forum I summon thee @Young-Dusty

Started May 08, 2019 by @amber_is_in_a_loop

tune

Charlotte followed Rick's lead, looking back every so often to make sure Slash and Jessie were okay.

They ducked around the side of the hill just as a few gypsies appeared in the distance. They searched around for a moment, then set off straight back to the prairie, almost perfectly opposite of Charlotte and the others's true location. Rick waved for them to keep moving, dashing around another hill and into a small valley with a good covering of pines in it. "Head for the trees and move through 'em to the other side. I think we're almost in the clear."

Charlotte obeyed, running as fast as she could towards the shelter now only a few yards ahead.

Slash put on a burst of speed and got there first, diving between the dense trees with a crash. Rick was quick to follow, waving Charlotte into hiding and turning to make sure no one had seen them. "Let's hunker down a sec," he panted, his eyes darting over the landscape.

She nodded, breathing heavily, sitting against a boulder to catch her breath. "We've lost them, haven't we?"

"I think so, unless they have any kind of tracker left alive. We crushed a bit of a trail through that grass….." Rick trailed off, staring hard at the horizon. "I don't see anyone. Let's take five and get a look at our catch, hey?"

Charlotte nodded, already pulling at the knots she'd made. Eventually Jessie fell into her arms, head lolling to the side. "She's been unconscious for a while now, so I'll bet she's drugged. I don't know what with though, so I don't know how to wake her up. We have to wait it out."
She lay the girl on the ground, head propped on Charlotte's bag. She had dark bruises all over her face and chest, and a number of cuts only two of which were deep enough to scar.

Slash stared at her curiously. "What's her name?"

"Jessie." It was the softest either Rick or Slash had heard her speak, even if it was a single word. The girl might as well have been Charlotte's biological daughter. She pushed Jessie's hair out of her face, putting her still-childish features in full view. She was indeed a very sweet looking girl, with a pale tone and full lips and big round eyes.

Rick smiled slightly and set down his backpack, pulling out a compact first-aid kit. "Poor kid, those cuts look pretty bad. Here, maybe something in this will help. We may not be able to wake her up yet, but we can at least take care of her injuries."

(I'm headin to bed now, see you tomorrow <3)
"Sure." Charlotte took a small bit of cloth and disinfectant, dabbing at one of the deeper cuts. "I thought she'd be in worse shape, though, so I'm glad this is all," she admitted as she worked.

(Seeya! Sleep well! ^^)
Rick nodded. "You never know what you're going to find durin' a rescue. Seems like we got lucky this time." Then, to lighten the mood a bit, he added, "That was some good teamwork back there. We really made a quick job of that, didn't we?"
"Yeah," Slash agreed confidently. "Those idiots could never have beaten us."

"You did good," Charlotte told Slash without looking at him, still cleaning Jessie's cuts.

"Did you see me take down that wagon thing?" he boasted, twirling his tail. "It fell apart faster than a squirrel nest." As he was talking, he shifted back into human form–and only then did the large gash on his arm become visible. An extra ladleful of blood spilled out when he transformed, but he seemed too excited to notice. His jacket was torn as well, and soaked with blood.
"They couldn't even touch me," he was saying, still completely oblivious. "I'm pretty sure I'm unbeatable. Can we do that again soon?"

(O_O)
Charlotte froze, gaze catching on his injury. "Slash, could I get a look at that?" she asked quietly.

(lol)
"Huh?" Slash glanced over at her in confusion, then followed her gaze to his arm. "….Oh. Um." After a cursory examination of the wound, he shrugged. "It's fine. Don't worry about it."
Rick gave the Deorn an exasperated stare. "Son….no backtalk on this one. Let us see that cut, right now."
Slash grumbled a protest, reluctantly stepping closer and holding out his arm. The gash was pretty clean, but also quite deep, and definitely needed stitches.

Charlotte slid the first aid kit over, walking over to him as well. "It's deep, Slash. I think we can stop the scar though."
She pulled some more cloth from the kit, tying it just below his shoulder.

Slash studied the tourniquet inquisitively. "What's that do?"
"It cuts off your blood so less of it leaks out of you," Rick explained, having decided he might as well make a little fire to boil water with. "Now hold still so's Charlotte can patch you up, and thank her for it when she's done."
"But I don't need it," Slash insisted–although he did sit still obediently. "It's just a cut, it doesn't even hurt that bad."

"Pain doesn't always have to do with the gravity of the injury," Charlotte said though gritted teeth. The blood had stopped for the most part, and she'd started cleaning up the cut with rubbing alcohol.

The sting of the alcohol seemed to finally wake up Slash's nerve-endings, and he flinched a little. "Now what are you doing? What is that stuff?"