Chapter 9: Unexpected Help

His whole body refused to move any more further from the crime scene, willpower wasn't enough to aid his futile attempts. The shackles he was trying to escape was better than destroying his health. In emergencies, biological instincts usurps free will in favor of self preservation.

He was losing too much blood, the comfortable numbness spreading all over his system. His vision blanking out in short episodes.

The gunshot kept repeating in his head like a broken type recorder, people learnt from their mistakes, but this particular symphony of failure was an exception.

The only lesson learned was one that was already learnt; the pathetic node of his existence. The weapon he was unqualified to use rested in his hands. 'I can't even off myself.' He thought with self mock. Killing himself was a more apt way of preserving his pride.

'I was already in borrowed time. I Just hope the loan sharks would be faster than this.'

He mumbled. His lips parted, and solemnly hummed a hymn in hopes of inviting the shroud of death faster. He refused to think of anything, his memory palace was a haunted graveyard, better left alone.

"Lucas!"

"Lucas!"

Someone...or something was calling him. Was the reaper blatantly disregarding the sanctity of silence in quietus.

Slap!

"What...the..fuck..!" Lucas flinched from pain. The existence of such a sensation beyond the boundaries of life widened his world view.

The shock cleared his vision momentarily, Jennifer was hovering over him with worry.

'Of all people, it had to use her,' he thought angrily. He mildly guessed that some entities where beyond discernibility of identity, there common adaptation of familiar faces was understandable, though he wasn't in 'any way' appreciating the face in front of him. He hated Jennifer for opening his stitched wounds.

The light was inviting him back to its embrace, but he wanted to be lost away from it. Sustenance of thought isn't eternal, even the most ancient of trees crave to decay back to mother earth.

***

All roads lead to Rome, individual paths containing infinite elements that embody a resonance and a dissonance in their connective mechanism. Expertise of the mind was ephemeral, but efficacious in the well being of all beings.

Frustration was infinitely building up in Jennifer, her basic skills in first aid almost made her pop a vein. The most important context in its instructions, clearly warned her off in applying methods beyond her paygrade. She cursed her current situation that accurately aligned with her rudimentary knowledge of what not to do.

She hated blood, loathed uncontrollable variables, and lastly, abhorred reckless idiots. Her forte was in the study of the mind not in physiological knowledge. 'Do I really need to call her.' She thought as she looked at Lucas. She took out her phone hesitantly and dialed.

She didn't have to wait long as the dreaded visitor made a less than appropriate entrance at her door step.

"Can't you be more polite when your knocking." Jennifer grumbled as she ungrudgingly let the man inside her abode.

"You emphasized it was an emergency, so forgive me for been exaggeratingly 'prudent' to your desperate request." The man sarcastically said as he placed his briefcase on the chair, and approached his patient laying on the bed. The distinct bullet wound raised a brow, and the shallow breathing grazing his gloved finger made his lips twitch.

"A major vein has been damaged, his at deaths door." The man voiced his assessment as he turned to Jennifer, he stroked his beard as he gave her a taste of reproach, "Don't you think a proper health care facility would tend better to his needs than bother this old man who's been lagging in his medical expertise lately?"

Jennifer rolled her eyes as she heard his shamelessly hidden message. If you didn't want blood spilling on the antiseptic floors of a hospital, he was the best man to go to, lest you be chased by the bloodthirsty hounds. The police were always a nuisance even in health matters. "Just do what you can, Mr. Daniel. 'She' will magnanimously compensate you for all your troubles."

"What else can I do but accept. I have no choice but perform better than I would in decades." Her confirmation sparked a world of enthusiasm from his as he took his case containing his lifetime instruments of divine wonders: bringing the unworthy back to the chessboard.

"Isn't he too skinny and pathetic to handle a gun?" Daniel inquired, in his experience of mingling and engaging with rats like himself, his patient looked like a young master material, violence was a nasty shade he didn't expect on a dandelion flower.

"Don't let prejudice cloud your already failing eyesight, the devil in plain sight has no discrimination between distinctions. Concentrating on what you were summoned here for. It is a better way to avoid your worst fears." Jennifer switched from amiable to a snake in an instant.

Daniel shut his mouth and grumbled something about 'youth been unbridled' and other ancient profanities.

The blood smeared gun near the woman tingled his instincts, he didn't want to present himself as an excuse, the purpose of the gun lay somewhere else, it wasn't him.

Jennifer didn't mind putting her elder in place, she had better things to occupy her mind with, like the chalice beside her. The owner would know of it's disappearance any time soon. 'I've already done my part, it's up to him to solve his own problems.' She made her peace as the bullet was been extracted from Lucas's shoulder. It was gruesome.

***

Ronald held his hands clenched together supporting his chin, the union beyond life and death with his daughter was been sullied by the intrusive guests arguing with his wife.

He didn't know what was worse? The beeping of the EKG monitor or the grating voices warring with semantics of reason. He understood there presence, it would be disastrous for every child if their wasn't a monitoring association for their well being, but why did they have to come now?

A notification chirmed, he immediately read the message received and clenched his fists harder, his nails luckily weren't sharp enough to draw blood. He stood up and walked towards his wife.

Fatigue discolored her vibrant aura, the child services representatives were insistent on their measures to ensure Natalia's safety. 'I knew I should have carried it. Maybe they will be more polite when a sense of reason is showcased. Now it's been used for better objectives I wasn't privy of." He mused to himself concerning the object of importance which was related to the message he received earlier.

His towering figure halted their conversation, he appreciated their silence, he didn't want to waste words with them.

"I have to take care of something back at home, can you take care od things here for a while, I'll be back after an hour." He whispered to his wife away from eavesdroppers.

"What's more important than keeping our daughter company until she wakes up?" Martha forced her words with exasperation.

"It's important, but it's also important I make sure it's not." Martha sighed from his cryptic words, and shooed him away. She was too worn to find out. "Make sure you come back early, she should wake up with her family there for her."

Non mentioned Lucas.

"I'll do that." Ronald assured her then took the coat she held to him. He could fell her watching his back as he left. He wanted to reveal the source of unease, but she had enough scares for a lifetime. Additionally he was never worked with speculations until proved otherwise.