Sympatico Syndrome Trilogy Box Set

by McDonald, M. P.

  Elly poked her head in. “Jenna and I came to see if we could help.”

  Cole had expected Jenna but not Elly. His initial reaction was fear for her safety, but he set it aside. They were always in danger, to some extent. Elly had proven herself more than capable and he simply waved them in, noting the sag in the front of Elly’s parka. They all carried weapons whenever they left the island and he recognized the weight of a gun in her pocket.

  Jenna bustled in after Elly, taking charge and issuing orders for all of them. Cole abandoned his search in the box of supplies when Jenna plopped a smaller box down on the table. She glanced at the men, her gaze locking on Mike’s protectively hunched shoulders, his hand clutched against his chest.

  “Hi, I’m Jenna.” Cole’s sister-in-law pulled out a chair from the kitchen table and patted the back of it. “Have a seat.”

  “Hello Jenna. I’m Mike.” He staggered a little when he took a step towards the chair. “Sorry. I was drinking.” For all of his size, he looked like a guilty schoolboy caught imbibing in the bathroom.

  Jenna nodded and pulled a blood pressure cuff from her box. “That’s okay. I’m going to do a quick set of vital signs to see where we stand, then assess your injury, okay?”

  Elly moved forward and helped Mike get his jacket off, easing his injured hand out of the sleeve.

  Jenna’s professional tone and Elly’s quiet competence were exactly what was needed. Steve stepped away from the table and took a seat on the ramshackle sofa. Cole indicated to Elly that water was heating and then moved over to the beat-up armchair beside the sofa. He couldn’t suppress the sigh that escaped when he sat. He couldn’t ever remember being so tired or sore. It had been a long day and it wasn’t over yet.

  “So, did you find a house to bed down in?”

  Steve nodded. “Yep. We found one with a wood-burning fireplace and a pile of wood by the garage. There was a body in the basement, so we avoided that and the other guys got a fire started. They were heating up venison when Mike and I left.”

  “You didn’t stay to eat?” Cole wondered if he should offer food. Manners bred into him over a lifetime dictated that he should offer a meal, but food was precious.

  As if reading his mind, Steve shook his head. “No, but I brought some supplies of our own. They’re out in the truck still.”

  “Well, you’re welcome to use the stove and there are some old pots and pans in the cupboard.”

  Steve nodded, smiling. “I’ll be right back.” He still wore his parka, but stopped to zip it before he headed out to his truck.

  Cole stood and watched through the window until he was sure that the truck was Steve’s true destination then turned to Elly, who, with gloved hands, gathered soiled bandages, tossing them into the wood burning stove. “How’s it look?”

  Elly brushed her hands together. “Not good.”

  He peered over Jenna’s shoulder, wincing when he caught sight of Mike’s hand. A gaping wound sliced through his palm, opening the meaty heel part of his hand almost to the opposite wrist bone. The skin surrounding the gash seeped pus and the whole area appeared swollen. A dark red line trailed from the wound up the man’s arm, disappearing into his sleeve where it was rolled up to just before his elbow. Cole caught Elly’s eye and she nodded, her expression grim. The man already had sepsis setting in. The infection had reached his blood stream. It wasn’t necessarily fatal, but in this setting, the prognosis would be guarded, at best.

  What would happen if Mike died while they were helping him? Would they be blamed? Doubts about the wisdom of offering care raced through his mind. Should he send them packing? Then Jenna probed, gently, the area around the cut, and Mike hissed, swearing. Immediately, he apologized for the crude language. Damn it. Why did Mike have to seem like such a nice guy? It would be a lot easier to kick him off the island if he was an ass. As he wavered, Jenna caught his eye.

  “Cole, could you go fill that big bowl with snow? And then set the pan from the stove into it to cool off the water? It’s already been boiled, but it’s too hot to use.”

  He completed the task as Jenna cut strips of tape, hanging them from the edge of the table where she could grab them easily. “While the water cools, I want to explain what’s going on and how I’m going to help, okay?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  There was a faint knock on the door. Cole stepped over, opening it. Steve stood on the porch with a large box in his hands. “Thanks. I couldn’t get the door handle.”

  “No problem. Set it over there on the counter.” The kitchen was tiny, but a short counter provided a little workspace. He watched, curious, as Steve unloaded the box. A can of beets, another of asparagus, a hunk of meat, presumably venison since that is what he said the others were cooking, a can of mixed fruit and a can, of all things, brown bread.

  Cole had only eaten it once and it had been years ago. He couldn’t even remember where he was, but thought his uncle had served it. His uncle hadn’t been much of a cook and a lot of his meals had come from cans, but Cole remembered the bread as being delicious with a rich, slightly sweet taste. Steve took a can opener from the box and raised an eyebrow at Cole then nodded to the can, apparently noticing Cole’s interest. “You’re welcome to have a slice. It’s the least I can do.”

  Even as his mouth watered at the idea of a thick slice of brown bread, Cole shook his head. “I appreciate the offer, but I ate already.” There wasn’t enough for everyone and he wouldn’t eat something if they couldn’t all get a piece.

  “Go on. I have another can in here. You can take that one if you want.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. We have some stores of food and I’m sure we’ll find more as we travel south.”

  Cole nodded and took the can. “Thank you. I’m sure everyone will be happy to have a slice.” If they cut it thin, there should be enough for everyone, or they could save it for the little ones as a treat.

  Mike grunted in pain and Steve glanced at him, his forehead creased. “You okay?”

  Between clenched teeth, Mike managed a yes. In an effort to take Steve’s mind off his friend, Cole asked, “Do you have a specific destination in mind?”

  Steve shrugged. “Not really. Some place warm. I don’t want to have to spend another winter in Wisconsin if I can help it. Don’t get me wrong—I love snow and cold weather—or I did—but it’s not quite the same without central heat.”

  Cole chuckled. “True. It’s been quite a challenge.”

  “Why don’t you guys head south with us?” Steve opened the can of beans and dumped them in a pot he’d dug out of the cabinet. He started slicing the venison, adding pieces to the baked beans. It was a novel combination to Cole, but he supposed it would almost act as a barbecue sauce for the meat.

  Cole took the pot from Steve and made room for it on the stove, setting the boiled water Jenna had used aside. “We’re thinking of heading west.”

  “Yeah, I guess it’s warmer there, too. What about going to the coast?” Steve checked the oven door. The small stove had been jerry-rigged out of a barrel and the oven, such as it was, had a rack. He put the brown bread, whole and wearing indentations from the can, into the oven to heat.

  “Maybe eventually, but we haven’t decided where we’ll settle yet.” He was mulling the idea of Las Vegas after Hunter had mentioned it earlier tonight, but they hadn’t had a chance to discuss it in depth.

  “The coast would be nice. Plenty of food, I would think.”

  “Yes, you’re probably right.” But Cole worried about the mountains. Fuel could be an issue. Running out of it at the top of a mountain would be disastrous. Not to mention, who knew if the roads were even passable? The chances were good that vehicles would be blocking most of them. It was one thing to drive off-road on the relatively flat terrain of Wisconsin, but another to drive around a pile-up on a mountain pass.

  “If not the coast, then where?” Steve opened a drawer and found a spoon and made a face as he stirred the choppe
d bits of asparagus. “I love the fresh stuff, but I guess I can’t be too picky, can I?” He shook his head and shuddered. Even so, he put them in a tiny pot Cole had found in the back of the cupboard.

  Elly left Jenna’s side and moved to the sink. She looked around, her hands up like a just scrubbed surgeon, and guessing she wanted to wash her hands, he plucked the pan with the still warm remains of the snow he’d melted for Jenna, and poured it into a wide bowl. “Here.”

  “Thanks.”

  Returning his attention to the other man, Cole said, “To answer your question, Steve, we haven’t decided where we’re going yet. We still have time. Spring is still at least six weeks away.”

  “You gotta make a plan, man. Build up your supplies.”

  Elly leaned back against the counter beside Cole, drying her hands on a dish towel. “We have some ideas but we’re still discussing them.”

  Cole appreciated that she didn’t give up where they might go. It wasn’t as if it was some huge secret, but if Hunter was right about the power still running, he didn’t want to have to fight Steve’s group for the use of it. Of course, that was supposing some other people hadn’t already claimed possession of the dam. He imagined survivors would already have it figured out.

  Elly yawned and pushed away from the counter. “I’m heading back to the house. Wake me up if I’m asleep when you get back.” She ran her hand down his arm and he gave her a smile.

  “I will.” It seemed like a week had passed since he last had a chance to really speak with her, not just a couple of days. “I’m going to check in on Joe before I head to the house.”

  “I can do that. I checked on him just before you got back and had brought him some stew. He said he was feeling a little better. Chances are, he’s sound asleep.” She waved at Jenna, nodded to the other men, and left.

  Steve’s eyes slid from Elly to Cole. “Feeling better? You got a sick person here?”

  “Regular old seasonal flu, not Sympatico Syndrome.” Cole didn’t know why he was trying to reassure the guy. Letting him think they might be infectious would guarantee their speedy departure from the island.

  Cole watched Jenna re-bandage Mike’s hand, leaving a small wick in the wound— to drain—she said. The beans and venison concoction was starting to smell good, and Cole filed away the recipe, such as it was, for some future meal.

  “Okay. I’ve done as much as I can do.” Jenna took a bowl of dirty water and emptied it outside. “Now, we just have to wait and see.” She had rigged up an I.V. using supplies they had found at a veterinarian’s office. A plastic bag of fluid hung from a coat tree beside Steve. “I mixed up the antibiotics and hung them. He’ll have to keep the I.V. in for a few days so I can give him several more doses, but we can cap the I.V. in between.”

  Steve moved over to his friend and put a hand on his shoulder. “How are ya doing, bud?”

  “Like I never want to do that again.” Mike’s cheeks, above his beard, had a waxy pale sheen, dotted with sweat. He made a weak attempt to smile. Cole was glad he still wore his mask even though he was almost certain that Mike’s condition wasn’t contagious.

  “Steve, come on over.” Jenna waved her hand as she moved back to Mike’s side. “I’m going to show you how to cap this. You just have to keep an eye on the bag. When it’s empty, do this.” She showed him how to disconnect the tubing and put a small cap on the part still in Mike’s arm. “Got it?”

  “Yeah, I guess—but I thought you would take care of that.”

  Jenna shook her head. “This isn’t a hospital. Maybe one day we’ll have a clinic set up again, but for now, people are going to have to do a lot of things for themselves and each other. I’ll be by early in the morning to check on him and give him another dose.”

  “So I have to stay up and watch the bag? When do I get to sleep?”

  “Don’t worry about it, Steve. I can probably do it myself.” Mike stood and moved the coat tree to rest at the end of the sofa. It was still close enough to kitchen table that he was able to sit on that side of the table if he wanted to eat there.

  “That’s not the point. She’s the nurse, not you and not me.” Steve crossed his arms. “I gave you the can of bread—”

  Cole stepped between his sister-in-law and Steve. “Look, Jenna did this as a favor. She’s not obligated to do anything else. As for the bread, we just used valuable supplies on your friend. I think we’re more than even. You are free to leave any time you want if you don’t like this arrangement.”

  “I can handle this myself, Cole.” Jenna gathered her supplies, sending a glare at Steve, then Cole.

  “I know you can but you shouldn’t have to.”

  Steve sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Okay, fine. I guess I’m not used to how things are yet. I had appendicitis and was treated like a prince in the hospital. The nurses were kind and thoughtful.” He glanced at Jenna.

  Jenna donned her jacket and mittens, shaking her head. Ignoring Steve, she addressed Mike. “Don’t worry. I’ll check on you tomorrow. If you feel that something’s wrong, it’s okay to send for me.”

  Mike nodded. “Thank you, ma’am.”

  Steve opened his mouth as if he was about to protest again, but Cole locked eyes with him and the other man blinked. “Uh, yeah. Thank you, Jenna, uh … ma’am.”

  Cole grabbed the can of bread and followed Jenna back to the house.

  2

  “Hunter, could you see if your dad is awake? If he is, tell him breakfast is ready.” Elly drained the boiled potatoes, catching the water in another bowl and letting the potatoes sit while she stirred a bit of shortening and flour together in the cast iron pan she had previously rehydrated beef jerky in. The roux picked up bits of brown from the jerky and when it was bubbling, she added the water she’d drained from the jerky along with a little bit of the potato water. A generous sprinkle of pepper created a gravy that wasn’t half-bad, if she did say so herself.

  Hunter returned after a few seconds. “He’s still sleeping. Should I wake him?”

  Elly shook her head. “No, I’ll set some aside for him. He was exhausted last night.” She doubted thirty seconds had passed from the time Cole’s head hit the pillow and he fell into a deep sleep.

  “Yeah, I know. It was bad enough with the snow and hauling the deer, but those guys showing up didn’t help anything.” Hunter took a stack of plates and a pile of silverware out and set them on one end of the counter. They usually ate buffet style because the table wasn’t large enough for them all to sit around at once. Every meal, a few people had to move to a card table set up in the living room.

  “It sure didn’t. I’m not too thrilled about them staying here, but the injured guy, Mike, seemed nice enough. I still haven’t decided about Steve.” Elly opened two large cans of pears. The kids loved the fruit and even though they were running low, she couldn’t deny them the treat. “Where are the little ones?”

  “Jake and Piper are making sure they wash-up and get dressed. They seemed like they were totally back to normal.” Hunter shook his head, grinning. “A few days ago, they looked on death’s door, now they’re goofing off. Jake was even getting a little impatient with Lucas.”

  Elly chuckled. “It takes a lot to get him riled, but I’m happy to hear they’re feeling better. They had me really worried.” She put a spoon in the bowl of pears. “And speaking of worried—how’s Sophie?” She was almost afraid to ask. The young woman had been spotting for days now. Jenna said she hadn’t lost the baby yet, but it was the ‘yet’ on the end of her sentence that worried Elly.

  Hunter sighed, but smiled. “She said the cramps stopped and so far this morning, she wasn’t spotting.”

  “Is she coming to breakfast or are you taking her a plate?” Jenna had recommended as much rest as possible for Sophie while she recovered from the same flu virus practically the whole group had caught.

  “No, she was almost dressed and sent me ahead. She’s starving.” He laughed. “We better get a plate se
t aside for my dad now before she fills hers up.”

  “Hey, I’m eating for two!” Sophie came from the hallway, her hand resting on her slightly rounded belly.

  Hunter laughed and pulled out a chair for her. “That is the absolute best sentence I’ve ever heard in my life. Have a seat. I’ll get you a plate.”

  Jenna entered the house just as Elly put the bowls of potatoes and gravy on the counter. “How’s Mike’s hand this morning?”

  “A bit better. His fever is down, and he said his hand didn’t hurt as much. The antibiotic upset his stomach a little though.” Jenna took a plate. “Is it okay if I start? I’m famished.”

  “Sure, go ahead and eat while it’s hot. The others are on their way.” Elly scooped a generous helping of potatoes and ladled gravy over it, setting the plate on the back of the stove to stay warm for Cole. They were out of foil but she upended a bowl over it like a dome. “I better take a plate to Joe too.”

  Jenna shook her head. “It’s okay. He said he was going to come over to eat. I popped in to check on him on my way back to the house.”

  The rest of the group—excluding Cole—ate in the kitchen while Piper, Jake and Joe opted to eat in the living room. Speculation about the two men down at the other end of the row of cabins dominated the conversation.

  “I don’t trust them.” Sean stabbed a potato, forking it into his mouth with a shake of his head.

  Elly didn’t comment, but she shared Sean’s sentiment, if only because of Steve’s erratic behavior last night. One second calm and friendly, the next, dark and suspicious. Cole had fallen asleep before she could discuss it with him and so until she had, she kept her opinion to herself.

  Jenna shrugged and turned her fork to saw a potato in half. “They were friendlier today. Steve even offered me a plate of some kind of canned hash. I have to admit, it didn’t smell half-bad.”

  “You didn’t take it?” Elly scooped a spoonful of pear juice out of a small dish beside her plate. The adults all had one piece of the fruit and served Lucas and Zoë two pieces each. Their earlier antics had subsided as they ate. Elly noticed that they ate with a singular focus unusual in kids—at least from what she remembered from before the virus.