Agent in the Dark (The Agents for Good) by Guy Stanton III Page B

woman with all the practicality of a nurse in her bearing.
    “Put her here on the table.” The Doctor said.
    I laid Asia down and they lost no time, but showed their experience in how they coordinated together at cutting away the bandage and shirt in order to examine the wound. It was a small clean hole, probably made by a small caliber bullet such as a 22.
    They rolled her onto her side, as the doctor felt at her back, “I feel it!”
    The nurse sterilized the area and then the Doctor split the skin with a scalpel. More of my Asia’s blood dripped down to stain the table red. My hands tightened into fists at the sight of it. A hand squeezed my shoulder and I glanced to the side to see the black man there. I shrugged his grasp off and went back to watching the Doctor. The man didn’t seem to be offended, but continued to stand beside me.
    “Got it!” The Doctor said pulling a small smashed up, but intact looking bullet from the wound.
    The piece of lead tinkled loudly into the little pan that he dropped it in, as he continued digging into the incision on the back of Asia’s shoulder. My temper began to rise. What was he doing? Couldn’t he see she was bleeding out? He pulled something else out of the wound with a pair of twe ezers.
    The nurse quickly took it from him and stretched out Asia’s shirt and pressed out the bloody patch onto the hole in the shirt.
    “It fits!” She said.
    “Good, let’s get her closed up and an IV started.” The Doctor said.
     
    They moved quickly and expertly in doing just that and I began to relax inside. The Doctor left off and the nurse took over.
    The older man beside me spoke deeply, “Steve, he needs some attention too.”
    I glanced down to see the small puddle of blood on the floor. I had completely forgotten about being hit first by the bullet. I couldn’t care less about my wound. The Doctor pulled my shirt up and inspected the wound. He glanced up at me and then over at Asia. “Minor miracle here Eli.” The Doctor said.
    “How so?” Asked the man beside me curiously.
    “The bullet hit him first, which stole most of its energy, but more than that hitting his rib deflect the bullet slightly off course. It would’ve cut a major artery otherwise and the bullet would’ve smashed off the bone and likely ping-ponged around inside of her, if it hadn’t first hit him.”
    “That isn’t a small miracle by any means Steve.” The man called Eli said.
    The Doctor smiled, “I guess not.”
    “Is she going to be okay?” I asked breaking into the co nversation.
    “She’s lost a lot of blood, but the bullet doesn’t seem to have amounted to any major internal damage, so I think with some rest and recovery she’ll be absolutely fine. Betty, when you’re done there can you clean and stitch this up?”
    The nurse quickly nodded.
    Steve smiled at me, “Sorry I have to skip out like this, but I’ve got two sets of twins trying to beat each other out.”
    I nodded in understanding, as he passed by me out the door. The nurse came to me and I held my shirt up for her, as she worked on my side. She was very proficient and soon had me stitched up. I let my shirt down, but she hadn’t moved away. Her steady hands and demeanor were gone.
    Her fingers shaking she brushed away a tear unable to meet my eyes with hers, “I’m so sorry! I……”
    “Your son?” I asked.
    She nodded.
    “Send him by later. I’d like to have a little talk with him.”
    She nodded and left the room. I turned towards the man still by my side.
    “Are you the leader here?” I asked.
    He shrugged expressively, “Some look to me for gui dance.”
    “Can we stay until she’s better?”
    “I wouldn’t hear of anything else!” He exclaimed.
    “I can’t pay you anything.”
    “No payment is required. Now why don’t you sit down over there and take a load off your feet and I’ll send you in some food.”
     
    He left then and closed the door behind him. I waited a moment before approaching