My Choice

Tum!... Tum!... Tum!

The beats were slow, almost nonexistent. Her breathing was barely there. Panic took hold of Oliver as his heart started to race. Fear dominated his thoughts and his hands began to tremble.

This wasn't a matter of impulse or destiny throwing someone's life into Oliver's hands. HE was the one who chose to pull her from the river, HE was the one who chose to try to save her. No one would blame him if he assumed she was already dead... except for HIMSELF.

"You know, Oliver, I fell in love with your father shortly after he joined the army. The idea of a hero who gave up his life to protect his nation was beautiful, but what truly moved me were those heroes who gave everything to defend people in other oppressed nations. So, my son... if one day you can help someone, and it won't hurt anyone else, help them. Because someday, you'll cross to the other side, and leaving alone must be a heavy burden."

His mother had said those words the day they buried his father. The coffin was empty because there wasn't a single piece of his body left to find. But on that painful day, Oliver wasn't alone in the chapel.

His father's commander, a redhead with short hair and sharp eyes, fought back tears. Hundreds of soldiers had come to that event, firing salutes into the sky. The flag of his nation was buried with him. The governor himself came to lay him to rest and wept like a child.

"These memories... they're becoming clearer. As if... my body evolved, and now my mind too? Since we arrived here, recalling things and accessing knowledge is getting easier."

Oliver's heart slowed, and the tears blurring his vision fell freely. At that moment, he made a decision. His hands started moving, trying to recall everything he had learned about first aid in school.

We all ignore those lectures on how to save a life, but now his mind was racing through every detail. And then he remembered.

He locked his fists together and began chest compressions to restore her heartbeat. Realizing her lungs were full of water, he pinched her nose and began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

"Come on, Nikki! Answer me! You fought who-knows-how-long in that freezing river, and now you're just gonna give up? COME ON, DAMN IT!"

Oliver kept pressing on her chest with all his strength. Finally, water gushed from her mouth, but it wasn't enough. He turned her to the side to let more drain out and resumed CPR. Exhaustion was creeping in, and he didn't know how long he'd been doing this.

Then it happened.

Her body trembled, and a mix of water and blood burst from her mouth. He rolled her to the side until her breathing returned to normal.

"Is that it? Did I save her? No!"

Examining her body, he saw blackened veins spreading everywhere, a sign of viper venom. With all the blood lost and a gaping wound in her abdomen, she might not drown anymore, but she was still dying. Her life still rested in his hands.

He slipped on his pants, then used his faithful jacket to compress the wound in her abdomen. Grabbing his blades and the fragile redhead, he dragged her toward a tree near the river.

"I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm leaving my crossbow in your hand. If anything shows up... don't waste the shot! You only get one!"

It was madness to think someone in her condition could react. But honestly, no human should even be alive like this and yet, she was. Nearly dead, but breathing.

Oliver sprinted through the forest toward that damn blood lake, activating his scanner non-stop. He still had the nuts for the antidote, but he'd need stomach acid again, and there were still her deadly wounds to treat.

"Come on, Scanner! Find something, damn it!"

He yelled at his own forearm as if it could answer.

Sssssssssssss!

Instead of herbs, what found him was a viper wrapped around a tree trunk, glaring at him with pure hatred. Their eyes met, and all his old trauma vanished.

"None of you are scarier than those constellation eyes!"

It lunged at him. Its fangs aimed to rip him apart, but all they met was his blade. Blood splattered. His second strike pierced its eye, dropping it instantly.

"Weak! That was so weak I blocked it with just one blade."

He shoved aside the thought and quickly began tearing the viper apart, digging for its stomach. Time was running out. Once he found it, he stuffed the entire organ into his makeshift shirt-bag.

Running again through the forest, more snakes began appearing, but this time he ignored them and focused on hunting herbs.

Time slipped by and panic grew: Was Nikki still alive? Then he saw it, bathed in a ray of sunlight. The greenish-red leaves of a familiar herb.

"Brasa Mint!"

He didn't even need the scanner. He grabbed it and bolted back toward the river, praying she was still alive.

"Please... let me make it in time!"

After more time than he wanted and completely out of breath, sunlight and river water came into view.

Looking at the tree where he left Nikki and she was there. With the crossbow in her hand and unconscious. Exactly as he had left her and hopefully, still alive.

[114:50:59]