“Plus Jason would kick my ass if he found out I just left you here.” Lewis turned toward Nathan. “Want my gun just in case?”
He debated for a second. “No keep it. You still have a mile to the Jeep.”
“Alright man, happy hunting.” Lewis started to walk, and we followed suit, and with each step I started to get reservations about this.
“This doesn’t seem right,” I said, directed toward Lewis.
He peered over his shoulder. “I’m not going to murder you.”
“No…I mean leaving him,” I pointed behind him.
“Nathan? Don’t go worrying about him—really. He’s used to being alone in the woods. Walked the whole Appalachian Trail two years ago, by himself. Took him about five months. Also, he spent about six years in the military.”
“Oh.” I get that should have made me feel better, but it really didn’t. How could a friend just leave a friend in these woods? Made me wonder about what type a man this guy was.
“I’m Lewis Hedges, by the way,” he said, facing forward again, changing the subject. “Just to properly introduce myself. I grew up in these woods—know them like I would know my own back yard.”
A pause. “Your boyfriend and I spent many days hunting out here. In fact, there was this one time—”
“Ugh. Please,” Missy groaned. “Spare us the details.”
That earned us another odd look from him.
“Sorry, she’s a vegetarian,” I informed him.
“Ah. Gotcha.” Again, he looked forward. “So Dee, that hands of yours… why isn’t it in a cast?”
“Haven’t seen a doctor yet. We’ve been kind of lost out here… happened last night.”
“Oh man, you are kind of having a rough one, huh?”
“I have had better days,” I agreed.
“Uh-huh.” Moments later he stopped again. “So up ahead there’s going to be a bit of brush we will have to walk through. Then it’s going to decline quickly. Best keep your eyes on the ground. Watch for loose rocks and snakes.”
“Snakes, really? You actually had to tell us that?” Missy shook her head. “I mean that’s a given. We are in the woods.”
“Well, I saw a timber rattlesnake around here yesterday, just thought I’d warn ya’ll.”
I elbowed Missy in the side, warning her to be more polite. He was helping us after all.
“Thank you, Lewis.”
“Sure thing.” He eyed me suspiciously. “It’s going to be pretty steep, can you handle that? You know, with that hypo-whatever thing you got going on?”
“I’ll manage,” I said.
“Plus I got her,” Missy countered, locking her arm around my shoulder. “Just take it slow,” she mumbled under breath.
I nodded.
The brush we had to trek through was worse than anything we’d come across yet. It was as high as my knees, thick and scratchy, but there was a path that remained flatter than the rest, previously trampled on thankfully.
We walked over that section, but still my feet sunk into at least ten inches of weeds.
I crossed my fingers on my good hand extremely tight, in hopes I didn’t step on any timber rattlers.
That would just be the icing on the damn cake.
I started to relax some once we made it through the worse of it, but the ground did drop immediately off, at a narrow decline, making us single file from then on out.
Missy nudged me in front of her, and I remained sandwiched between the two of them, carefully stepping over large rocks, in case they weren’t buried soundly.
I thought I was holding up okay until a sudden wave of nausea hit me and the trees began to sway.
I lost my footing, tumbled, falling quickly into Lewis.
“Easy,” he said, trying to steady me, but the moment he let go my legs gave out again. I teetered.
“Woah, okay.” Without warning he picked me up, in one swift swoop, before I had time to even process what he said. I would have argued had I not been holding back the sudden urge to puke. I kept my eyes shut in an effort to stop the spinning.
“There’s about a fourth of a mile left,” he exclaimed. “I can get you to the Jeep faster.”
I didn’t say anything. I had no desire to open my mouth with my lips so close to his chest. It felt weird and wrong since he wasn’t Jason, even if he was just helping me. Plus I still felt like I was going to vomit and with my luck it would be all over his shirt.
It was a slightly bumpy, rapid descent. Controlling my nausea was trickier than I imagined it would be. Lew’s shirt smelled of sweat and fried food. Pinching my lips together, I turned my face away, welcoming the hot, humid air, but when I opened my eye just for a quick peek, a damn gnat flew right in it.
I was so sick of being in the woods.
Shit, I was so sick.
“Stop!” My eyes flew open, and I begged, “Let me down. Now.”
Startled, Lew halted, quickly obliging. Thankfully.
As soon as my feet hit the ground, I hunched over and started throwing up.
“Oh, shit.” Lew jumped back immediately.
“Dee—damn, you okay?” Missy hurried down the path, but I quickly held my hand out to stop her from getting closer.
I continued vomiting up wild blackberries and stomach bile. My legs began to wobble.
Lew had his hands wrapped around my biceps in seconds, supporting me.
I wanted to argue. I just couldn’t.
This lasted for a few minutes.
After another three or four minutes of nothing, I lifted my chin, nodding.
I was okay now.
Well, kind of—still crappy feeling, but not projectile vomiting crappy.
Lew didn’t let go of me though.
“Are you sure? You seem pretty ill still.” I couldn’t take his fried food odor anymore. I weaseled myself out of his grip, giant stepping away from my puke.
“Well, she’s not going to get any better,” Missy implied. “The longer without food, she’ll just get worse.”
I didn’t care about eating, didn’t even feel hungry. I just wanted water to get this taste out of my mouth.
Covering my hand over my lips to avoid breathing on them, I angled myself toward them. “I think it’s just the dizziness—it’s making me feel nauseous. And then you carrying me, being swung sideways that fast didn’t help.”
Lew looked offended. “I was just trying to help.”
“I know you were…and I appreciate it. Just no more carrying me. It can’t be that far now.”
“Okay.” Lew paused, as if he wasn’t finished talking, but his eyes veered to the ground, scanning back and forth. “Ah. Okay. Here then.” He suddenly walked away, moments later, bending down. He picked up a branch, about three inches thick and pretty long. Some smaller twigs stuck off the end of it.
Digging into his pocket he took out a small knife and flung it open in his right hand then immediately started sawing the smaller pieces with the leaves off. “You can use this for support. It should be sturdy enough.”
I just stared at him, not sure what to make of this guy.
A few more minutes passed, and I was handed the makeshift walking stick. It wasn’t straight, but had a small curvature to it. It came up to my hip but was easy enough to grip. Of course, I gripped it with my left hand since my right was probably shattered at this point. I made sure to thank him before we started moving again. I tried to carry my own weight, but the further we walked, the more I realized I was relying on that branch. To the point I was hunching over, worrying it was going to snap under my weight. I was moving so slow, I let Missy pass me.
Lew must have known his trees better than me, because surprisingly that makeshift walking stick got me all the way to the Jeep.
Well, in view of the Jeep.
I had just made it to the dirt road it was parked on, when something rattled in the brush beside me.
From the corner of my eye I saw the coiled snake, tail up.
I dropped my b
ranch and ran, screaming.
Missy and Lew spun instantly, Lew’s hand already gripping the handle of his gun at the back of his shirt.
They were already at the Jeep waiting for me.
“Snake. Snake. Snake.” I shouted, pushing through my wobbly legs. “Just a snake.” I didn’t want to get accidentally shot.
Lew’s arm instantly relaxed. “What the hell you screaming for then? I thought it was something serious.”
“It was a rattle snake.” I reached them, bending over, hands on knees, gasping for breath.
He shook his head. “Yeah. So? I told you they were here.”
Why exactly was I screaming? I continued to suck in air. Suddenly feeling stupid. “I guess it just startled me.”
Chuckling, Lew clapped a hand on my back. “You’re okay.”
Was I?
Missy just eyed me, humored too. I don’t know why she was smirking. If she knew she was that close to the snake she wouldn’t think it was so funny.
“Come on,” Lew said, shifting his hand off my shoulder to my bicep, straightening me out. “Let me help you into the Jeep.”
As my heart beat lowered, and my breath calmed, the nausea crept slowly back up the back of my throat and I got the awful taste in my mouth again. I pressed my lips together, reminded my breath still reeked, and allowed Lew to assist me into his SUV.
The seats were dirt-stained and oil-stained, and inside smelled of grease and subs. A few empty cans of soda littered the floor mats. “Sorry, for the mess. I wasn’t expecting to be a taxi driver.”
I didn’t reply, just climbed into the back seat, nudging the aluminum away with the sides of my sneakers. My good hand clasped the seat belt, but I quickly realized I was going to need help to buckle it because of my other hand.
“Uh, could you, maybe…” Lew was just closing the door in a chivalrous manner.
“Oh. Of course.” One giant step forward and Lew was leaning over my waist, pulling the seat belt across it. He didn’t seem to have any reservations about being so close to me.
He simply clicked it secure and backed away, shutting the door. Missy had already climbed into the front seat, leaning around it.
“You good?”
With my left hand, I tugged on the strap and nodded. But if the road to the diner was as bumpy as I predicted it would be, I was pretty sure I was going to be sick again before we got there.
We made it about two miles, before the first stop.
23
“Get her food, now!” Lew insisted, storming into the diner before us. He held the door in haste. “Bring anything. I don’t care what! Just get her food.”
Missy’s arm was wrapped around my shoulder, holding my weight, as she urged me along. My feet practically dragged limply below me across the entryway. My vision was blurring again, everything was a swerving, nauseating sight. I could hardly focus. I lost count of the times we stopped on the road. I lost count of the minutes passed.
I’m pretty sure at some point I fainted. I don’t remember doing it, but suddenly we were at the parking lot and Missy was tapping me in the face, repeatedly. Lew was standing behind her, a swaying presence, his voice a deep, concerned panic.
Missy had assured him this was normal occurrence. I heard mention of a hospital. But she told him I just needed to eat, I’d be okay. He didn’t seem to agree.
Yet, here I was finally walking or more like being lugged into a small diner. From what I could make out through my blurry vision, everyone was turned in their seats, jaws dropped, staring at us. I was a spectacle alright.
“Up!” he ordered a customer that was seated to our left at the first table. There wasn’t a plate in front of him, just a menu. The guy didn’t argue, he pushed his chair back and quickly moved out of the way.
Lew slammed the door, and ushered me and Missy to the table the guy just vacated, snatching the menu off the table, urging me to sit. I wanted to tell him this wasn’t necessary, but just as Missy was lowering me down, another wave of darkness hit, and I lost minutes again.
“Drink this.” I was slowly coming to. Then fading back out. “Dee, you have to drink this.” To. Out. “At least try.” I recognized the voice, but I couldn’t pinpoint it. It was female, but it wasn’t Missy.
I tried to open my eyes, but the weight of my eyelids created only a tiny slit opening. I couldn’t make out anything or anyone. Something was pressing against my lip. I knew that much.
“Please…” the voice begged. “Or I am calling for an ambulance.”
I struggled to focus, to listen, slowly I ordered myself to swallow whatever it was. It was cold, and sweet.
And I started to gag, coughing.
“Easy. Slow sips.”
Whatever it was got pressed against my mouth again. The second attempt went down smoother.
“That’s good. Just like that.”
Slowly, lightly, I drank more of it.
Each sip the liquid was warmer than the last, my only indication a lot of time was passing in between.
Each sip, however, I started to become more alert. More coherent.
The slits of my eyes expanded, offering more light. More clarity.
I started to make out faces again. Shapes.
And as soon as I saw who was kneeling in front of me, I wanted to close my eyes again.
Oh. God.
No.
It was Meg—the woman who took in Jason and the twins after their parents died. That same middle-aged woman with worried chestnut eyes and straight dark hair, that greeted us cautiously the night after we found Spencer. We had stayed at her house that evening and though she had been very welcoming, she had also been afraid we were infected. Jason had assured her we weren’t, but the truth was Spencer actually was. Luckily, it didn’t spread to any of them—I would have hated myself if it had—but Spencer having the virus after all wasn’t even the root of the pit forming in my stomach. It was because of right now, this moment. How were we ever going to explain this? How could we explain why we were here again, and in this condition, without even Jason with us?
What if she just asked about Jason? Where he was? If he was ok?
What the hell was I supposed to say?
I bet she didn’t even know he was in a car accident.
Cringing at the memory of his flipped truck, I slowly shifted my gaze away from her. Lew and Missy were standing behind her. Lew with his arms folded over his chest and Missy fiddling with her fingernails, nervously. Their attention was solely on me, and I quickly continued to look away. I searched unfamiliar faces at the other tables—faces that were all gawking at me like I was a damn circus freak too—in silent curiosity to see if the twins were here with Meg. But I didn’t see Frankie or Brandon anywhere.
Thankfully.
“Try eating some of this,” Meg said then, catching my attention again. She was pushing something across the table closer to me. My eyes veered down at a small bowl of mixed nuts. I must have furrowed my brow at the request. “In a little bit you can eat something more substantial. I just want to make sure you are okay, first.”
It dawned on me than that Meg was the only one in this room that seemed to know what to do for me. Yeah, Missy knew my spells but she didn’t handle emergencies calmly. I’m sure she was happy to pawn me off to someone else. She wouldn’t leave my side, but she wouldn’t know exactly what to do either.
Meg knew what to do. Meg was used to this. I could see the concern in her eyes but I could also see the knowledge and the experience she had dealing with this sort of thing. It made me wonder how often Frankie had diabetic episodes.
Meg seemed to watch me tentatively and cautiously, yet with a full awareness of my responses. It’s like she knew what she was waiting for, she knew what she could handle and she knew when emergency personnel had to be called.
I quickly grasped a handful of nuts, just to prove no emergency personnel needed to be called. After three palm-sized scoops, I must have been starting to really feel better because my
right hand was starting to throb again.
That’s when I realized I was eating with my right hand.
Holy crap. I really was out of it.
I dropped the next handful back in the bowl, my heart quickening. Maybe I really should have gone to the hospital?
No, no hospital, I quickly reminded myself. We didn’t want a hospital. They’d ask too many questions. There would be too much hysteria. We’d get quarantined again. They’d call Mom and Dad. Then you’d never find Jason. Missy would never save that damn dog. Not going to the hospital was the right choice.
But what if you had fallen into a coma? My rational side rebutted. A freaking coma! Because you could have! Then what? What would Missy have done on that mountain if you were comatose? Where do you think you’d be anyway right now if you weren’t waking up? You’d be at the hospital. And if you go to the hospital right now, they can make sure your levels are safe. They can make you better. They can fix that damn hand of yours.
No. No. I just can’t leave knowing Jason is out there and Spencer is dying. Tough it out, eat some food, and get back out there.
Ohmigod, the wiser me exclaimed. Dee Forrester you truly, without a doubt, are the biggest moron in the world. You deserve everything that happens to you.
That final thought hit me hard, but it didn’t change my mind. Though for one second it occurred to me if I did go to the hospital, I’d be able to avoid speaking to Meg.
It was cowardly.
But the thought tempted me.
Just then I saw Lew glance inconspicuously at his watch, a flicker of impatience across his face.
I started to wonder what that was about, if he was timing me or something, but then I remembered.
Nathan. Crap. He was supposed to meet Nathan. What time was it?
“I think maybe I should go to the hospital,” I quickly blurted.
Meg surprised me by sighing. “I think that’s best, Dee.” She sounded so relieved.
A blonde to my left, wearing a blue Lew’s diner t-shirt urged, “I’ll call for an ambulance.”
“That’s okay, I can take her.”
For a second I panicked. “Actually, I was hoping Lew could drive me.” I bit my lip, slightly. That came off really weird.
Dead Friends Series (Book 2): Dead Friends Running Page 14