Hunting Daybreak: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Romance (Shattered Sunlight Book 2)

by E A Chance

  “What happened with us was different. We were already together when the CME hit.” She finished clearing off the dead skin, then rubbed antifungal cream on his feet before wrapping them in gauze. “Put this cream on twice a day and wear your tennis shoes until your boots dry. We can’t have you getting gangrene.”

  He winked and took the tube. “Yes, Doctor. My advice is to keep your nose out of Dashay and Nico’s business.”

  Riley shrugged and started stashing the supplies back in the pack. She had no intention of keeping her nose out. If they were going to be traveling companions, she had a right to ask Dashay about her relationship. She climbed into her sleeping bag, eager for morning so she could get the juicy details.

  Riley woke in the gray light of dawn to catch Coop staring at his boots. “Don’t you dare,” she whispered. “Let those boots dry before you wear them. Where are your shoes?”

  He scratched his head. “In my other pack with the horses. I can’t go out in my socks.”

  Riley climbed out of the sleeping bag and put on the flip-flops she only used inside the tent. “I’ll get them.”

  She reached for the flap but froze at hearing a low growl. The horses began neighing wildly a second later, then Nico let out an ear-piercing scream. Coop grabbed the rifle as he and Riley darted out of the tent. They ran to Nico, with the others following close behind. They found him on his back in the horseshoe pit with the rebar post sticking through his lower-left abdomen.

  As Coop and Riley rushed to his side, there was another growl and Aurora let out a shriek. Riley looked up from Nico to see a large black bear take a swipe at Aurora’s ribs with his enormous claws. She tried to get free as he clamped his jaws on her neck, but she was tethered to the rail.

  Coop jumped up and shouted, “Hey, bear, over here!”

  The bear let go of Aurora and turned toward the sound before getting ready to charge. Coop raised the rifle and shot him in the chest. He wobbled from side to side, then charged Coop. He calmly fired again and hit the bear between the eyes. It rolled over dead without making a sound. Coop raised his eyebrows at Riley, looking as surprised as she was that he’d made the shot. He dropped the rifle and knelt next to Nico.

  “Dashay, there’s a med pack by the horses and another in our tent,” Riley said. “Get them and hurry. He’s hemorrhaging.”

  Brooks paced nervously behind them and said, “What can I do?”

  Coop glanced up at him. “Check Aurora. That was a nasty bite.”

  Brooks nodded without a word and picked up the rifle before heading to see to the wounded horse.

  Adrian stared down at Nico in shock. “How did this happen?”

  Nico cried out in pain and thrashed his arms and legs. “Get that out of me.”

  “You,” Riley said, pointing to Adrian, “hold him still. He’s aggravating his injury.”

  Adrian hesitated for a second before dropping to his knees and grabbing Nico’s legs.

  “Nico,” Coop said, “I know you’re in pain, but you know we can’t remove the post until we examine you. Hold still and let us do that.” Nico eyed Coop wildly but became still. “Can you tell us what happened?”

  Between gasps, he said, “I was taking my turn standing guard when the bear wandered into camp. I was backing up, hoping he wouldn’t see me and move off. Biscuit panicked and startled the bear. He was between me and the horses. I think it felt threatened because it lunged for Biscuit, but Aurora stepped in the way.” He stopped and took a few gasps for air. “I was keeping my eye on the animals and not watching where I was going. I tripped over the edge of the pit and fell on the post.”

  Adrian jumped to his feet and frantically scanned the area. “Do you think there are more bears? Are we safe?”

  Coop stared at Adrian in exasperation. “Black bears are solitary animals and only attack if they’re cornered. They usually keep their distance from humans and take off at any sign of trouble. It’s strange this one attacked Aurora. It must have been injured or old.”

  Nico let out a cry when Riley pressed the skin next to where the rebar was poking out of his body. “I’m sorry. I won’t do that again,” she said. Seconds later, she heard a single shot and jumped, then slowly raised her eyes to where Brooks stood over Aurora. He caught her eye and gave a quick shake of his head. Riley fought back her tears as she continued examining Nico. There would be time to mourn her faithful friend later.

  Dashay came back with the med packs, and said, “What do you want me to do with these?”

  Riley stood and started for the closest picnic table. “Let’s empty them onto the table and see what we have.”

  Dashay’s lip trembled as she dumped out the supplies, and Riley remembered her conversation with Coop the previous night.

  “We’ll do whatever it takes to save him, Dashay. Let’s sort these supplies.” Riley frowned when they finished going through the pitiful pile.

  “What have we got?” Coop called out to them.

  “Two bags of IV Vancomycin and two courses of oral antibiotics. Hope that’ll be enough to fight off infection. We have just enough morphine to get him through the surgery if the damage isn’t too severe. We’d better start before he loses too much blood for it to matter. Dashay, put blankets down on the other table and do your best to create a sterile field.”

  Riley went back to the horseshoe pit with a pack of QuikClot powder and gauze while Dashay prepared the table. Nico was white as a sheet and unconscious. Brooks had left the poor horses and rejoined them.

  “Thank you,” Riley whispered to him.

  Coop took a deep breath and rubbed his hands together. “We’ve got to do this now. Brooks, help me lift him off the post. Be ready with that powder, Riley.”

  She nodded and tore the QuikClot pack open before pouring alcohol over her hands. She let them dry for a moment, then pulled on her gloves. Brooks put his hands under Nico’s knees and Coop tucked his in his armpits. On the count of three, they slowly lifted upward until the post was out, then they laid Nico on the grass. Riley poured the powder into the wound on Nico’s stomach. She did the same when Coop and Brooks carefully rolled him onto his side and let out her breath when the bleeding slowed.

  “It will take all of us to get him to the table. Lay him on his right side,” Riley said. “Where’s Adrian?”

  Dashay cocked her thumb over her shoulder to where Adrian was vomiting on the grass.

  “Seriously,” Coop said. “After all you’ve seen these past months, you still can’t handle the sight of blood.”

  Adrian straightened and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “I haven’t witnessed anything like that.”

  Coop glared at him. “Get over here.”

  Adrian scurried over and took gulping swallows while they carried Nico to the table. Once they had him situated, Dashay checked his blood pressure, oxygen level and pulse.

  She eyed Coop knowingly. “Pressure’s dropping. Pulse is thready,”

  “Get fluids started and keep monitoring his vitals.”

  Dashay did as Coop asked, while Riley and Coop scrubbed their hands as best they could. Dashay helped them glove up and put on their masks, then she retook Nico’s pressure. Coop raised his eyebrows in question, and she gave him a thumbs up.

  Riley injected the morphine and local anesthetic. “Hope he stays out until we’re done. You take lead, Coop. This is closer to your area than mine.”

  Coop studied her for a moment, then nodded. While they worked, he said, “That bear shouldn’t have attacked. Losing Aurora is an enormous blow. I don’t know how we’ll all get to Charleston with one fewer horse and Nico in this condition.”

  “Worry about that, later, Doc,” Dashay said. “Saving him is all the matters now.”

  Riley smiled at Dashay behind her mask and swabbed the blood to clear the field. “What are you seeing, Coop?”

  “The post missed the kidney and bowels. It’s mostly damaged vascular and muscle tissue. He’s damned lucky. If he had fallen two inches to his
right, he wouldn’t have a prayer. Fortunately, he’s young and healthy. If we can raise his blood count and stave off infection, he might have a chance.”

  Riley found his assessment overly optimistic but kept that to herself. They had used up most of their medical supplies and Nico had lost too much blood. She couldn’t imagine how they’d get him to Charleston when he was strong enough to move. If he ever was.

  “Riley,” Coop said sharply. She flinched and looked up at him sheepishly. “Swab, please.”

  “Sorry. Got distracted,” she said as she dabbed at the trickle of blood flowing into the surgical field.

  He asked Dashay for more sutures. She opened the pack and dropped the threads onto a sterile pad. “Last ones.”

  “Should be enough. I’ve tied off all the bleeders. Want to close, Riley?”

  Coop moved to the side, and she stepped into his place. “How are his vitals?” she asked Dashay.

  “Weaker than I’d like, but stable. He came through like a trooper.”

  “How many more saline bags do we have?” Riley asked.

  “Five,” Coop said. “Should be enough to get his fluids up, but we have to figure out a liquid diet for him for the next twenty-four hours. I don’t think bear meat will cut it.”

  “Put Adrian in charge of Nico’s diet,” Dashay said.

  Coop glanced at her. “At least he’ll be useful for something. Hope he lives up to all his bluster about being a plant expert.”

  “Don’t be so hard on him. Adrian’s knowledge has come in handy for us more than once along the way.”

  Coop pulled off his gloves and tossed them in the garbage can next to the table. “We’ll see. He still needs to earn my trust.”

  Riley glanced at Coop, then finished closing. Dashay bandaged the wound and took Nico’s vitals while Riley and Coop went to their tent to get their sleeping pads to put under Nico so he would be more comfortable. The five of them then carefully carried Nico to his tent and laid him on the makeshift bed. Riley hung the IV bag from a tie near the top of the tent and checked the flow.

  Dashay brushed the hair out of Nico’s eyes, then kissed his forehead. “I’ll stay with him.”

  Riley patted her shoulder as she went out with the others. “Let us know if his vitals change.”

  After they left the tent, Coop and Brooks dragged Aurora’s body and the bear to the woods, away from the horses. Biscuit was still agitated, so Riley did her best to soothe him. Once he was calmly munching on the last of the dried apple slices, she joined the others at the firepit. Brooks threw a log on the fire and sat between Coop and Adrian, but Riley was too anxious to stay still, so she paced in circles around them.

  Brooks rested his elbows on his knees and stared at the ground. “This was not how I imagined this day starting.”

  Coop nodded. “Times of predictable, uneventful days are long gone.”

  “Even pre-CME, the concept that life was predictable was an illusion,” Adrian said. “It’s a lie people tell themselves for comfort. The only certainty is chaos.”

  “How comforting,” Riley mumbled. “That bear’s behavior was definitely not normal. I’ve seen enough black bears in the wild to know they’ll scamper up a tree or bolt when people are around. Why did that bear stay when he saw Nico? And why did he attack the horses? Very odd.”

  Adrian scratched his head. “I’ve been thinking about that. The winter was far more severe than usual. That might have impacted flora and fauna in the area. People that survived the CME are competing with the bears for the diminished amount of small game and plants available. It might make the bears more aggressive.”

  “Whatever his reason, that guy caused us a boatload of trouble,” Coop said. “Riley and I won’t know Nico’s prognosis until he’s survived the next twenty-four hours. I’d guess a minimum of five days until he’s well enough to move. His wound wasn’t as severe as it could have been, but he’s lost a great deal of blood. His recovery will be difficult and unpredictable in these conditions.”

  Riley stopped pacing and faced the group. “Five days seems optimistic. With our med supplies depleted, his situation is even more critical.”

  “We can eat that lump of bear, so that solves our food shortage. Same with poor Aurora. Riley might not like it, but that horse meat is about as good as anything on the market,” Brooks said. “The medical supplies are a different story. From what we saw, pickings in the nearest village are sparse. The trip to Charleston on horseback would have been a breeze, but with only two horses now and a critically injured man, it’ll take three times longer. That’s if the weather holds.”

  Adrian fidgeted in his log seat. “What medications does Nico need most?”

  “Antibiotics,” Coop and Riley said in unison. “IV saline and iron supplements, too,” Riley added.

  “I keep a stash of various herbs and spices that could help, but they won’t be as potent or work as quickly as chemically produced medications.”

  Riley dropped next to him on the log and said, “Which herbs and spices?”

  “The usual standards. Garlic, ginger, thyme, and sage work as antimicrobials for intestinal and upper respiratory bacteria. I have others for viral and fungal infections. My supply is running low but could help until we find antibiotics. I can gather dark leafy greens to help boost his iron until he can consume meat.”

  Riley turned toward Coop. “It’s worth a shot. None of those plants will hurt him.”

  Coop studied Adrian for a moment. “You actually know how to administer those herbs?”

  He smiled and nodded. “I do. I’ve successfully treated my own children with them.”

  Riley stood and held out her hand to him. “Teach me how to prepare them.”

  Adrian grasped her hand and got to his feet. “Let me get them. Boil some water.”

  Coop’s gaze followed him as he went to his tent. “I don’t care if Adrian’s trying to be helpful, that guy rubs me the wrong way.”

  “Because you see him as a coward for what he did before the CME hit?” Brooks asked.

  Coop shrugged. “It’s more than that.”

  “He’s not my favorite person, but he’s done his part to help get us here.”

  “You know my opinion of him, Coop,” Riley said, “but maybe Dashay is right and we shouldn’t judge him too harshly. Before the CME, he was just a geeky scientist locked up in his lab all day, and he was the only person on the planet to spot that first CME, even if he refused to defy Kearns’ back and tell the rest of the world.”

  Brooks sat back and folded his arms. “Give him time. He grows on you.”

  “Fine, so Adrian is our plant guy for food and meds,” Coop said. “I can dress the bear and Aurora. We’ll dry what meat we can and cook the rest to eat while we’re in camp.”

  Riley stared at him in disbelief. “You expect me to eat Aurora? Never. She was my friend.”

  Brooks rubbed his face. “I hated having to put her down, but she was suffering. She was a beautiful animal.”

  Coop put his hand on Brooks’ shoulder. “You had no choice. It was the right thing.”

  Riley lowered her eyes and kicked at the dirt with her boot. “I appreciate you doing that. I couldn’t have.”

  Brooks gave her a weak smile. “You’re welcome, Riley.”

  They sat in silence for a few minutes until Coop said, “I don’t care how good Adrian’s herbs are, they won’t do the job to treat Nico.”

  Brooks stood and stirred the fire. “Dashay and I could go on a scouting trip. It wouldn’t hurt to see what we’ll be facing between here and Charleston. We can search for the supplies you need at the same time.”

  “I hear you’re good at medical supply runs,” Riley said, and gave him a half-grin. Brooks smiled and rubbed the scar on his scalp. “Good luck tearing Dashay away from Nico. I can go.”

  Coop stood and shook his head. “No, Riley. I need you here to help with Nico. Brooks, take Adrian.”

  Riley knew that was just an excuse to keep he
r close and out of danger and get rid of Adrian for a few days. She found it touching but knew that wouldn’t work either. “Adrian’s the only one who knows how to prepare and administer the herb concoctions. He can’t go either.”

  “I’ll go alone,” Brooks said. “I can handle myself and I wouldn’t mind a few days on my own. It’ll save putting another person or horse at risk, and you’ll have more hands to pitch in here.”

  Coop rubbed his chin while he considered Brooks’ offer. “Take Echo and the rest of the packaged food. We’ll wait here for you but don’t take too long. Nico needs those meds. I’ll make a list.”

  Brooks got up and headed for his tent. “I’ll be ready in ten.”

  Riley followed him and stopped him before he went inside. “Please, watch yourself. Now that we’ve found you, we don’t want to lose you.”

  Brooks put out his hand. “I’ll do my best.”

  Riley ignored his hand and pulled him into a hug. “We’re counting on that.”

  Chapter Four

  President Aileen Kearns sat in her office in the Governor’s Council Chamber of Independence Hall and tapped the stack of papers on her desk to straighten them. She’d had the massive antique desk and chair moved to the office from a different abandoned historic building in Philadelphia. She slipped the stack of papers into a folder and smiled as she ran her hand over the rich grain of the wood. Her citizens and even some of her advisors had balked at her choosing the historic room as the new “Oval Office,” but she found that it fit her station as the new President of the United States.

  It had taken weeks to reestablish the government before she and the other surviving VIPs emerged from their bunker under the Pennsylvania hills. She’d been reluctant to leave the comparative luxury of the shelter, but her country was suffering and needed a leader. She ordered her generals to gather troops to clear the streets and get communications restored. Only then did she dare leave her haven.

  Kearns’ executive assistant had located a gorgeous, abandoned home befitting a US president’s family just minutes from Independence Hall. They hooked up a working generator, built a security fence around the property’s perimeter, and brought in fresh provisions. Her husband and daughters gave it their stamp of approval and quickly settled in. Though Kearns loved her new home, she spent little time there. Restarting the country took all her time and energy.