Dark Embrace

4

The man I found at my doorstep was still unconscious from last night. I fixed up his wounds enough to stop the bleeding. He was shot three times and then stabbed once. The bullets were removed, but I didn't have anything to cover the wound for healing. I wanted to head to George's to get some proper supplies, but I didn't want to go too early. It would be weird to ask for stuff that early in the morning. For now, I used a clean towel to cover his wounds temporarily until I could go to George's later.

I stared down at the man in front of me. I couldn't carry him to my room, so I laid him on the couch. He had a small snake tattoo coiled around his right wrist and a large bird tattoo - possibly an eagle or falcon - spread across his upper back. Dark-coffee short hair, his jawline strong and defined, and his features chiseled. He might be a robber, but robbers usually look more rugged; he would definitely be their leader, based on his appearance.

My heart raced a bit. He wouldn't hurt his saviour, right? I couldn't just leave him dying on my doorstep - that would haunt me forever. If he tries anything funny when he wakes up, I'm calling everyone in the neighborhood on him. I cleaned up the room, getting rid of his bloody shirt and the clothes I used to stop the bleeding. Thanks to him, I didn't get a wink of sleep, constantly checking if he was still breathing. The clock struck at 9:00 am, so I headed to George's for some first aid supplies. Luckily, George didn't ask questions and just handed me the kit.

When I got back home, my patient was already awake and was about to leave. He was clearly weak from blood loss, breathing heavily, and clutching his wounded side. I halted him with her hand.

"Hey, you shouldn't be standing yet." He ignored me and went for the door. "Hey!" I halted him again and stood between him and the door. He tilted his head a bit, looking at me, shocked or surprised - I had no idea. I wasn't going to let him leave like that.

"I don't leave my patients half-treated, so sit down and let me dress your wounds."

He didn't move, we stood there, staring at each other. I raised my eyebrows, expecting him to move back instead he collapsed on my shoulder.

I held onto him even though he was a bit heavy and was able to put him back down on the couch. He kept breathing heavily and sweating a lot. I wiped away his sweat and got to work. I applied the antibiotic ointment but he didn't wince in pain or anything, he was taking in the pain just fine. I looked up at him, a bit surprised and he looked back at me like he was aiming to build a hole through me. I went back to the wound and properly dressed it. I brought him some water to stay hydrated. He hesitated before drinking it from my hand.

"I just moved here, so I don't have food to help you regain your strength. Wait here while I quickly run to the grocery store, I'll be back in a sec." I said, arranging the first aid box kit.

"Aren't you scared?" He asked. It sounded more like "Aren't-a you scah-red?" in a gruff manner. He had an Italian accent, I'd treated many patients with similar accents before.

"I can see you're not from here, how did you get injured then?" I asked but got silence in response. He was just staring at me.

"You need to stop, you might create a hole through me," I said with a smile.

"Aren't you scared?" He asked again.

"Scared of what? You? Of course, I am, but people don't hurt their savior, do they?" I said, chuckling nervously.

He stood up, much stronger than before, and walked towards me. My heart started racing, and instinctively, I stepped back till my back was against the wall.

"You-you shouldn't be standing up." I said and swallowed hard as he closed the distance between us. He lifted my chin to meet his gaze but didn't say a word. I wriggled free, ducking under his arm, and backed away. "Hey, stop that!" I warned, clutching my chest. I was scared.

Just then, a car pulled up outside. I wanted to see who it was, but he turned to face me with a smirk. "Thanks for saving my life." He said.

"You should've said that first, instead of being all creepy."

"What do you want in return for saving my life?" He asked, grabbing the towel from the couch and wrapping it around his shoulders.

"Saving lives is my job, so no need to worry about it."

But he asked again, serious this time. "I hate feeling indebted to anyone, What do you want?"

"If you insist... umm... Revenge on my ex-husband." I said jokingly, It's not like he could mend my broken heart. He nodded.

Just then, I heard a knock on the door. "They're here for me," he said, and with that, he opened the door and left with some men in suits. The men in suits only confirmed my suspicions - he seemed dangerous.

Well, phew, that's not my problem anymore. He was gone.