Bite Down
Warnings: field med, blood, wounds, crossbow, crossbow bolt, gore, unconsciousness
Whumpee screamed as the bolt pierced the skin of their right leg. Screamed as they collapsed forward, their leg no longer able to bear their weight. And they screamed as they landed, further pushing the bolt into their leg.
"Whumpee!" Caretaker called out as they turned around to face Whumpee.
"Go....go after Whumper," Whumpee called weakly. This was bad. They knew it was bad, but they couldn't let Whumper get away. They tried to avoid jostling the bolt as they turned over. Whumpee felt nauseous as they looked as the bolt poking through their skin. Looked at the blood flowing from the wound. Looked at the injury that could cripple them. "Caretaker, just....just go."
Caretaker shook their head. "I'm not leaving you behind."
"But Whumper--"
"The rest of the team can handle it. Let me help you." Caretaker dropped to their knees next to Whumpee. "How bad is the pain?"
Whumpee swallowed against the nausea before answering. "Pretty......pretty bad." How were they going to walk out of these woods? How was the med team going to get to them.
Caretaker surveyed the wound with a cold, calculating gaze. "Can you walk?"
Whumpee shook their head. "I don't think so." The forest spun around them. Whumpee closed their eyes against the pain, against the dizziness.
"Mhmm. Thought so." Caretaker patted their pockets a moment. "Whumpee. Whumpee! Open your eyes. Are you with me?" Caretaker's voice was urgent, but soft.
Whumpee opened their eyes. "'m 'ere, Caretaker."
"I don't like this. I don't like this at all, but it's the only thing I can come up with. If I pick you up now, it's just going to jostle the bolt even more." Whumpee winced at the thought. "So I'm not going to do that." Whumpee sighed with relief. "We need to pull it out and wrap your leg. Then I can carry you."
Whumpee's mouth went dry. "There has to be something--"
"Whumpee, we are in the woods. The car is half a mile away from here. You can't walk there. You can't crawl. I can't bring the car here. This seems like the only option to me."
Whumpee nodded. "Do it."
Caretaker pulled off their belt and held it to Whumpee's mouth. "Bite down on this." They tore the bottom part of their shirt off and into strips while Whumpee put the belt in their mouth and bit down.
"Ready, Whumpee?" Caretaker's eyes softened for a moment. They didn't want to hurt Whumpee any more than Whumpee wanted to hurt them. But this was the only way.
Whumpee nodded again. They looked up at the canopy of branches above them. They couldn't watch the bolt go through their leg. Couldn't watch Caretaker work. Couldn't watch any of it. But they could watch the sky. Could watch and hope that it would be quick.
"On the count of three then." Whumpee felt Caretaker put a hand on their thigh. "One," and Caretaker pulled on the bolt. Whumpee's world whited out with pain and then they knew no more.
