“The wound should have been cleaned immediately, and bandaged properly.” She sighed as she dropped the last of the soiled bandages to the floor.
Hunter paused in his retreat, his voice firm. They had done what needed to be done at the time. “I did the best I could and bandaged it. I found a sports drink for him, and once he drank that, he felt a lot better.”
“I guess that’s better than nothing.”
Hunter bit back a retort. “Is there anything you need me to do?”
“Could you bring up some fresh water? We need to boil it to help flush the wound. And hurry, because it’ll need to cool before we can use it.”
“Yeah. No problem.”
As he turned to leave, Jenna called his name, “Hunter… ”
He faced her, his shoulders stiff.
“You did a good job with the bandages and the sports drink was a great idea.” Jenna smiled at him. “I couldn’t have done any better under the circumstances. Sorry if I sounded like you’d screwed up.” She spread her hands and glanced around the kitchen. “I’m just not used to working in these conditions.”
Hunter shrugged. “No problem.” He drew a deep breath, his gaze shifting to his father. “Is he gonna be okay?”
“I think so.” She sighed and lifted his dad’s hand, pressing one of his fingernails, then held a few fingers against his throat. “His capillary refill is pretty good and his pulse is strong. Six months ago, he’d have been admitted to the hospital for a round of antibiotics, maybe exploratory surgery to find the bullet, and discharged in a day or two. It’s not a mortal wound, but now we have to worry about infection. That’s why I was alarmed, but your dad is fairly young and strong.” She bit her lip. “I’m afraid that I don’t know enough to make any kind of prediction. I don’t have any experience with serious injuries under these conditions.”
Hunter nodded and then dashed out the door to get the water, grabbing Jake from the porch as he went. “Come on. We need to bring up water.”
“Can you get the bullet out?” Elly peeked at the wound, now washed clean. She was thankful Cole hadn’t awakened yet. All of the movement and prodding of the wound would have been painful. He was blissfully unaware.
“This is ridiculous.” Jenna shook her head in frustration as she dabbed at the blood. “He needs a real hospital and a real doctor.”
“Honey, just relax and do what you can.” Sean had been charged with holding Cole’s shoulders, while Joe was ready to hold his legs still if needed.
Hunter had brought in medical supplies they had taken, but even Elly could see that little of it would be of use in this situation, but she said she’d take a look at the fish antibiotics Hunter had given her and try to figure out the correct dose. They’d have to wait for Cole to awaken before he could swallow the medication.
Jenna put a smear of antibiotic ointment on a bandage and taped it over the wound.
“I’ve done the best I can do for now.” Jenna stood back from the table, her gloved hands covered in blood. “His blood pressure is surprisingly good for now, but I wish I had an I.V. going.”
13
Cole blinked and looked around. He was in his bed in the house, but had only snatches of memory of how he’d arrived home. Everything after getting in the truck after Hunter had loaded what he could from the garage of the house in some town was fuzzy.
He scrubbed a hand down his face, stopping at the heavy growth of beard, perplexed. He normally shaved because every time he tried to grow a beard, he ended up shaving it off within a handful of days because the whiskers made his face itchy as they grew in and he could never get past that stage. From the feel of things—he was well past that stage. Huh. According to the growth at least five days had passed since he’d last shaved, but he had no recollection of them. He closed his eyes and tried to pull up something, but other than a few fevered dreams and vague recollections of stumbling to the bathroom, he had nothing.
His shoulder felt like he’d slammed it into a wall. Repeatedly. He stifled a groan as he turned onto his right side and swung his legs out of bed. His first priority was the bathroom. Water was a close second. His mouth felt rancid and cottony.
When he stood, he had to pause for a few seconds as a wave of light-headedness swept over him. He wore boxers, but nothing else and he looked around for something to wrap around his waist, not wanting to parade around in front of his niece or Sophie in his underwear. Hunter had a pair of sweatpants hanging on the back of the door and he considered borrowing them, but the idea of trying to wrangle them over his legs was too daunting, so he settled for tugging the top sheet from his bed and wrapping it around his waist like a short toga. Or a skirt, but he preferred to think of it as a toga.
Feeling like a toddler who had just learned to walk, he took a few steps out into the hallway. Where was everyone? From the light coming in from the front of the house, it seemed to be about midday.
A bucket of water sat beside the toilet, and a couple of pitchers of water sat on the vanity. The metal pitcher was for drinking and brushing teeth, the red plastic one for washing—it wasn’t treated. He poured a glass of the drinking water in the cup beside it and guzzled. It tasted like sweet nectar, and he poured a second glass, but used the toilet first. He lifted the bucket with his right hand, but had trouble tilting it into the bowl, spilling some before he filled it enough for the toilet to flush. The septic tank was still good and he hoped it would last through the winter at least. Not having to use an outhouse was the one bright spot in their new reality. That wouldn’t last forever though.
He poured water from the red pitcher into the sink, grabbed a washcloth from the shelf, and did the best he could to wash-up. He looked in the mirror, surprised at how sallow his skin looked, and how his cheekbones seemed to jut forward. Maybe it was a combination of the beard and losing weight, but he barely recognized his own reflection. He reached for the razor, but set it down when he saw how shaky his hand was. He’d have to shave another day, but he had enough water left in the pitcher to work some shampoo into his hair and rinse it out. That alone made him feel a hundred times better.
He returned to his room, still without seeing anyone and he wondered where everyone was. The excursion to the bathroom had worn him out more than he thought possible, but he resisted the temptation to lie back in the bed and sleep. After resting a few minutes, he moved to the closet and grabbed the first pair of jeans he found and an old flannel shirt. It took him ten minutes to don the clothing and he had to stop and catch his breath a few times. The socks and shoes were the hardest and he ended up tying a knot in his shoelaces, and had to tuck the laces inside the shoes to keep them from flopping around.
Ambling out to the kitchen, he noted that the woodstove had been moved from where it had been against the wall in the living room. It now took up space between the two rooms. He saw that the stovepipe passed through the ceiling to vent outside. Someone had been busy. Two bread pans sat on a table near the stove, their contents covered with white cloths. The thought of fresh bread made his mouth water and he looked around for something to eat.
The heel of an older loaf sat on the counter, partially wrapped in a clean dish towel. He sliced it into two thinner pieces, slathered them with strawberry jam, and sat at the kitchen table to eat. He didn’t think he’d ever eaten anything as delicious in his life.
As he chewed, he peered out the front window and spotted Hunter dragging a big brown and green plastic wagon filled with wood. The wagon was similar to one he’d had for Hunter when he was a little kid. He and Brenda used to take long walks in the evening. Hunter was a toddler and he’d sit and chatter in the wagon, pointing out birds and dogs, until he’d lay on the blanket and pillow they had put in the wagon, and he’d fall asleep. Cole smiled. It had been a long time since he’d had that sweet memory cross his mind. The wagon Hunter pulled couldn’t have been the same one. Cole was pretty sure they had sold it at a rummage sale at some point. So where did this wagon come from? Had they found one
when they were on the mainland and he just couldn’t remember it?
He popped the last bite of bread in his mouth, and feeling stronger than he had when he’d first awakened, walked out to the front deck. “Hey! Hunter?”
His son glanced over and did a double-take. “Dad!” He dropped the handle of the wagon and raced up to the house. Cole smiled at the enthusiastic greeting. Jake followed, albeit at a slower pace.
Hunter took the deck steps two at a time, a look of concern on his face. “What are you doing out of bed?”
The question almost sounded like an accusation and Cole stepped back. “Um… I woke up, had to use the bathroom, then realized I was starving.”
His face relaxing into a smile, Hunter draped an arm over Cole’s shoulders. “Wow, you’ve been out of it for days! Jenna said you were doing better, but that was last night and every time I checked on you, you hadn’t budged!”
“Yeah, Cole. He even had me hold a little mirror under your nose to make sure you were breathing.”
Cole started to laugh then realized that Jake wasn’t joking. “Well, I’m fine now. Sore, but mostly just hungry. Is there anything to eat? I already finished off what was left of the bread.” He moved to sit at the table on the deck. His flannel shirt offered little protection from the chill, so he decided to return to the house. Hunter reached around him to open the door as though Cole was too infirm to do it himself. He slanted his son a look.
Jake stood near the entrance as Cole resumed his seat at the kitchen table and Jake rummaged around in a cabinet. “Glad you’re feeling better, Cole.” He smiled and nodded at Cole, then looked past him. “Hey, Hunter, I’m going to bring up the rest of the wood.”
“Wait a sec and I’ll help you.”
“Nah, that’s okay. But, if you could peek in at Zoe and see if she’s still napping, that would be great. She’ll probably want to eat something too.” In a flash, he was gone, the door slamming behind him.
“Zoe? Who’s that?”
Hunter returned to the table with a can of tuna fish and some cold pasta, and, of all things—a jar of mayonnaise. They had run out of that in the first couple of months and hadn’t found any on their excursion that Cole could recall. “Where did that come from?” He felt like Rip Van Winkle with all of the changes. First his beard, now someone named Zoe, and mayonnaise.
Before Hunter could answer, a tiny girl with dark hair and huge blue eyes entered the kitchen. She halted when she saw Cole, then edged over to Hunter, ducking behind his leg and peeking around.
He didn’t know who was more shocked—the girl or him. He glanced at Hunter. “I take it this is Zoe?”
Hunter smiled. “Yep. Elly and Jake found her and her brother, Lucas, in a house. They were all alone, their mother… ” he trailed off, making a face to let Cole know the fate of the mom. “And their dad is gone. They haven’t seen him since before the virus.”
She was adorable, and Cole smiled. “Hi, Zoe.”
All he got in return was a blink.
“She doesn’t talk. Lucas said she used to talk a lot, but… ” Hunter shrugged.
He wished he had a way to break the ice, but he supposed eventually she would warm to him. “How long have they been here?”
“It’s been six days now. They arrived the same day we went to the mainland.”
“Six days?” No wonder his beard was so thick and his stomach so hollow. “How come she isn’t in isolation?”
“Oh, don’t worry. They both were isolated in the third cabin until just this morning, actually. Elly’s been keeping track. It’s been a week since either of them even had a chance to be infected—when Lucas went to the beach from their house to get some water—but he swears he didn’t see anyone. They’ve shown no signs of illness, and Elly said they were safe now.”
Cole nodded, but when he tried to smile at Zoe again, she hid her face.
“Oh man, Dad, you’re scaring her.”
“What did I do?”
“You used your serious tone, and I gotta tell you, that beard makes it sound twice as menacing.” Hunter smiled as he set a bowl of pasta and tuna in front of Cole and another on the other side of the table. “There ya go. It’s not quite tuna noodle casserole, but it’s pretty close.”
Cole took a tentative bite, then grinned. “This is good. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” He turned around and got Zoe under the arms and set her on the chair opposite Cole. “Here you go, punkin’. Time for your lunch.”
Pausing mid-chew, Cole stared at his son. Since when did he use the word ‘punkin’? He shook his head. “Where did the mayonnaise come from?” He nodded thanks when Hunter set a glass of water in front of him.
“Oh, that’s another new thing! We have chickens now!” His son slid onto a chair, grinned at Zoe, and snagged a piece of her pasta, popping it into his mouth. She giggled.
“Really?”
“Yeah, that’s how Jake and Elly found the kids.” He pretended like he was going to snatch another piece of pasta and Zoe covered her bowl, moving it out of his reach as she grinned from ear to ear.
Cole smiled at their antics, but was preoccupied by all that he had missed. “A lot sure happened in those six days.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
Cole sat back and drank his water, already feeling a little tired, but he fought it. He didn’t want to miss anything more. “Where is everyone else?”
“Well, let’s see, Joe and Sean are working on the windmill. The parts we got helped a lot. Sean thinks it might just be another week before he flips the switch. And the girls all went to gather acorns. There’s a big stand of oaks on the other side of the island and Sophie said she knew how to make flour out of them, so, off they went.”
“How did she know that?”
Hunter shrugged and smiled. “She’s smart, and she said she read about it in a book once. They have to be soaked first, to get the bitterness out, but one thing we don’t have a shortage of is water.”
Cole glanced out at the bay. “That’s for sure.”
“And you saw Jake and me hauling wood. We’re also trying to rig another stove from some parts Joe found in one of the sheds. There aren’t enough rooms for everyone to sleep in the house, and Jake, Elly, Joe and the kids are going to bunk through the winter in cabin two since it has three bedrooms.”
“Good plan.” Apparently, they had managed fine without him. Of course he was happy about that, but after months of feeling the weight of the responsibility of being in charge, he almost felt like he’d wasted all that time worrying.
“If you’re okay, I’m going to go back and help Jake.”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He nodded at Zoe. “I can keep an eye on her.” At least it was something useful.
Zoe’s eyes widened and she shot a look at Hunter.
“That’s okay. She can tag along with me and Jake.”
At the mention of the other boy’s name, Zoe grinned and Cole laughed. He watched them leave, Zoe skipping beside Hunter like she’d known him her whole life.
“Where’s her brother… Lucas?”
“He and Buddy are watching the goats in the clearing in the middle of the island. The kid has really come in handy—he likes to collect the eggs in the morning too.”
“Yeah, sounds like it.” They had been taking turns watching the animals while they grazed. If left alone, they’d wander into the woods, and while the island wasn’t huge, it was big enough to make searching for lost goats time-consuming. Buddy was getting to be quite the herder as well—if a handful of goats could be considered a herd.
Cole wished he had something to bring to the table as far as skills went. Joe and Sean had always been handy with tools, and they all counted on the two men to fix things, plus Sean had more experience hunting. Jenna was the medical expert, and judging by Cole’s own recovery, she was good at it.
Hunter had a ton of great ideas, a strong back, and was good at building things. Piper was an excellent cook and Sophie not only too
k care of the goats, but had some survival knowledge as well, it seemed. He chuckled when he thought about Elly. Apparently she was the finder of lost souls, but it wasn’t her only skill— she and Jake fished, too.
He sighed and shifted on the chair. At least he could chop wood—or he could when he was healed. And he cooked, but then again, they all took turns cooking while Piper baked their bread.
Thinking about bread, he wished they would have found more flour at the store and considered the idea of investigating some of the nearby farms to see if they had any wheat stored. When he thought of all the spring wheat planted in the fields and never harvested, it made him sick. Somehow they’d have to find grain and plant wheat themselves if they were going to survive long-term. He wondered if they would revert to hunter-gatherers. He hoped not. It was a hard life.
14
Cole awoke with a start and bolted up in bed, grimacing at the pain that shot through his shoulder, but shook it off. Something had awakened him, but the fuzz of sleep clouded his mind. “Hunter?”
Disoriented, he glanced to his right. His son lay sprawled in the bed across the room, face down, an arm buried beneath the pillow. It was obvious Hunter hadn’t been the source of whatever had awakened him. Cole rubbed his eyes. Something didn’t seem right but it took him a few seconds to figure it out. Buddy barked furiously not far from the house. Was someone out there? His rifle was in the closet, his handgun in the dresser drawer.
Then he noticed the faint orange glow that lit the room. The glow shouldn’t be there—not anymore—not out on the island. It mimicked the orange vapor streetlights outside their old house. He sniffed and smelled smoke but he was so accustomed to the scent now, he couldn’t be sure it wasn’t a lingering aroma from the banked wood stove in the house, or if it was something else.
Sympatico Syndrome Trilogy Box Set Page 38