by Dawn, M. K.
“Fuck me,” Shifter muttered.
Angie placed a comforting hand on Britney’s back. “What do you need us to do?”
Jesus, this was bad.
“Get a bed ready,” Britney said through her tears. “Clean sheets. And go through the bathrooms and find all the medical supplies you can.”
Angie nodded. “Gus, can you come help me?”
“Of course.” Gus turned to Molly and Carson. “Can you come inside with us and help find the first aid kits?”
Both nodded.
Gus cupped their cheeks. “Thanks. You’re both so brave.”
Britney forced a smile. “We’ll take good care of Blake, okay?”
“Okay, Mommy.” A fresh set of tears trickled down Molly’s face.
Carson grabbed hold of her hand. “Come on. They need our help. We have to hurry.”
Britney looked to the others. “We need some kind of stretcher to lay him on so we can get him inside. And some boards or something to make a splint for his leg.”
“On it.” Shifter motioned to Gunner and Mac, and they took off toward the barns.
Axel kneeled beside her. “Do you know what you’re doing?”
“I don’t know.” Britney swallowed hard. “My sister, Sloan, is—was a surgeon. I know a little just from listenin’ to her talk about the cases she worked over the years. I wish she were here. She could fix him without breakin’ a sweat.”
“We’ll save him, Brit.” As Axel kissed the top of her head, she could feel teardrops fall against her scalp. He was crying, which broke her heart even more. “I promise.”
Pulling back her shoulders, she wiped away her tears. Crying wasn’t going to save her son. “We need to set the bone while he’s still unconscious. If he wakes up… I don’t want him to have to experience that kind of pain.”
“Can we do it now?” Axel asked.
“No. I need to clean the wound first.”
Shifter, Gunner and Max came running back with a snow sled and ski poles.
“Will these work?” Shifter huffed, out of breath.
“They’re perfect.” Britney turned to Rainey. “You get his shoulders. Axel, get on the other side of him. He’s not heavy, but we need to keep him as steady as possible.”
Blake was taller than he had been a few years back when they’d gotten the sled for Christmas, and Britney didn’t like the way he legs hung off the end. She scanned the area looking for something else she might be able to use to place under that leg.
“That skateboard over there on the porch.” Britney pointed at it. “Someone grab it. I think it’s flat enough that we can prop it under his leg.”
“I’ll get it.” Gunner sprinted to the porch and back faster than she expected. “Here we go. I’ll hold it under his leg if the rest of you want to lift the sled.”
“Ready!” Angie called from the house.
Britney gave Blake a light kiss on the forehead. “Let’s go.”
The walk from the tree to the house wasn’t far, but they took it slow. The last thing they needed was for Blake to wake up or to cause any more damage to the leg.
In the house, Gus and Angie had the sofa bed pulled out and made.
“I didn’t think you wanted to deal with the stairs.” Angie re-tucked and smoothed out the sheets. “I hope this okay.”
“It’s perfect.” Britney butted the sled up to the side of the mattress. “We need to get him on the bed. Keep the skateboard under his leg.”
“We got him.” Angie slid her hands under Blake’s armpits while Gus helped move his lower half.
Once they had him on the bed, Britney cleaned the wound with peroxide and readied herself to set the bone. Her touching the area must have hurt, as Blake flinched and groaned.
“Shit.” Britney stared down at the leg. “We need to do this now.”
“Do you know what you’re doing?” Rainey asked.
Britney eyes widened. “Not really, but we don’t have much of a choice, do we?”
Blake groaned again.
“Please don’t wake up, baby.” Britney’s hands shook as she reached for his leg.
“Wait.” Axel moved in beside her. “I’ll do it.”
“Have you done this before?”
Axel shook his head. “No, but I’ve seen it done a couple of times.”
She closed her eyes for a second, trying to regain her composure, when Blake screamed.
“What happened? What did you do?”
“I set his leg.” Axel waved at Angie. “Did you find any bandages? Gauze, maybe?”
Britney checked his leg for any signs of the bone. “You did it. Why didn’t you wait for me to answer you?”
“It was better this way. No time for you to think.” Axel cleaned the area with peroxide again, then wrapped gauze around the leg to cover the wound and hold the ski poles in place.
“He’s so pale.” Britney brushed the hair from his forehead.
“He’s probably in shock.” Axel ran his hand down her arm. “But he’s breathing on his own, and the bleeding has slowed down. Those are good signs.”
“That is good.” Britney snuggled in bed beside him. “But we’re nowhere near in the clear yet.”
***
Two days after Blake’s fall, the wound was healing nicely. By day three he’d woken up. Even though Britney could tell he was still in a lot of pain, his spirits remained high.
Molly insisted on staying at Blake’s side day in and day out. She brought him his food and helped him eat, read him books and told him stories. The perfect little nurse in training.
On day four, Britney finally relaxed a little, thinking the worst had passed. Until she went to change his bandages.
“Shit.” Britney ran her hand over Blake’s hot and swollen red skin.
“What’s wrong, Mommy?” Molly asked trying to get a better look.
Britney pressed on the skin around Blake’s wound, and he winced. “Does that hurt?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Is that bad?”
“Molly,” Britney said, “can you go get me the thermometer, please?”
Axel moved out of the way as Molly bolted from the room. “Everything okay?”
Britney smiled down at Blake. “I’m goin’ to get you some medicine. Do you want me to get you somethin’ to eat?”
“No.” Blake lay back down. “I’m not hungry.”
“Okay, sweetie.” She covered him up with his favorite superhero blanket. “I’ll be right back.”
“We need to talk,” Britney whispered as she passed Axel. “In the kitchen.”
“What’s wrong?” Axel asked.
Rainey looked up from the book she was reading at the breakfast table. “Is Blake okay?”
Tears stung Britney’s eyes. “We have a problem. Blake’s wound looks like it might be gettin’ infected.”
“Do we need to clean it more?” Rainey jumped out of her chair. “I’ll boil some water.”
“Thanks. We’re goin’ to have to keep a close eye on it.” Britney had seen how fast an infection like this could turn sepsis. John had been hospitalized for a week after he sliced his leg on a tree branch and didn’t treat it properly. “Molly went to grab a thermometer.”
“Mommy!” Molly called from the living room. “It beeped.”
“Correction.” Britney rolled her eyes. “Molly is takin’ his temperature as we speak.”
Rainey and Axel followed her into the living room.
“Thanks, baby.” Britney reached out to her. “Can I see it, please?”
Molly didn’t hand it over but instead read the display out loud. “It says one hundred period eight.”
“Give it.” Britney snatched it out of her hand, needing to read it for herself. “Where did you take this?”
“Under his tongue,” Molly said.
Britney’s heart raced. “I need to take it again just in case he moved.” She sat on the bed beside Blake. “Hold this under your tongue.”
Blake did as he was told
. In the past hour, he’d become more lethargic. She thought he was just tired after all he’d been through, but now she worried it might be something worse.
The thermometer beeped. “One hundred point eight. Shit.”
“Told you.”
“A fever?” Angie asked as she entered the room.
Britney rifled through the medical supplies, grabbing the antibiotic cream and more gauze. “He’s developin’ an infection.”
Axel took a seat next to Blake. “You feeling kind of crummy there, kid?”
Blake nodded.
“It’ll be okay.” Axel turned to Britney. “Do you have any leftover antibiotics?”
“Nothin’ he can use. Stay still.” Britney unwrapped Blake’s leg and tossed the old bandages in the trash next to the bed. Poor kid. The swelling must be painful. “He hasn’t been on any in years and is allergic to amoxicillin. So if there was anything lyin’ around, he couldn’t take it anyway.”
“Damn.” Axel ran a hand through his hair.
“We have to make sure this wound stays clean. I’m goin’ to give him some ibuprofen to help bring down the fever and swellin’ around the injury. We need to keep a close eye on him, make sure he doesn’t take a turn for the worse.”
“And if he does?” Rainey’s voice cracked.
Britney didn’t want to consider the alternative. “Let’s pray he doesn’t.”
***
The next twenty-four hours were brutal. Britney stayed by Blake’s side, watching as her little man fought the infection the best he could. But the infection was winning. In the last two hours, Blake’s condition had worsened. He stopped eating, and getting him to take even a sip of water was a struggle.
The look of his wound scared the shit out of her. Red streaks had formed and started to spread outward. Along with the greenish pus and increased swelling, Britney believed he was developing sepsis.
If left untreated, it would probably kill him.
“Mommy,” Blake croaked. “I’m so cold.”
“Here you go, baby.” Britney covered him with a fourth blanket and brushed her fingers along his forehead. As soon as the medication wore off, his fever returned. At this point, the medicine was only masking the fever, not breaking it. “You need anythin’ else?”
Blake yawned and snuggled under the blankets. “I’m tired.”
“Get some rest.” Britney kissed his head. “I’ll be in the dinin’ room if you need me.”
Britney grabbed a notepad and pen before joining the others for breakfast.
“How’s he doing?” Axel asked.
She took a seat beside him and dropped her head. Thank goodness Molly and Carson had eaten earlier; she didn’t want them to hear what she was about to say. “It’s not good. I think the wound is septic. If we can’t get it under control, he’s not goin’ to make it.”
“Fuck.” Axel tossed his fork on the table.
Everyone else stopped eating and started at her with wide glossy eyes.
“What can we do?” Shifter asked. “There has to be something.”
“He needs antibiotics and probably an IV drip since he’s not drinkin’ much.” Britney added both to the list. “Sterile medical supplies, a better splint or materials to cast his leg. I’m sure there’s more, but the antibiotics are the main thing.”
“I’ll go,” Axel volunteered.
“So will I,” Gunner added.
Britney let out a weighted breath. “Thank you. I’ll make sure the list is detailed.”
Axel reached over and took her hand. “Britney, you’ll probably need to go with us on this one.”
“What?” A cold sweat broke out on her forehead. “I can’t leave Blake.”
He patted her hand. “I know you don’t want to leave him, but Gunner and I have no idea how to get to the hospital.”
“I’ll show you on the map,” she blurted. She couldn’t go, wouldn’t leave Blake.
“And if that hospital is destroyed? Or doesn’t have what we need?”
Britney understood his concern, but how could he ask her to leave her baby’s side? What if he got worse and she wasn’t here? What if he… didn’t make it? “I can show you several. Please, Axel, don’t ask me to do this.”
“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think it was necessary.” Axel tapped her list. “Plus, you’re the one who knows what all of this stuff is. Without you, it’ll take us twice as long, if not more, to get back. With your help, we can be back tomorrow.”
Britney dropped her head in her hands. He was right, but the thought of walking out that door and leaving Blake—leaving all her kids—made her stomach turn.
“We’ll take good care of Blake.” Angie draped an arm around Britney and squeezed her tight. “Of all of them. But if he’s as sick as you think he is, finding the medicine and getting back as quickly as possible might be the difference between life and death.”
“Fine.” Britney pushed away from the table. “I’ll go. We need to leave now.” Before she changed her mind. “I’m goin’ to go tell my kids bye.”
Blake was asleep, so she headed upstairs. Carson and Molly sat in the middle of his bedroom floor, playing with Legos.
“Is Blake okay?” Molly asked.
Britney sat on the floor between them. “No, he’s not. He needs medicine. Stuff we don’t have here at the house. If he doesn’t get it, he might not make it.”
“He might die?” Legos slipped through Carson’s fingers.
She didn’t want to scare them, but she couldn’t lie. If she was going to leave, they needed to understand the severity of the situation. “He could if he doesn’t get the medication he needs. That’s why I’m goin’ with Axel and Gunner.”
Molly burst into tears. “You’re leaving?”
“I have to. Nobody else knows what Blake needs to get better.”
Carson crossed his arms over his chest. “Can’t you just write it down for them?”
“It’s not that simple.” Britney pulled them both into a tight hug. “Plus, I’m the only one who knows where all the hospitals are. They need me.”
Molly sniffled. “Is Axel going with you?”
“Yes. Him and Gunner.” Britney swept the damp hair away from Molly’s eyes. “We’ll keep each other safe. Promise. Can you two take care of Blake while we’re gone? Rainey and Angie will need a lot of help.”
“We’ll take care of him,” Carson assured her.
“I know this is hard. All of it. But you guys are amazin’. And strong. And brave. I couldn’t ask for better kids.”
“We couldn’t ask for a better mom.” Molly hugged Britney tight.
She cupped each of their little faces and gave them a big kiss. “I love you both. And I’ll see you soon.” Even though they planned on making it back tomorrow, she didn’t want to tell the kids in case something went wrong.
“When are you leaving?” Carson asked.
“Now.” Britney pressed her lips together. She promised herself she wouldn’t cry in front of the kids about leaving. “The sooner we leave, the sooner we get back.”
Molly jumped to her feet. “I have to tell Axel bye.”
“Me too.” Carson followed her out of the room.
It wasn’t until she heard their footsteps pounding the stairs that she let the tears fall. She’d make it back to them. Somehow, someway, she was coming home.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“You have to be fucking kidding me!” Axel slammed his fists on the steering wheel of the old beat-up Ford. “This is the fourth hospital the fucking military blew the fuck up! What the hell were they thinking!”
They’d been driving from one hospital to another for nearly ten hours without success.
Britney gripped his forearm. “I think they were tryin’ to stop this.”
He knew she was right, but it still pissed him off all the same. “Yeah, well, they didn’t, did they? All they did was screw the people who are still around.”
“I think we need to call it a night,”
Gunner said from the back seat.
Britney squeezed Axel’s arm. “I agree. We’re all exhausted. There’s no point in continuin’ tonight and riskin’ the darkness. The next hospital is another three hours away. We can head out first thing in the mornin’ and still have plenty of time to make it home by dinner.”
“If that hospital is there,” Axel mumbled through clenched teeth.
“It will be.” Britney wiped away a stray tear. “It has to be.”
Axel’s anger faded. He needed to get his head out of his ass and remember why they were out there in the first place. “Sorry. You’re both right. We need some rest. Any suggestions?”
“I saw a library a few streets over,” Britney suggested.
“Library.” Gunner snorted. “I saw a bar. Let’s stay there.”
Britney snapped her head in Gunner’s direction. “In the library we might find some medical books that might just save my son’s life. I think that’s more important than spendin’ the night in a bar and gettin’ shit-faced.”
“Simmer down there.” Gunner shifted in his seat. “I’m not arguing. I didn’t think about there being books there that might help Blake. I change my vote to the library.”
Axel snickered. “Library it is.”
“Plus,” Britney added, even though the decision had been made, “the library is the last place people would have flocked to when the world went to hell. Which means it shouldn’t be overrun by the infected.”
In the review mirror, Axel could see Gunner was itching to argue. “Let it go.”
Britney glared. “Let what go?”
“Nothing.” Axel smiled at her. “We’re going to the library. And we both agree your reasons are sound.”
“Of course they are.” Britney rolled her eyes. “The bar is probably overrun with infected. I mean, if you guys didn’t come to the farm, where else would you have gone?”
