“Very good then, I’ll leave what you have alone. Do you think the ribs are broken?”
Dave chimed in with, “It was only the one bullet hit and broke the one rib. I don’t think any others are. The bullet glanced off that rib and exited, leaving a nice grooved wound that bled a bunch. I think he’ll heal just fine, but for now he’s in a lot of pain.”
“Where were you when you the accident occurred?” The Doctor asked.
“In Cheyenne,” Dave answered. “We were checking out a truck that had some supplies in it we thought we might need. The Z was in the cab - there were two actually – and we didn’t see the second one. We took care of the first and the second piled out on top of me; we fought on the ground. I was having some trouble with it when Doug here jumped in swinging his rifle by the barrel like a Louisville Slugger, and smacked the Z in the head. His rifle misfired with the impact and wounded him. The Z rolled off me and I was able to stick it in the head with my knife. Doug…well, he was in pretty bad shape. I thought he was dying there at first, but it turns out he’s just got a nasty wound that’ll take some time to heal.”
“Just!” I complained. “Just a nasty wound? Just my royal back side my friend. I’ll give you one of these…”
“Now, now, gentlemen, please do not argue,” The Doctor interjected. “I was so pleased to hear your voices and now to see you. I could not believe my good fortune when I heard you on the radio. I was so surprised I almost wrecked the truck when your voice came over the airwaves. It was so refreshing to hear you. Thank you so much for taking the time to meet me.”
“Sorry, Doc,” Dave said.
“Yeah, sorry,” I said. “Where are you going, anyway?”
“I was heading north to see the undead horde and check on their progress.”
“Their progress…you know where they’re going?” I asked.
“My colleagues and I created a signal that attracts the undead - Zs as you call them – and have had devices that transmit the signal in eight locations around the country. One of those is in Montana, near a military instillation where my group plans to set off a small tactical nuclear weapon to eliminate the threat. I believe there will be upwards of ten million Zs as you say, up there when we detonate the device.”
“Ten million, whew; we had maybe a couple million pass where we live almost two months ago,” Dave commented.
“Yes, that is about seven months after we activated the signal for the final time. We had tested it several times in the months before.
“That’s why those Zs did what they did,” I mumbled to myself.
“What was that, Doug?” the doctor asked.
“Oh, months ago I saw on a few occasions, Zs just standing still gazing to the north. I couldn’t figure out what they were doing. They wouldn’t even attack, and I thought that odd,” I told him.
“That was during our testing phase I’m sure,” he told us.
“When the horde wandered through where our home is, we just kept quiet until the danger passed,” Dave added.
“Where do you live?” he asked”
“Doug has a place on the other side of that mountain,” pointing to Sheep Mountain to the west, “and kindly allowed my wife, Julia, and I to live with he and his wife, Ruth. Julia and I now have a place of our own that was given to us by a kind man who recently passed away of a cardiac arrest. Our homes are in a beautiful valley that Doug has aptly named Paradise Valley.”
“It sounds wonderful. May I accompany you and visit?”
“Doctor,” I said, “You may come and stay with us as long as you wish. We are on our way home from the reconnaissance mission to see where the Zs were going. The southern edge of the horde is about two hundred miles north of here and they were still heading north. So now you don’t have to go as we’ve already done the recon for you.”
“Your offer is most kind and I will accept…for a while that is. I must continue my work to attempt to eradicate these horrors to society. Once the major threat is eliminated, we can begin to rebuild our nation and the world.”
“Doug, I think we better get on the road, you’re looking pale again,” Dave said. “Doc, you want to follow us to the house. I need to get Doug down and out with some pain killers.”
“Yes…yes of course, I’ll follow you.”
I asked the Doctor, “You have enough gas to go another hour?”
“Yes, I had just filled the tank in Tie Siding when I heard you on the radio.”
He turned and climbed into his truck. Dave fired up the hummer, pulled around the Doctor and headed west once again. The Doctor followed. As we got past the airport, Dave got on the radio and called for either Julia or Ruth. Ruth was first to answer, “Well hello there boys, how’s things?”
“Doug is wounded and we’re heading home with a guest. Where are you?”
“What do you mean Doug is wounded? Is he okay?”
“He’ll be fine, where are you?”
“We’re at your place, why?”
“Stay there. Cook a nice dinner for five as we have a guest. Get out the pain meds and first aid kit as we’ll need to get Doug cleaned up and patched back up and on some pain killer.”
“What guest…who’s with you two…how did Doug get shot?”
“We’ll explain everything when we get there. We’re just past the airport now, so we’ll be home in about twenty minutes.”
“We’ll be ready for you.”
Ruth opened the back door to Julia’s home and yelled, “Julia!”
When Julia looked up, from the garden plot she was measuring for the spring, Ruth yelled, “Get in here, we have a problem!” That got Julia running to the house.
As she flew in and came to a stop she said, “What’s wrong?”
“I got a radio call from Dave. Doug’s wounded and they’re on their way. They’ll be here in about twenty minutes. They’re up near the airport. And he said he was bringing a guest and to make dinner for five.”
“Five? Who did they find?” Julia asked.
Ruth shrugged her shoulders and said, “I don’t know, but he said to get the first aid kit out and pain killers and get ready to clean Doug up. I guess he’s hurt badly, but Dave didn’t elaborate. He said he’ll explain everything when he gets here.”
The girls got busy and got things ready to work on Doug. They put a clean sheet on the kitchen table and opened the first aid kit. Julia found aspirin with codeine and a bottle of water. Julia got some burgers out and began to cook them for a quick dinner.
“Doug will probably want a shot or two of scotch don’t you think?” Julia suggested.
“Yeah, probably, I’ll get it,” Ruth told her. “Both of them will probably want a tumbler or two full. Maybe the ‘guest’ will, too.”
“Did he elaborate on the guest?”
“Not at all; you’re guess is as good as mine.”
“You two will be staying here for a while – no arguments! I’ll go and get the guest room ready, so he won’t have to climb stairs. You want the heavy flannel sheets?”
“Yes, thank you. What about the ‘guest’?”
“I’ll give whoever it is your bedroom just in case he or she stays for a while.”
They got busy and went their separate ways. Ruth finished the preparations in the kitchen for both the wound treatment and dinner then went out the front door to wait for the boys. She hit the button opening the gates and stood on the front steps waiting, worried about her man. She began to tear up and after a moment had tears running down her cheeks. It wasn’t long before she could hear a vehicle coming down the road. Julia joined her on the porch, handed her some Kleenex and together they waited, Julia’s arm over Ruth’s shoulder comforting her.
Dave noted the gate was open and flew into the front yard. Julia vigorously pointed to the back wanting him to pull around to the kitchen back door. Ruth ran out and around the house to help get me out of the hummer. She could see me waving through the passenger window so knew I was not in real danger.
Dave heard the hummer shut off and then steps on the back door. “Sorry Doc, I completely forgot about you. Ladies, this is Doctor Stephen Roche, not an MD, but a PhD doc. Doc, the lady on my left is my wife Julia, and the other is Doug’s wife, Ruth.”
“I am very please to meet you ladies and please don’t mind me, continue to work on Douglas. I’ll sit here. If you need my assistance, please do not hesitate to ask. And whatever has been cooking, it smells wonderful!”
“Hi,” from Ruth.
“Hello,” from Julia and they continued to work on me as I grunted with the pain.
The trio, using the warm water, washed my chest down as best they could. With all the bandages cut away, Dave gently removed the dressing and was pleased the wound had not begun to bleed again. “Looks like the stitches held, brother.”
Julia, the registered nurse, looked the wound site over with a fine-toothed comb and said, “Dave, you did a particularly good job of suturing Doug’s wound, here. You make a good medic.”
The doctor got up, bent over Doug looking at the wound and nodded.
“What do you think, doctor?” Julia asked him.
“Although nasty looking and with the fractured rib painful, I don’t see the need much, other than to clean the site. Most certainly, much of the bleeding you saw was from a small artery cut by the bullet. It has coagulated at this point so is no longer a threat. I would clean the wound with a disinfectant if you have one, preferably a Betadine solution, then dress it with a thick dressing followed by a tightly wound bandage securely taped. He should fare well on painkillers after that. You’ll hurt for several weeks, young man, while that rib heals. It may take up to eight to ten weeks depending on how well you heal overall. I should think you need to rest and relax for at least a week with no heavy work or lifting for several, to allow for the initial healing to be effective.”
The trio of nurses stood there unmoving, awe-struck, looking at the Doctor. Finally, Julia was the one who said, “For not being a medical doctor you certainly do know a lot about wounds and medicine.”
“When I was in the military, we all had to undergo rigorous emergency medical training, they called it first responder training, prior to being sent into a combat arena. I had several courses in emergency combat medicine while I was active duty.”
“You saw combat?” Dave asked.
“Sadly, yes; one tour in Iraq and two in Afghanistan, with coalition Special Forces units I was attached to. I saw too many wounds during that time in my life to forget what was life-threatening and what was not.”
“Well, I’m for one glad to have met you today, sir, and thank you for your input into my care,” I said. “Now, hand me that scotch again.”
“You’re most welcomed my newfound young friend.”
“Doctor, may I get you something to drink?” Julia asked. “We have just about anything you may want.”
“I for one want a tumbler of scotch…full!” I said.
“Oh my, scotch would be a real treat for me as well,” the doctor said. “And please everyone, let’s dispense with the formality. My name is Steve for short. Please use that.”
“Well, Steve, I’ll go get the fixins,” Ruth said.
“Three glasses if you don’t mind,” Dave added as she left.
“Five is better,” she said going out the door into the front room.
“I’ll drink to that,” Julia said almost in a whisper as she continued cleaning Doug’s, wound.
“Steve, you think it’ll be okay for me to shower before we dress this wound?” I asked.
“I think that would benefit you much more than having to go through the motions twice. After you’ve cleaned up and dried, we can redress the wound and get you down for a rest. You actually have working showers…with hot and cold water?”
“Yes, we do, Steve, and you’re more than welcomed to partake after Doug is done,” Julia told him with a smile.
“I’m ready for a hot shower,” I said. “Julia, Dave, would the two of you help me up to the bathroom after we’ve had our drinks?”
“Can do, buddy,” Dave said.
“Oh no, you’re not; you and Ruth are staying downstairs in the guest room for a while, so you don’t have to climb stairs. Steve will be staying in your room for the time being. No arguments.”
The doctor looked at her with a surprised look on his face and Dave said, “She’s always like that, doc, bossy, you know?”
Ruth came in then and handed the glasses out and poured Steve’s glass first, giving him about three fingers worth of the eighteen-year-old liquor. He smiled and told her thank you. He waited until everyone had a glass and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, a toast,” holding up his glass. The others did likewise, and he said, “To chance meetings and fortunate friendships.”
The others all said, “Here, here,” and sipped their drinks. I took an extremely healthy slug of mine and grimaced as the fluid hit bottom. “Ah,” I said. “Now that is good.”
After sipping our drinks for a few minutes, Julia got up and prepared the burgers she had made for dinner. As she set the plate in front of the doc, he was about to go ahead and begin eating when Dave said, “Excuse me, doc, but we pray before every meal.”
“Yes, please forgive me. I’m a creature of habit and rarely find time to give thanks,” he said.
After Julia sat down with her plate, Dave said the blessing and we three men ate our meals like a pack of hungry animals. I sat back finished and, holding a dressing on my wound, said, “Now that and the scotch have hit the spot.”
“My sentiments as well,” the doc added.
Ruth looked at me and said, “You ready to take a bath and get cleaned up?”
The doc held up his hand and said, “If you don’t mind, may I suggest a standup shower for you, Doug. A bath, although refreshing as it might seem, would foster infection and you cannot afford that in these trying times.”
“That sounds fine with me, Steve,” I agreed. “I just want to get cleaned up, bandaged up and down for a nap with some pain killers and let the healing begin.”
“You forgot the scotch, bro,” Dave interjected.
“Actually, you should not have any more if you’ll be taking the pain killers, I’m afraid,” Steve said with his right forefinger pointing up and wagging to emphasize his point.
“You’re no fun,” Dave said sadly. “Sorry, buddy, I’m going to have to drink your share tonight.”
“Fine, just let me get cleaned up, bandaged, drugged and down,” I told them. Ruth helped me get to my feet and we shuffled into the guest bathroom. Once inside, she first gave me two pain pills then it was all she could do to help get me into the tub. My wound was so painful I had trouble even lifting my left leg.
Ruth said, “Get a hold of yourself I’m going to turn on the water.”
“Go ahead, I’m ready,” I said with a grimace and as much confidence as I could muster.
She began with the cold and added the hot until it was comfortable for her. She knew I could stand it much hotter but figured the initial shock of the shower stream hitting me would probably knock me down. She held my hand and then lifted the shower nozzle. I quivered but stood steadily. She noticed I broke out in goose bumps all over myself and heard me suck in air as the water hit.
I stood there for a few moments then said, “You cannot know how good this feels -most soothing. I could stay right here for hours.”
“Nope, not enough hot water,” she
said. “You just stand there I’m going to wash you down and clean your wound. Here we go.” She used a washcloth and scrubbed me down as best she could. She squirted Betadine solution from a bottle onto the wound and as gently as she could, cleaned it. I grabbed the shower curtain rod to steady myself as she did so.
Once she had the wound cleansed and rinsed, the shower was over. After she patted me down with a towel, she placed a thick pad of four- by-four dressings over my wound and told me to hold it tightly in place while she finished drying me off. She helped me out of the tub, which caused more pain, but soon had me dried off and wearing a pair of pajama bottoms. We left the bathroom and she made me sit down on the bed. She gave me a glass of water and dried and dressed the wound using non-stick dressing pads then wrapped bandages tightly around my chest. Her hands sure felt good.
“Is that comfortable enough for you to breathe?”
“Yes, thank you. You would have made a swell nurse, you know.”
“That’s one of the things I thought about becoming after high school. Oh well, best laid plans…”
I smiled at her, gave her a kiss, and said, “Help me lay down, would you?”
“Come on, lay back and get comfortable. I’m going to stay here until you go to sleep.”
“I love you, Ruth.”
“I love you, too, Doug. Now lay back and try to sleep,” and leaned over and gave me another kiss.
After the painful experience of lying down passed, I fell asleep almost immediately. Ruth covered me, turned off the light and crept out of the guest room.
When she got back into the kitchen, the other three were sitting there sipping scotch. “Where’s my glass?” she asked.
Dave grabbed it, poured in a few fingers of the liquor, and passed it to her and asked, “Is he okay?”
“Yes, he’s already out like a light. He was really exhausted.”
Steve reached over, took her hand, and said earnestly, “He’ll be fine in a week or so and much better in six or seven weeks, fully healed I should think.”
“Thank you, Steve. I appreciate that,” Ruth told him.
“I’m pretty wasted myself,” Dave said. “It was a long trip.”
I'm Tired of Zombies | Book 2 | Full Scale War Page 2