WHITEOUT: Above And Beyond (Beauty 0f Life Book 10)

by Laura Acton

  With Scott’s help, Dan shifted to a seated position. Once his pants leg was shoved up to his knee, Scott unwound the bandage. His gash seeped yellowish pus mixed with a little blood as it had when they cleaned the wound after breakfast. Though still infected, inflamed, hot and tight, the duct tape appeared to be holding the skin together better than the steri-strips the physician’s assistant had put on at the clinic in Toronto.

  Dreading the pain which came with cleaning, but aware if he didn’t take steps to eliminate the infection, things might become worse, Dan sighed. “We need to clean it again. You must be aggressive this time because either some type of foreign material or bacteria are still in there generating pus.”

  Scott read the trepidation in Dan’s eyes, stood, went to the kitchen, slammed a few cabinets, and strode back in holding a glass with two shots of scotch. “Drink this. All of it.”

  Dan took the glass. Ordinarily, he didn’t drink the hard stuff except for one night a year. This would be an exception. He downed half as Scott and Loki went to prep the things needed. Dan relaxed as the warmth of the scotch started to spread. Though alcohol wouldn’t stop his pain, it might take the edge off. He began preparing himself mentally to withstand the necessary treatment.

  Ten minutes later, they returned, and Dan downed the second shot. Aiming to ease the tension, he quipped, “At least we’re not wasting the fine scotch for disinfecting my wound.”

  Loki grabbed a pillow off the couch and tossed it to his teammate. His expression grim, Loki said, “We’ll be as quick and gentle as possible.”

  Putting the pillow behind his head and laying down, Dan stoically stated, “Thorough is the name of today’s dance. I can handle the pain. Infection is the enemy and must be eradicated without mercy.”

  They took longer cleaning the gash this time. Scott applied several warm compresses, hoping to draw out the infection. He removed the strips of tape before inspecting Dan’s injury with a magnifying glass he found in a kitchen drawer, searching for any minute particles which might be causing the continued festering, but found nothing. After using the last of the antibiotic ointment, Scott closed the laceration with new tape and dressed the wound.

  All through the painful debridement, Dan remained quiet with eyes shut and jaw clenched, trying unsuccessfully to stay in a happy place to disassociate from his present circumstances. His neck and shoulders ached from holding himself so rigid. Lifting his eyelids, Dan caught Scott’s worried glance to Loki and spotted the empty tube of his antibiotic cream Scott tried to hide. Clearly, he did not want to worry him, so Dan played dumb like he had not observed.

  “All done,” Scott said as he rose.

  Dan flexed his fingers several times as he forced his body to relax. Wiped out again, although he had woken from a long nap only a short time ago, all Dan wanted to do was sleep.

  As Loki gathered up the used supplies, Scott reached out to help Dan up, but his cousin shook his head.

  “No. I’m not moving for a bit. I’m gonna take a little nap if you don’t mind.”

  “Want to move to the sofa?”

  “No.” Dan didn’t think he had the energy to rise but didn’t want to let on that he possessed no strength. “Here, by the fireplace, is comfy.”

  “You sure?” Scott asked.

  When Dan nodded, Loki grabbed the blanket from the chair and covered Dan. “Need anything else?”

  “Nah, I’m good. Thanks, appreciate what you did.” Dan produced a grin, attempting to ease their worry.

  Loki grinned back. “Anytime. Want anything, just holler. I’m going to start the sauce for Ma’s spaghetti. Gotta chop up the onions, tomatoes, and such.” He headed for the kitchen carrying the pan with the dirty towels.

  Dan peered at Scott, who placed two logs in the hearth then absently poked at the fire, stirring embers. Dan discerned from the rigid way Scott held himself and his bowed head that his older cousin must be upset. “Scott, talk to me.”

  At Dan’s soft words, Scott turned gradually.

  Noting Scott’s watery eyes, Dan kept his tone gentle. “Not your fault, Scott. I’m alright. This isn’t on you.”

  Scott sat near Dan, drew his legs close to his body, and wrapped his arms around them. Resting his chin on his knees, Scott gazed at his mirror image. “Yes, this is my fault. I rolled the suburban, and now you don’t have the medicine you need. Because of me, we hiked through the snow and caused your wound to open up. And now I made you drop the log … causing you more agony. I suck at fulfilling my promise to God.”

  Dan sighed, hating to witness Scott’s anguish. “Did you put the water on the ground in the TRF locker room?”

  Perplexed by the out of the blue question, Scott shook his head. “No.”

  “Did you make me behave like a kid and race Loki to the showers or slam my leg into the corner?”

  “No.”

  In a stern, matter-of-fact tone, Dan said, “So, you forced me to ski yesterday? You made the moose run onto the road. You left my backpack unzipped. And I gotta say, I’m impressed with your god-like qualities, calling forth a whiteout blizzard of epic proportions and compelling me to rise from the couch to put another log on the fire.”

  Speechless, Scott stared at Dan.

  When no response came from his twin cousin, Dan reached out and patted Scott’s arm. “Yeah, you didn’t control any of those things. So how can you be responsible? Shit happens, and I take responsibility for my parts. None of this is on you, so lighten up.

  “The storm should blow out by tomorrow. We can retrieve my antibiotics, go to the general store to call for a tow truck, and visit the local clinic. I’ve been in worse situations. Everything will work out, and I’ll be alright.”

  Scott nodded, gripped Dan’s hand as emotion imbued his voice, “You better be. We just got you back, Danny, and I’m not ready to lose you again.”

  “I’m gonna rest now. I’m wiped out.” Dan lay back, closing his eyes.

  “Okay. Sleep as long as you want. I’ll wake you for dinner. I’ll go help Loki mince garlic.” Though still worried, Scott decided to project a positive attitude because negativity wouldn’t change their situation.

  Dan’s eyes flew open. “Garlic?”

  Puzzled Scott asked, “What about it?”

  “Loki, did you bring olive oil?” Dan loudly called out to his friend. His head ached at the volume and was glad Loki came into the room, so he didn’t have to yell again.

  Wiping his hands on a towel, Loki smirked. “Yes, what kind of Italian would I be if I didn’t bring first-press EVOO?”

  “Fresh garlic?” Dan grinned.

  “What other kind is there?” Loki couldn’t grasp why Dan was asking.

  “I need you to do something for me. Garlic is a natural antibiotic. We need to make an infused oil. Put one crushed clove into two tablespoons of oil. Let it sit for thirty minutes, then strain out the pieces, and we’ll have a topical antibiotic that can be applied hourly. Oh, and this is gross, but bring me several cloves to eat. Helps internally, too,” Dan explained.

  Loki gaped at Dan for several moments. “I’m Italian. How did I not know about this?”

  Scott suggested, “Special Forces training?”

  Dan shook his head. “Nah, Patch training. Jim read everything he could on natural antibiotics after I had a bad reaction with some. He taught us all how to make several remedies. I also recall something about honey used as an ointment to help wounds heal and prevent or draw out infection.”

  “Didn’t bring any honey, but brought two heads of garlic. Be right back with some cloves for you.” Loki went to the kitchen, peeled four, poured a glass of water, and returned in under two minutes. “You’re gonna smell like an Italian now.”

  Popping one of the cloves in his mouth, Dan grimaced as he chewed. He liked garlic in food, but a whole clove was a bit much. He downed half the liquid before chomping and swallowing the second piece and finishing his water. Scott took the glass to refill it as Loki returned to pre
pare the oil.

  Scott handed over more cold water when Dan finished the third clove and watched him wash it down. He chuckled. “Looks like it tastes as nasty as the Scarlet Fever medicine.”

  “Yeah, about the same.” Dan rapidly ate the last one before guzzling the remaining water.

  Taking the empty glass as Dan laid back down, Scott teased, “At least you won’t have to worry about vampires.”

  Dan chuckled lightly. “No, but Sasquatch likes garlic.”

  “No Sasquatch here. That would be the Abominable Snowman. But he would go after Loki instead. He is Italian, his entire body is steeped in garlic,” Scott kidded, wanting to keep things light.

  Loki entered and overheard the joking and joined in. “Shows he has a discriminating palate … wants only the best.”

  They all laughed, but Dan winced as his head began pounding again.

  Concern creasing his features, Loki wished he ensured Dan checked for his meds before they left the vehicle yesterday. “Do you know of any natural pain relievers we can whip up?”

  “Only willow bark. No willow’s around here.” Dan’s body demanded respite. He did what he could to help himself and now needed rest.

  As Dan’s eyes shut, the slutty snow-bunnies from yesterday popped into Loki’s mind. He began to wonder if the accident on the slope had been on purpose, with the way Willow and Mandy hunted men. “There is one Willow in these woods, and her bite is as awful as her bark.”

  When only Scott laughed, they peered down at Dan and found him out for the count. Scott covered Dan with a second blanket before following Loki to the kitchen. While Dan slept and Scott waxed his skis, Loki prepared the spaghetti sauce. As the afternoon wore on, they read a little and played a game of war, neither able to concentrate on a real card game.

  Every hour they applied garlic oil, and each time they did, Dan didn’t stir. They noted Dan’s face appeared flushed, and he seemed warm to the touch. With no thermometer, they were unsure if he developed a fever or only napped too close to the hearth, but they didn’t want to disturb his slumber, so left him where he lay.

  Loki routinely checked the outside temperature, noting the continual drop into the negative degrees. The storm appeared not to be abating as they expected, and snow continued to fall as the wind howled. This trip to the woods was turning out to be par for the course … except he was not the one injured or in trouble. But that didn’t make it any easier for him or lessen his anxiety.

  Peering out the window, Scott estimated almost five feet of snow on the ground and was extremely grateful for the woodpile inside. Whoever built the cabin understood the need for an ample supply of dry wood for winter, or in this case, autumn during the worst storm of Scott’s memory. Scott gave thanks at least they had a safe and warm place to stay.

  Turning back to Loki, Scott said, “We’ll let him sleep for another half hour then wake him for dinner.”

  Nodding, Loki rose from the sofa. “I’ll start more coffee.”

  “Perhaps, hot chocolate instead. Dan needs sleep, and we don’t want to stimulate his body with caffeine.”

  Loki chuckled. “You get to explain to him why … keeping coffee away from Dantastic is no easy feat. Did Dan tell you about when I swapped out his caffeine pills for sugar ones?”

  “No.”

  Loki launched into the story about how Dan had trouble sleeping after the horrible Whitehall call in September and the efforts of the team to help him through the rough time. His storytelling moved on to Thanksgiving and their brush with déjà vu at Arriba’s Foods

  Scott glanced down at Dan and smiled. His younger cousin walked a hard path, but Dan appeared to be building a new life surrounded by a team he considered family. And although Scott remained perturbed by Lexa’s actions, he understood the reason and hoped things sorted out for Dan and Lexa.

  Snowy Afternoon with Family

  21

  November 23

  Ray’s Parent’s Home – 3:00 p.m.

  Unaware of the plight of his teammates, Ray enjoyed having lunch and visiting with his parents and Maurita this afternoon. He rose to take the serving tray from his mom and set it on the living room table.

  “Thank you, Raymundo.” Malena Palomo handed out the delicate porcelain cups. “Coffee for the gents and tea for the ladies.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Palomo,” Maurita said before taking a sip.

  “Now none of that. I would be very pleased if you would call me, Mamá, or Malena if you prefer.” Malena’s smiled, gazing at Ray’s sweet fiancée.

  “Okay, Mamá,” Maurita tested the word, finding it felt natural. She liked Ray’s parents, especially his gracious and friendly mother, who reminded her so much of her mom.

  Malena settled into her favorite seat, still in awe Ray would finally be marrying. She had almost given up hope of her thirty-three-year-old son tying the knot and producing grandchildren. The woman Ray chose was a delight, and thankfully, Catholic too. “Father Lopez said you two need to sign up for the marriage preparation program.”

  “With our hectic work schedules, it is a bit difficult to arrange counseling slots that fit both, but we started our pre-marriage inventories this morning.” Ray set his cup down and stretched his arm over the back of the loveseat, resting a hand on Maurita’s shoulder as he grinned at the love of his life.

  Maurita’s hand clasped Ray’s. “My mom is so excited we’re marrying at home. My entire family will be able to attend now. The priest agreed to allow Father Lopez to perform the ceremony since we’ll be living here. The only thing he isn’t too keen on is a beach wedding, so we,” she motioned to Ray, “decided to do a church wedding and the reception on the beach.”

  “Sounds lovely,” Malena said. “I recall the beautiful stained-glass windows in the church from when we visited the island. Did you two select a date?”

  Ray shook his head. “Not yet. This summer for sure, but we … I want to talk to Loki first.”

  “What does your buddy have to do with setting your date?” Ricardo asked.

  “Well, he is my best man, and I must make sure the time works for him too.” Ray noted the question in his father’s eyes and added, “He is taking some time off during the winter to go on short ski trips with Dan to build their friendship. They went to Blue Mountain yesterday and plan to be gone until Thursday. I’m waiting to check with Loki because well—”

  Maurita interrupted, “Ray wants to ensure he and Loki arrange about a week of brother time before we are married.” She beamed with love at Ray. “You’re a wonderful man, Loki needs you in his life. Don’t think for one moment I’ll prevent you from spending time with him after we marry. Heck, I’m also willing to watch some of his weird movies.”

  A smile formed on Ricardo’s face. His son picked the right woman who appreciated Ray as he was without the need to change him or cut him off from friends. Recalling the mid-afternoon news, Ricardo asked, “Did you catch the weather report for the Blue Mountains?”

  “No, been busy. Why?” Ray tensed. Loki had been doing a lot of prep work to deal with his fears. Dan went the extra mile in the past few months, helping Loki with a desensitization technique he used in the military. The many uneventful and fun trail rides appeared to be lessening Loki’s phobia as well as increasing his overall physical stamina and speed on the obstacle course.

  Ricardo shared, “The worst storm ever in the area. It came on faster and stronger than any of the predictions. Caught most of the forecasters with their pants down. So much snow the roads are pretty much impassable by now. This winter is expected to be the coldest on record. That is if they can predict anything with accuracy, which they didn’t for this blizzard.”

  After resting the teacup on her knee, Malena expressed her concern, “I do hope Loki and Dan are prepared to be snowbound for up to a week. Though I’m certain, the hotel will make all their guests comfortable.”

  Ray chuckled. “They chose to rent a remote cabin about twenty miles from the slopes. But with the amoun
t of food Loki packed, they should be set for at least a month. I’m sure they will be fine.” Dan’s meaning popped into Ray’s head, and he changed his word, “They’ll be okay. Dan’s Special Forces training will come in handy, and his cousin, Scott, is in the Navy.”

  The acronym for FINE niggled at Ray as the conversation returned to plans for the wedding. A vague sense something might be amiss still lingered, but he couldn’t define what bothered him. To ease his concern, Ray sent up a prayer for their safety.

  Nick’s Home – 3:30 p.m.

  After handing Jon and Bram each a cup of steaming coffee, Nick smiled as he took a seat at his new dining table. “Thanks for the help. Still can’t believe they wanted to charge an extra hundred dollars to deliver today.”

  “No problem. There’s an unwritten rule stipulating those who own a truck must help family move big stuff … even when it is snowing.” Jon grinned and sipped, allowing the warmth to spread inside.

  “Always happy to lend a hand. Just wish it wasn’t snowing.” Bram blew on the coffee as he sat on one of the new padded chairs. “So, what happened to your old table?”

  Nick chuckled. “The leg gave out. Been duct taping it for years, but it gave up the ghost last week. My dinner’s dismount was quite spectacular. Spent the better part of an hour cleaning tomato soup out of the carpet. The next day I ordered this and been waiting for them to schedule my delivery, but they kept stalling, and I got tired of standing at my counter while eating.”

  Jon smirked. “Bout time you bought a decent table. With its ability to expand to sixteen, I vote our next family gathering is here. We’ll dine in style and uncrowded now.”

  Bram raised a brow. “Won’t stay nice long with my girls putting their sticky fingers all over the cloth seats and table. Think we should stick with the parties at Jon’s or my house. Let Nick enjoy his new furniture for a while.”

  Thoughts of Martin crept in unbidden, making Nick wish his table was covered in little boy fingerprints. Changing the subject, he said, “Hope Loki and Dan are enjoying their ski trip.”