Opening Moves
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A/N: This chapter will be narrated by Ulrich, but it won't be following the usual naming convention because this chapter won't be told from Yumi's point of view (after all, she is unconscious at this point) and this state will last for too many chapters for me to backwards.
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Chapter 10
Ulrich's Sadness
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I was walking to my dorm. The prom had just finished, and the principal had ordered everyone to head in for the night. That's when I heard a loud gunshot. My thoughts immediately jumped to Yumi. She would have been close enough to the school for me to hear a gunshot by her. That means she may well be in danger. I immediately turned to Jeremie.
"Hey, Jeremie, did you hear that?" I asked Jeremie hastily.
"Yes, why?" Jeremie asked questioningly.
"I think Yumi may be in trouble. Can you cover for me with Jim?" I asked nervously. Every second wasted could make more chance that Yumi was getting beaten... or worse, bleeding to death.
"Okay, Ulrich. But I can't buy you much time. Hurry back." Jeremie said, businesslike.
I slipped off into the forest that lined the grounds, careful not to attract any listeners or get caught by Sissy and her gang. Ever since I turned her down, she has been acting angrily towards me. I knew that she wouldn't hesitate to turn me in nowadays.
To be honest, I don't remember much about the dash toward Yumi's house. I was lost in thought throughout the entire run. In fact, I nearly missed that which I had been dreading. Yumi was laying on the concrete, a bullet wound in her stomach. Blood was surrounding her form, and she seemed to be unconscious. I panicked. What should I do? How long had she been laying like this? I should have offered to walk her home. After all, I had an apartment next to hers. Why couldn't I have just done that?
Realizing that I had to do something or my mistake would cost me greatly, I pulled my cell phone and dialed the emergency number (A/N: I want to say 911, but I am not sure if that's the emergency number in France). On the other end, a bored, gruff voice asked me if there was a problem.
"Yeah. A friend of mine is badly injured. It appears to be a gunshot wound to the stomach." I said.
This reply seemed to perk up the man's interest, so he asked "Where are you?" even though it seemed, earlier, that he thought this was a prank call. Maybe that's because of the time of night (it was eleven at night) or because I was calling from a cellular phone.
"Hang on, let me check. I wasn't really paying attention when I found her laying here." I said, walking over to the street sign. "Okay, it's on the corner of 1st and 3rd." (A/N: I don't know any real streets in France, so I just made two up.)
"Okay. We're dispatching an ambulance to pick you two up. If the people on the ambulance give you a hard time, tell them John said you can come." The voice, who I'm guessing was John, said.
"Okay. Thanks for the assistance, sir." I replied. Then I dialed Jeremie's phone number.
"Oh, hey, Ulrich. What's wrong?" Jeremie asked.
"It's Yumi. She's hurt... hurt pretty badly." I said, breaking down into tears. If I had just gone with her, this may not have happened.
"Ulrich, relax. Everything will be fine. You did call the ambulance, right?" Jeremie asked.
"Yes, I did, Jer." I said. That's when I heard the ambulance pull up and begin loading Yumi in. "Well, the ambulance's here. I need to give them some instructions. Can you tell Jim and my teachers that I won't be at Kadic until Yumi's better?"
"Sure thing, Ulrich. But stay on alert. Yumi's a sitting duck right now for a X.A.N.A. attack." Jeremie said.
"Will do, Jer. I'll see you soon." I replied, heading over to the ambulance. The attendants, who apparently had instructions from "John" to let me on, didn't bother me as I boarded the back of the ambulance.
"It's a good thing you found her when you did, kid. I don't know if she would've survived if she had been forced to wait a few more minutes." One of the attendants said, as he bandaged Yumi's wound. I felt a pang of jealousy, but shrugged it off. After all, he was too old.
"Doctor, do you think she'll be okay?" I asked.
"Yes, I really think she will. However, we're putting a twenty-four hour watch on her to make sure she doesn't fall into shock. That's the worst thing that can happen, as I've never seen someone come back after going into shock if it lasts longer than a certain time." The attendant answered.
"By the way, do you think it would be alright if I stay with her until she gets better?" I asked.
"Certainly. But you have to promise not to disturb the doctors while they're working." He said.
"I promise." I answered.
We finally arrived at the hospital, where Yumi and I were taken to a room in the far corridor of the emergency area. There was a glass window, through which I could see six people sitting in chairs, watching Yumi's heart rate. I sat down in a chair in the corner of the room. Sitting still, watching Yumi's limp form, I fell asleep.
When I woke up, I realized a minor problem in my arrangements with Jeremie. I couldn't use a cell phone in the hospital. Asking to be excused, I went outside, dialing Jeremie's number.
"Hey, Jer? I just realized a problem. I can't use a cell phone in the hospital." I said.
"Okay, I'll call the hospital and ask to talk to you." Jeremie said, exasperated. He probably would've realized that anyway, but I wasn't thinking normally.
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A/N: This is to announce that both this story and "Hope Lost" are on a one-week break because I am taking the PSAT on the 16th.