Fighting for Home (an apocalypse story)

Chapter 5 - Cleansing

Here's chapter 5 re-edited and revised!! Enjoy...

Ashley's POV

My dad and Jess lower their guns as we approach through the trees.

"What happened?" asks Jess as she spots Kyle hanging on my shoulder. "Who is this?"

"Kyle?!" Dad says as he gets closer. "Wow you're a mess-what happened?"

"Long story" Kyle says. He tightens his grip on my shoulders and sways a bit next to me. "Nice to see you guys are doing alright Mr. Barnes."

"You too" says dad. He opens his mouth to say more but I feel the pressure of Myles fingers on my shoulder slacken and I sag under his weight as his good leg suddenly crumples under him. Dad and Jess rush foreword as Marc helps me lower Kyle as gently as possible onto the grass. His face is pale, but his eyes are still open. He moves his lips, but no sound comes out.

"What happened to him?" Jess asks as she kneels beside me.

"His leg" I say, panicked "he said someone stabbed him in the leg." She unwraps my makeshift bandage as I speak, her skilled nurses fingers probing the skin around the blood caked, jagged wound. Her face holds a momentary flash of confusion and terror, then resolve.

"Ok" she says, looking me in the eye. "Run ahead to the cabin and clear off the bottom bunk. Make sure there is a clean blanket over it. We have to wash this out."

I nod and sprint for the cabin door. Mom and the kids are inside, sleeping, and I shake her awake and yell to her what is happening. She looks confused but nods and  shepherds the kids and Lyndsey outside. The blanket on the bunk isn't too bad, so I just flip it over to the other side. Marc and dad come in, helping Kyle between them, hobbling on one leg, jess close behind.

"How are you doing?" I ask him

"Oh, I'm good," he replys, wincing as his injured leg knocks against a backpack on the floor. "It doesn't  hurt that bad."

"Well, it's gonna hurt a lot worse in a few minutes," Jess says as she helps him lie down on the bunk. "That's a nasty cut, and it looks pretty infected."

"Great" Kyle says sarcastically. His eyes follow me as I walk over to sit next to kid head. "Could be worse, right?" He's trying to sound brave, probably for me, but I can see the fear in his eyes.

"Yeah, at least it's not broken" I say. I lower my voice to a more reassuring tone "don't worry, you'll be fine, you've got this."

He gives me a small smile, and in that moment  I realize how much I missed that smile, and that I never want to lose it again.  I glance toward Jess who is examining Kyles wound, which is bright red and shiny. A small amount of blood leeches out every few seconds, probably in rhythm with his heartbeat. She raises her eyes to mine and motions for me to follow her. I get up and she leads me to the corner and lowers her voice.

"It's not terrible, but it's still pretty bad. It's really infected, probably from walking through the woods well it was uncovered. I brought ibuprofen with me, and that will help his fever, but he needs real medicine ASAP "

"Ok" I say, "  what about right now? What can I do?"

"Nothing here" she says " I need you to go with Mark or your father and find some antibiotics. There's a Walmart about 15 miles from here, if you leave now-"

"No!" I cut her off " i'm not leaving!  send dad or Marc alone, I'm staying!"  She starts to protest, but I turn on my heel and return to my place near Kyle's head.

"What's wrong?"  He asks groggily, I am my expression. I plop down on the chair and fish a rag out of the bucket of water at my feet.

"Nothing" I say as I begin wiping the dirt and grime off his face. " you just need some antibiotics. My dad or Mark will get them don't worry."  I hear a clump and turn my head to see that just has left, probably to send Datamark for the antibiotics and boil walk up. I rinse out the cloth and raise it to his forehead again, but He raises a trembling hand to stop me as he struggles to sit up. I help, supporting part of his weight until he is steady.