“I’m sorry, but I can’t.” I could see the disappointment in his eyes, the same look he gave when my mom and I told him a bunny didn’t make it. I needed something to make him feel better. “I didn’t think he was going to be this bad. We need help.”
Chase was scared even more so than before. The thought of having to tell someone else was the last thing he wanted, but he knew he didn’t have a choice. In the dark, he might have thought it was going to be an easy fix bringing him here, but even in the dim light of the room, it clearly was a different story. The Sayner wasn’t going to make it without professional help.
“I’m calling Sally,” I told him. “She’s the only person I know that has any experience. Otherwise, he doesn’t have a chance.”
Chase slowly nodded. Unless he was planning on dumping a corpse in a field somewhere, we were going to have to trust her.
I ran back upstairs to get my phone. I was still calm about the situation. I was either in disbelief that this could be happening, or I really didn’t see any hope in helping him. No one was going to miss him. He didn’t have anyone. If he perished, it would just be another Sayner added to the long list of those who had died before him. He was just one less headache to deal with.
Even at this time of night, I knew she would answer. It only took two rings before she picked up.
“It’s awful late to be calling, sweetie.” She didn’t sound like she had been sleeping yet. Her voice was just as cheery as it was in the morning.
“Sally, I have a problem, and I’m not sure if you’re even willing to help.” I told her everything and gave her as much as I could report on his injuries and what was going on. I held it together much better than Chase had with me. There was still my fear about keeping the Sayner here, but I knew that if Sally could help, it would make things easier.
She listened to every word and waited till I was finished before speaking. There was a long pause before she spoke. She must have been mulling over everything I had just thrown at her. It was a lot to take in. I held my breath, waiting to hear what she was going to do. For the first time in my life, she was a bit unnerved. Her light-hearted tone was gone, and was replaced by one with a more serious sound to it.
“You are going to need to get some items before I get there. Okay?”
I nodded to acknowledge her, but realized she couldn’t see me.
“Yes,” I finally responded back.
“You need to get as many clean towels as you can. You’re also going to need some water. Any medical supplies you have would be handy, too. I need you and Chase to try and remove as much clothing as you can from him. It’s very important you don’t move him, so if you can, it would be better to cut them off. If you can find anything to make a splint, that would be great. It’s going to take me a little bit to find my first aid kit, so if you want to start cleaning him up, you can. Just don’t remove whatever is in his side. You think you can do this for me?”
My head was swimming with everything she requested. “I think I can. So you’re not going to tell anyone about this, right?”
“No. I won’t say anything. I don’t know much about his race, but it’s worth a shot.”
The phone went dead as she hung up. I knew I had to get started getting everything together. It was going to be a long night, and it wouldn’t take her long to get over here.
Most of the things she asked for were easy to find. I had an abundance of clean towels and bottled water. I had a pair of scissors in a drawer. The most I had for first aid was a few Band-Aids, some gauze, and an elastic bandage. I couldn’t even remember the last time they were used, or if they were even mine.
Finding something for a splint was a little harder. I considered kitchen utensils, but wasn’t able to find anything long enough. He was pretty tall, and I needed something that would work for length. Rummaging through the kitchen, I could see it sticking out from behind the fridge: a yardstick that hadn’t been used in years. It would have to do.
I clamored back down to the basement with my armload of supplies. Chase had moved a folding chair from another part of the basement to the foot of the bed; another was placed on the left, near the Sayner’s head. I couldn’t recall ever having them, but they seemed convenient for the time. He had definitely calmed down since the phone call. It seemed he was handling things as well as could be expected.
“You know, his name is Job,” he said slowly. “Like in the Bible.”
It was almost as if saying his name made him more like a person and less like an animal. I had no idea what to say. His name was the least of my concern.
The Job I remember from the Bible was a good man who was put through trials because of a bet. This was a slave that was less than human that probably deserved what he got. I couldn’t see how the name fit him at all. I didn’t want to take my focus off of what Sally had requested. I was doing this so Chase felt better, and so I wouldn’t have a body in my basement stinking up the place in the stuffy heat.
“That’s good to know. Sally is on her way. She wanted us to try to get him cleaned up a bit before she gets here.”
After the two of us pulled the disgusting to-be-burned-later blanket from under him, I instructed Chase to get some of his clothes off while I tried to wipe off his face. I was still scared, but figured if he was in this condition, he really wasn’t going to put up a big fight if he did wake up.
I set the chair Chase had brought out near the edge of the bed, so I could get closer to his face. My hands were shaking as I poured some of the water from the bottle onto a washcloth. I started at his forehead, where the largest cut was. After the towel started to pick up the dried blood, I waited for the cut to issue a fresh new wave. It seemed the gash wasn’t as deep, but it must have bled a lot when it first happened. I watched him closely as I wiped off the rest of his face. I was waiting for him to flinch, or make some sudden move.
I couldn’t tell if he was still breathing or not, but I looked down where Chase had removed part of his shirt and could see his bruised muscular chest moving up and down rhythmically.
Most of his face was dirty or caked with blood. As I wiped both off, I could see his features better. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties, but didn’t show any signs of someone who had lived such a hard life. He had baby-soft skin, like a boy who had never seen a razor before. It was surprising to see how perfect and white his teeth were in contrast to his deeply tanned skin.
I looked back to see how Chase was coming with his clothes. His shirt was already cut away, and he had taken off his shoes and socks. He seemed to be stuck in a daze about getting his pants off. He must have been thinking the same thing I was.
“I think you can just cut them up above the knees.” I said. “I’m sure she just wants to make sure there is no clothing in the way.”
Chase looked relieved at the idea and continued. It broke the tension in the room. I couldn’t help but laugh about it. Chase joined in. It had distracted me from noticing a sudden grip around my left wrist.
Job’s hand was strong, and I jumped in fear at his touch. I could hear a small scream escape me as I tried to free his hold. He held on tight with one cool, clammy hand, and was pulling me close to him. His breathing was shallow and quick, and I could see he was scared. His one open eye kept shifting back between me and Chase, as though he was trying to figure out what we were doing to him.
Chase had already stood back up and was holding the scissors as though he was going to stab him if he hurt either one of us. The sight scared the Sayner even more, as his grip grew tighter. I was going to have my wrist crushed if I didn’t find a way to earn his trust.
“Chase, put the scissors down. I don’t think he knows what’s going on.” I had slowly put my other hand out to Chase, trying to motion to him. My eyes were locked on Job’s. His grip tightened again, and I could feel my hand going numb. “Job, W–we are trying to h–help you. P–please don’t hurt m–me.”
I tried to stay as calm as possible, but knew there was a f
ear in my voice that I couldn’t overcome. His expression changed, and the same look of misery I had seen earlier that day was back. Although his rapid breathing didn’t slow, his hold loosened, and I was able to pull my hand away. I massaged my wrist involuntarily, as if to rub the pain away. His gaze was still fixed on me. At least the head injury he sustained didn’t change his alertness. He still understood what we were saying to some degree.
“Chase is trying to cut your pants off. You were hurt pretty bad. Okay?”
I kept waiting for an answer, but instead he looked down at Chase to see that I was telling the truth. Chase had released the dagger grip on the scissors and was holding them normally, trying to show him what he was going to do. He grabbed the cuff of his right pant leg first and started to cut up to above his knee. Job’s breathing slowed a bit and he seemed to settle down. It seemed his fear of us was outweighing any pain he felt.
Chase threw the remains of the pant leg on the floor with the rest of the shredded clothes. He reached up for the other pant leg, and I could see Job’s chest start to tighten from anxiety.
“You need to relax. He’s not trying to hurt you.” I was sitting next to him, but still keeping my distance. Any closer and he might grab for me again.
My words didn’t bring any comfort, but he focused back on me. I had to keep talking to him to keep his mind elsewhere. “I’m sorry for how I reacted to you earlier today. I was scared, and I had never seen anyone like you in my life. I knew you wouldn’t hurt me. I was just supris–”
Before I could finish, his whole body convulsed. He was gripping the bed, straining every muscle in his arms and neck. His head rolled back with his eyes shut tight. I could hear him grunting – breathing rapidly between clenched teeth. There was nothing I could do to stop it.
I could see that Chase had just slid the last of the jeans from under his shattered leg, unintentionally moving it. It was more of a mess than I had first thought. The swelling around the fracture was much greater than I expected. Everything looked normal till it reached mid-shin.
His leg had been contorted at such a grotesque angle that it was causing the bone to slide up, forming an almost-x shape. The edges of the displaced bone pressed against the skin, looking as though it would poke out at any moment. The lower half was twisted outward at ninety degrees, causing the sole of his foot to face the right leg parallel to his ankle. It looked unrealistic that anything could bend like that.
The pain had been a chain reaction. His body, spasming like it did, had caused a fresh trickle of blood to flow from his side. His left hand moved to cradle his ribs just above the wound. I hadn’t seen the purple inflamed skin across his side when he had his shirt on. His breathing was not as even as before, as he took in short gasping breaths.
Sally needed to be here now. He was sounding worse, and I didn’t even know where to start. I couldn’t sit there and watch him die in front of me.
“Chase, can you go upstairs and see if Sally is here yet? She should have been here by now.”
He had been standing away from the bed, afraid to come any closer. After watching Job wracked with pain, I knew Chase was worried about the same thing I was. He left the room in a hurry, and I turned back to Job, who was still having trouble steadying his breath.
“Listen to me, please. I don’t know you that well, and I’m not sure if I want to. I was just trying to get my brother out of a scrape. He’s a good kid, and he asked me to do this. I have someone coming that might be able to help, but if you die before she gets here, it’s not going to do anyone any good. You have to promise me you’ll be okay.”
I had started strong when I spoke, but by the end I was on the verge of tears. It was crazy for me to think he was going to respond, even crazier that I was getting emotional over a slave. I almost stood up to walk away. I could hear him slow his gasps. He made an attempt to clear his throat and swallow. Staring at the ceiling, he licked his dry, swollen lips, getting enough saliva to talk.
“I promise,” he whispered in a weak voice.
The sound of his voice was shocking. I had no connection to this slave – this man in my basement – but in his two words of hope, I felt like this would all blow over and everything would return to normal. I didn’t know if he even knew what a promise was, but I willing to take anything I could get at this point.
3.
I could hear the two sets of footsteps coming down the stairs: the first set, light and slow; the other, heavy from the excess of weight. The cavalry had arrived, and it was a relief to see her. Sally had with her the largest first-aid kit I have ever seen. Carrying it in one hand, she nearly toppled over as the items inside shifted. Trying to balance, she used the other hand to hold the hand rail.
Seeing him as disfigured as he was didn’t seem to faze her in the slightest. I assumed she had seen worse before, after years working in an emergency room. I had made sure not to leave out any details on the phone. She needed to be prepared for what we were dealing with.
Sally briefly surveyed him from a distance. She set the giant case gently down on the bed next to him and opened it to examine what tools she would need. Reaching in, she found a pair of latex gloves and put them on, then proceeded to pull out a large wad of gauze, still wrapped up in its sterile packaging.
“Can you tell me what happened?” she asked Job. She wore her warm friendly smile as usual, but her tone was still as serious as it had been on the phone. Her question sounded like the first one a doctor would ask when you went for a visit. It was obvious he was beaten and hit by a truck, but she still asked, as though he would shed light on the accident a different way.
“He doesn’t talk. Or at least, I never have heard him talk before,” Chase said. He lingered against the far wall, trying to give her room to work.
Chase was barely holding his composure together. He was trying to watch everything going on, but his concentration was failing. When he had left the bar, he may have only had a buzz going, but now at an hour later, that feeling had multiplied. Without the constant adrenalin running in his veins, the alcohol was taking over, and I could see he was ready to stumble to the floor.
I wasn’t about to tell either one of them that Job had said anything to me. Saying aloud that I had practically begged him to live for the sake of my brother, and had him answer back, would have put me back on edge again. I didn’t want to explain the crazy conversation I had just a few minutes earlier. I wasn’t willing to share with anyone that I had broken down over someone as meaningless as him. It felt wrong to grow attached to someone that might not even make it through the night, and would be gone either way by morning.
“I think he’s in a lot of pain. Is there anything you can do for that, before you start?” I requested for him. It was the least I could do.
“I don’t think I can help with that,” she said doubtfully. “Even if I could, I wouldn’t know what to use. I don’t know much about Sayners or their chemistry, and I only brought standard supplies. I’m not sure even aspirin would work for him. Unless he can tell us what he can have, I have to do this without.”
She had been looking at him when she spoke, hoping to get him to speak up. He just laid there staring at me again, like he hadn’t even heard her, his scared eyes still questioning where he was and what was happening. He either didn’t know, or he was being stubborn. I knew he was going to feel worse before he felt better. The whole situation wasn’t sitting right with me.
Sally made it around to the side of the bed to get a closer look at the wound. She used the corner of the gauze to wipe away the blood that had accumulated again. With her fingers, she pressed against the outside edges of the puncture, forcing the skin away from the metal embedded into his abdomen, causing him to quicken his breath again, gritting his teeth to keep silent.
“It’s copper. It doesn’t look too deep, but I won’t be able to take it out until everything else is done. Once it is out, he’s going to shift when we touch him, and it will make stitching and setting his leg i
mpossible. I’ll have to start somewhere else first.” She looked him over, deciding where to start. “Were you able to find anything we can use as a splint?”
I showed her the yard stick and elastic bandage I had found. She nodded in approval and asked Chase to find her a sheet and some pillows. He jumped at the opportunity to leave again and wobbled up the stairs.
She continued moving her hands across the rest of his body, pressing down in different places on his abdomen, watching for his reactions and checking for spots that were tender. She even slid her hands around to his back and neck. It looked like a game of hot or cold, the way he responded. As she moved near a sensitive area, his hand grabbed the sheet tight, holding on and waiting for the agony to start again. Some areas brought on the spasms again, while others he remained calm for. Aside from the obvious places – in which she checked thoroughly as well – most of the tenderness was in his abdomen, even though I couldn’t see it.
“Is he going to be alright?” I asked, still concerned.
“I don’t know,” she responded, as though Job wasn’t in the room. “I’ve never done anything like this before, and without X-rays or a doctor, it’s hard to tell for sure how extensive everything is.” There was a sigh. “From what I can see, he more than likely has some broken ribs, and that is making it hard for him to breathe. There could also be a collapsed lung. He may have fractures in his face, but there is no sure way of knowing right now till the swelling comes down. His leg is definitely broken in two places – maybe more. From the angle it’s in, all I can do is hope I can get it lined up right and keep it stable. Usually something like that would require surgery.” There was another long sigh. “The part I’m worried about is there is a good chance he is bleeding internally. I can’t see how badly, but without the right tools – I don’t expect him to make it through the night. I will do everything I can, but the rest is going to be up to him.”
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