Tala
First Chapter
Chapter One
Matoaka
“We found a man down by the river,” one of the many men that live on the reservation tells me from where he is standing at my office door.
“And?” I ask, a hint of annoyance lacing my voice. This is not my problem.
“He needs your assistance.”
My inner doctor becomes alert. “How so?”
“He’s got three knife wounds. Nothing life threatening, but he can’t walk very well.”
Little does Thomas know that even though the wounds may not be in a non life threatening area, infection can set in. It also depends on how long he’s been out there bleeding. My mind starts reeling at the thought of what this unknown man has went through.
I don’t bother telling Thomas any of that, he’s likely not to care anyhow. It would be a waste of my time. “Bring him in.”
He moves out of the room and two seconds later he and another man, known as Jacob, drag the wounded man in, either arm draped over the men’s shoulders.
“Lay him on the examining chair.”
Living on the reservation we aren’t blessed with a lot of the finer things in life. We work for what we have, we make do with that. Just like my clinic. It’s not anything fancy, but I am able to care for my patients in almost every way they need. Even if that means doing stitches right here. We take care of our own no matter how that may come.
Thomas and Jacob get the man settled on the chair and then step back for me to examine him. He’s awake but the wounds to his abdominal region are severe enough he is groggy due to the pain. My mind is fully focused on the patient in front of me.
Walking to the table where the man is laying completely still, I begin to assess him further. “Can you tell me your name?”
“Neo,” he responds through clenched teeth, the pain evident in his voice.
“Okay, Neo. Can you tell me what happened?”
From the looks of it this man wasn’t expecting to just go out and get himself stabbed three times. He’s dressed nicely — a suit — but glancing down the length of him, I see he is wearing boots. They look like a tactical boot of sorts. So maybe he was anticipating some kind of action to happen.
“Just fix me up,” he grunts.
Oh, he’s going to be one of those patients.
“I can’t do that until I know what happened. These men,” — I point to Thomas and Jacob who are still standing in the room, I am sure taking up guard duty — “found you so they don’t know what happened. Unless you tell me, I will have to go in blind which can mean I get it wrong. Many things can happen if I treat you incorrectly,” I tell him, I exaggerate vaguely. I just need to clean the abrasions and stitch him. Though the dried blood on his shirt and the way his lips are cracking give me an inkling this didn’t just happen to the man. Him telling me isn’t so much about his health as it is keeping my friends and family safe.
Neo clenches his jaw causing the muscle above his jawbone to jump. Apparently I’ve angered the man asking him what happened. Well then, I suppose I can just do this the hard way. I move to the counter to wash up and collect the tools I’ll need, given my best assumption Neo won’t open up about what happened to him.
Loading my tray down, I move back to the chair. He is now gripping the chair with his hands, so hard, I might add, that his knuckles are turning white.
There is no doubt he is hurting, but what comes from him next actually shocks me.
“Knife,” he mutters.
I swallow my surprise and ask, “Were you alone?”
He shakes his head.
“Would you like to tell me how exactly this happened?”
He doesn’t hesitate with his answer, “Told you it was a knife, that should be good enough to fix the wounds.”
“Right,” I say. He’s not wrong, but it’s not usual for someone to stab themselves multiple times and then leave themselves for dead. If there’s another person involved, my reservation can be at risk with a madman on the loose. “If there is someone else involved, are my people in harms way?”
With another shake of his head he gives me his answer and leaves it at that.
“I see you are forthcoming with information,” I joke. “I’ll just get started.”
“Thank you,” he clips, not one ounce appreciative.
“Can you sit up so I can take your jacket off?”
Neo sucks in a large breath and then his body stiffens to sit up enough to slide his jacket off. His face contorts in pain, but when I move to help him he swats my hand away. I figure he won’t accept help. Once he gets the jacket off he falls back to the chair and lets the large breath he was holding out. “Fuck,” he hisses.
I ignore this because I figure he doesn’t want to hear how he should have let me help at this juncture.
I give him a moment before I start.
With as much pain as he has shown since he walked into the office, he does rather well with only a few jerks. A couple of the wounds are deeper than I had originally thought. I don’t think he will be leaving us for a little while, that and his dehydration I would like to keep watch over him until I feel comfortable with him leaving.
Once I’m done stitching him, I wipe him clean of blood and then cover the wounds with bandages.
“I’ll give you something for the pain and also an antibiotic just to be safe on the infection side.”
He nods his head and says nothing further.
“We have a cot in the back, you’re very weak caused from dehydration and from the looks of your wounds, this didn’t just happen. Your body needs some time to regain strength again. You can rest there and then we will find you a place to stay for a few days.”
He jerks his head to me, eyes scowling. “I’m fine.”
It’s my turn to use his move on him, I shake my head. “No, you aren’t. You need rest and the proper kind so those wounds heal. I’d like to keep an eye on you while they do that.”
He attempts to sit up but flinches in pain, realizing he can’t do that just yet with the pain. “Appreciate what you’ve done, but I got things I gotta see to.”
“I’m sure you do but they can wait.”
He squints. “Right, I need to leave,” he says firmly. Nevertheless, I do not back down.
I have a stubborn father and two older brothers. I know how to handle a man like Neo.”
“You need to rest.”
“You’re not going to let me leave?” he asks.
“Not like you could walk out of here very well anyways,” I mutter.
Frustrated, he lays his head back on the chair.
“With the help of Thomas and Jacob, you can settle in the other room.” I move away and the guys come further into the room. Just to prove he is a man, he doesn’t accept the help of the two men and gets off the examining chair by himself.
I ignore this foolish behavior and tell him, “I’ll bring your medicine to you in just a minute.”
He grunts something unintelligible.
I smile to myself. If I was a different woman, I might allow my chest to puff out in succeeding this time with Neo. I have a strange feeling that this won’t be the last time he and I butt heads though.
Fifteen minutes later, I give Neo his pain medicine and settle him into the cot. He looks completely worn out. You can tell just by looking at the man that he’s the type that doesn’t let much defeat him. Seeing him weak — giving into the pain — in this moment tugs at my heart in an extremely odd way. I don’t know him other than our encounter today. I should take it for what it is. A stranger who needed helped.
In a strange way, I know that isn’t all this will be.
Copyright © JL Long
Matoaka
“We found a man down by the river,” one of the many men that live on the reservation tells me from where he is standing at my office door.
“And?” I ask, a hint of annoyance lacing my voice. This is not my problem.
“He needs your assistance.”
My inner doctor becomes alert. “How so?”
“He’s got three knife wounds. Nothing life threatening, but he can’t walk very well.”
Little does Thomas know that even though the wounds may not be in a non life threatening area, infection can set in. It also depends on how long he’s been out there bleeding. My mind starts reeling at the thought of what this unknown man has went through.
I don’t bother telling Thomas any of that, he’s likely not to care anyhow. It would be a waste of my time. “Bring him in.”
He moves out of the room and two seconds later he and another man, known as Jacob, drag the wounded man in, either arm draped over the men’s shoulders.
“Lay him on the examining chair.”
Living on the reservation we aren’t blessed with a lot of the finer things in life. We work for what we have, we make do with that. Just like my clinic. It’s not anything fancy, but I am able to care for my patients in almost every way they need. Even if that means doing stitches right here. We take care of our own no matter how that may come.
Thomas and Jacob get the man settled on the chair and then step back for me to examine him. He’s awake but the wounds to his abdominal region are severe enough he is groggy due to the pain. My mind is fully focused on the patient in front of me.
Walking to the table where the man is laying completely still, I begin to assess him further. “Can you tell me your name?”
“Neo,” he responds through clenched teeth, the pain evident in his voice.
“Okay, Neo. Can you tell me what happened?”
From the looks of it this man wasn’t expecting to just go out and get himself stabbed three times. He’s dressed nicely — a suit — but glancing down the length of him, I see he is wearing boots. They look like a tactical boot of sorts. So maybe he was anticipating some kind of action to happen.
“Just fix me up,” he grunts.
Oh, he’s going to be one of those patients.
“I can’t do that until I know what happened. These men,” — I point to Thomas and Jacob who are still standing in the room, I am sure taking up guard duty — “found you so they don’t know what happened. Unless you tell me, I will have to go in blind which can mean I get it wrong. Many things can happen if I treat you incorrectly,” I tell him, I exaggerate vaguely. I just need to clean the abrasions and stitch him. Though the dried blood on his shirt and the way his lips are cracking give me an inkling this didn’t just happen to the man. Him telling me isn’t so much about his health as it is keeping my friends and family safe.
Neo clenches his jaw causing the muscle above his jawbone to jump. Apparently I’ve angered the man asking him what happened. Well then, I suppose I can just do this the hard way. I move to the counter to wash up and collect the tools I’ll need, given my best assumption Neo won’t open up about what happened to him.
Loading my tray down, I move back to the chair. He is now gripping the chair with his hands, so hard, I might add, that his knuckles are turning white.
There is no doubt he is hurting, but what comes from him next actually shocks me.
“Knife,” he mutters.
I swallow my surprise and ask, “Were you alone?”
He shakes his head.
“Would you like to tell me how exactly this happened?”
He doesn’t hesitate with his answer, “Told you it was a knife, that should be good enough to fix the wounds.”
“Right,” I say. He’s not wrong, but it’s not usual for someone to stab themselves multiple times and then leave themselves for dead. If there’s another person involved, my reservation can be at risk with a madman on the loose. “If there is someone else involved, are my people in harms way?”
With another shake of his head he gives me his answer and leaves it at that.
“I see you are forthcoming with information,” I joke. “I’ll just get started.”
“Thank you,” he clips, not one ounce appreciative.
“Can you sit up so I can take your jacket off?”
Neo sucks in a large breath and then his body stiffens to sit up enough to slide his jacket off. His face contorts in pain, but when I move to help him he swats my hand away. I figure he won’t accept help. Once he gets the jacket off he falls back to the chair and lets the large breath he was holding out. “Fuck,” he hisses.
I ignore this because I figure he doesn’t want to hear how he should have let me help at this juncture.
I give him a moment before I start.
With as much pain as he has shown since he walked into the office, he does rather well with only a few jerks. A couple of the wounds are deeper than I had originally thought. I don’t think he will be leaving us for a little while, that and his dehydration I would like to keep watch over him until I feel comfortable with him leaving.
Once I’m done stitching him, I wipe him clean of blood and then cover the wounds with bandages.
“I’ll give you something for the pain and also an antibiotic just to be safe on the infection side.”
He nods his head and says nothing further.
“We have a cot in the back, you’re very weak caused from dehydration and from the looks of your wounds, this didn’t just happen. Your body needs some time to regain strength again. You can rest there and then we will find you a place to stay for a few days.”
He jerks his head to me, eyes scowling. “I’m fine.”
It’s my turn to use his move on him, I shake my head. “No, you aren’t. You need rest and the proper kind so those wounds heal. I’d like to keep an eye on you while they do that.”
He attempts to sit up but flinches in pain, realizing he can’t do that just yet with the pain. “Appreciate what you’ve done, but I got things I gotta see to.”
“I’m sure you do but they can wait.”
He squints. “Right, I need to leave,” he says firmly. Nevertheless, I do not back down.
I have a stubborn father and two older brothers. I know how to handle a man like Neo.”
“You need to rest.”
“You’re not going to let me leave?” he asks.
“Not like you could walk out of here very well anyways,” I mutter.
Frustrated, he lays his head back on the chair.
“With the help of Thomas and Jacob, you can settle in the other room.” I move away and the guys come further into the room. Just to prove he is a man, he doesn’t accept the help of the two men and gets off the examining chair by himself.
I ignore this foolish behavior and tell him, “I’ll bring your medicine to you in just a minute.”
He grunts something unintelligible.
I smile to myself. If I was a different woman, I might allow my chest to puff out in succeeding this time with Neo. I have a strange feeling that this won’t be the last time he and I butt heads though.
Fifteen minutes later, I give Neo his pain medicine and settle him into the cot. He looks completely worn out. You can tell just by looking at the man that he’s the type that doesn’t let much defeat him. Seeing him weak — giving into the pain — in this moment tugs at my heart in an extremely odd way. I don’t know him other than our encounter today. I should take it for what it is. A stranger who needed helped.
In a strange way, I know that isn’t all this will be.
Copyright © JL Long
