something though,” Jim said. “I’ll wake her.” He shook her. “Lou?”
She groaned, but didn’t wake up.
Jim felt her forehead. “She’s burning up.”
Ailsa went over to him. “She hasn’t felt well all night, but didn’t want to hold us up. The pain killer I made isn’t helping anymore.”
Deefer nuzzled Lou worriedly and Staci pulled him away.
Jim gently removed the splints and pulled Lou’s trouser leg up. He groaned.
Red streaks ran the length of her leg and pus oozed from some of the wounds.
Ailsa frowned. “She didn’t say it was this bad.”
“She wouldn’t. I need to clean and dress this. I’ll go and get some water.”
When he came back, Staci and Ailsa had changed Lou into a pair of shorts. He knelt by her side and prayed before starting to gently clean her leg. “We need to bring her temperature down.”
Ailsa put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll make something to help. Can you start a fire and put some water on?”
“Sure.”
Ailsa disappeared into the forest.
Jim relit the fire and heated some water.
Ailsa came back, tossed some leaves into the pan and wrapped the rest up. She put them into her rucksack. When the leaves had infused into the water, she tore her veil into strips and soaked them in it. She rubbed the cloth over Lou’s face and arms and placed the wet leaves over the wounds.
Staci looked at Jim. “Now what?”
“Now we let her sleep and pray she’ll pull through.”
“And if she doesn’t?”
“She will.”
Staci shot him one of her ‘don’t treat me like a child’ looks. “And if she doesn’t?” she persisted.
Jim sighed. “I really don’t know. We’ll stay put for now and see how she is when she wakes.”
7
Jim sat by Lou, lost in thought, praying. Staci told him it was pointless, but he carried on nonetheless.
Over the next few hours, Lou’s fever raged. Finally in the late afternoon, her fever broke. Her eyes flickered open. “Are you still there?”
Relief flooded him. “I could say the same for you. How are you feeling?”
“Better than I was.”
“Why didn’t you say something? Ailsa made something to help. But next time, please say something. I can’t do much to heal your leg, but at least I can make sure you rest more.”
Lou sat up, shifting slowly backwards to lean against the tree. “I didn’t want to be a burden. The sooner we get to this air base, the sooner we can call for help, right?”
“You’re not a burden. If you were, we’d’ve tossed you overboard weeks ago. And we’ve had this conversation. For better or worse we stick together. It’s the only way to get through this and get home.”
“Yeah.” Lou tilted her head. “What about the earthquakes?”
“Nothing really noticeable since you told them to stop. I guess they were listening.”
“Funny. We should keep going. We need to find that base. See if they located your parents yet and call someone to get you guys out of here to see them or find them.”
Jim frowned, tempted to call her on that, but decided against it. Now wasn’t the time to pick a fight. “We will. Tomorrow.”
“No, now. We’ve wasted enough time.”
“Tomorrow.” Jim gave her one of his looks. “I won’t argue, but you will do as you’re told for once.” He lowered his voice. “Your leg is infected.”
“Then the sooner we get help the better, right? And that ain’t gonna happen sitting here.” She scowled. “But fine, if that’s what you want.”
He nodded. “Yes, it is.”
“Where are the others?”
“Gathering firewood and something to eat. They should be back any minute, so I’ll get the fire going with what wood we have.” He gave her one of his long looks and noticed her shift uncomfortably. “And I want you to eat something this time. You’re losing weight again, and I don’t want Staci following your example and skipping meals.”
Lou half smiled. “Staci, skip a meal, what planet are you on? Staci, like you, could no more skip a
She groaned, but didn’t wake up.
Jim felt her forehead. “She’s burning up.”
Ailsa went over to him. “She hasn’t felt well all night, but didn’t want to hold us up. The pain killer I made isn’t helping anymore.”
Deefer nuzzled Lou worriedly and Staci pulled him away.
Jim gently removed the splints and pulled Lou’s trouser leg up. He groaned.
Red streaks ran the length of her leg and pus oozed from some of the wounds.
Ailsa frowned. “She didn’t say it was this bad.”
“She wouldn’t. I need to clean and dress this. I’ll go and get some water.”
When he came back, Staci and Ailsa had changed Lou into a pair of shorts. He knelt by her side and prayed before starting to gently clean her leg. “We need to bring her temperature down.”
Ailsa put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll make something to help. Can you start a fire and put some water on?”
“Sure.”
Ailsa disappeared into the forest.
Jim relit the fire and heated some water.
Ailsa came back, tossed some leaves into the pan and wrapped the rest up. She put them into her rucksack. When the leaves had infused into the water, she tore her veil into strips and soaked them in it. She rubbed the cloth over Lou’s face and arms and placed the wet leaves over the wounds.
Staci looked at Jim. “Now what?”
“Now we let her sleep and pray she’ll pull through.”
“And if she doesn’t?”
“She will.”
Staci shot him one of her ‘don’t treat me like a child’ looks. “And if she doesn’t?” she persisted.
Jim sighed. “I really don’t know. We’ll stay put for now and see how she is when she wakes.”
7
Jim sat by Lou, lost in thought, praying. Staci told him it was pointless, but he carried on nonetheless.
Over the next few hours, Lou’s fever raged. Finally in the late afternoon, her fever broke. Her eyes flickered open. “Are you still there?”
Relief flooded him. “I could say the same for you. How are you feeling?”
“Better than I was.”
“Why didn’t you say something? Ailsa made something to help. But next time, please say something. I can’t do much to heal your leg, but at least I can make sure you rest more.”
Lou sat up, shifting slowly backwards to lean against the tree. “I didn’t want to be a burden. The sooner we get to this air base, the sooner we can call for help, right?”
“You’re not a burden. If you were, we’d’ve tossed you overboard weeks ago. And we’ve had this conversation. For better or worse we stick together. It’s the only way to get through this and get home.”
“Yeah.” Lou tilted her head. “What about the earthquakes?”
“Nothing really noticeable since you told them to stop. I guess they were listening.”
“Funny. We should keep going. We need to find that base. See if they located your parents yet and call someone to get you guys out of here to see them or find them.”
Jim frowned, tempted to call her on that, but decided against it. Now wasn’t the time to pick a fight. “We will. Tomorrow.”
“No, now. We’ve wasted enough time.”
“Tomorrow.” Jim gave her one of his looks. “I won’t argue, but you will do as you’re told for once.” He lowered his voice. “Your leg is infected.”
“Then the sooner we get help the better, right? And that ain’t gonna happen sitting here.” She scowled. “But fine, if that’s what you want.”
He nodded. “Yes, it is.”
“Where are the others?”
“Gathering firewood and something to eat. They should be back any minute, so I’ll get the fire going with what wood we have.” He gave her one of his long looks and noticed her shift uncomfortably. “And I want you to eat something this time. You’re losing weight again, and I don’t want Staci following your example and skipping meals.”
Lou half smiled. “Staci, skip a meal, what planet are you on? Staci, like you, could no more skip a