by C.L. Bevill
* * *
“I’ve disinfected the wound on her shoulder, but she’s burning up with fever. If I had to guess, it’s over 105 degrees.”
“I’ll get a thermometer from the drug store. A regular one that uses mercury in it.”
A pause.
“Listen, girl,” it was Kara speaking urgently into one of my ears. She gave my good shoulder a little shake. “Listen to me. Are you allergic to anything? Like penicillin? You’ve got to answer me.”
My eyelids came open although it was so difficult. The crack revealed a nice room. The sun was shining in through the balcony. I was lying on one of two queen beds. It was a hotel room with nice neutral colors. Kara was bent over me, anxiously peering into my face. Zach stood behind her, his face was like milk, and he looked down forbiddingly at me. “N-nuh,” I said. Obviously, I was a conversational genius. Finally, I was with other human beings, and I couldn’t say much of anything at all.
Kara brought a glass of water to my lips and helped prop my head up. I sipped two mouthfuls before I choked. She wiped the residue away and said again, “Are you allergic to anything?”
“No,” I said. Then I shivered convulsively. It seemed so cold there. Kara and Zach were both in t-shirts and jeans. Zach covered me up with the blanket from the other bed. “What’s wrong with me?” I said while my teeth chattered.
“Fever, vomiting,” Kara said. “You were sick before he took you, weren’t you? Did you eat something bad?”
“Only canned stuff and bottled water,” I said. My teeth came together violently, and I couldn’t say anymore. My eyelids fell down again, but there wasn’t anything wrong with my hearing.
“Get that thermometer and a bottle of antibiotics. They’ll have a Physician’s Desk Reference there. Get a couple different kinds of antibiotics. And we’re going to need some stuff for an IV to keep her from getting dehydrated,” Kara said determinedly. She started to tick items off. “A bag of saline solution. Tubing. IV needle.”
“You’re going to have to go, Kara,” Zach said. “You’ll know what to get. But I’m not sure if I want you going by yourself.”
“I’ve got the crossbow and four knives, kiddo,” Kara laughed. “I was in the army for ten years as a paramedic before they killed my knees with their freaking road marches. The VA paid for both knees to be rebuilt, so I think I can handle one little burned-up psychopath if he’s even still feeling frisky.”
Zach didn’t say anything.
“There was a pharmacy about three blocks away. I’ll be back in a half-hour.”
“Stay away from corners,” Zach said. “And alleys. Keep an eye on the sky, too. I saw something big flying off to the north. Something we haven’t seen before.”
“Gryphon,” I muttered.
Zach said, “What?”
“Gryphon in the skies,” I said, slurring my words as if I was drunk. “Head and wings of a bird, body of a lion. Raked me yesterday.”
“Raked you?” Kara said. “You mean it scratched you with its claws? Where?”
“On my back.”
“Going to roll you over,” Kara muttered. They did and gentle hands lifted up my shirt. “Give me that knife, Zach.”
I felt the give of the bandages and the quick intake of air from both of them. “The scratches are infected,” Zach said woodenly. “Go get those antibiotics, Kara, and be careful. I’ll clean this up while you’re gone. And if you’re a minute longer than thirty minutes I’m coming after you.”
Kara laughed a dry chuckle. “Yeah. Check your Mickey Mouse watch, junior.”
A door shut, and I tried to open my eyes again. I should have been disturbed to be in the room alone with a man I didn’t know, but I couldn’t move. My limbs felt as though they weighed a thousand pounds each. I wasn’t going anywhere.
The bed depressed under Zach’s weight as he perched on the side next to me. “I’m going to clean these with this antibiotic solution. It’s going to hurt.”
My eyelids came up a little, and my turned head could see part of his arm and some of his face. His hair was as brown as chestnuts, richly thick and full of golden highlights. His eyes were like chocolate. His tortured expression ruined his pretty face. He was sincerely grim. I could tell, even though I was half out of it, he thought I was going to die.
I hadn’t considered that once the fireflies saved me. I thought if I were safe from a whacko with a knife, then things should be okay. Two people, real live people, had found me, and maybe life would be okay again. But the age of technology and advancement had passed on with the night on the mountain. They weren’t doctors, and I was earnestly ill. I could die.
“I’ll try not to,” I said reassuringly.
Zach’s eyes met mine. He was confused, “Try not to what?”
“Not to die,” I answered. “I’ll try. It’s so good to see someone again. Don’t want to go.”
His broad shoulders shuddered once. “What’s your name?”
“Sophie,” I said. “Can I have another drink of water before you start, please?”
Zach held me while I sipped the water. Even though my teeth chattered convulsively I was able to hold some down. The pain when he started doing what he needed to do was too much for me, and a black curtain came down.
