asked.
"I could possibly perform it Doctor," Karl suggested as they do si doed around the table and switched positions.
"See what you can do. This stomach wound will kill him but the spreading infection in his leg may too. I don't want to show you your first amputation on a man who just got back his flesh," Haluk gritted his teeth. Karl was more than competent and a terrific student but he lacked the experience that one could only get from real life experience. It wasn't his fault. The last trauma patient they'd received had a paper cut.
"Come on Boq. Stay with me," Haluk pleaded as he began to search for the bleeder. He moved the stomach aside slightly which Karl had excellently sewn up and looked at the other organs. Karl had been right. Wherever the blood was coming from…
"Ah ha, you son of a bitch," Haluk smirked. The pancreas. The sneaky little bugger had been nicked when the bullet exited Boq's stomach and had lodged in what they both had thought was the other wall of the stomach.
"Found it?" Karl asked.
"I've got it. How's the knee?" Haluk wanted to know.
"I can't get at the bullet without doing more damage. We can't leave it in there but I don't know what else to do," Karl admitted.
"Clean up and go shake Doctor Gottfried up," his superior ordered.
"Sir?" His assistant was confused.
"Tell him we need his magnifying machine or this boy is losing his leg," Haluk told him.
To Be Continued…
