Chapter 80: Don’t Fall Asleep

The livestream comments exploded the moment Summer dropped to one knee.

[SUMMER?!]

[WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!]

[SHE GOT SHOT!]

[WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?!]

[Someone find the shooter!]

[Julie, move! Don’t just stand there!]

Julie’s face went pale the moment she saw Summer fall.

"Summer!"

She forgot all about staying behind cover and immediately grabbed the rifle before running toward her as fast as she could.

Saddie reached Summer first and immediately crouched beside her. "Where did it hit you?"

"My shoulder," Summer said through clenched teeth.

She tried to push herself back up, but the moment she put strength into her legs, her body suddenly felt strangely heavy.

Something was wrong.

Her fingers were starting to go numb, and the sharp pain in her shoulder was slowly turning into a strange warmth that spread down her arm.

Saddie noticed the change in her face right away. "What is it?"

Summer opened her mouth, but even speaking felt harder than before. "I... feel weird."

Julie finally reached them and dropped down beside Summer. "Oh my God, you’re bleeding."

"I can see that," Summer muttered weakly.

Saddie quickly pulled the fabric away from Summer’s shoulder and looked at the wound.

Around the bleeding spot, thin blue lines had started spreading across Summer’s skin like cracked branches.

Before Saddie could say anything, Julie suddenly spoke. "That’s a tranquilizer!"

"My teacher gave us a demonstration about this kind of bullet just last week," Julie explained quickly. "So I-I’m sure this is a tranquilizer!"

"Yes, you’re right," Saddie said as she examined it more closely. "And this isn’t a light one, fuck!"

"What?" Summer asked as she tried to stay conscious. "What is it?"

"This kind is usually used on B-Rank mutated creatures and above," Saddie replied quickly. "It can numb your body really badly unless you’re a high-ranking Sentinel."

She immediately opened Summer’s uniform and tore part of the tank top underneath so she could see the wound more clearly.

"Who the fuck shot her?!" Saddie was clearly furious, but she did not have time to look around because she needed to remove the bullet as soon as possible.

"Julie, call the paramedics! And the police, military, whoever can get here fast!" Saddie said as she reached into her bag for her medical supplies. Her words came out messy, but her hands remained steady. "Hurry!"

"I’m on it!" Julie replied, sounding even more panicked.

Saddie quickly checked what she had with her. "The paramedics probably won’t get here for at least fifteen minutes. It’s fine. It’s fine. I can handle this."

"Is it that bad?" Summer asked, her voice becoming heavier.

"It won’t kill you," Saddie answered. "But if I don’t deal with it soon, there’s a chance some of your nerves could end up permanently damaged."

She searched through her bag again, then cursed. "Fucking hell. I only brought basic supplies."

She was about to buy a medical box when a notification suddenly popped up.

[BaronB has sent you ×1 Complete Medical Tool Box]

Saddie’s eyes widened slightly, but she immediately tapped Accept.

Less than two minutes later, a drone appeared overhead and dropped a large box nearby.

Saddie quickly lifted Summer into her arms. "Julie, grab that box! We need somewhere safer!"

After all, they still did not know who had shot Summer, which meant another shot could come at them out of nowhere.

Saddie spotted an abandoned bar nearby and rushed toward it. The moment they reached the entrance, she kicked the door open and carried Summer inside before laying her down on a long couch.

"Open the box," Saddie told Julie.

She then paused the livestream because she needed to pull Summer’s tank top farther down to reach the wound properly, and there was no way she was letting thousands of viewers watch that.

Julie quickly pushed the medical toolbox toward Saddie after opening it, and both of them were a little surprised by how large and complete it was.

"I’m not going to use any more anesthetic on you because the tranquilizer has already made your body numb," Saddie said quickly. "But I can’t guarantee that this will be one hundred percent pain-free."

Summer gritted her teeth. At this point, she could barely move her body, and even speaking clearly had become difficult. "Do it."

"I will," Saddie said firmly.

She lifted her head and looked at Julie. "Stay near the door. If you see anyone suspicious, shoot."

Julie nodded. "I understand."

"Julie!" Saddie called out again before she could walk too far. "Don’t be scared. You have a great weapon in your hands, and your eyes are sharp. I trust you to protect us for a while."

Julie’s grip around the rifle tightened.

Her heart was beating so fast that it almost hurt, but she knew Saddie needed to focus completely on Summer.

That meant keeping them safe was now her job, at least for a while.

She took a deep breath and nodded. "I’ll protect you."

Julie moved toward the entrance and took position near the door.

The moment she was ready, Saddie turned her full attention back to Summer. "I’m starting now."

She pulled on a pair of medical gloves and carefully cleaned the area around Summer’s wound. Even though her face was tense, her hands stayed calm and steady.

Summer watched her through heavy eyelids. For now, all she could do was trust her.

Saddie picked up a small pair of forceps from the medical box and leaned closer to the wound. "Don’t fall asleep."

Summer only gave a small nod.

Saddie carefully pressed around the wound and watched the thin blue lines under Summer’s skin. They were still there, but they did not seem to be spreading as quickly anymore.

"Good," Saddie muttered to herself. "At least it’s slowing down."

Summer’s eyelids were already getting heavier. She could still hear Saddie clearly, but her whole body felt distant, almost like it no longer belonged to her.

Saddie reached for another tool. "This part might hurt a little."