Chapter Ten #2
Finally, I make a decision. It’s risky but I can’t think of anything else that might help.
I won’t lose him. I’ll do everything in my power to find him what he needs.
Unfortunately, I need to leave in order to do this and if I leave for too long, Briggs will be lost to me by the time I get back.
This fever gets so hot at times it could kill him.
No, I can’t just leave him, which means we’ll be trying out the sled I built a few days ago.
With my mind made up, all that’s left for me to do is actually put things into motion.
I get the sled pulled up to the door, cover it with blankets so that the ride won’t be too bumpy as I pull it.
I make sure our bags are packed. Then I get Briggs off the couch, covered in layers of clothing, his jacket and then getting him out onto the sled.
Briggs is so out of it as I move him, somewhere between being passed out and awake. I hate seeing him like this. I miss his voice. I miss his snarky comments. I miss his kindness.
He’s right here in front of me, yet I’ve never felt so alone. His body is here but he’s drifting, this fever stealing him from me. Fuck, I hate this.
Once Briggs is in place, I cover him with blankets, making sure there isn’t a single spot the cold can get him. I shove his backpack under his head, using it to give him a little bit of leverage. Then I take my own backpack and slide it into place.
Taking the rope tied around the sled, I start to pull.
I pull in the direction away from where we came, wanting to give us the best chance to find what we need.
I don’t care if it’s a city or a homestead or a pharmacy or a camp.
I will do whatever it takes to find antibiotics for Briggs. I am not losing him. I refuse to.
I keep an eye on the sky, using it as best as I can to determine the passage of time. I only have eight fever reducers left but I need to make sure that Briggs takes them. I need to make sure his fever doesn’t get to be too much before I can find help.
If I space them out to about one every eight hours then I have about two and a half days to find something or someone before things really get bad. Two days. Two fucking days.
With a sigh, I take the backpack off my back and place it onto Briggs’ legs. Then I get onto my hands and knees, allowing the shift to wash over me. I shake out my fur, getting used to my new skin. I carefully lift the rope with my teeth, getting the rope over my head before running.
In this form, I can run faster. I can smell anything and everyone on the air. My senses are much more vibrant. I can cover more ground this way while being able to protect Briggs if we run into any zombies or animals.
When the sun sets, I shift back into my human form only long enough to force Briggs to take another pill before I’m back in my wolf form again.
I do this every eight or so hours. I should stop and rest but I can’t, pushing myself past the point of exhaustion, past whatever point my past self thought he could handle.
I push forward over and over and over, one paw in front of the other until my body physically quits on me and even then, I only allow myself a moment before I’m pushing forward again.
Shifting into my human skin, I stare down at the bottle in my hands. I’m down to my final pill. This is it. After this, there’s no turning back. After this, the only salvation is finally finding some antibiotics.
I tip Briggs’ head up, helping him take the pill before guiding him back down. Watching him fall back into a fitful sleep makes me feel so goddamn helpless. I stare at him for a long time until my vision grows blurry.
“Fuck,” I gasp out, my chest splitting open, all of my feelings tumbling out.
“You can’t fucking die,” I tell him, my voice catching.
“You can’t fucking die, Briggs, because I need you.
I need you around. Not just because you saved me but because you’re the first person I’ve ever felt safe around.
I hate you for this.” I shake my head, covering my face with my hands.
“No, I don’t,” I say softly. “I fucking love you, you asshole.”
I turn away from him, feeling too exposed despite the fact that he can’t hear me. My head swims and I don’t know if it’s from starvation, dehydration, or exhaustion. Probably a combination of all three.
It’s only when my back is turned towards Briggs do I see it.
‘Keep Going’
I stare at the tree for a long time, wondering if my imagination is playing tricks on me. No, that’s real. Someone carved this into the tree. Someone was here.
For the first time in days, I feel hope.
“Come on,” I say, grabbing onto the rope and moving forward, ignoring the aches and pains of my body, ignoring the gnawing emptiness inside my stomach. “Keep going.”
I move through the forest until I find a clearing.
At the top of a hill is a gated community with a sign outside that says ‘welcome to Haven’.
Tears well up in my eyes and I freely let them drip.
I have no idea if there’s anyone here or if there’s antibiotics inside but I don’t care.
At the very least, this feels like the perfect place to stop and hold Briggs if that’s what needs to happen.
At least he’ll be comfortable in the end.
The sun is setting as I open the gate and pull Briggs through, stopping to close it behind me. I pull him down the street, looking at the rows of houses here, all of them looking nice, like people might actually live here.
“Hello?”
A door slams open and someone is suddenly here, standing in front of me. I’m not sure if I’m so delirious I didn’t see them until now or if they have supernatural speed. Either way, I’m too weak to actually do anything about it.
I fall to my knees, lowering my head.
“Please,” I say, my voice breaking. “Help my friend. I’ll do anything. I’ll pay anything. Please.”
“What’s going on?” There’s a second person. I lift my head enough to look at them. I smell the air. One of them is human and the other smells undead but not like a zombie. He’s a vampire.
“You can have my blood,” I blurt out. “You can have anything you want. Just help him.”
The vampire kneels in front of me. “I don’t want your blood. What’s wrong with your friend?”
“He’s got strep throat. Please. He needs antibiotics and fever relief.”
“We’ll help him. It’s okay.”
I close my eyes, relief so sweet it threatens to be my undoing. And maybe it really is because one moment I’m on my knees, holding onto that bright, scorching hot hope, and the next, my eyes are closing and I’m hitting the ground, exhaustion finally getting the better of me.