Matt knows exactly what he needs to do, and the only way he could do it right is if he stopped himself from panicking. Technically speaking, he does not have any formal training as a medic, but Doc does not let him hang around the hospital if he is not going to learn anything. He already has his fair share of intense situations in the emergency room, but it does feel different when it is happening to someone you know very well.
It only took one deep breath to collect himself, and when he opened his eyes, he laid Morgan on his side, putting a backpack under his head for cushion. Morgan is breathing, but it is short and shallow. His pulse is racing, and his eyes are erratic. His body is wet with cold sweats. They have been very careful, so it’s been years since Morgan had an insulin shock.
The first time this happened was after Morgan’s mother died. According to Greyson, Morgan’s grief took over him for a time, and he was unable to eat anything. He collapsed at some point, and that’s when he was diagnosed with diabetes. The second time something like this happened was in fifth grade. Morgan was on his way to being the model student of the year, juggling basketball, athletics, school, and work. He blacked out at Crimson and went on a rampage, waking up in the hospital a few days later with no memories of having punched his brother in the face. It sounds like a funny story now, but back then, everyone was worried for him.
Matt picked up the habit of buying two of everything at the convenience store just to make sure Morgan has something to eat when he needs to. Morgan is a big eater, and every time he says that he is not hungry, that only means he doesn’t want to spend more than he can.
It’s just the two of them out here. Everyone else is inside the gymnasium, and the noise of the crowd is drowning out any attempts Matt is making to call for help. Morgan is already too heavy for him to carry on his own, but now that he is passed out, his dead weight will make it more difficult. He reached for his phone. The best thing he could do right now is call for an ambulance.
“Hi, this is Don Camillo Memorial. How may we help you?” a woman from the other line spoke.
“My ah friend, he is ah...” Matt was sure he was talking properly in his head, but his words were not coming out of his mouth the way he wanted them to. “He’s passed. Not passed away. Just unconscious. Passed out. Yes, that is it. That kind of passed, not the first one. It’s insulin shock. He’s diabetic.”
“I hear you,” answered the woman on the line. “Tell me where you are right now so we can send the ambulance to your location.”
"Yes, please hurry! We’re at the sc-” Matt was not able to finish his sentence. Someone swiped his phone from his hand.
In front of them was the young woman with the long braided hair, juggling Matt's phone in her hand. She was very intimidating standing on her high-heeled pumps, wearing tight jeans and an emerald silk blouse that had shiny golden snake prints. It was hard to tell if she was angry or if her eyebrows just appeared to be glaring even at rest.
“You are not taking homeboy to the hospital,” she said, throwing Matt’s phone back to him. “That’s a whole other disaster I am not gonna wanna deal with.”
“Then where?” Matt said in protest. He was ready to fight until the young woman picked Morgan up from the ground, putting his entire weight on her back with little effort. It did not take long for them to reach the parking lot, where they stopped by an old Corolla.
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“Get in!” She said while she opened the passenger door at the back and gently placed Morgan in the backseat.
Matt reached for the handle of the passenger side door in the front when he realized what he was doing. He was just about to get inside a stranger’s car. “I’m not going in there, and you are not taking Morgan anywhere. We don’t even know who you are.” Sara’s killer is still out there, and that person may be this girl. Although both he and Morgan have a vague memory of her helping them out at the graveyard, Matt would not want to risk it.
"I hate it when her memory dust works against me," the woman muttered under her breath.
Matt reached for his phone again, ready to call for an ambulance, but he heard a clicking noise, which drew his attention back to the woman. His eyes met the barrel of the white pistol aimed squarely at him. A green glow could be seen coming from inside it.
“My name is Riley Sta. Maria. Get in the car, smartass.”
“This is quite convincing,” Matt replied, returning his phone to his pocket and swiftly sliding into the vehicle. Riley was quick to draw that pistol, so it would be in his best interest to shut up, but his mouth did not understand the instructions, as usual. “If you’re gonna kill us, please do it quickly, and please do not dismember any part of our bodies. I don’t like the idea of being scattered in different places.”
“Stop talking,” she said sternly, hitting the pedals and speeding away from school. “The sun has almost set. We can’t have him around people.” Doc was the fastest driver Matt had ever known. Until now. This woman does not care at all that riding with her feels more like a roller coaster ride.
Matt is convinced of three things after running through four consecutive red lights at high speed. First, Riley Sta. Maria is a maniac with no driver’s license. No one in their right mind would give her a passing score. Second, the authorities in this town really need to step up their game, or this town would be perfect for drag races. Finally, if he ever survives this runaway car, he will never, ever ride in a car driven by this woman.
“Riley, right? There’s something about your name.” Matt noticed that they had been going in circles. “Whatever. If you don’t know where to go, I know of this wonderful place where they could really take care of him. It’s called a hospital.”
“No. That’s not the place to be,” Riley responded, calm yet with a sense of urgency in her voice. “It's been a while since I've been back here, so I don't know, but can you think of a place large enough to house him for the entire night and strong enough to keep him in? You should call your uncle. He’ll know what to do.”
“Sure. I can do that. But can you let me know if you are trying to help us or kill us?” Matt said, flailing about. Not knowing where to place his hands. “See here, he’s having insulin shock. How is not taking him to a hospital going to help? He’s out cold! How is he going to hurt anyone? Look at him. And how are we still alive? You’re driving too fast. I think my organs are still a few blocks left behind.”
“You really think he is just having insulin shock?” She said, turning sharply around the corner. They must have run around the town square three times now. “If you don’t really know what’s happening, then why are you wearing that necklace?” Matt grabbed the purple crystal pendant hanging around his neck, looking at it curiously. It’s just a pendant that his grandmother wore a lot, as far as he knows. “You really have no idea? Do you know why that crystal is purple? It’s because of the wolfsbane essence imbued inside it.”
“Wolfsbane?” Matt whispered to himself. The herb they say werewolves are weak to? He glanced at Morgan, who was still lying unconscious in the back of the car, unaware of what was going on around him. The night sky was slowly creeping up on them as Matt gazed through the back window. The full moon was greeting them with a silvery glow. They both laughed about the idea, and although Matt hoped there was some truth to that silliness to give them a break from the mundane, right now the thought of Morgan turning into that frightens him. “Is he gonna be okay?” He turned to Riley, who was not able to give a proper answer.
“It’s his first time turning. It is going to be painful. I read about it somewhere, but I’ve never seen one in person.”
“Oh, that's very concerning," Matt said, trying to build determination he doesn’t know where to get. "We’ll just have to give him his best chance then. I have a feeling you know where I live. I have an idea where we can keep. Take a left turn on the next intersection and step on the gas. If you’re not just messing with us, we need to be reach home before nightfall.”