"Lydia..." Janice appeared from behind me. "Let me look... I’m a nurse, so I might be able to help," she said.
I got up and watched Janice take over. She glanced at Nick's stomach and turned him slightly to peer at his back. I was thankful that we had a nurse here with us.
"It doesn't look like it has gone too deep into his stomach yet and he was hit from the side, so I think if we can get the bullet out... he might be okay... but we have to get it out soon or the wound will turn septic. Have we got anything that I can pull the bullet out with?" She asked as she looked at Tim and myself.
"Tim... do we?" I asked him.
"Um... let me think... will a knife or pliers do? Other than that I can't think what will work." He said as he knelt down next to Janice.
"Yes... pliers... get them Tim." Janice pleaded.
I watched as Tim ran out to his van and then appeared with some pliers and a small medical bag.
"Well... I have pliers and whatever is inside this bag. I found it way back..." He said as everyone stared at him. "I know... just don't ask." He said.
I couldn't believe he had a medical bag. He was full of surprises lately. What else was in that van of his?
I watched Janice open the doctor's bag. She took out some equipment that looked more like pliers and some other surgical tools. I just hoped she could help Nick.
Janice poured whisky over the wound and then she peered into the bag and took out a small bottle.
"Oh wow... look what I've found." She said smiling.
"What is it?" I asked.
"It's morphine... we can knock him out when I try to get this bullet out of him." She said.
She took out a needle for the morphine and injected Nick with it.
Once Nick was asleep, Janice pushed him down on the sofa so he was laying flat on his back. I moved away, not wanting to see what she would do next. I hated the sight of blood and wounds anyway, so I went to sit at the front of the caravan next to Alan.
Alan seemed pale and listless. I wondered if he was feeling okay. I touched his arm, hoping to comfort him.
"Alan are you okay?" I asked.
"No... I can't take much more of this... I... I..." He said looking doubtful in himself.
As he spoke, he stood up and reached out to touch me, but I didn't realise why at the time. He pulled my gun from the front of my jeans. He must have seen it there when my jumper rolled up revealing the gun.
"Alan, what are you doing? Give it back." I said.
"No... I want to die... I want to kill myself... I can't take this kind of life. I can't cope." He said as he shoved the gun inside of his mouth.
I stood there watching him. I was terrified. Everyone turned to look at him. Janice had just finished pulling the bullet out of Nick and was bandaging him up again, just as Alan had put the gun in his mouth.
Aiden, Joe and Tim stood there too, but no one moved for fear that Alan would pull the trigger. Nick was finally saved and now Alan wanted to shoot himself... whatever next I thought.
15. Aiden Lamb - Defeat
My heartbeat quickened as terror took over me. I watched Alan stand there holding a gun inside his mouth. I wasn't sure if he had the guts to do it, but there was no way I would let him pull that trigger.
I wanted him to put down the gun and be strong for the sake of the kids and everyone else that were inside this caravan. He was, also, my best friend and I didn't want him to die.
I looked at Lydia, Tim and Joe. They were all looking at me. I knew they wanted me to talk him out of it, so I stepped forward, as my sister, Janice touched my arm.
"Don't." She whispered.
I looked at her for a second and patted her hand as I gave her a weak smile to let her know that she shouldn't worry. Then I stepped forward until I was nearer to Alan.
"Alan, please don't do this... there are kids here... you don't want to do this... you can beat this... I know you can." I pleaded.
Alan slowly took the gun out of his mouth to speak.
"Aiden, I can't do this anymore. I don't want to live in this terrible world. I hate it... and...." I watched Alan bend his head to cry. Tears flowed down his cheeks and his body trembled.
"It's okay... it will be okay Alan." I said, as I moved even closer to him, but as I did he moved the gun back into his mouth.
I watched as Alan shook his head. Then with shaky fingers, he pushed on the trigger, but the gun didn't go off. I jumped on him and brought him down to the floor. I quickly removed the gun from his hands. I shoved it to one side and saw Lydia pick it up.
I held Alan tightly, as he cried. He was drowning in his own sorrow and he'd been like that since he'd seen his family die. I had known it back then, that day, when I had saved him and even then, he had wanted to die, but I had prevented his death with my quick thinking mind.
Alan shook me away from him and rose
