A swig of coffee, a flutter of the newspaperโto anyone else, Dero would have looked distracted, perhaps too tired to be paying attention to what was going on around him. However he wasnโt one to let his guard down so easily; he was alert as ever, despite his lack of sleep trying its hardest to get the better of his steel will.
The moment he caught ear of a scuffle outside, the gunslinger had set his cup down and was already on his feet, trying to keep his itching trigger finger off of his holster. It was perhaps nothing too serious; small skirmishes and fights werenโt all that uncommon and usually sorted themselves out. However he was one to scope these things out. Just in case. You never knew whenโ
The sound of a gunshot rang loud and clear, almost like a rude greeting when he stepped foot out of the inn. A chill passed though his body, his gun immediately in his hand. His boots kicked up dust while he quite nearly flew to the source of the sound, his bright blue eye widening with horror when he saw the sight before him.
Jem, a woman he considered a good friend, sprawled on the ground in pain as blood seeped from her shoulder, and the man who shot her readying himself to make the finishing blow. A surge of burning rage set him into motion. While Jem was merciful, Dero was anything but and didnโt hesitate for a moment to deliver a killing shotโthough in his haste to Jemโs side, he didnโt bother to check that he had actually done the bandit in, though he was satisfied to hear the blood curdling scream the man produced when the shot hit its mark.
Now on his knees at Jemโs side, Deroโs coarse hands were surprisingly gentle as he started to examine her wound and her vitals, swearing under his breath, โJem,โ he called firmly, โCan you hear me?โ he ripped his jacket off of his shoulders to use as a makeshift bandage of sorts, making way to try and stop the bleeding.
ย ย Being shot was something that had crossed Jemimaโs mind many times. She always had planned out what she would do, she would take the bullet, yell and swear up and down, and grit her teeth through the pain and shoot back ten fold. But thatโs not what she did.ย
ย ย No, here she was, on the ground. Frozen. If she could bring herself to think, shame would be all she could feel. But now? She was numb. In shock. It wasnโt until a voice rattled her to her senses did her eyes noticed and focus in on the considered friend who had rushed to her aid. She didnโt even recognize him at first, she felt she had to make her mind connect the dots. Her eyes softened from her look that could be compared to a deer in the headlights.ย
ย ย Same thing went for the question he asked. Could she hear him? Of course she could, what kinda question was that?ย
ย ย She opened her mouth to respond, her brows lowered slightly with annoyance as she was about to snap a comment, but the pressure he applied to her wound rattled her to the bone, searing pain shook her to her senses, and instead of words, a sharp whimper of pain as her back lurched and she shivered and her eyes squeezed shut. She ought back tears, from pain or shame, she wasnโt too sure.ย
ย ย Blood stained his hands.ย
