Re: Chapter 2.3: Night at the Foundation [01/31/1925]
Rosalie screamed as the shot rang out, as shocked by Vincent's sudden appearance as the guard had been. Time slowed to a crawl, and she watched helplessly as the rifle barrel rose and aimed at her friend. The crack was deafening in the closed space. She didn't remember backpedaling, but found herself pressed against the wall when the guard dropped. Tommy's attack barely registered. One hand covered her mouth as she stared in horror at the pool of blood slowly spreading across the floor.
---
"He's gone, Rosie," Gemma murmured. "He was too far gone."
Rosalie looked at the blood covering her hands, still wet and slick, vibrant crimson in the sunlight. Only moments before it had been pumping from the man's side, spurting through her fingers as she vainly tried to stop the torrent. Shuddering, she wiped her hands on her apron which had once been pristine white and crisply starched. Now, it wore a grisly patina that would likely never come clean. Much like Rosalie, it would always carry with it the stains of war.
"You'll learn to identify which you can help and which are beyond it. Some men just need a pretty face to look at one last time before they go. We're here for that as much as we are to help the doctors." There was a hollowness to their instructor's words and pity in the nurse's eyes as she looked up at her fresh-faced recruits. "When there's nothing else for it, offer a few words of reassurance and comfort. No man should have to die scared and alone. Then wash up and move on to the next."
Rosalie stared down at the dead soldier as the seasoned nurse closed his eyes and murmured a prayer, crossing herself after. Though her parents had never been particularly religious, Rosalie copied the gesture, though it gave her no comfort. She could still see the man's glassy-eyed expression staring at her as the last breath of life fled from his body.
"Wash up and move on, like they said," Gemma prodded quietly. It may have been harsh, but it was needed to rouse Rosalie from her momentary shock. The green-eyed Irish girl gave her hand a squeeze. "Let's get more bandages, Rosie. We're going to need them."
---
"What did you do?" Rosalie asked in shock, staring at the dead man on the floor, one more face to add to the hundreds that still haunted her. "What did you do?!" Her eyes flashed to Vincent.
She slapped away the flask he offered and then struck him hard across the cheek. "He didn't even have his gun pointed at me! You didn't give him a chance to respond. I could have brought him to you. You could have knocked him out. But... but... now he's dead! We came to find the mirror, not to murder a man that was just doing his job!"
Tears were flowing freely and there was little she could do to stop the torrent. "YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN YOURSELF KILLED! HE SHOT AT YOU!" Her gaze fell to Vincent's blood-soaked shirt. "Bloody hell... he shot you!"
Trying not to step in the growing pool of blood, she fished out her first aid kit. Despite her distress, her hands were amazingly steady. Her eyes, though, were like smoldering embers as she approached Vincent to bandage his wound. "If you'd died, I would have followed you to the afterlife to kill you a second time," she said bitterly. "Insufferable fool..."
With brisk efficiency, she tended to Vinnie's gunshot, ignoring his discomfort (not to mention the bare expanse of skin) as she pulled his shirt up and away from the wound and sprinkled it with styptic powder to help staunch the bleeding. The bandage she wound about his torso was just a fraction too tight, and the look in her eyes dared him to protest the rough treatment.
"We'll have to dig that bullet out when we have the time," she said coolly. Though she was once again composed and in control of her emotions, her words were clipped and her tone unforgiving.
After checking her own injury and applying a numbing cream to her cheek where she'd been struck, she put her things back in order and moved to use the phone to contact Avery. Her angry gaze landed on Tommy as she passed. "Well talk about how stupid your little move was later."
First Aid - Rosalie
Recovered 1 HP
First Aid - Vincent
Recovered 3 HP
22:01, Today: Rosalie Elias rolled 33 using 1d100 with rolls of 33. First Aid (80).
22:04, Today: Rosalie Elias rolled 1 using 1d3 with rolls of 1. Hit Point Recovery.
22:01, Today: Rosalie Elias rolled 49 using 1d100 with rolls of 49. First Aid (80).
22:04, Today: Rosalie Elias rolled 3 using 1d3 with rolls of 3. Hit Point Recovery.