Max opened his eyes. There was a figure to the side of him but he couldn't
make out who it was. He tried to focus on the face that was looking down at
him. His head swam from the effort; he quickly closed his eyes. The figure
got up from the chair to sit on the bed, facing him.
"Who are you?" he asked in a sluggish tone.
"My name is Katrina," she said softly.
Max looked around, his eyes darting to take in all he saw. The room was small and rustic but pleasant with a woman's touch.
"Where am I?" he asked trying to sit up right.
"Please lay back down.," Katrina begged, putting her small hand around Max's bare waist. He settled back and squinted from the pain. ".you still have a bullet in your shoulder"
"A bullet?" He looked over to his shoulder and moved it, quickly realizing the feeling was all too familiar. "Yeah, that's a bullet alright" he cringed.
"I'll need to get it out" she informed him.
Max's eyes grew wide, "You're going to take this bullet out?" he asked with an uneasy tone.
"Yes, now please lie still," Katrina said as she opened a small black valise resembling a doctors bag.
" So. you're a doctor" still looking quite perplexed about the whole thing.
"No" she said as she searched through the bag pulling out the necessary instruments to work on his shoulder. Max swallowed hard and shifted which immediately caused him to flinch in pain.
"No? Oh, well, in that case. I'll pass" Max again tried to get up
Katrina pushed against his chest to keep him from moving.
"Please lie still" she said sternly
Max was weak from the blood loss and exhaustion and surrendered to her wishes.
"Before I was married, I was a nurse at the local clinic in town" she assured him.
"How did I get here?" he asked showing only puzzlement in his face.
"I found you in a field off the side of the road, an hour from my farm. Can you remember who shot you?"
It was all a total blank from his expression, "I'm trying to think, but it's like..." He groped for a description. "A huge dark void, like nothing existed before I woke up."
"Then.Do you know your name?"
Max put his hand on his forehead trying to think. He felt the bandage wrapped around his head. He paused and searched his memory banks wildly, "I can't remember!" He shot Katrina a panicked look, "Why can't I remember?"
"I suspect its because you have a head injury. That is a very nasty gash on the side of your head." Max gave a look tinged with pain, confusion, and fear. Her hand drew up against his face, touching it with a gentle stroke. "I'm sure its just temporary, it will come back to you soon." she said in soothing tones.
Max settled back against the pillow as Katrina picked up a rather long tweezer type tool and dipped it in alcohol.
"I was hoping you'd still be out when I remove this bullet, I'm sorry I have nothing to give you for the pain."
Max nodded for he knew what had to be done. He had two other bullets removed a few years ago but each one was taken out under anaesthetic.
Katrina rolled up a washcloth and placed it in front of Max's mouth. "Bite down on this"
Max opened his mouth and clenched his teeth down on top of the cloth. He watch intently as she removed the bandage. The area was red, raw and extremely sensitive. "I cleaned the area best I could so I can see and the bullet is not too far in. Take a deep breath, I'll try and get it out as quick as possible."
Taking the long tweezer type instrument from the bowl of alcohol she started to enter the hole in his shoulder causing Max, to clamp his jaw, squeeze his eyes and moan in pain. Not having done this in a while, Katrina stopped then continued to probe deeper. She heard his sharp intake of breath; his grip tightened once again clutching the bedsheets.
"It ok to yell, I know this must be painful" Katrina said as the sharp tool dug deeper into his already tender skin.
And painful it was, Max arched his back as he again howled in agony, his muscles tensing up. Hot tears rolled down his cheeks as he continued to mutely protest into the cloth. The instrument grabbed hold of the bullet making a sickening squishing sound as it slowly tugged free from his muscle. He grabbed a hold of Katrina's arm, his knuckles turning white as he yelled again into the washcloth. She flinched as his nail dug into her arm but stayed persistent in pulling out the bullet. Perspiration bathed through the bandage on his head as he struggled not to pass out for the intense pain inflicted upon him. But the pain was too insistent, too demanding of his attention that it triggered a shut down in his brain. Max passed out just as she pulled the bullet from his shoulder. She considered it a blessing for she had to stitch up the area and it would be much easier while he was unconscious. Katrina finished stitching up his shoulder and dressed it with a fresh bandage. Drawing the covers over his prostrate form, she tucked him carefully, then gave in to an inexplicable urge to kiss his forehead. Sitting on the chair beside his bed, Katrina found she was contented to watch Max sleep. " Who are you.? She thought, knowing there wouldn't be an answer anytime soon, ".and why were you brought into my life." ******************************
The Chief and 99 met with the CONTROL agency once they arrived in Hamburg. They assured them all was being done to search for the plane that Max had been on. They decided that the best plan was for them to check into the hotel and wait for the agency to call if they found anything.
The Chief checked both him and 99 at desk. The Chief looked over to see 99 staring aimlessly out the window of the hotel lobby. He realized that it was quite an ordeal not knowing the fate of her husband. In his heart he wanted to believe that Max survived but he was a man who plays by the odds. It was a thousand to one that Max was alive.
The Chief walked over to 99 and placed his hand on her shoulder. She was deep in thought about Max. "Do you think this is all for nothing?" 99 said for the first time realizing he might not have made it. The Chief didn't want to be the one to answer that question. "All we can do is wait and see" he sighed. "You should get some rest, the next couple days are going to be rough." 99 nodded then buried her face into the chief's shoulder as she let go her emotions.
"Who are you?" he asked in a sluggish tone.
"My name is Katrina," she said softly.
Max looked around, his eyes darting to take in all he saw. The room was small and rustic but pleasant with a woman's touch.
"Where am I?" he asked trying to sit up right.
"Please lay back down.," Katrina begged, putting her small hand around Max's bare waist. He settled back and squinted from the pain. ".you still have a bullet in your shoulder"
"A bullet?" He looked over to his shoulder and moved it, quickly realizing the feeling was all too familiar. "Yeah, that's a bullet alright" he cringed.
"I'll need to get it out" she informed him.
Max's eyes grew wide, "You're going to take this bullet out?" he asked with an uneasy tone.
"Yes, now please lie still," Katrina said as she opened a small black valise resembling a doctors bag.
" So. you're a doctor" still looking quite perplexed about the whole thing.
"No" she said as she searched through the bag pulling out the necessary instruments to work on his shoulder. Max swallowed hard and shifted which immediately caused him to flinch in pain.
"No? Oh, well, in that case. I'll pass" Max again tried to get up
Katrina pushed against his chest to keep him from moving.
"Please lie still" she said sternly
Max was weak from the blood loss and exhaustion and surrendered to her wishes.
"Before I was married, I was a nurse at the local clinic in town" she assured him.
"How did I get here?" he asked showing only puzzlement in his face.
"I found you in a field off the side of the road, an hour from my farm. Can you remember who shot you?"
It was all a total blank from his expression, "I'm trying to think, but it's like..." He groped for a description. "A huge dark void, like nothing existed before I woke up."
"Then.Do you know your name?"
Max put his hand on his forehead trying to think. He felt the bandage wrapped around his head. He paused and searched his memory banks wildly, "I can't remember!" He shot Katrina a panicked look, "Why can't I remember?"
"I suspect its because you have a head injury. That is a very nasty gash on the side of your head." Max gave a look tinged with pain, confusion, and fear. Her hand drew up against his face, touching it with a gentle stroke. "I'm sure its just temporary, it will come back to you soon." she said in soothing tones.
Max settled back against the pillow as Katrina picked up a rather long tweezer type tool and dipped it in alcohol.
"I was hoping you'd still be out when I remove this bullet, I'm sorry I have nothing to give you for the pain."
Max nodded for he knew what had to be done. He had two other bullets removed a few years ago but each one was taken out under anaesthetic.
Katrina rolled up a washcloth and placed it in front of Max's mouth. "Bite down on this"
Max opened his mouth and clenched his teeth down on top of the cloth. He watch intently as she removed the bandage. The area was red, raw and extremely sensitive. "I cleaned the area best I could so I can see and the bullet is not too far in. Take a deep breath, I'll try and get it out as quick as possible."
Taking the long tweezer type instrument from the bowl of alcohol she started to enter the hole in his shoulder causing Max, to clamp his jaw, squeeze his eyes and moan in pain. Not having done this in a while, Katrina stopped then continued to probe deeper. She heard his sharp intake of breath; his grip tightened once again clutching the bedsheets.
"It ok to yell, I know this must be painful" Katrina said as the sharp tool dug deeper into his already tender skin.
And painful it was, Max arched his back as he again howled in agony, his muscles tensing up. Hot tears rolled down his cheeks as he continued to mutely protest into the cloth. The instrument grabbed hold of the bullet making a sickening squishing sound as it slowly tugged free from his muscle. He grabbed a hold of Katrina's arm, his knuckles turning white as he yelled again into the washcloth. She flinched as his nail dug into her arm but stayed persistent in pulling out the bullet. Perspiration bathed through the bandage on his head as he struggled not to pass out for the intense pain inflicted upon him. But the pain was too insistent, too demanding of his attention that it triggered a shut down in his brain. Max passed out just as she pulled the bullet from his shoulder. She considered it a blessing for she had to stitch up the area and it would be much easier while he was unconscious. Katrina finished stitching up his shoulder and dressed it with a fresh bandage. Drawing the covers over his prostrate form, she tucked him carefully, then gave in to an inexplicable urge to kiss his forehead. Sitting on the chair beside his bed, Katrina found she was contented to watch Max sleep. " Who are you.? She thought, knowing there wouldn't be an answer anytime soon, ".and why were you brought into my life." ******************************
The Chief and 99 met with the CONTROL agency once they arrived in Hamburg. They assured them all was being done to search for the plane that Max had been on. They decided that the best plan was for them to check into the hotel and wait for the agency to call if they found anything.
The Chief checked both him and 99 at desk. The Chief looked over to see 99 staring aimlessly out the window of the hotel lobby. He realized that it was quite an ordeal not knowing the fate of her husband. In his heart he wanted to believe that Max survived but he was a man who plays by the odds. It was a thousand to one that Max was alive.
The Chief walked over to 99 and placed his hand on her shoulder. She was deep in thought about Max. "Do you think this is all for nothing?" 99 said for the first time realizing he might not have made it. The Chief didn't want to be the one to answer that question. "All we can do is wait and see" he sighed. "You should get some rest, the next couple days are going to be rough." 99 nodded then buried her face into the chief's shoulder as she let go her emotions.
