THE STRANGER SHE SAVE
1740 Words
Harmony stood frozen, heart pounding so loud she could hear it in her ears. The man on the ground was covered in blood, breathing hard, and staring up at her with eyes that looked both weak and scary at the same time.
"Who... who are you? What are you doing here?" she finally managed to ask, her voice shaking.
"Save me..." he whispered again, his voice so weak it was almost gone.
Harmony took one step back, ready to run inside and lock the door. But she stopped. She couldn't just leave him there like that. He looked like he was really going to die.
"I... I can call an ambulance," she said quickly, already pulling out her phone with shaky hands.
"No!" The word came out stronger than she expected. "No ambulance. No hospital. Please... just help me."
Harmony stared at him, confused and scared. "Then what am I supposed to do? I don't know how to help someone like this!"
The man looked straight into her eyes. Even though he was in pain, his voice came out desperate. "Take me inside. Please."
She looked around the dark street nervously. What if her brother came back early? What if this man was dangerous? But she couldn't just watch him bleed out on the ground either.
"Okay... okay, I'll help you," she said softly, more to herself than to him.
She bent down and tried to help him stand. He was heavy, much heavier than she thought. She had to use all her strength to drag him toward her apartment door. He groaned in pain with every step, but he tried to help as much as he could.
Once they were inside, she carefully laid him on the old couch. Blood immediately started staining the fabric. She ran to the bathroom and came back with a clean towel and the small first aid box her father left behind.
"I'm sorry if it hurts," she whispered as she pressed the towel gently on his shoulder.
He winced but didn't complain. "Thank you," he said quietly.
Harmony took a deep breath. She had watched her late father, who was a doctor, treat people many times when she was younger. She wasn't a doctor, but she knew a little. Still, this was different. This man had real bullet wounds.
She cleaned the blood as best as she could. When she saw the bullet still lodged in his shoulder, her hands started shaking again.
"I... I think I need to take it out," she said, voice small.
The man just nodded weakly, closing his eyes like he was preparing for more pain.
It took her almost twenty minutes. She worked slowly, trying to remember everything her father had shown her. The man grunted and clenched his teeth hard, but he stayed still. When she finally pulled the bullet out, she quickly cleaned the wound, put on antibiotic cream, and wrapped it properly. She did the same for the wounds on his back.
By the time she finished, both of them were sweating. Harmony sat back on the floor, breathing hard.
"Thank you," the man said again, his eyes opening slowly. His voice sounded a bit stronger now.
"You're welcome," she replied softly. "My father was a doctor. I used to watch him work."
He looked at her for a long moment but didn't say anything else.
She helped him sit up a little and covered him with a blanket. He leaned against her shoulder for a second while she adjusted the pillow. For a moment, she could feel how warm his body was and how fast his heart was beating. It made her feel strange, shy and nervous at the same time.
"You should rest now," she said quietly.
As the night went on, Harmony stayed beside the couch. She couldn't sleep much. The man kept having nightmares. He would mumble things in Italian and sometimes groan like he was fighting someone in his dreams. She stayed up most of the night, wiping his forehead when the fever got bad. She didn't even know when she finally fell asleep.
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THE NEXT DAY
"Harmony!"
The loud voice outside made her wake up with a jump. She had fallen asleep on the floor, her head resting against the edge of the couch. Her neck hurt.
"Harmony, are you still sleeping?" Hardin called again.
She quickly stood up, heart racing. She closed the door to her room so her brother wouldn't see the man on the couch, then stepped outside.
"Good morning, brother!" she said with a big smile, trying to look normal even though she felt tired.
Hardin looked at her face carefully. "You look stressed. Didn't you sleep well?"
"I'm fine," she said, fidgeting with her fingers. "Really."
He didn't look fully convinced but smiled anyway. "I brought your favorite ice cream last night. It's in the freezer. I made breakfast too. Eat properly and listen to your teacher today. Don't play games during class again."
"I won't," she promised, even though she wasn't sure she could keep it.
Hardin pecked her on the cheek. "I'll try to come back early today. Be good."
As soon as he left on his bicycle, Harmony let out a long sigh of relief and went back inside.
The man was still sleeping, but his breathing looked better. She touched his forehead. The fever had gone down a lot. She stared at his face for a while. Even with bruises and cuts, he was really handsome. It made her feel shy.
She went to take her bath, making sure to lock the bathroom door. When she came out with only a towel wrapped around her body, she opened her wardrobe. Almost everything inside was purple.
"You really like purple a lot, don't you?" a deep voice said behind her.
Harmony gasped and turned around fast, holding the towel tighter. The man was awake now, watching her with one eyebrow raised. There was a small amused look on his face.
"I won't look," he said, turning his back to her. "Go ahead and dress."
She waited a few seconds to make sure he wasn't peeking, then quickly put on her clothes, a purple top and matching skirt.
"I'm done," she said softly.
He turned back around. His eyes moved over her for a second before he looked away. "Thanks for everything."
Harmony brought him breakfast, the extra food her brother had made. She placed the plate in front of him.
"Did you make this?" he asked, looking surprised.
"No. My brother did," she answered, feeling her cheeks get warm.
“You have a brother?” He asked and she nodded.
"It's good," he said after taking a bite.
They ate in silence for a while. Then he asked, "Where is he? Does he know I'm here?"
Harmony shook her head quickly. "No. He doesn't know. If he finds out, he'll be very angry. He might even call the police."
The man nodded slowly. "That's the smart thing to do. You shouldn't bring strangers into your house. You don't know what they can do."
She didn't reply. Instead, she placed her small hand on his forehead again. "Your temperature is normal now. That's good."
He looked at her softly. "You were worried about me?"
"I was," she admitted quietly, looking down. "I thought you might die last night."
For the first time, the corner of his mouth lifted a little. She looked so innocent. So different from the women he usually saw.
"You should take a shower," she said suddenly, standing up. "I'll find some clothes for you."
She ran out and came back with one of her brother's old hoodies and trousers. They were the biggest ones she could find.
The man went into the bathroom. When he came out, his hair was wet and messy. The clothes were tight on him, he was much bigger than Hardin. The towel he used was too small for his body.
Harmony couldn't help but laugh a little.
"You're really big. Those are my brother's clothes but they look small on you." She said.
"Don't worry about it, Gattino," he said calmly.
She blinked. "That's not my name."
"I know," he replied with a small smirk. "But it fits you."
He asked for her phone. She gave it to him without thinking much. He typed something quickly and gave it back.
A few minutes later, loud engines sounded outside. Harmony rushed to the window and gasped. Four expensive black cars had stopped in front of their small apartment. Men in black suits stepped out, some of them openly carrying guns. She heard a knock on her door and went to open it. A man was standing at the door. He looks so dangerous with tattoos on his arm.
She wanted to run back inside but one of the men called out.
"Miss, we're here for our boss. Venom."
Before she could answer, the man from her couch Venom spoke from behind her. "Come in, Blade."
The tall, serious-looking man bowed slightly and entered. He helped Venom change into a proper black suit that one of the men brought. In the suit, he looked completely different, powerful and dangerous.
"Thank you for your help, Gattino," he said, looking at her one last time. "I have to go now."
He started walking toward the cars. Harmony felt something strange in her chest.
"Wait!" she called out suddenly. "I don't even know your name," she said gently.
He stopped. For a second he smiled, but it quickly disappeared and his face became cold again.
"You don't need to know it," he said. "We won't be seeing each other again."
He entered the car without looking back.
The man called Blade walked up to her and placed a black card in her hand.
"This is for your hospitality," he said simply, then got into another car.
Harmony stood there watching as all the cars drove away. She looked down at the black card in her palm. It had no name, no message. Just a plain black debit card.
She went back inside the quiet apartment, still holding the card. Her chest felt heavy.
"Why do I feel sad that he's gone?" she whispered to herself, shaking her head. "I don't even know him..."
But no matter how much she tried, she couldn't stop thinking about the stranger with the cold gray eyes who called her Gattino.
- Writer
