“Just try and stem the flow as much as you can.”Owen’s voice was strained as he worked and, momentarily, I caught sight of the bloody mess he was making.
“Jesus Christ.”Eli’s head swung in my direction, his expression etched with the trauma of the event.“Erin.”
“I’m here.”I reached for him with my free hand, pressing the towel harder against his torso as I ducked out of Owen’s way.
“It’s deeper than I’d hoped.”Owen pushed the words out through gritted teeth.“But I see it.”
“Fuck.”Eli squeezed his eyes closed, his grip on my fingers tightening.
“Tweezers, Erin,” Owen commanded.“Now.”
Leaving the towel on Eli’s abdominals, I twisted to collect the instrument Owen wanted.Usually, I’d have had a strong opinion about taking orders from my brother, but those were exceptional circumstances.If he could help Eli to heal, I’d have considered almost anything he wanted.
“Here.”I passed the tweezers under Owen’s left arm, waiting while he took them from me.
“Take this knife,” he retorted, lowering the blade toward me.“Put it in the hot water.”
I moved on autopilot, doing as he asked and watching Eli’s blood mingle in the water when I dropped the blade into the filled jug.
“Almost there…”
I wasn’t sure Owen’s running commentary was helping, but stroking Eli’s hand, I hoped it was offering some small consolation.
“Got it!”Triumph rang out in Owen’s voice.“Erin, pass the jug of water this way.”
I rushed to help, leaving Eli’s hand before I collected the jug and passed it in Owen’s direction.A moment later, he shifted back and dropped the bullet and the tweezers into the hot water, his attention returning to his patient.
“Get another towel, please,” he instructed, gesturing to the spare ones on the arm of the sofa.
I’d rarely seen the authoritative version of my brother before, but I responded, darting to pass him what he needed before I collected Eli’s hand once more.
“Is it over?”Eli swallowed, his head turning tentatively in Owen’s direction.
“I need to close this wound.”Owen peered over his shoulder at me.“Erin, can you run and grab my first-aid kit, please?I have steri-strips in there.”
“Okay.”
Tugging off my gloves, I folded them into a pile by the jug of water and ran back to the bathroom.I found the kit where Owen had left it, grasping it before I chased back to the two men who’d become the center of my existence.I found Owen, no longer straddling my lover, but now looming over his injured shoulder, applying pressure to the place he’d just removed the bullet from.
“These?”I fumbled with the box, waving the strips at Owen.
“Yes,” he replied.“I’ll need them one at a time, but you’ll need fresh gloves on first.”
I worked quickly, pulling the fresh latex over my fingers before I tackled the box.The strips were difficult to manage with the additional layer, but somehow, I managed, peeling the first strip away from the plastic before offering it to Owen.
“Here’s the first one.”
Owen took it from me slowly, releasing the pressure on the then bloody towel as he set about securing the strip.“Next one, please.”
One by one, I handed the strips to my brother, watching as he set about trying to repair the flesh of Eli’s shoulder.
“How’s the pain?’Owen asked, his attention landing back on his patient.
“Fucking awful.”Eli spat.“But at least the bullet’s out.Thanks.”
“Even with these strips, there’s still a very real risk of infection, Eli.”Owen had employed his ‘doctor voice’.The one I imagined him using when he was at work.“And you’ll have to be careful with the strips for a few days.”
“I understand.”Eli scowled.
