by Dawn, M. K.
“Here I go.” Britney ambled over to the horses, hands down so she didn’t seem threatening.
He took a chance and glanced over his shoulder at a thankfully empty field. Maybe the infested killed the horses a while ago; he had been gone a good hour. But that still didn't explain where the hell Archer was.
Returning his attention back to Britney, he watched in amazement as she approached the horses. They were hesitant at first but came around minutes later. She was probably right—they must have not been without human interaction for long. The two had no issues with the ropes she placed around each of their necks.
With the rope secured, Britney turned around. In a split-second, her smile faded, and she let loose the most horrendous scream Axel had ever heard.
Axel whirled around just as a shot rang out. An infested toppled to the ground inches from his feet. Another raced toward him, and he fired without thinking. Three shots later, it was down.
After a quick check to make sure there were no others coming, he spun around to check on Britney only to find her on her knees. The horses had freaked out at the sound of gunfire and she was so close.
“Brit!” He called out. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” She stood on wobbly legs as he sprinted across the field.
“Shit.” He wrapped an arm around her waist. “Did they hurt you?”
She winced. “Not on purpose. Who the hell fired that shot?”
“I thought you did.” He took the ropes from her. “Can you walk?”
“I think…” she stumbled but caught herself, “maybe.”
Axel’s eyes swept over her to see if he could spot where she was injured. “Did they kick you?”
“No. Just knocked me over. Still hurt like a bitch, though.”
“I bet. Do you want to sit down for a minute?”
She shook her head. “Not out here. There could be more, and we need to get the horses inside.”
Is that all she was worried about? The horses? “More importantly, we need to get inside. If you hold on to the ropes, I can carry you.”
“I can do that.”
Axel lifted her off the ground, and she cried out in pain. “Sorry, where does it hurt?”
“My back.”
He needed to get her back to Sloan for a check-up. “I say we lock the horses in the stable and get you back to the post office so Sloan can make sure you’re okay.”
“I’m not okay, even before the horses. Not sure I ever will be.”
“Don’t say that.” He held her closer, pained by the dejection in her voice.
Eyes closed, tears streamed down her cheeks. “Just get me inside.”
Axel moved as fast as he could with her in his arms and two horses in tow.
They reached the barn, and he kicked open the door, doing his best to maneuver everyone inside.
He placed Britney on the ground and leaned her against the wall. “I’ll be right back.”
The horses entered the stalls without any issues. He checked to make sure they couldn’t escape. He’d be damned if he’d let them get away after everything they’d been through today.
Once the horses were settled, he knelt beside Britney, brushing the hair from her damp face. “You hanging in there?”
“Lots of pain.” She tilted forward. “Back.”
Axel lifted her shirt and grimaced. A massive bruise had already started to form where the horse had knocked into her.
“How bad is it?” She muttered, clearly struggling to catch her breath.
He lowered her shirt and positioned her back against the wall. “It’s an ugly bruise.”
“No shit.” Her gaze drifted to the horses. “Now what?”
He had no fucking clue. “I’m not sure. We should probably get you back to the post office so Sloan can take a look at you. I’ll come back and find Archer. There’s no way we're leaving without him or at least knowing what happened to him.”
“If he was infested, he could be anywhere.”
Axel refused to consider that possibility. “No, he’s somewhere hiding out. Probably the one that shot the infested.”
“You really believe that?” She shifted again with a wince. “It could have been anyone.”
“We haven’t seen a single person since leaving the prison.”
“Doesn’t mean they aren’t out there, watching us.”
The thought sent a chill down his spine. “Do you—”
Behind them, the horses whinny and pawed the ground, eyes wide and nostrils flared. They heard something, and it seemed to be scaring them.
Axel stood and tried to focus. He heard nothing, but that didn’t make him feel any better.
“What is it?”
He pressed a finger to his lip and moved toward the window. The old infested made a lot of noise, but some of the ones they encountered lately seemed sneakier. He chanced a glance outside through a small crack but saw nothing. No movement or shadows.
Still, the horses threw their heads around, obviously bothered by something.
“I might have to go out there and take a look around,” Axel said in a hushed voice.
Britney rubbed her lips together. “I’ll watch your back.”
“No, you’re injured. Stay in here.”
“I’m not letting you go out there without backup.” She managed to stand, but it didn’t look like she’d be able to stay on her feet for too long.
“Brit—”
The barn door swung open. Axel aimed, ready to fire at whatever came through that door.
“It’s just me!” Archer called out, still hidden. “For the love of God, don’t shoot me.”
Axel nearly fell to his knees. “Son of a bitch.”
Archer limped inside and shoved the door closed behind him.
“You look like shit...again,” Britney said with a cough.
“You don’t look too hot, yourself.” He tossed his backpack on the ground and pulled out a bottle of water. “Here, drink this. We need to get you back to Sloan.”
Britney took a couple of sips. “Thanks. Think she’ll need to doctor you up, too.”
“What happened?” Axel asked.
“Fucking infested. Came out of nowhere. Took down two of the horses. Scared the shit out of the others.” Archer glanced over his shoulders. “I hid inside the museum, found a couple who haven’t been dead for long. Probably the people who kept the horses alive. Looked like they were bit and took their own lives.”
Axel blew out his cheeks. “Shit.”
“Yeah.” Archer tilted his chin. “Looks like you were able to calm these guys down.”
“Britney has the magic touch.” Axel smiled down on her. “You the one who shot the infested who was sneaking up on me?”
Archer went rigid. “No. I heard gun fire but was inside the building hiding out. Had to run through all sorts of shit to make it in there alive.”
“Told you.” Britney raised an eyebrow. “There are people out there, even if we don’t see them. Good and bad, we have to watch out back. Or pray they’re watching ours. Like whoever killed that infested.”
“Yeah.” Axel ran a hand through his hair, shaken by the situation. Whoever was out there killed an infested that was about to attack him, sure, but the thing was damn close. Too close. Question was, did that person mean to kill the infested or did the bullet just miss him, the intended target?
Chapter fourteen
Sloan
“Are they back yet?” Molly asked, tossing herself back on the couch. “They’ve been gone foreeeeever.”
“Stop being so dramatic,” Blake barked.
She crossed her small arms over her chest. “Shut up!”
They had been bickering nonstop since their parents left, and Sloan had had enough. “Both of you need to stop arguing and finish packing your things. We’ll be leaving shortly once they return.”
“If they return,” Blake muttered under his breath.
“Don’t you say that!” Molly screamed. “They’re
coming back! Right, Auntie Sloan? It’s safe where they are?”
Sloan never believed lying to a child held any benefit. That is, until the world became plagued with monsters. “Of course, they’re coming back soon. It takes time to gain the trust of unacquainted horses and to prepare them to pull a large wagon. We must be patient and do our part to prepare for their return.” But in the back of her mind, she was plagued with doubt. They had been gone a long time, longer than expected.
“I have all my stuff packed!” Molly hopped around the room. “Now what?”
Good question? “What about lunch?”
Molly wrinkled her nose. “Do we have anything good to eat?”
Poor child. Gone were the days of chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese for lunch. “Dried sausage.”
“Yuck. I’m going to play with my toys.” She returned to the couch and dumped out the bag she just packed
Sloan pinched the bridge of her nose as a headache formed. Maybe she was the one who needed to eat. As she crossed the room to retrieve the bag of food, the door swung open and Axel rushed inside.
“Dad!” Molly squealed. “Where’s Mom?”
He forced a smile. “In the wagon with Uncle Archer. Sloan, can we talk in private?”
“Of course. Wait here, children.” They stepped out in the hall and closed the door. “What’s wrong?”
“You need to check on Britney.”
Sloan struggled to catch her breath. “The infection? Has she gotten worse?”
“Long story but she got hurt by one of the horses. It got spooked and knocked her to the ground.”
Knocked to the ground didn’t sound too serious. “Why didn’t she come in?”
“She’s in a lot of pain, and we didn’t want to move her.”
Her poor sister couldn’t get a break. “I’ll grab my medical bag and head outside. What about the kids?”
“They can stay in here while Archer and I load up. We want to get on the road and hopefully make it to a new town before dark.”
“Why don’t we just stay here for the night?”
Axel rubbed at his eyes. “It’s a long story that we don’t have time to go into now.”
Sloan didn’t press the issue. “Okay.”
Back in the employee lounge, she retrieved her bag but not before speaking with the children. “I’m going to check on your Mommy while Archer and Axel load our supplies. You two will stay in the room, do you understand?”
“Is Mom okay?” Blake asked.
Sloan said what she needed to so they didn’t worry. “Yes. Now, please no more fighting. We’ll be back to get you soon.”
She left the room and hurried outside. The old wagon and horses seemed so out of place among the modern town.
Archer jumped out of the back of the cloth-covered wagon. “I thought I heard footsteps.”
“Archer.” She rushed toward him at the sight of his injuries. “What happened? You’re bleeding.”
He brushed her off with a kiss on the cheek. “I’m fine. Had a little fight with some brush, nothing to worry about. Britney on the other hand…” He averted his eyes.
Sloan’s heart contracted. “Go help Axel. I’ll take it from here.”
“I’ll wait outside until Axel gets back with a load. Someone has to watch your back.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Go.”
She climbed in the back of the wagon and knelt beside her pale, clammy sister. “What hurts?”
Britney wheezed and coughed. “Chest, back. I’m havin’ a hard time catchin’ my breath.”
Stethoscope around her neck, Sloan took Britney’s hand. “Try to stay calm. I’m going to listen to your chest, okay?”
She nodded ever so slightly.
“This might be a little cold.” Sloan put the stethoscope to her ears and placed the diaphragm on Britney’s chest. “Deep breaths. Good.”
“What is it?” Britney gasped.
“I can’t be sure without better equipment,” Sloan said as she removed the stethoscope, “but I believe you have a collapsed lung.”
Tears pooled in Britney’s eyes. “Shit.”
“It’s okay. I can fix it.” If she had the correct tools, which she did not. “Give me a second. I need to speak with Archer.”
“What’s wrong?” Archer asked as Sloan stepped out of the wagon.
She pulled him aside. “I believe she has a collapsed lung.”
“Fuck.” Archer threw back his head. “What do we do?”
“The med clinic we stopped by…we need to go back.”
Archer narrowed his eyes. “They were pretty low on supplies.”
“On medication, yes, but that’s not what we need.”
“What do you need?” Axel joined them from inside, bags slung on both his shoulders. “I heard you guys talking. The walls aren’t exactly sound proof.”
“A large needle to remove the excess air from her chest.”
Axels’ eyes widened. “You’re going to stick a needle in Brit’s chest?”
“I have no choice.” Sloan glanced back at the wagon. “It needs to be done, sooner rather than later. What else do we need to load?”
“There’s quite a bit more.” Axel looked to Archer. “But it shouldn’t take long.”
“No. I think we can get out of here in fifteen minutes. Maybe less.”
That sounded reasonable. “Good. Send the children out and I’ll get them settled. If the two of you want to collect the items we need, I’ll keep watch out here.”
“Are you sure, Slash?”
She patted the gun at her hip. “I’m sure.”
The sooner they got out of there, the better. With the infection already wreaking havoc on Britney’s body, Sloan feared she might not have a lot of time left.
***
A day, three towns, and six clinics later, they finally found the supplies Sloan needed to treat Britney’s collapsed lung.
Axel jumped from his chair as Sloan exited the examination room. “Is Brit okay?”
Sloan removed the gloves she happened upon and tossed them in the wastebasket. “She’s resting comfortably for the time being. Why don’t you take the kids in to see her? She’s been asking for them.”
“Thanks.” Axel patted her on the shoulder and led the kids into the room, closing the door behind him.
Archer tapped the now empty chair beside him. “What’s wrong?”
Sloan took a seat and ran her hands across her face. “This clinic doesn’t have any antibiotics either.”
“I’m sure those were the first to go after people realized that the world wasn’t coming back. We did the same thing to the clinics and pharmacies around the farm.”
Tears stung her eyes. “And I’m now coming to realize how selfish that was of us.”
He rubbed a hand up and down her back. “She’s not doing too well, is she?”
All Sloan could do was shake her head no.
“I’m sorry, Slash. Is there anything else we can do?”
“Keep looking,” she muttered. “But she needs to rest and that’s near impossible to do on the wagon.”
“The ride is a bumpy one.”
Sloan shifted closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. “But a good idea. We would have been stuck at the post office if you hadn’t thought of it.”
“What now?”
“Can we stay here for the night?”
Archer rested his head on top of hers. “Do you even have to ask?”
“Will the horses be okay inside?” They’d left the wagon outside but had led the horses into the waiting room.
“They’ll have to be. Can’t take a chance of the infested. Axel and I pulled some grass for them and found a nearby stream to fill up some buckets. They’ll be fine for the night.”
A stream and grass? “Those were lucky finds.”
“Helps that we seem to be out of the snowy weather.”
Sloan lifted her head. “Where do you think we are?”
“I don’t know much about
Utah or all the towns we’ve gone through, but we’re still on Interstate 15. I saw a sign not too far back. And we’ve past a couple of national parks. My guess is we should be getting close to where we pass through the corner of Arizona and get to Nevada. Then through Vegas, onward to LA.”
“Already? I hadn’t realized we had traveled so far.”
Archer chuckled. “I’m not sure already is how I would describe it. We’ve been traveling for so long.”
“More than once, I wasn’t sure we’d actually make it to Hollywood.”
He pulled her into a sideways hug. “We’ve got to have faith.”
Axel emerged from the room alone, closing the door with a shake of his head.
Sloan stood. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing. She just looks like shit, and I’m not sure how many more times I can lie to the kids about her being okay.”
She knew the conflicting feelings well. “It’s a difficult situation for everyone.”
Axel slumped on the floor across from them and closed his eyes. “The kids want to sleep in there with their mom. We found some extra stuff in the cabinets—gowns and those throw away pillows—and I made them each a pallet. I assume we’re staying here for the night? I can’t imagine Britney will be able to travel for a while.”
Sloan took her seat once again. “Tonight, yes, but tomorrow, we’ll have to keep moving. She’s in desperate need of antibiotics.”
Axel nodded. “I think she’s running a fever again. Her skin’s all clammy. I can’t remember the last time she asked to use the bathroom.”
All signs of sepsis. More tears threatened to fall, but Sloan choked them back not wanting to frighten Axel any further. “I know and that’s why we need to get back on the road as soon as possible.”
“How long until her lung heals?” Archer asked. “Will the bumpy wagon hurt that in any way.”
“Forty-eight to seventy-two hours or longer. The wagon is not an ideal mode of transportation, but we have little choice in the matter.” A yawn escaped her lips. “We should all try and get some rest tonight while we can. There are several more exam rooms with beds. I’ll be in the one across the hall from Britney’s room if you need me.”
“Goodnight.” Archer hauled her in for a quick kiss.