Stray Cat Strut

Chapter Twenty-Five - A Pad on the Wound

“Owo? What’s this? Someone that needs saving?

Now let’s kill some xenos!”

-- Beatrice “Hyper Cutie Bubblechan Zoom Ranger Sparkle Girl!” Smith, during her Twitch livestream of the 2039 Alaskan Incursion.

***

The bathrooms smelled about how I expected. The moment I shouldered open the door a little perfumer spritzed some crap into the air that smelled like what someone who’d never been out of a city thought flowers smelled like.

Any perfume-related thoughts were set aside as I took in the grisly scene before me.

Three women, all in their twenties if I had to guess, all near the sinks and fussing over a fourth. She was a mess. Blood staining an off-white pencil skirt, her arms weakly batting aside the helpful fretting of the others.

“Damn,” I said as I took in her wounds at a glance. Some sort of bite mark over her thigh, deep, if I had to guess. She had dark skin, but right then it was sickly pale-grey around her face and her hair was plastered to her head by sweat.

“Who are you?” one of the women asked as she turned. She took one glance at my bloodied shirt and missing arm and eye and immediately rushed over. “Are you hurt too?”

“No, no I’m fine,” I said. I... was probably not that fine, but I’d taken a lot of drugs and Myalis wasn’t fussing so I figured I would live. “How’s she?” I asked.

“Nevermind her,” the woman said. “We need to get that shift off of you. Are you still bleeding?”

I raised my hand in a ‘one moment’ gesture. “I’m a Samurai,” I said. “I’m fine.”

She didn’t believe me. I could tell right away. She had that look people did when one of the brats at the orphanage made up a tall tale about missing parents coming back or whatever. I shook my head and shouldered my way past her.

I wasn’t exactly keen on seeing wounds and the like, but it would take more than a bit of blood to make me squick. The wounds were pretty ugly from up close. They had slapped some pads over the worse of it, and it did seem to help with the bleeding a bit. Still, the counter she was laying on was soaked.

“You look like crap,” I muttered.

“Kid,” one of the other women said. “If you’re just here to gawk you can piss off.”

I raised my hand in surrender. “No, I’m here to help. Myalis? Anything we can do?”

Can you ask for the woman’s permission to view her file? I can look anyway, but the formality is merely polite.

“Uh. Sure,” I said. “Hey, what’s her name?” I asked.

“It’s Elisa,” the woman that had been at the door said. “Why?”

“Hey, Elisa,” I said. “Can my AI friend take a peek at your profile? It might help,” I said.

“Kid, get out,” the woman standing over Elisa said. She straightened, levelling a glare at me that had me backing up a step.

“Fuck it, have fun,” Elisa said.

That is more than good enough for me. Let’s see... no diabetes, a history of high blood pressure... nothing that truly matters. The wound should be cleaned, then treated with something like Woundstop. How many points are you willing to spend?

“The fuck kind of questioin is that? However many it takes!”

Now I was getting weird looks.

Based on the amount of blood... Hemo-Restore. A Nano-Regenerative Suite to close the wound, and an Electroactive Polymer Bandage to prevent possible infections. A total cost of Twenty-Two points.

I moved over to the end of the counter. “Do it,” I said.

New Purchase: Nano-Regenerative Suite
Points reduced to... 202

New Purchase: Hemo-Restore
Points reduced to... 197

New Purchase: Electroactive Polymer Bandage - Box of Three
Points reduced to... 195

Three boxes appeared on the table next to me. I saw eyes widening from the corner of my vision. “Which order do I give these in?”

The Nano-Regenerative Suite first. Then the Blood Restore applied near the wound. The wound should be covered last.

Nodding, I picked up the first box, flicked it open and pulled out the inhaler from within. “Here Elisa,” I said as I moved over to the woman. “Open wide and when I say so, take a deep breath.”

She did as I asked and the inhaler emptied itself with a gush of pressurized air escaping.

I fumbled for the Hemo-Restore, then pressed it to her thigh next to some torn pantyhose. “Can one of you grab the last box? There should be bandages. I think you’ll need two hands for that part,” I said.

“You’re a Samurai,” the bitchy one said.

“Ain’t it great?” I deadpanned. “Elisa here should be right as rain. At least, I hope.” I tossed the empty syringe of Hemo-Restore to the side where it landed in a sink, then I moved over to it and waved my hand under the tap to wash it.

The woman’s skin was already turning a more healthy shade, which was a good sign, I figured.

That was a noble thing to do. Good work Catherine!

I rolled my eyes.

I saw that.

“Yeah, yeah,” I said as I wiped my hand on the side of my pants. “Can you girls take care of her while we move? She might still be weak.”

“Move?” Bitchy asked.

“We’re not staying here to become alien chow,” I said. “We need to move, and soon. There’re a few floors between us and where we’re going. It’ll be good cardio, but it might be hard on Elisa here.”

“Can’t we take the elevators?” the woman that had been quiet so far asked.

“I... we’ll see. I want to move everyone as a big unit.” I shook my head. “Just get ready to move, alright?”

And with my good deed for the hour done, I slipped out of the room just as a notification popped up in my vision.

Humans saved: 1
Points added
New total: 196