Forgetting the Apocalypse

52. Patching Up

Mara's Pov*

I have been beaten, kidnapped, forced to eat human, chased by the dead and animals and living people, attacked by multiple predators while hunting. I have survived a car crash even when my memory didn't, I survived a flash flood, an earthquake that caused an avalanche and a forest fire. All of that should have destroyed me and yet it is nothing compared to what I feel when I see my sweet Kailee being treated by Roone.

She looked so pale I was worried her eyes would turn to that ghostly green color that the zombies had. I wanted to help, more than anything. I had learned how to treat wounds when I was on my own and he taught me a lot of things too. However, she had a better chance of survival just with hands alone. Instead, when we were fortunate enough to find a small veterinarian clinic.

It wasn't barricaded at all. Nothing on the windows or doors, we literally walked right in the front door. It must've been family owned or single owned, because it was really small. Three and half rooms only. A lobby, an operating or viewing room, kennel room and a closet for storage and cleaning supplies.

Part of me was dreading opening the kennel room. I know that any animal that were in there would be dead due to starvation and maybe if I had walked in that room a year ago then it wouldn't bother me so much. But with how much Blackie had grown on me and now having a dog of my own, I think that will only break me more. Thankful for small miracles, all the kennels were empty. They still had the little beds and bowls but no animals. I let out a sigh of relief.

Walking back out to the lobby room I take one of Fredi's arms and help carry him over to the side table. "Riva, could you get me some bandages, alcohol and the stuff for stitching please?"

I look over my shoulder and see Roone put a now passed out Kailee on the main table. He didn't speak or even acknowledge us and he shrugged off his jacket and went looking for some gloves. It was beyond a small miracle to see that this place still had a majority of its supplies. Nearly everything still good to use.

Sitting down on the chair, I pull Fredi's left leg across my lap. He tenses up right away. I haven't even rolled up his pants yet and I can tell that his knee is doubled in size. By the time I actually rolled it up to his thigh, not only was his knee in fact double the size of the other but it was very red and bruising fast. It felt like his knee was having a fever.

After probing the knee a bit more, I had Fredi lean further back on the table until he was laying down. It was definitely dislocated. I can't imagine how it happened but I know that running and putting his weight on it didn't help matters. Once Riva brought me everything I had asked for and took things to his brother he gathered all our dogs and took them to the kennel room. They had been nervous, whimpering and unsettled ever since the house. Even Blackie, who was the most behaved was restless.

Realizing that I need to focus on the task at hand, I gave something for Fredi to bite donw on and began stretching out his leg moving it into position.

"I know it hurts, I'm sorry," I whisper to him as he grips the edge of the table turning his knuckles white, "Alright I think I got it. One.."

I pushed in once I felt that I got it in the right position and heard the pop. He let out a loud grunt and looked like he wanted to kick me away from him. Since I didn't have any ice packs I grabbed some of the metal pans that were laying on the counter and hoped that their coldness would make due. Setting them around his knee, I let them act as an ice pack while I begin taking off his his shoes. Which really was more like tearing off.

After removing his bloodied socks I poured some alcohol on the wipe and gently cleaned up his feet. I started with his right foot first. Given how he was flinching and moving his leg with every swipe it was good idea to give his left a break. "Are the pans still cool enough or do I need to flip them?" I asked.

He didn't reply. His eyes were looking behind me. On Roone and Kailee. I was doing everything I could to tune them out. If I heard them then I would have to look and I didn't want to look. Not yet.

"Fredi!" I said a little too loudly.

He turned his eyes back to mine and I could tell he was fighting back tears. "They're still cold."

Nodding, I finished up cleaning his foot, making sure that he wasn't still bleeding. His foot didn't have as many cuts as I thought it would have. Instead, the blood was caused by the blisters that seemed to have popped and tear. Well with the exception of the side of his foot which did in fact have a cut from ankle to the bottom of the pinky toe.

I finished putting the small tapes on the freshly cleaned blisters before checking the pans once more. After rotating them I dug around my backpack and found the last bottle of whiskey. Handing it over to Fredi, I cleaned my hands a third time and began preparing to stitch up his foot.

"Get a good sip," I told him.

Picking up the needle and thread, I made the first prick and began pulling the needle out the other side. It took no more than five minutes for me to be done. Fredi didn't move an inch. Whether because the drink or the exhaustion, it didn't really matter. Shifting in my seat, I rotated the pans again and got started on the other foot. Repeating the same process as before. Although this time, I could feel the fatigue and emotional weight beginning to take its toll.

I was losing my ability to tune out noise and was hearing Roone move about behind me. Fredi's other foot was taking twice as long to clean and bandage because I wanted nothing more than to turn around and look at him.

Gritting my teeth to refuse to look back, I made sure that his feet were properly cleaned and bandaged before finally removing the pans. Not exactly the best for an ice pack but they were cool enough that the redness in his knee went away so it was his regular skin color again. The swelling however was still there but at least not as bad as before. I'm sure if we had a real ice pack and it was on longer then it would have done a much better job but I worked with what I had.

As soon as I was finished wrapping up his knee I started removing my own battered shoes. Before I could finish removing the first one my chair is quickly turned around and Roone is kneeling down taking it off. He was being as gentle as he could but his hands were harsh. Soon, they began to tremble. His whole body began to shake until the damn finally broke.

Leaning forward, I spread my knees so I can bring him in closer and hug him. He wrapped his arms tight around my waist it actually hurt a little but I wouldn't dare move him or say anything. I just let him get everything out. Now that my chair was turned, I finally looked at Kailee. Her body lay so still on the table. Her breathing labored and uneven. I could see her arm, what was left of it, bandaged up.

Seeing her like that made my own tears form and fall. I tucked my head to Roone's neck and let myself let everything out too.