Chapter 2

Will was going to retrieve Helen for lunch. He knew that if he didn't come and get her she would never put down the device and eat. She seldom remembered to eat back at the Sanctuary and with this project her habits were getting worse. He passed several villagers on his way to the tent when he saw Josie walking sanguinely back to her home. He waved to her as she passed and she smiled in returned.

But to Will, something seemed off. A slight lopsidedness to her smile, he thought. It looked almost, what was the word? Devilish?

Trying to be discrete Will broke into a run, rushing towards the lab.

Throwing the door open he looked around for Helen. She wasn't sitting at the workbench like he expected her to be, maybe she was on her way back home for lunch. Wait, this is Magnus! She never stopped for lunch. He scanned the rest of the room, looking for any sign of movement. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of something red. Blood. He looked down in the direction of the blood and saw Helen lying on her back, in a pool of crimson.

"Oh no!" Will whispered as he kneeled down with her, not caring that his pants were getting stained with blood. "Oh no!" he said taking her face in his hands. "Helen! Helen, wake up!" he pleaded.

Regaining his composure he moved a hand to her neck looking for a pulse. There was a dull throbbing under his fingers. Thank goodness, she was alive.

"Helen! Wake up!" he hit her cheek lightly a couple times trying to rouse her. "Come on! Wake up for me! Please."

Slowly, Helen opened her eyes, her dilated pupils giving him a blank stare as she looked up at him. "Will?" she gasped.

"Oh, thank god!" Will exclaimed kissing her forehead. "What happened?"

"J…Josie," Helen managed. "Shot me."

Will looked down at Helen's abdomen. Her shirt, once an earthy blue was now dyed red with her blood. He couldn't tell where the wound was, it was too dark, and his heart started racing as he looked down at he tried to keep as much of the live giving substance inside of her.

"We need to get you back to the house," Will stated.

Helen shook her head, slightly. "No, you can't. You don't know where the bullets are."

"Well I'm not going to leave you here!"

"You have to!" Helen stated.

"Like hell!" Will said. "Magnus, you could bleed out before I get help! I am not leaving you here alone, and I am not going to watch you die!"

"Be sensible, Will," Helen whispered, blinking a couple of times.

"Helen? Are you okay?"

"Blurry," she stated as her vision swam and her eyelids began to slide closed again.

"Helen! Stay with me!" Will pleaded, cupping her cheek in his hand. "Helen!"

Just as she sank back into unconsciousness, Will scooped her up, intent on going back to Ravi's house no matter what. Damn her and proper first aid. He wasn't losing her. Not like this.

With her in his arms he rushed through the village and to Ravi's house. He knocked on the door and Anna answered.

"What happened?" Anna asked.

"I'll explain later," said Will. "Get Ravi!"

Will bounded up the stairs and went straight to their room. He wasn't entirely sure when it had become their room but that didn't matter now. He gently laid the unconscious Helen on the bed and kissed her forehead as Anna came rushing into the room with a first aid kit.

"Here, this should help," Anna said. Will took the kit from her and opened it up. Finding some bandages he quickly packed her wounds.

"Come on Helen, stay with me," Will whispered to her.

TBC