Blackout Part 8
Vas wheezed. “I think the bullet got left in the concrete.” He said with a painful cough. “What the hell was that and why did it feel like the spin dry …” he croaked, refusing to move now.
“Yeah…” Serena said, brushing the question off. “Weird. How do I stop the bleeding? What do I do?”
Vas pawed at his vest tearing open a pocket. “The tube of coagulant …” The tips of his fingers were kind of somewhere between tingling and numb and he fumbled it leafing blue bloody straight all over it. “Fucking open …” He coughed trying to twist the top off. Who the hell even designed this shit!
“I can do that,” Serena offered, taking it from him, twisting the top and pocketing the cap. “Is it like super glue? I’m used to gluing stuff together, put it in the bullet hole and squeeze?”
“Just smearing it on the wound … GENTLY … “ Vas stress before letting his head fall back. “...not letting a fucking pea shooter to the chest be the end if me.”
Serena wiped her hand somewhat clean on Cyd’s shirt, and spread the coagulant over the bullet hole. Between the raves and life in general in the Sprawl, she knew enough to be squeamish after, not during. “Okay, done. Does it gotta be sewn up? Mathias got stabbed once and Cyd had to sew ‘em up, and I learned a whole lot of cuss words if you need ‘em.”
“No … it's fine. I just need a minute.” He said looking at the medical tube. “Where's the cap?” He said, looking between her and the tube.
“Oh, I still got it.” Serena fished it out of her pocket, setting it back on the tube. “Maybe I should hold onto it ‘case you start bleeding again.”
“Not after I've seen you handle a grenade.” Vas said dryly jamming it into a pocket. He tried to sit up with a grunt, got dizzy and laid back down. “Yea nope .. .gunna need like two … five … or more minutes.” He said with a long exhale.
“Why is your blood blue?” Serena asked, as she looked around for something to put under his head. “Are you cold? I think I’m supposed to elevate your feet and keep you talking.”
“Please do not elevate my feet, I just got my boots back from you.” Vas snarked. Nothing would kill his sense of humor. “Blood blood right … “He dragged a hand across his face thinking, trying to reach for an explanation. He knew there was one. “...Cuz it has copper in it instead of iron.” He decided on.
“Why?” Serena asked, rolling a tarp and placing it under his head.
“I dunno … someone smarter than me thought it was a good idea I guess.” He said. Looking at the wound. “Who the hell am I to argue biology?”
“I’ll ask Mathias. He’s more chemistry, but I betcha he knows.” She told him. “Do you need anything else? I don’t have anything for pain, but I can getcha something.”
“You are like throwing names at me and I don't know who you're talking about.” He said taking a breath and his breathing feeling easy now. “Dose it involve more concrete?” He asked, feeling the bullet hole again, this time the bullet hole was now sealed up. Let out another breath, finally, took its sweet time to heal.