To Deliver

[Leo]

"R-Rayl!!" He wasn't fast enough to grab a hold of her when he sees the signs of her about to collapse, but rushed beside her kneeling form. Leo didn't even bother to ask what's wrong, as he relies on his keen eyes to figure it out himself, and it's not that hard to see that the poison is sucking out her energy.

Quickly, he pulled her good arm over his shoulder, and tries to support her when he stands up. "Please, just try to keep yourself awake!" Leo had been in this situation before, an acquaintance of him got bitten by a poisonous snake, and the moment the man said he's going to take a quick nap, he never wakes up again.

The artisan is aware of his inability to carry Rayl all the way out the alleyway and search for a hospital in time, so he quickly looks around to search for an even better solution. His eyes stopped at the opened backdoor of the thieves headquarters, and decided that's the best way to the main street.

So, he turned and guided the assassin towards the abandoned building as fast as he can. "Come on, Rayl, just...just try and talk to me to keep yourself awake," he said as he helped her to walk over an unconscious bandit that the silver-haired man must have beat on.

[Rayl]

Rayl breathed heavily as she spits out blood from her mouth, she could hear Leo's voice calling her name. And she also feels her not injured arm being swing around his shoulders. She winces as they stood up, her mind started to get fog and in pain. As if her head has been hit hard.

She suddenly hear him tell her about being awake and talk to him. But how can she do that without wincing from the pain and have a normal breathing. "I can't breathe normally..." she choked out, coughing; blood gushing from her lips down to her chin. She raised her hand a bit to wipe her blood.

She thought about everything she have done for this day, it seems that she have done a good deed for once. Aside from killing the bad guys from her mission. In her life, she never was afraid to die. Because it was for all the sins she have done in her past. But now... it seems she never wanted to die yet, but also accepts the fact that she was dying. Not from the hands of her enemies, or those who hunts her down.

"Just leave me," she softly coughed out, her head down, her eyes closed. "I'm tired..."

[Leo]

"No, no! Please, hold on!" Normally, Leo's voice is flat and expressionless, but now his tone truly shows how immensely fearful he is of the situation. The corner of his eyes caught sight of something crimson, but he refuses to think about it further until they reached the front door. "I will not leave you, what kind of friend do you think I am?!"

Her body started to get heavier, and this frightens Leo because he couldn't move much anymore if Rayl fainted. Out of instinct, he hurriedly leaned down while still having her arm around his shoulders, grab a hold of the assassin both at her spine and behind her knees, then from an unknown source of strength, lifted her up in his arms.

It took Leo a while to balance himself by the extra weight, but after he gets his bearings right, the artist rushed towards the front door, passing unconscious crooks and jumping over some of them that laid on the floor. Thankfully, the front door is wide open.

Just as he escaped the abandoned building, with the sunlight beaming on the main road he's standing on, some people walking by paused to stare at him and the woman in his arms. "Please! I need to get to the hospital!" Leo exclaimed, and the good townsfolk guided him there.

It didn't take long since it's only a block away fortunately and once Leo placed Rayl at a stretcher the nurses provided, he patted her on the arm while following her to where the nurses pulled the stretcher to. "Rayl, it's going to turn out alright."

[Rayl]

Rayl growled softly as she can not bear the pain. Though, she was surprised that Leo have lifted her up in his arms. Her head unconsciously leaned in his shoulders. Once away from the abandoned place, her eyes closes once the light glared down at her.

Her eyes blurred, though she could see the white walls of the certain building; a hospital. She was really grateful, a friend like Leo have encountered her. She could hear some voices ushering the said guy onto the stretchers. She could feel the soft futon laid onto the metal stretcher.

She was touched when Leo was still there to comfort her. She took a hold of Leo's hand, opening her eyes; she looked at him with pure sincerity. "Thank you..."

For once, the cold hearted assassin have opened up with pure sincerity towards a once stranger.

[END]