Page 37 of Love of the Egoist
Have I slashed a vein?He thought with indifference, increasing his tempo.I probably won’t make it far like this…
The sound of rushing water caught his attention. He raised his hand, trying to protect his eyes from the piercing rays of the suddenly awoken sun and squinted about.
A river?A sliver of realization touched his mind. His head weighed him down stronger with each minute as if filled with lead. It was hard to think.I have to get to the river… And then I’ll think again…
He stilled, exploring his surroundings. It wouldn’t hurt to get an idea of where he was, what part of the country it could be and if he was even still in Austria.
Approximatelyone hundred and fifty feet ahead of him ran a river. It looked impure and had an earthy, muddy color. No matter how hard he tried to remember something like this in Vienna’s vicinity, he couldn’t.
“Boss, right here!” A voice came from behind him and panic set in.
I can’t go back. No way I’m going back.
Flashbacks of Yugo’s bedroom, his hands, his lips, his body, filled Kuon’s head. He shivered.
I hit him… he’ll kill me. Or worse…
Gathering hisremaining strength, Kuon limped toward the river. Time stretched and for a second he thought he’d never reach the stream. Relief washed over him as his bare feet touched the freezing water. Not thinking twice, he threw his battered body into the murkydepths.
The stinging icy current picked up his body, stealing his breath. Muddy water filled his vision and rushed in his mouth and nose. His calf cramped. The flow tugged him down and forward, taking him away from the bank. He tried to fight his way to the surface, but his body got twisted and thrown against the pebbled rock bottom. Stabbing pain shot through the back of his head and everything vanished.
??E??
“GET THE FUCKING DOCTOR!”Yugo shouted, carrying the unconscious body. Greg, pressing his hand to his bleeding nose, had just emerged from the building and dashed back.
Wet clothes stuck to Yugo’s skin, restricting his movements. He lowered Kuon’s body to the ground and pressed his ear against the young man’s bare chest.
Silence…
“No…” His heart choked with blood and stopped beating for a long moment.
“Youwon't get offthiseasy,” he whispered. His glance landed on Kuon’s arm. Dark blood seeped through the cuts on Kuon’s arms. Hope sparked in his heart, inflaming his chest. He took a deep breath, closed Kuon’s nose with his fingers and pressed his mouth to the unconscious lips, pushing the air from his lungs into Kuon’s mouth. He did it again and again. Strong hands landed on the bluish skin, performing chest compressions.
“One… two… three… four…” he counted aloud, and after the fifteenth once again pressed his ear to Kuon’s chest.
Nothing.
“Fuck!” he cursed and repeated the process over and over. The number of pushes to Kuon’s chest increased, but he remained unresponsive.
“Don’t you dare to die, you hear me? I’m the one your fucking life belongs to!” he exclaimed and hit Kuon in the breastbone. “Only I can kill you, you hear?”
He hit the man once again. The body shuddered; trickles of muddy water ran from his open mouth. A violent coughing seized Kuon’s body as he rocketed forward, retching dirty water.
The relief drained Yugo’s energy. Without thinking he grabbed Kuon’s convulsing body and squeezed him in his arms.
“Hurts…” Kuon’s hissing voice plunged Yugo back to his senses.
Shell-shocked at his own behavior, he looked in the bluish face of his prisoner, covered with blood and dirt as if he were seeing a ghost. Kuon’s teeth chattering, his shaking hand grabbed Yugo’s wet shirt, and his feverish gaze pierced Yugo’s soul.
Yugo’s heart started its crazy dash. He stood up, gathered the battered man in his arms, and returned to his house without a word.
CHAPTER 11
“H? HAS MULTIPLE LACERATIONS, severe blood loss, and two veins damaged. We’ll be lucky if he doesn’t get blood poisoning, Yugo.” The decrepit old man shook his head. “How come he is always getting hurt?”
“Thanks, doc.” Yugo ignored his question and patted his thin round shoulder. “When will he get better?”
“He’s quite a strong young man. I gave him sedatives, and he’ll sleep for another six to seven hours. If we’re lucky and there is no infection, he’ll be back on his feet in a couple of days and be completely healed in about two weeks. I’m leaving some antibiotics, Yugo. Make sure he takes those twice a day after a meal. Better to be safe than sorry.”
