by Maira Dawn
“I think they’re gone. Pulled back anyway.”
Skye rechecked Dylan’s wound. “Then we’ve got to chance it. We can stay low enough, can’t we?”
“Should be able to.” Dylan’s face contorted as Skye helped him up. “Darlin’, I’d rather you just go.”
She sagged a bit with his weight. “You can work with or against me, but I have to say things are going to be bad for both of us if I have to drag you back home.”
Dylan snorted. “A little bitty thing like you couldn’t drag me back if ya tried.”
“Well, its a good thing I don’t have to try then.” Skye settled in under his arm.
“You know you’re the most stubborn, rebellious woman I know, don’t ya?”
Skye playfully rolled her eyes. “Yeah, look who’s talking!”
“I’m hurt. Callin’ me a woman like that.”
“Oh, ha ha.”
Dylan’s efforts to lighten the mood came to an end as he worked at moving at a decent pace and watching for trouble.
After a few minutes, Skye pulled Dylan to a stop. Blood dripped from beneath his jacket. “Wait. It’s bleeding more.”
“I know.”
“We need to check it.”
Skye pulled open his flannel and felt sick. She pointed at the closest tree. “We need to try and slow this down. Let’s lean you up against that.”
Dylan agreed. He gripped the rough tree bark and groused over how weak he was.
Her heart clenched as she looked at his pale, irritated face. “We’re almost home.”
“You should just go without me. I ain’t worth nothin’ like this. Just git.”
“Don’t be getting all growly with me. I didn’t shoot you.” She put a hand to his cheek. “And we already had this discussion.”
Dylan made an irritated sound in the back of his throat and refused to look at her.
Skye took off her sweater and t-shirt, then quickly pulled her sweater back on to ward off the chill. “I’m going to fold this up so we can use it on the wound. I should have done it already—I just wasn’t thinking.”
When she grabbed Dylan’s belt and pulled it out of the loops, he uttered a low chuckle. “Well, darlin’, if I wasn’t shot, this would be a whole different kind of outing.”
“Really? You’re injured and this is where your mind goes?” Skye shook her head.
Folding her shirt, she laid it over the injury and positioned his belt on top of it. She was just shy of the belt hole she needed to reach. She slapped Dylan lightly on his good side. “Suck it up, love. I just need to hold this shirt in place.”
Dylan snorted. “I ain’t a horse.” But tightened his stomach, anyway, loudly wincing as he did so. When Skye tightened the belt he groaned. “You are not a merciful person.”
“Mercy in this circumstance is not going to keep you going.” Skye double checked that the belt was not too tight then looked back up at him. “You okay to go on now?”
“Yeah.”
Skye tipped her head and pushed away some brush for them to continue on.
They hadn’t gone two steps onto the cabin’s yard and heard Wade yelling for the children. He ran up to them and took Dylan from Skye.
Skye slowly straightened to her full height. More than once, she’d wondered if they could make it, but they had. Barely.
“What happened?” Wade almost yelled. His worried face became more and more grave as he looked his brother over. Dylan gasped out the answer as best he could until he indicated Skye should take over.
They had made it to the porch when Jesse came out, their boots frantically scraping against its wood surface. The boy’s eyes widened and his face paled.
“It’s okay, Jesse,” Skye said. “It’ll be okay.” She looked around. “Have Sue Ellen get us some towels and you can go for the Doc.”
“She ain’t here.” Jesse’s voice cracked as he answered. “She didn’t want to go fishing. She went over to help someone.”
“Okay. It’s okay.” Skye and Jesse reached out and clung to each other when Dylan cried out in pain as Wade helped him into bed.
Wade looked Skye over. “You okay here with him?”
Skye bit her lip and nodded.
“Ya sure? You look kinda… shaky.”
She gave Jesse a tight hug and kissed him on the top of his head. She straightened. “I’m fine.”
“Okay then. Jesse and I will go for the Doc. If he’s not home, we got more’n one person looking for him.” Wade waved over at Jesse and gently said, “Stop gawkin’ and get ready. He’s going to be fine. We just need to get the Doc here and that’s our job, boy.”
Jesse practically fell to the floor as he pulled on his shoes as fast as possible. After jerking his coat from its hook on the wall, he went to Dylan, squeezed his hand, then flew back to the door.
Wade said a few words to Dylan, then came over and clapped Jesse on the back. “Good boy! Now let’s go be the heroes in this story.”
“You wish!” Dylan croaked.
Skye rushed to Dylan’s side and checked his bandage. “This bandage is soaked. You need a new one.”
Dylan agreed and helped her loosen his belt. Skye pulled away the shirt she used in the field.
Blood filled the wound as soon as she pulled the cloth away. She gasped, then steadied herself. First step, slow the bleeding.
She cut away his torn shirt to get it out of the way. Then laid a thick gaze pad on wound, and a washcloth on top of that. “I need to put pressure on it. A lot of pressure to stop it from bleeding.”
“I know, darlin’. Do what you gotta.”
Skye laid her hand on the cloth and firmly pushed. Dylan’s face paled.
Blood steadily seeped from beneath the cloth. She pushed harder, letting her upper body lean into the side of his abdomen.
Dylan groaned and squirmed.
“I’m so sorry, love,” Skye whispered, tears filling her eyes.
“Nothing to be sorry about,” he managed to get out.
When the tears rolled down her cheeks, Dylan raised his hand, wincing as he did so, and wiped them. He shook his head. “No tears. Do the job.”
Skye gave him a weak smile. He was right. There was no place for emotion. She would need to be tough to save him.
She added another washcloth to Dylan’s injury. Arms at the breaking point, she put a knee to his wound and leaned in.
Dylan leaned his head back and grabbed the bedspread, clenching it. Sweat beaded on his forehead. “Is it slowing?” he asked through clamped teeth.
Skye felt blood soaking the knee of her jeans. “Give it some time.”
He shook his head. He put a hand on the back of her thigh and pulled her up, adding more weight. Clenching his jaw, he stopped himself from writhing against the burning pain.
He tried to think of something else, anything else as the pounding of his heart increased. He let his gaze linger on Skye. She leaned over him, one hand on his chest and one on his good side. And a hard knee plowed into his wound.
Her body trembled. She had shaken her dark hair down so it would cover her face, but he could see enough. Her snow-white face made her lips that much redder. A small flash of white tooth could be seen deep in her lip. She was biting it so hard it would soon be bleeding.
When she let it go, a tiny trickle of blood glazed her lip. With her eyes squeezed shut, her lips formed silent words.
She was praying for him.
For some reason, this warmed Dylan’s heart more than anything else that had happened today.
The love of his life was praying for him.
Though he reckoned he’d never learned how to do this right, he sent his own rather demanding one.
You let her know I ain’t goin’ nowhere. And you help me hold to that. I wouldn’t forget somethin’ like that—I sure wouldn’t. I’d be beholden to you, and I always pay my debts.
After debating if a person said amen to their own prayers, he went ahead and said it. It couldn’t hurt.
/> Skye’s lips still flew. Maybe if his didn’t get heard, hers would.
As his breathing quickened and a wave of dizziness washed over him, he squeezed her leg. He needed to hang on. Stay awake for her.
Thirty
Family
Jesse and Wade raced down the trail to Doctor Kinder's house. Jesse had been down this dirt path so often he could've done it blind. But today, it seemed to take so much longer than usual. His breath came rough, and his strides jerky as his mind filled with the sight of a bloody Dylan staggering into the house.
He wiped the tears flooding eyes and tried to stop. It was stupid to cry. It never helped anything. Though Jesse was sure his mom would find some reason it did.
Jesse stuck his cold, numb hands into his jacket pockets. Seeing Dylan like that had shocked him to the core. Dylan was the rock of this family. Solid, strong.
After a dad like Frankie, having someone who was always there for him was more than Jesse could have dreamed of. It couldn't be ripped away now. It just couldn't be.
The boy didn't know exactly when he'd started thinking of Dylan as his father.
With Skye, that was easy. The day she rescued him. But Dylan had snuck up on him. First a teacher and friend, helping him learn the ways of the woods. Then more.
One day, after Jesse had bagged a rabbit, Dylan had proudly patted him on the back. He'd never had that happen before. Having a dad who was proud of him instead of looking down on him meant more to Jesse than he could express.
A tear trickled down Jesse's cheek. Dylan couldn't go away, not now. His life had just gotten good.
Wade raced ahead of him, throwing some reassuring words over his shoulder from time to time. But the boy had seen his frightened face. He wasn't fooling anyone.
Barreling down the end of the trail, Wade and Jesse startled Aaron, who stood watch.
Aaron lifted, then lowered, the rifle he'd aimed at them. "Wade?"
"It's Dylan. He's been shot. We need the doc!"
Aaron gave a sharp nod as he rushed along with them the last few steps.
Wade beat on the door. The front porch creaked as the three paced, waiting for an answer. Wade pounded the door again just as it opened. The earthy smell of baked potatoes wafted through the screen.
Paul scanned Jesse and Wade's face, then grabbed his first aid pack and slid on his shoes.
"What is it?"
"Dylan. Shot," Wade gasped out.
"Where?"
Wade indicated on his own body.
Paul nodded once. "Okay. The good news is, it could have been worse, much worse."
When Bre came up behind him, the doctor said, "Bre honey, get the surgery ready. If I can, I'll bring him back here."
Paul stepped out onto the porch. "I'll take the shortcut back with Wade and Jesse. Aaron, can you or your brother bring the ambulance around on the road?"
"Sure thing, Doc," Aaron said.
"Can you take the boy with you, Aaron?" Wade asked.
Jesse bristled. No way he was taking the long road. "No. I ain't doing that. If I get behind, just go. I'll catch up. I ain't a kid. I haven't been one for a long time now, so don't treat me like one."
Wade patted the boy and nodded. Then the three took off down the trail. Soon they were racing across the yard to the cabin and into the house.
Dylan was even paler, but he was still breathing. Skye sat in a chair by his side, head on his shoulder, and one bloody hand still pressing on the wound. Blood stained the blankets and them.
"Has the bleeding stopped?" Paul asked.
"I think so," Skye wearily replied.
“Good.” The doctor moved to Dylan's side. "You did a good job, Skye. With some rest and liquids, he'll feel better. The big thing now will be to stave off any infection."
Paul peeled back a corner of the bandage. "Looks good. You had trouble stopping it?"
"Yeah, you could say that," Dylan said with a weak voice as he grimaced. "She was practically standin' on me."
"Whatever it takes to keep you going," Paul said, picking up his stethoscope.
Everyone was quiet as he worked. Jesse glanced at Skye. She seemed to be barely standing. He made his way over and put an arm around her. She did the same, hugging him tightly.
After some mumbled conversation with Dylan, Paul turned to the rest of them. "Okay, here is what we are going to do. Aaron or Curt are bringing the ambulance. When they get here, we're going to transfer Dylan to that and get him to the surgery."
Skye and Jesse nodded, tears in their eyes. Wade mumbled, "Okay," as he crossed his arms.
Paul glanced at them, concern covering his face. "I know this looks bad, but we're going to take care of him. The bleeding has stopped so that is step one. We'll get him to surgery so we can get this taken care of, and then Dylan will be able to rest."
Jesse gave Skye a reassuring squeeze. It sounded good to him. Anything so this was over, and his family was back to normal.
Thirty-One
Waiting
The surgery seemed like hours, then days to Skye. She replayed the last moments she'd had with Dylan before shooed away over and over. Then repeatedly reassured herself that they weren't their final moments. That didn't stop the tears that refused to stop flooding her eyes.
She still felt his strong arm around her as she'd curled up against him on the small bed. Little was said besides whispered I love you's. Even those were barely choked out. Dylan tried to be strong for her but kept pulling her tighter and tighter to himself as though holding her there was keeping him alive.
Skye gripped him with everything she had. If Skye could have infused him with some of her own life force, she would have.
Their eyes locked, saying more than any words could until it was time for the surgery. Skye had somehow unglued herself from his side and walked away.
It was the hardest thing she'd ever done.
Now she waited. The others were lined up on couches and chairs in the doctor's living room. It was quiet. A sniff or a throat clearing the only sounds besides the scrape of a shoe as people fidgeted.
Skye held onto Jesse well beyond his usual tolerance for affection.
"Do you want something to eat or drink?" he asked her again.
He was right, she should have something. But she was just so numb, so frozen. "I—I just can't. But you get something."
He shook his head even as his stomach growled.
"Go ahead, Jesse. It's okay to eat. Just a couple bites of something."
When he only looked at her, she said, "If you will, I will." She gave him a weak smile as she reminded herself she needed to consider him through all this.
Jesse went to the other side of the large room. A decent-sized kitchen lined the wall with a countertop island between that side of the room and the living room side. Among the other food lined up on the counter sat a bowl of apples and a pitcher of water. He poured the two of them a glass and picked up a couple of apples.
Skye took a few bites of the apple, but her stomach was queasy. After that, she nibbled at it so Jesse would think she was making headway on it.
The boy devoured his.
"Jesse, you should have a sandwich. Kelsey said there were some fixings in the fridge."
He looked around at all the quiet, slumped over adults. "I don't wanna..."
Skye understood. He didn't understand how to act in this situation. She sent a glance at Wade. "You're a growing boy. Dylan wouldn't want you starving out here."
Wade cleared his throat and stood, pulling at his jean's waistband as he did so. "I could use a little somethin' too, boy. Let's see what's in there."
Skye mouthed a "thank you" behind Jesse's back.
Just as they reached the kitchen, a neighbor bustled through the front door. "I brought a casserole. Put it in the oven as soon as I heard. I figured it'd be a long day over here."
"Well, there we go, Jess," Wade said. "Hot food. Can't get better than that."
He grabbed a couple of plates and plop
ped a large spoonful onto each one. He sent a questioning look at Skye. Just about to shake her head no, she caught both Jesse and the neighbor eyeing her. "A little for me, please, Wade."
He gave a nod, gave her a half-sized portion, and sent the boy over with her plate.
When Kelsey walked down the hallway toward them, Skye tensed. She quickly put down her food and clasped her hands together.
The girl stopped at the doorway of the room and announced, “Doc is finishing up. It went well. He'll be out when he's done." Then she sat down beside Skye.
Most of Skye's tension rolled away. The quiet room came to life as people smiled and chattered in relief. It seemed as if the worse was over.
Thirty-Two
Heartbeats
Kelsey gave Skye a hug. “Paul says Dylan’s a strong one. I’m sure he’ll do fine. You were all he was thinking about before he fell asleep.”
Skye nodded. “Thanks, that means a lot. He is strong, no one would doubt that.”
Kelsey noticed Skye’s ring and lightly touched the stone. Her eyes twinkled as she winked and whispered, “Congrats! I’m so happy for you both.”
Skye startled at the reminder. The fact that no one had noticed before now revealed everyone’s state of mind. She laid her hand over her ring as hope started to warm her again. “Thank you.”
The smooth stones against her palm reminded her of the earlier part of the day—before the shooting. She smiled, then twisted the ring so only the band showed on the outside of her hand. “I think I’ll wait to announce it, though.”
“I understand. Dylan should be with you.”
Skye nodded. “Then we can really celebrate.”
“Sounds like a good plan.”
Skye gave Kelsey an appreciative smile, then frowned. “Have you seen Sue Ellen? She would want to be here.”
Kelsey bit the inside of her cheek, then said, “She was here earlier, before all this, and said she was going to help a neighbor with something, but I can’t remember who.”
“I wonder if we should send someone after her.” Skye’s hands fluttered. “But I don’t even know where to start.”