My Wasteland Angel Bk. 01

I shake my head. There was no use thinking of this now, that decision was still a long way off. I had a lot of healing to do before I'd be going anywhere. Besides, she might finally think better of what she is doing and leave before any of that becomes an issue.

I turn my attention to the clothes Gabby had brought me. The pain is intense, and it takes me the better part of an hour, but I get the shorts and tank top on. At least my tits wouldn't be hanging out now. I take some time to rest before working at my next task. Procuring a way to defend myself.

From a cursory glance I could tell she had taken the knife, the pepper spray, and the multi-tool. There were bits of junk and metal along the trash pile that made up the back wall, but nothing hefty enough for a proper bludgeon. My eyes turn to look outside and settle on the only decent option. The rusty three foot metal bar, the one I was so sure would end my life.

With the utmost care I slowly make my way across the tent on my butt. I feel the hot dry dusty earth on bare sole and palm as I scooch out of the shaded area. The sun bears down on me, its intensity has waned a bit and the heat actually feels good. Using my good hand for balance I get up onto my uninjured foot. It is agony on my burnt and battered right side but I persevere and get up onto my feet. I am finally able to truly stretch out and my back feels the better for it. It was good to be on my feet again.

Gabby had put a basic splint on my damaged ankle which allows me to put a tiny bit of weight on it. It is enough to allow me to walk to a degree. Keeping ninety percent of my weight on my good leg at all times I make my way to the rod.

I grab it and pull it from the ground. Inspecting it I am satisfied to see it had been sheared clean through by something producing a sharp point on the one end. This would do for the time being. I also soon realize it acts as a pretty good walking cane too.

Looking around I finally get a real sense of where I am. Gabriela was right, this area was well isolated from the surrounding area. There was piled junk, mostly wrecked cars and ruined chunks of the collapsed cement and asphalt, on all sides of this roughly circular clearing. There seemed to be one narrow path that lead into the area though it was not straight so I could not see out very far. Looking up I see the site of the battle I was in yesterday. The already crumbling overpass now had three or four new chunks ripped out of it. Even down here I can see fresh blackened scorch marks. Crows and buzzards circle and perch around the battle site.

I finally look to the spot where Blitz had taken Gabriela, by grip tightens on the bar.

I shake the anger from my head, anger was useless right now. I can see where she had gathered the bits of wood she had mentioned for a potential fire tonight. As I look to the east however, and see the towering thunderheads in the distance, I suspect that there would be no fire tonight. With nothing better to do I spend most of the rest of the afternoon peeling an shattered windshield from and old car, my new weapon proving to be a useful tool as well. With great difficulty I drag it across to the pile of wood and lay it over top. I hoped it would keep the wood dry through the coming storm.

My injuries are roaring at me. I'd pushed myself too far. I stand taking deep breaths, coughing, and wishing I had even a sip of water for my burning throat. I eye the bucket of filthy wash water and ponder how bad it would be. As I stand trying to push back the pain once more, putting most of my weight on my walking stick, I hear Gabby returning. She is not nearly as quiet as usual. I hear her grunt and run into things, even stumble. Her uneven foot falls are hurried.

She enters the clearing through the path. She is hunched over and in obvious distress. Her left arm is held tight to her side. Her right hand holding desperately to a plastic jug of water. She is startled to see me out and standing on my own, and only fifteen feet away. She stops in her tracks and looks up at me. Seeing her for the first time upright I am reminded what a tiny mouse of a woman she was. I stand over a foot taller than her and was probably twice her weight. Her eyes are wide and scared as she looks down to the bar in my good hand. Her breathing is rapid and shallow.

"I...I couldn't get a gun..." She gasps suddenly. "...and I lost...food...unghhh..." She grunts in pain and sways weakly.

It is then I see the large dark stain soaking her shirt on her left shoulder and the blood dripping from her hand to the dusty ground below. In my concern I hobble toward her, lurching at her as fast as I could. She shrinks at my approach, stumbling away, and wails desperately. "Oh God! Don't hurt me! You agreed! Remember?" She trembles. "I...brought water...for us..."

I pull back to give her space. I nod slowly and look at her worriedly. I croak. "No...huuurt...Gahhbeee..."

She nods rapidly before turning and hurrying toward the shelter. I can hear her muttering to herself in a frightened voice. "I need to stop the bleeding, I need to clean it. Just clean it and stop the bleeding. That's all. It's easy. Just clean...stop the bleeding..." She sets the water down and crawls toward the medical kit.

I limp along toward the shelter myself at a much slower pace thanks to my injuries and fatigue. Emotionally my only concern was to see how bad Gabby had been hurt. With the way she held her arm and the amount of blood I am seeing it didn't look good.

My rational mind however is thinking one thing. Now we're both injured? We are in big trouble.

She never should have risked herself in taking care of me. If I hadn't distracted her Blitz wouldn't have gotten the drop on her. She wouldn't have lost her gun. If she hadn't been looking after me she'd probably be miles away from here by now. Alone but safe. If anything happened to this girl...if anything happened to Gabriela...a overwhelming sickening feeling unlike any I had never known grips my insides. Suddenly my pain didn't seem so bad. I force myself to hurry forward.

Before I duck into the shelter I glance to the east. I can see the huge dark billowy clouds are getting ever closer. I hear the first distant roll of thunder.

Part 9:

By the time I am crawling into our shelter Gabby had the kit in front of her. Her good hand shakes as she fumbles with the latch. I come up beside her, she was far too worried about her injury to worry about me anymore. I reach down and open the latch. She is moaning in pain as she opens it up with clumsy trembling fingers.

"Unghh...it hurts Filth...it hurts real bad..." She is gritting her teeth as she tries to hold herself together. "Unghhhh..."

She reaches for the kit, then toward her shirt, then toward the kit again. She was having trouble focusing on what she had to do next, in her pain and panic she was trying to do too much at once. She was in pain, she was scared, and she was confused. She had also lost a lot of blood. She was pale and sweating hard. Worry grips my heart.

I sit beside her, facing her, and croak. "Shirt...off..."

I pull the clean drinking water closer then reach over and pull medical kit toward me. Gabriela shrugs off her shoulder strap and unbuttons her shirt with a shaking hand. I help her peel her shirt off and quickly inspect her shoulder. It was hard to make out details with all the blood but it looked bad, real bad. Judging from the pattern and ragged edges it looks like she had been bitten right at the shoulder joint, it looks like it had damn near bit right through. Powerful closely spaced front teeth, huge incisors, probably a gore rat. Most of them were the size of normal rats but it was not uncommon for them to mutate and get much larger. I had seen some as big as Pitbulls.

With the wound now before me my battlefield experience kicks in and my emotions shut down as I do what I had to do. I wasn't a medic but I knew some basics. Gabby's breath was rapid and shallow. She is hunched over, her good hand gripping my leg. I could see by her wavering unfocused gaze that she was struggling to maintain consciousness, she would be of no help now. She was lucky to have made it back at all.

Grabbing one of the larger bandage packs I rip it open with my teeth and clamp it down hard over her shoulder with my big hand. Pressing equally on both sides at once. She screams in pain and grips my leg as hard as she could. "AHHHHH!" I take her good hand and bring it up to her her wound, getting her to hold it for a time. She just does what she is supposed to, she was past the point of putting up any struggle or questioning things now. I grit my teeth from my own pain as I lean back and snatch the whiskey bottle from the side of the shelter. With some difficulty I open the bottle one handed. I pour a bit in her mouth, she swallows it and coughs.

I pull the bandage back and then pour the rest of the whiskey over both sides of her wounded shoulder. I had to work fast and it was the best disinfectant I had at the ready. She shrieks in pain as the alcohol makes contact. I let the half bottle drain, letting the stream hit the wounds directly. Her hand digs into my leg hard as she cries out. "OWWWW AAHHHH!" I am impressed that she is able to stay still for it. She might not look like it but this girl was tough as nails. The whiskey and blood flow down to the floor. With the bandage I clean and dry the wound as best I can. Fuck...it was as bad as I had worried it was. Taking a fresh bandage I clamp it down once more, holding firm on both sides of her shoulder, trying to staunch the bleeding. She cries out again before her eyes roll up and she loses consciousness. I hold her upright as her slack body slumps forward.

I hear another roll of thunder, much closer now, and the first pitter-pat of rain coming down. Shit, just what I needed. I can hear the wind picking up. The edges of the tarp flap and snap from in increasing gusts. The shelter was in no condition for a storm. Damn these injuries slowing me down!

It was getting dark now too, the storm clouds blocking out the sun. Working with one hand and my mouth I apply the tightest wrapping I could manage. I keep pressure on the wounds as much as possible as I finish up and tie it off. The dark crimson stain of blood is already peaking through the white of the gauze. It was the best I would be able to do.

The cool moist air is blowing in hard. If I didn't do something soon the shelter would be gone. Torn away by the wind. I pull Gabby to the furthest in and most sheltered section, the area we'd been using as a bed. Her small body slips right out of her too big overalls as I awkwardly pull her over. I lay her down on her good side, foam under her head. I look over her lean tanned form. She's so small, so vulnerable, so...perfect. I shake my head. I had more to do. I couldn't be soft right now.

The pain was threatening to overwhelm me but with goals to focus on I am able to push through it. I pull all of the support poles down, the tarp falls and flaps. I crawl under the rustling thick plastic sheeting. The rain is ever intensifying, but the cool drops feel good on me after the hot dry day. Judging by the feel and the smell I am thinking it is just normal rain, though it was hard to be sure. Sometimes the rain was acidic or irradiated, but that didn't matter right now. Right now I had a job to do.

Using my spear as a cane I go around and bring anything heavy that I could manage to carry in my condition to anchor down the fluttering tarp. I fold the green plastic over on itself and I make the sheltered area as small as possible. There was barely any space inside our makeshift tent now. Basically just down to the bed area. That was good, the smaller the better as the wind threatened to snatch up any bit of loose tarp and carry the whole thing away.

Lightning flashes and the rain suddenly escalates. A boom of thunder shakes me to my bones. I plant down a few more heavy chunks of cement before wriggling my way back into the cramped shelter along one of the sides. I pull myself up Gabriela's head. Pulling the foam pillow from under her I place it behind me as I make myself as comfortable as possible in a sitting position. I carefully lay Gabby's head back down on my thigh.

I was done. I could do no more. My current strength and endurance had reached their limits. I sit with my eyes closed and focus everything on controlling my breathing and managing the pain roaring through my right side. I let out a low growl of agony. Reaching out into the now dark interior I find the water jug. I drink four long blessed swallows from it and let out a relieved sigh. And another. As I rest I can feel things settle down within me, the pain returns to a dull constant hum.

"Whooo..." I croak. I listen to my new friend's rapid shallow breathing. I can feel it as her body heat rises steadily.

Outside the storm rages. The rain pounds down and the wind howls with nature's fury. I can hear bits of trash and debris skitter and fly by. Thankfully I knew we were tucked away, none should hit us. It would blow by or over us. Flashes of lightning lit the reduced shelter's green walls every few seconds. The rumbling thunderclaps rolled into each other, one on top the next, shaking the soaking earth below. The shelter was holding firm, right now that was all I cared about. Let it storm, as long as we were safe that was all that mattered.

Pouring a little of the water into my hand I stroke it over her hot forehead and into her short soft hair. I do it again and wet her lips, I manage to get a few drops into her dry mouth. She unconsciously suckles on my wet finger. Her body wanting some of that precious liquid. I give her more, and then again, and then again. When she awoke I would give her a proper drink, but not until then. If she awoke at all...I shake my head. I wet her burning neck and face. Petting her and stroking her furnace of a body.

I'd seen her naked now, I knew that she had no obvious external mutations. I wondered what was different about her on the inside that made her get so warm when she slept. I can't help but ponder how the pure bloods could throw this girl to the Wastes just for being hot when she slept? Was this one small woman really such a threat to them? Why were they so insistent on purity? Sometimes they seemed more monstrous than any mutated creature I had encountered in the Wastes. They had a choice.

As I feel her against me I remember how Gabby had prayed the previous night. I recall how important she seemed to think it was. How she said I should pray even though I couldn't be saved. Fucking ridiculous, but...if it could help her...

Looking up I say in my mind. 'Hey! Hey you! You up there? Well I'm talking if you're listening, you fucking cunt. How fucking dare you do this to Gabriela! She was trying to save a wretch. Trying to save someone who didn't deserve it. And THIS is how she is rewarded!? If you have to take anyone take ME you fucking cocksucker. It is so fucking obvious. Take me! Leave her alone! Fuck you. FUCK YOU! If you do exist I hope you eat shit and die!'

I shake my head. Okay, that wasn't going to help anything. I don't think prayer was really my thing. I let out a long breath, my fatigued and over stressed body was giving up.

I lay my head back and close my eyes. Sleep was coming for me now, whether I wanted it or not. My fingers stroke my savior's hair and slender neck as I slowly drift off to the sounds of the storm. The heat emanating from Gabriela easily warmed our small area even as the cool wind of the storm blew the hotness of the day away. I hoped she would make it. I hoped that we would be okay. I hoped I would hear her lovely voice again.

My thoughts are only with Gabby as sleep finally claims me.

Part 10:

My sleep is deep and dark. I was too tired even for dreams.

I finally wake to the gentle steady pat, pat, pat of water dripping inside one of the ruined cars behind me in the junk pile. The storm had passed during the night. I was happy to feel that I was still mostly dry and that... I suddenly realize that I don't feel the weight of her head on my thigh or the heat from her body warming me.

I bolt upright and open my eyes, simultaneously I feel around where Gabriela ought to be. Gabby was gone! The early morning light was filtering through the sheeting so I could see. I was alone in the shelter. Frantically my eyes flit around looking for signs of a struggle or of her being dragged away. Everything seemed fine. I the realize the blanket had been lain over me, the jug of water sitting to my left. It was then I hear the crack of a wood fire and movement outside.

I try to talk but it catches in my throat. I take a quick swig of water then try again.

"Gab...riela?" I swallow hard. My throat was starting to feel better, though there was still a raspy pain as I spoke. "Gabby? Is that...you?"

I hear soft wet footfalls approach and then her smiling face suddenly pops into view. "Filth! You're speaking so much better today." She wriggles in along the side of the shelter. "I'll open this up again, it's so nice outside. Fresh. Nothing like a good storm to freshen things up." She comes to kneel down by my legs. She wore only her overalls, which she wore tighter today to cover her breasts, and shoes. Her blood soaked shirt was nowhere to be seen. She is all smiles as she looks at me.

I am beyond confused as I stare at her grinning face and...perfect shoulder. She had removed the bandage and cleaned her arm. Only flawless copper skin where there should be a nasty wound. There was no sign of the life threatening injury from the evening before. She moved without pain or inconvenience. Gabby continues. "I found a whole bunch of toads this morning." She lets out an excited laugh. "We're eating good this morning. Hey, that was great what you did to protect the wood, it was still mostly dry. You're...um...oh this sounds awful I'm sorry...but...you're smarter than I...expected."

I might be offended at that if I wasn't so focused on the impossibility before me. She continues to talk in that way she does, going on as if everything was perfectly normal. "I'll have to redo your bandages today. That'll be most of our remaining supplies but...OH!" I reach out and grab what ought to be bandaged and wounded flesh. She startles then slowly relaxes. She was still nervous about me but had made a conscious decision to trust me. I lean forward and inspect it closely. It was miraculous. There wasn't a mark on her!

Obviously more happened when she slept than simply her body temperature going up. Now it made sense as to how she had managed to keep such a flawless unmarked body living the life of a scrounger. I had once met a man with similar healing abilities, but he was a gnarled and scarred monstrosity.

"Shoulder?" I ask insistently.

She looks uncomfortable, her eyes dart away. "Oh...yeah. That. Uhmm. Thanks for fixing me up Filth. I'm glad it wasn't so bad." She tries to pull away but I hold her firm. "I...should go cook those..." She glances back away from me. "Please let me go."

"Hurt! Shoulder!?" I ask again. I rub it under my long hand. I could feel no indication of anything wrong. It had healed perfectly.

She swallows hard and clears her throat. "I prayed this morning and thanked the lord for his mercy..."

"Shoulder!?" I say again louder. "Mutant." I blurt out. Even as it comes out I regret it.

Her eyes snap up to mine. There was a pained look on her face as genuine as the suffering I saw on it last night as I cleaned her wound. It was followed immediately by a flash of anger. "I'm a human! Do you hear me? I'm a human, Filth! Not a mutant like you...ORC! I am a child of God." She is blinking tears from her eyes. "I'm not a nasty dirty..." She bites her lip. Whatever she was about to say was not going to be kind, but she stops herself.