Private Finished Blood and Fear

Naoko was on her way home. Just on her way home. Really, she felt downright relaxed. The virus was over. Her father was back. Her family was whole again.

And Naoko probably would have stayed calm and relaxed if not for the fact that she all but stumbled on what (for a moment, anyway) she assumed was a dead body.

It took her a second to realize it wasn't a dead body, but the boy in front of her was obviously very badly hurt, and Naoko let out a small gasp before hiding her mouth behind her hand.

"Are you - are you okay?"

Sure, she knew first aid, but first aid wasn't going to help this, and she didn't even have any supplies... she needed help. She needed to see if he was even awake. She needed a lot of things right then, and none of them were a half-dead boy.

Oh dear. Naoko wasn't one of those people, the kind who had a million hours of combat experience, who had seen people die. She'd never seen anyone die. She'd never even really been exposed to death, outside of her father who didn't even stay dead. He didn't even count, because it wasn't real.

It wasn't like this.

Maybe he wasn't even dying. He was talking. He'd said he was roughed up, but there was blood and he was out of it. The entire thing was distressing, and Naoko's usual expression--annoyed--had twisted into one of fear and concern.

"What - okay, hold - you need help. What happened?" Naoko said, wasting no time in digging out her phone. Emergency services was her first plan, and then it occurred to her that she was in school, and the school probably had something that would handle this faster, only maybe she should call emergency services anyway?

Emergency, she decided, dialing before glancing up to James, completely ignoring that he'd said her name.

What would her father do? No, scratch that, what would her mother do? Naoko did her best to listen as the call went through, and then abruptly let her attention slip to the call.

"We're at -" Naoko paused, furiously glancing around. "We're outside Starlight Academy, on the grounds. I mean, we're in the school grounds but outside the building, not far from where power classes are taken? Between that and the library."

Naoko really wasn't expecting them to know where that was, but apparently they did. Later on she'd realize that there was a good chance the person on the phone had gone to the academy as well, but in that moment it seemed like a miracle.

"He's all - he's bloody and I think he was assaulted? He can't even - oh, his -" Naoko blanked for a moment. She knew him. They'd met. But she couldn't even remember what his name was, couldn't get past the fact that he was bleeding and maybe dying only he was talking so he probably wasn't dead.

Maybe.

"James!" She blurted out. "His name is James and he's a student in high school." No idea on the last name. Either he hadn't told her, or she was blanking it out in her anxiety.

"And stop apologizing," Naoko said, her eyes snapping back to James. "You didn't ask to be assaulted!"

"Stop thanking me!" Naoko blurted out, her anxiety spiking. "That's what people who are dying say, and you aren't dying!"

The panic was really getting to her. The entire experience was alarming and Naoko really had no idea what she should be doing. Should he be talking? Shouldn't she be trying to keep him awake?

Right, probably that. Something about shock.

"Who did it? Who jumped you?" Naoko blurted out, hoping to keep him talking and unable to think of anything else to discuss.

Panic was all there was.

Naoko wasn't quite level headed enough to recognize the irony in him comforting her. She couldn't move past the very real--in her mind, anyway--possibility that he could die. His ribs could be broken. He could have punctured a lung. In the distance she could hear the sound of sirens, an ambulance on its way, and Naoko reached out, grabbing his trembling hand and giving it a squeeze.

"This is - this is way beyond bothering someone! They assaulted you! This is - this is attempted murder!"

Maybe not quite attempted murder.