Callea’s coughing was a regular fixture in the mines. She
never could afford a breather and they aren’t standard issue. Instead, she wore
a damp bandana over her mouth while she worked. She labored hard, pickaxe in
hand, pausing to violently cough here and there. When she worked it through she
just swung harder to keep pace with the other miners. She never wanted to be
perceived as weak or lesser than despite her illness. Today the coughing fit
started and it wouldn’t stop. Worrying about quotas, Overseer Billins told her
to get back to work, an impossible request. Kollis dropped his shovel to go to her
aid. That’s when he saw the blood staining her hands and mouth. Still she
coughed. Then she choked. Overseer Billins was yelling for Kollis to get back to work,
and Callea was on the ground, eyes vacant, blood dribbling from her mouth. He didn’t think. Kollis scooped her up and put her into the ore cart she was filling
and he started pushing toward the exit. The words “Stand Down!” echoed in his ears but he ignored them. He had to. It was the right thing to do.
-Nick
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