Dead Man At The Doctor

A few seconds after the woman walked out the room a man walked back in. The man was actually a 17 year old but you couldn't tell from his face. He had a nearly full beard and a stern look.

"Yern? What the hell happened to you?" Allen said, his stern face completely changing to concern. Yern pointed to the cut on his leg that was starting back to bleed. Allen quickly went to get the medical supplies he would need to clean and stitch up the cut. He came back into the room with a bag that Yern didn't get a chance to see into. "How'd you get this? Allen asked as he started to clean the blood around the wound. Yern didn't answer and looked at the woman who was still in the room with them.

He didn't need everyone knowing his business. Even though the news of his robbery would come out eventually because of the surviving guard. Still, no reason to let people know before he needed to.

"She's good. She knows how to mind her own." Allen said. Still slightly reluctant Yern began to speak.

"I robbed Marrow's stash house, one of the guards got a good cut." This shocked both doctors in the room, while occasionally the gangs in the district would bump heads no one who was not in one messed with the gangs. It was too dangerous to risk it, to mess with one without the protection of another. Yern knew this of course and he knew after tonight he would be hunted for all over the district. " I'm as good as dead, I know." Yern said, sighing loudly. 

"Maybe not, it's not a blood war yet." The woman said. There were two types of wars between the gangs that happened when they did fight seriously. A turf war, as the name suggested, was about turf. Turf wars usually didn't result in many deaths and if someone was killed it was 'accidental'. A blood war was a slaughter, the two sides going tit for tat until there was no one left to kill. All the spoils going to the survivor.

"It is. I killed one of the guards in the house." Yern said. No one wanted to continue the conversation, they knew what that meant. Yern screamed as Allen started to disinfect the wound, nearly punching Allen for pouring too much peroxide. The wound bubbled up which didn't seem like a good sign to Yern. Who knows what all could have got in the cut during the fight and on the walk here. After Yern calmed down, Allen started stitching. This was the worst part about being cut for Yern, not the pain. Just knowing a needle and thread was going through his skin made him queasy.

He passed out.

Yern woke up in the same bed he passed out in. 'Did I pass out again? That's embarrassing.' Then his mind started to go crazy with worry as his current situation came back to him. 'Where am I gonna go? Other districts? It could take days for the gate to let me through! Maybe I could hide somewhere.' He was brought out of his thoughts as Allen walked back into the house that served as the doctor's office.

"How much I owe you?" Yern said as he tried to get out the bed to get money from the bag.

Allen grabbed him as he almost fell face first on the floor.

"Its free. On one condition." Allen said, pushing Yern back onto the bed. 'One condition?' Yern thought. This was usually said when someone wanted something from you but what could Allen want beside the money he was owed for his services.

"What condition? Yern asked. Since he was soon to be dead and Allen was a friend he would probably help if it was reasonable. 

"I want you to help me start a gang. With you as the head and me as the second in command." Allen said it was a simple thing to do. Yern sat on the bed shocked.' What the hell is he talking about?

"I'm confused. Explain." Yern said.

" The district is divided right now, even Marrow is losing control of his gang. The younger guys won't follow someone his age, they need someone closer to them to gather around. That could be us!" Allen explained.

"That doesn't explain why I have to lead it. And why would they listen to me anyway." Yern said, doubting Allen's plan.

"You have to lead it because of your reputation. People know how you survived in this place alone and they respect it. Even if you've wronged them, they know it wasn't personal. And its simple why they would listen to you, you went for someone as powerful as Marrow when no one else would." 

"It makes some sense but what about Marrow?" Yern asked slightly surprised at the way Allen explained.

"With teens from the district with us, you think he'd risk a blood war over one sack of money? He can make that back, he can't lose the small amount of loyal men he has left." Allen said pointing at the sack of money. 

"Ok. But do you have people in mind or do we have to find them?" Yern asked, concerned about whether he would have to wander around the district looking for members all while Marrow was looking for him.

" Yep, our first two are outside right now." Allen said moving towards Yern to help him walk out the door.

Outside was the blinding light of the morning sun and two boys. Yern thought he was seeing double because of his injury until Allen introduced the two boys. " Yern, these are the twins. Mack and Tack." Allen pointed at them as he said their names. 

"So your supposed to be the boss?" Tack said, looking Yern up and down, stopping at his wounded leg. "How'd you get that? " he asked, now pointing at the wound.

Yern then fully explained the story, starting from the inn. He told them how he killed the guard in the house and almost got away until the other guard noticed him. How he tried to lie to avoid the dangerous fight with the guard. They were extremely surprised he killed the guard inside the house, because even in the streets most didn't kill until they were older or unless they absolutely had to.

The twins agree that they would come whenever Yern and Allen called for member for their gang. But before they could do that Yern's leg had to get better. He couldn't appear weak while trying to establish himself as a leader.