The living room turns from battlefield to sickroom in a heartbeat. Mara lies on the rug, one hand at her neck, blood slicking her fingers. Louis kneels beside her, pressing hard with both hands.
Jenny
Benjamin, more cloth, now.
Jenny keeps pressure on Mara’s wound with a trembling sleeve already soaked red. Elias leans against the wall nearby, pale and breathless, one hand clamped over his shoulder.
Elias
It’s just the shoulder. Keep standing.
Benjamin moves in with the med kit and clean fabric, the room lit by one wavering lamp and the gray spill from the windows. The rifle lies forgotten in the foyer beyond the open hallway.
Louis
Stay with me, Mara. Just keep breathing.
Mara Miller
Warm... too fast...
✓ Quest Accepted
Treat Mara's wound
“Is the wound too severe to save her?”
EXCEPTIONAL NO (Likely, rolled 97)
Benjamin pulls the bandage tight, his hands steady despite the chaos. The bleeding slows, the crimson flow finally yielding to the pressure.
Louis
She is holding on, Ben. The artery is intact, I am sure of it.
Benjamin
The color is returning to her skin, just a little.
“Is Mara still in immediate danger?”
YES (Likely, rolled 17)
Despite the successful dressing of the wound, Mara's breathing remains shallow and erratic. A dark, spreading stain begins to seep through the fresh gauze, suggesting the internal damage is far more severe than the surface wound implies.
Louis
The bleeding is not stopping... it is just finding a new way out.
Benjamin
She is losing too much blood, and we have nothing left to stop the internal hemorrhaging.
“Do we even have the medical supplies or manpower to save Mara?”
NO (Unlikely, rolled 47)
The medical kit is depleted, and the group lacks the surgical expertise required to address the deep trauma. Mara's condition continues to deteriorate despite their best efforts.
“Hold Mara's hand and try to comfort her as she bleeds out”
SUCCESS (Good Willpower, rolled +0)
Benjamin reaches for Mara’s hand, careful of the blood slick on the blanket.
Her fingers twitch once, then close around his with a weak, grateful grip.
Mara Miller
You stayed. That matters.
Louis
The bleeding is still too deep, but she hears you. Keep talking to her.
Benjamin settles beside her bedroll, thumb steady against her knuckles as the room goes quieter around them.
Mara Miller
Benjamin... thank you. For the house. For all of it.
A faint, crooked smile flickers across her face, then fades as she squeezes his hand once more.
Elias
She is awake enough to hear you, and that is something. What do you want her to know?
“"We'll keep Elias and Dane safe. We'll survive the best we can. You have my word, Mara."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Leadership, rolled +1)
Benjamin
We keep Elias and Dane safe. We survive the best we can. You have my word, Mara.
Mara Miller
Her grip tightens around his for a beat, like she is holding on to the promise as much as to him.
Mara Miller
Okay. Then I can rest for a second.
Louis
That is the first good sentence anyone has said in here all night.
Elias
He lets out a slow breath, his shoulders easing despite the pain.
Elias
A base needs that kind of voice at its center. People hear it, and they keep moving.
Mara Miller
If this house becomes that place, then I am glad we found it.
Keep Elias and Dane safe
Quest Complete
Treat Mara's wound
Attribute Upgrade: Willpower Good→Great