I was fast asleep in my bed when I heard car tires squeal and then rev away. I'm a light sleeper and so that bit of noise was going to keep me up the whole night. I growled and got up to see what the heck was going on. I looked through the blinds and sighed when I saw nothing out there. I was about to head back to sleep when I spotted a leg sticking out from behind a tree. I gasped and put my slippers on to go see what was out there.
I ran down the stairs and out the door to the tree. To my surprise, I saw Arson sitting there, has left hand over his right shoulder, breathing rapidly.
"Um... are you alright?"
Arson turned quickly, his black eyes staring right through me.
"Who are you?"
"Jane... What are you doing in front of my house? Did you get shot?" I asked, reaching out to his hand.
He pulled away. "What's it to you?"
"Well, maybe I should call an ambulance or something?"
"I'm good..." He moaned and pulled his hand from his shoulder. It was wet with blood. "Shit..."
"You need to go to the hospital."
"And who would believe me? I'm the drunk kid, remember? I'm also in a gang if you didn't know."
"Doesn't mean you shouldn't receive medical help all the same... You can sue for this you know."
"Puh. What are you, a lawyer?" he said rolling his eyes.
"I'm studying to be one."
"Well you should know that being in a gang and getting shot is part of the deal. You can't sue a gang because they'll kill you. If you help me then they'll kill you too."
"Do they know I live here?"
"No..."
"Then they don't know that they dumped you on my lawn. Come on, get up." I said, holding out my hand.
He looked at it skeptically and then grabbed hold of it.
"I don't know how drunk I am but it would be nice if this happened often."
"Don't count on it." I mumbled, throwing his arm over my neck to haul him into the house.

*******************

I turned on the light and sat him on the couch.
"Wait here and let me see if I can help."
"If you call my friend Liam he can help... He's studying to be a doctor." I heard him say as I went to the bathroom for supplies.
"You have friends?" I said.
"Yeah, Barbie, the drunk kid has friends."
"The name is Jane, dirtwad..." I snapped as I came back. "Let's see..."
I pulled the leather jacket he was wearing, a whole in the shoulder section, and saw the blood staining his undershirt.
"You mind, um, taking your shirt off?"
"You're taking this a little personal aren't you darling?" he said with a smirk.
I frowned at him and just waited for him to do as I said.
He finally got his shirt off and I looked at the wound. The bullet was still in there and I knew that there was nothing I was going to be able to do.
"I'm going to have to call an ambulance. The bullet is still in your shoulder. It's beyond my medical knowledge."
"I was afraid you'd say that..." He started breathing a little hard, like he couldn't catch his breath. "Can you hand me my jacket back please?"
I handed him the jacket back and he reached in one of the pockets, pulling out an inhaler. He shook it and then sucked in the air.
"Are you serious? You're an asthmatic drunk?" I asked, going to the phone. "You're full of surprises."
"I was okay until you said you couldn't fix it. Not good with hospitals."
"Maybe you shouldn't be in a gang. Yes, hello? I'd like to report an emergency. Yes, someone's been shot. No, he's conscious but the bullet is embedded in his shoulder. Yes..." I gave them the address to the house.
I looked over at Arson and noticed he was starting to breathe slowly and was blinking rapidly to keep from passing out.
"Please don't tell me that you're scared of blood too?" I asked.
He looked over at me but he wasn't playing. His breathing was becoming pretty shallow and his face had gone pale. He looked like he was about to fall over any second.
"You didn't lose that much blood."
"You didn't... see... the seat... of... the... car..." he said, passing out.
"Damn it..." I growled.
I heard footsteps on the stairs and looked as Kristen descended from the upstairs.
"What's going on?" she yawned, her hand over her mouth.
"Arson Channing." I answered.
Her eyes opened wide and she ran over to me, looking at the passed out boy.
"What happened?!"
"Some gang shot him and he ended up on our doorstep. The ambulance is on its way."
"He didn't try to hurt you, did he?" Kristen asked, poking his leg.
"Quit! Of course not... I hear the sirens now."
We waited for them to take Arson and then we followed them.

******************

They got the bullet out and I had to sign a paper on what I knew about the incident when Chandler comes in making a big commotion.
"What happened? Where's my brother?! Is he alright?"
"Are you related to the young man?" the nurse asked.
"Yes! I'm his brother, his guardian."
"Then please sign here and here and the doctor will be with you in a moment. That woman over there is the one who brought him in." the nurse said, pointing to me.
Chandler signed the papers and then turned to me.
"Who are you?"
"Jane..."
"What did you do to my brother?"
"Me!? I rescued him! If it weren't for me, he would be dead by now."
"Yeah, right..."
"I'd think about what you say, Channing. You're his guardian so you should get your head out of your ass and guard him, dolt." I growled.
"Don't tell me how to raise my brother, ingrate."
"Guys, enough." Kristen said. "Arson is in trouble and the doctor is coming."
We turned and the doctor adjusted his glasses.
"Well... Your brother is going to live. The problem is that the bullet hit the bone and shattered it. We'll have to do extensive surgery to put it back together and there will be lots of therapy to be done."
"Um... how much is that supposed to cost, Doctor?"
"A lot of money." He said.
He wrote on the piece of paper and showed it to Chandler. Chandler's eyes widened and his face paled.
"Th-that much?"
"For everything."
"I see..." He gulped and kneaded his brow. "Well, there goes my tuition... Just fix him up as best as you can."
The doctor nodded and Chandler stumbled back into a seat.
"Damn it, Arson... Why can't you just drink like everyone else and stay drunk? Why do you have to be in a gang too?"
"No offense, but I don't think that's his problem. It's your job to keep him out of this sort of situation."
Chandler glared at me angrily and then closed his eyes.
"I'll have to give up my dream for this... But if it will fix him up I will have to. Thanks, Jane, for calling the ambulance. You can leave now..."
I felt a little bad about blaming him for Arson's own stupidity but then again if he was his guardian, he was supposed to make sure nothing happened to him in the first place.
I thought I was over with this family but it seemed something happened that I never thought could: Love at first sight.

+++++++++++++++++++

ah young love and i really unrealistic dealing with a bullet wound. this is an old story so... yeah...