Protecting Nova

by Belle Harper

  Hopefully we left behind all the hurt, pain, and worry.

  “Up ahead looks to be a decent city. We need to stop and get more supplies, and see if they have a doctor. How we gonna do this shit? Hide Nova and drive in?” Ryker asked as I saw the wooden walls of a city getting closer.

  Before we were close enough to be seen, he stopped and waited for my answer.

  Ryker was older than me. He was also an alpha male. I knew he was—everyone saw it. But the fact he waited on me, respected me as the family leader really showed how much he would do for Nova. Who was peacefully asleep in Noah’s arms.

  “Hey, sweetheart,” I cooed softly as I stroked her face. She nuzzled into my hand and let out a small snore. Ryker chuckled.

  “Come on, sleeping beauty, wake up.” I clapped my hands together. In the Jeep the sound was louder then I thought it would be and everyone woke up. Kento made a startled sound that I felt to my core. Shit. I didn’t mean to do that to him. I just wanted Nova to wake up.

  “We are coming to a city. It’s best we stay together. Let’s get some supplies and leave.” I heard the grunts of acknowledgement from everyone, and Nova peered up at me with those big doe eyes. Fuck, this girl had me around her little finger, and I think she knew it. As innocent as she acted at times, she was fucking smart. I wouldn’t change a thing about her. She was perfect.

  “Yes, sweetheart?” I peered down at her.

  “Will I jump in the back?” she asked. I nodded to where Kento was and she crawled over and past me, she gave me a quick chaste kiss on the lips as she slid down to the floor. Kento pulled up his blanket and she ducked her head down onto his lap, and he placed the blanket down over her. He was okay with Nova touching him, if anything he looked more relaxed having her so close.

  “Hey, you fellas got a fucking car,” the guard at the front gate stated. Ryker asked if I wanted him to do all the talking since he was used to doing this type of shit. I agreed since he was driving, he looked like the one in charge.

  “Yeah, we are looking to trade some things, maybe a doctor and be on our way.”

  The guards looked to one another and peered into the back seat at the guys in the back. “You got some sick ones?” he asked.

  Ryker nodded. “They aren’t contagious. We had a run in with some assholes. Few of us got a bit messed up… The assholes...they aren’t a problem no more.”

  The guards nodded and took Ryker’s word. Then, they let us in.

  We drove as close as we could to where we were told the doctor was. Ezra was in pain, and Adam… Well, I didn’t think he was going to make it with that injury. I’m surprised he was still with us. I think he had a lot of blood loss before he got to us, that could be why he looks the way he does. Ryker parked the Jeep, Noah and I jumped out and made our way over to the building we were told had a doctor.

  “You a doctor?” I asked as I entered the small shop. There were a few men in here, and I was sure they were waiting to see the doctor, but I needed someone to see Adam now.

  “Yes I am, take a seat.” He gestured to a bench against the opposite wall to where a man with a small wound on his head sat.

  “We need you to see our friends.,” Noah said. Adam was no friend of mine. But I would do anything for Nova and she wanted help for him.

  “Bring them in.” He gestured to the door. Back at the Jeep, Ryker was sitting in the front seat. I saw he had the pistol hidden down by his side. Ready for anything. I was grateful for him. He had shown us time after time he would do anything for Nova, and for us. He was… family.

  “Come on, Adam, the doctor wants to see your arm. And Ezra come have him look at your face.” I helped Adam out of the Jeep and my stomach rolled at the smell coming from under that dirty cloth. Ezra walked with us, but slowly.

  Once we got inside and sat Adam down, the others in the room started to move away from him. They placed their hands over their mouth to block out the smell of death.

  “Fuck,” the doctor hissed at us as he quickly finished with his patient.

  “Get him over here quick. That doesn’t smell good.” Noah and I helped Adam to his feet. He was much weaker than when I got him in the Jeep.

  The doctor started to peel back all the material wrapped around his arm, and I gagged at the smell and what I saw. Noah turned to face away, but I kept watch of the doctor’s face.

  “He needs a surgeon. I don’t have the tools for this. But if he doesn’t already have blood poisoning, then he needs this amputated and soon.” I saw Adam flinch at the words.

  I guessed as much when I first saw it, but now that it was on full display, I saw his hand had turned an unnatural dark purple color. I wondered if Nova knew how bad this was. This was not like when Noah was sick. I couldn’t fix this.

  “Where is the surgeon?” I asked and the doctor shook his head.

  “We don’t have one. He is in St. Mary’s, which is north about a week’s walk from here.” The tone in his voice told me there was no chance in Adam lasting that long. Even with us driving in the Jeep it would still take a coupe of days.

  “All right, what if we did it? What do we need?” I asked him. I hoped if we could get him the tools he would be able to do it.

  He just shook his head. “No! I’m not going to do it. I’m just a local physician.” He backed away with his hands palms up, showing he had no intentions to help us.

  “Fuck you,” I cursed out.

  The doctor pointed to Ezra who was standing just behind me. “I can help him, though. I can get you something for the pain, until your face heals. And I can get you some antibiotics.” The doctor pointed to Ezra who was standing just behind me. I nodded, relieved that Ezra could get some pain relief. I grabbed Adam and helped him walk outside.

  “Just leave me here,” he pleaded. “I’m not going to make it, I have known that for a while now. I’m happy knowing Nova is safe again. Just leave me here and take her to Eden. Please.”

  Eventually he became so weak he passed out. Noah came and helped me place him in the Jeep. Kento nodded to me and mouthed the words, ‘She is sleeping.’ And I heard her light snores.

  “What’s the word on the kid?” Ryker asked from the front. He gave Adam a once-over.

  “We have to amputate his arm, so we need alcohol, a saw…” I started to list off everything I thought we would need. They used to do this in the good old days, before we had hospitals and all that. I was sure I had read something in history about this or seen it in a movie. We would figure it out, there was nothing to lose—better to have tried than just let Adam die. Nova would never forgive me if I didn’t at least try help him. He brought her back, if it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have her. He deserved a fighting chance. And truth be told. I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t help him.

  8

  Nova

  I was hot and sticky, and my head felt fuzzy like I had been in the sun too long. I didn’t like this feeling, it reminded me of when I was chased from Bakersfield and into the Red Plains. I jerked my head up and noticed it was dark outside. I looked up to the person I had been laying on and saw Kento was wide-eyed.

  “Shit.” I rubbed my eyes as I gathered my thoughts. I must have slept a long time. I was exhausted, trying to make my way back to them through the woods... I don’t want to think of that time and what had happened. I wanted to look forward. I was back with my amazing guys. And nothing, nothing was going to stop me from being happy.

  “Hey, it’s okay. You were tired,” Kento softly whispered to me. I smiled and laid my head gently down on his leg again, hoping to clear the fuzzy feeling from my head. My body ached from the position I had been in. I was surprised they let me sleep here this long. I looked up and around the Jeep. Just Kento and me. Even Ezra wasn’t in here. I started to feel the panic rise in me. Where is everyone? A cool hand softly touched my face.

  “It’s okay, I’m here. You’re okay, Nova,” Kento said in such a calming way. The same way I had been doing to him since we rescued him from th
e Red Raiders.

  “Where is Colt?” I asked. He usually wouldn’t leave me behind without Ezra or Noah.

  “They are helping your friend Adam. He needed to see a surgeon and…”

  My heart sank. Adam needed a surgeon? I knew he cut his arm, but he wouldn’t show me. I didn’t know it was that bad. Tears pricked at my eyes. A few escaped and Kento wiped them away with his thumb.

  “It’s okay. They are helping him. But it’s best we wait here. They told me to wait until they come back for us.”

  I nodded and prayed they were all fine, that they would be back soon. I crawled up on the seat next to Kento and curled into a ball next to him. He stroked my hair and wiped my tears as they silently fell. Sometimes you didn’t have to hold it all together and that was what I was doing. I was letting it all seep out.

  I heard the door of the Jeep open. But I didn’t open my eyes. I knew it was Ezra by the way he smelled. Is it strange that I knew that? He stroked my back and whispered to Kento. I just caught what he was saying when a pair of hands slid around my face and cupped my ears.

  I jerked up gasping for air.

  “What are you doing?” I accused Kento, he looked at me with such a sad expression and I noticed his hands were by his sides. I turned to Ezra, he was the one holding my ears. His eyes were pleading with me to stay like this. But then he dropped his hands. He looked a little better than he did yesterday or was that today? I didn’t know what day it was. I had lost all track of time.

  Ezra looked down away from me. I didn’t know why. “We have to help Adam, and he might yell at first. We thought it was best if I covered your ears so not to wake you. I’m sorry.”

  I scooted up to sit and gave him a gentle hug, hoping he could feel my love for him. My beautiful and kind Ezra. I kissed him softly and noticed he smelled like alcohol. I pulled back and looked into his eyes again. They were glassy.

  “I had something to drink… to help… with the pain,” he whispered. I just noticed he hadn’t spoken anything but a whisper.

  “Does it hurt to talk?”

  He nodded as I placed a finger over his lips. “No more talking then. I want you to heal first,” I said and then kissed his lips ever so lightly. I wanted to do more but I didn’t want to hurt him, and I knew he wouldn’t stop me even if it pained him.

  “Go. I will stay here. Please come get me when Adam...” I worried, that he wouldn’t get me if something bad happened. I knew he wasn’t doing that well, that second day with him before I found Ryker was really hard on him. I just wished he told me it was this bad. I cant loose him now I have only just got him back.

  Ezra left the Jeep and closed the door behind him. I slowly inched my way closer to Kento. One thing I had noticed was he didn’t flinch away from the others so much anymore. Since I had been back, he actually talked to them. It made me feel happy, that he could trust them now. My face felt flushed and I had all these emotions running through me. My stomach cramped up but I didn’t feel hungry. Just kind of sick. I didn’t say anything as I slid up closer.

  “Please cover your ears, Nova.” His voice had worry hidden in there. I didn’t fully understand what they were doing with Adam to help him. But the sound that I heard next was not what I expected.

  “Help him, Kento. We need to help him,” I pleaded with him as he held me tightly to his chest, using all his strength to stop me from running out of the Jeep to Adam. I tried to block out the screams Adam made as I struggled against Kento. Panic flared within me as dropped his arms. I looked up to him and saw the look on his face, he was blocking out the screams. They triggered him as he withdrew into himself. Away from me, from all the progress he had made.

  “Kento, please.” He looked at me with almost black eyes... “Kiss me,” I said. He needed a distraction, I need one too. I needed him to look at me. To feel me here. That he was here in the moment with me. The screaming had stopped, and I wasn’t sure if that made it worse. I blocked out thoughts of Adam, and focused on Kento.

  “Please, Kento…kiss me.” He looked at me last, and gave me the tiniest smile.

  “You don’t want me kissing you. I’m… dirty.” He turned his face away, but I grabbed it and kissed him. He didn’t kiss me back. And then he pushed me away.

  “Stop, Nova. Please. I don’t want your pity.”

  I burst out in tears. Fuck this. What the hell was wrong with me? He tried to rub my back, but it didn’t help. It just made everything worse, and it built and built until I snapped and yelled at him.

  “I wanted to kiss you. I wasn’t doing it out of pity.” I just thought it would be a nice way to distract each other from what was going on outside, I felt something for him. I wasn’t doing it to be mean or out of pity. I really liked Kento. He was beautiful and sweet. He reached out to my face, but I pushed him away. Opening the door I scrambled out of the Jeep. I saw a small fire and the tent was set up next to it.

  All four of my boys stood around the fire. They chatted quietly as they glanced over to the tent. Where I assumed Adam now was.

  I ran over and wrapped my arms around Colton and burst into tears. He made calm, sweet-like sounds while he stroked my back. I felt Noah pressed against me as he held me tightly. I felt safe and loved.

  “He is okay, sweetheart. He is alive.”

  My body relaxed between them both, Adam was alive. He is okay. I pulled back enough to look up at Colton. He wasn’t as tall as the others, so he was the easiest to kiss. I didn’t have to pull him all the way down to my height, I went on my tippy toes and kissed him. And he returned the kiss exactly the way I knew he would.

  I heard the other three talking as if I wasn’t there. They seemed worried about me, and I started to get worried about myself. I got another pain in my lower abdomen. It was like someone had just stabbed me. I involuntarily curled in on myself. I wanted to be sick.

  “Fuck, Nova, what’s wrong?” Colton pulled me to stand and Noah picked me up to cradle in his arms. He held me against his chest, taking deep shaky breaths.

  I cried again. “I don’t know. I’m in so much pain. It comes and goes but I don’t feel hungry. I just feel sick. It’s like someone is stabbing me.”

  Ryker came over and stroked the hair out of my eyes. A warm gentle smile on his face.

  “Hey, princess, can you show me where?” he asked, and I pointed just below my stomach. And Colton made a weird sound. That made me even more worried. What the hell was wrong with me?

  “Have you ever menstruated before?” Ryker asked, his brows furrowed as he continued to stroke my hair. I didn’t know what that meant. When I didn’t say anything he continued.

  “You know get your period? Bleed every month?” And my eyes widened in shock. But there was no blood? I shook my head no, because that was the truth. He looked at Colton, who nodded as he held my hand.

  “I didn’t even think about it after you said you can’t get pregnant. I just assumed the NEX virus did that, made it so you couldn’t have children.” And then I saw the wheels turn in his head. “You can’t get pregnant because you never had your period?” He nodded his head as if he answered his own question. I nodded in return, that’s what I had been told, if you don’t have it, you can’t have children. Well that’s what dad had taught me. But then Harlow said I might get it. Holy shit.

  “I’m getting my period?” I asked in the smallest voice.

  Ryker was the one to answer “I think you are. But we will help you, don’t worry. I will take care of you princess.”

  I just wanted to crawl into a ball and close my eyes and cry forever. Cry for happiness that I could have children, and sadness because there was no way I wanted to bring a child into this world. Not until we are safe. Not until we made it to Eden.

  9

  Ezra

  I didn’t know what they were talking about, and I felt truly stupid here. Maybe a little drunk too.

  “Bleed?” I whispered. It was the best I could do to not feel the pain of my cheek. It was on the mend and felt
a little better. My face wasn’t as puffy and in a few weeks I would be healed. My ribs would take longer but at least I could breathe better today.

  “Yeah. Because she is a woman,” Noah openly stated, like I was asking a stupid question, and I’m sure I was. He passed Nova into Ryker’s arms, I saw him wince at his bad shoulder, but then put a smile right back on his face again as if it was nothing. She settled into him as he started humming those country tunes to her. I never really liked country music much.

  I nodded and agreed. But I still had no idea what they talked about. Why would a woman bleed? Colt placed his hand on my shoulder and leaned in close. He could tell. He just had this way to know.

  “Did you get the birds and the bees talk, Ezra?”

  What do birds and bees have to do with a woman? I shrugged because I didn’t follow him. He chuckled and shook his head. Yeah, laugh at me, asshole. I shrugged him off.

  I looked over and saw Ryker was now seated next to the fire with Nova on his lap. Noah had wrapped a blanket around her. And she looked…well, she just looked at the fire. Ryker had spoken to us earlier about if maybe we didn’t mind that he spent a little more time, just him and Nova. He said it was not sex time he wanted, but just to hold her while she slept tonight, or hold her hand when in the Jeep for a little while, if that was what Nova wanted too.

  Colt wasn’t happy at first but then finally agreed and said it was only fair. Nova wanted Ryker with us, she wanted him. We couldn’t stop her from being with him. That would be wrong. We all got turns of being next to her in the Jeep and the best way for us to all work together and not fight among ourselves, was equal time. But with three extra men in her life, if Adam survived, I would have a lot less time.