Marin sighed, staring beyond the fire to the storm that was rising beyond the walls of the tent, battering it, blowing snow lashing against the blue and white tarps, quickly washing away all sign of the fights of the day before.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, you told me once that I never had to thank you for what you did because you did it because we\u2019re family, and that\u2019s what you do for family.\u00a0 Did you ever stop to think that maybe you didn\u2019t need to thank me for the same reason?\u201d<\/p>\n
Phelan opened his mouth to protest, then closed it again.\u00a0 He shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI never thought of it that way, no.\u201d<\/p>\n
One corner of her mouth twitched toward a smile. \u201cMaybe you should.\u201d\u00a0 She slid one arm around him and gave him a brief, tight squeeze before letting go.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve said it enough times, Phelan. We\u2019re blood of your blood.\u00a0 That makes you ours to protect, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI could never ask that of you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to,\u201d she said softly.\u00a0 \u201cSome of us would just do it\u2014in a heartbeat, without being asked.\u00a0 It\u2019s just the way we\u2019re made.\u201d\u00a0 She smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYou and yours have something to do with that, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n
He smiled humorlessly. \u201cAye.\u00a0 I suppose we do.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPhelan?\u201d<\/p>\n
He twisted toward the sound on Jacqueline\u2019s voice, immediately frowning.\u00a0 \u201cYou were staying with\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re okay,\u201d she said quickly. She\u2019d been keeping an eye on Neve and Cameron while he got cleaned up.\u00a0 He\u2019d planned to relieve her once he was finished, but Marin had distracted him from that plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what\u2019s the matter?\u201d\u00a0 You said you\u2019d stay with them until I came back.\u00a0 What happened now?<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cI need more of that poultice you packed into Cameron\u2019s side,\u201d Jacqueline said as she snagged the kettle and poured some of the steaming hot water into a portable container.<\/p>\n
Phelan blinked.\u00a0 \u201cDid it somehow get forced out?\u201d\u00a0 That would be very not good. \u00a0That would mean it\u2019s deeper than I thought and that there\u2019s more corruption in the wound than I thought there could possibly be.<\/i>\u00a0 He pushed himself to his feet, ignoring Marin\u2019s concerned look.\u00a0 He\u2019d have to explain more later.<\/p>\n
Jacqueline shook her head. \u201cIt\u2019s not Cameron.\u00a0 He\u2019s resting comfortably right now.\u00a0 It\u2019s J.T.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with J.T.?\u201d\u00a0 Marin asked, suddenly at Phelan\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 He winced slightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat she said.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you have more or not?\u201d\u00a0 Jacqueline asked.<\/p>\n
He threw up his hands.\u00a0 \u201cOf course I\u2019ve got more.\u00a0 This isn\u2019t the first time I\u2019ve run into shit like that.\u00a0 What\u2019s wrong with Jameson?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her expression hardened as she took him by the hand.\u00a0 \u201cYou need to get it because J.T., being the huge idiot he is, had a gash on his back from one of those things out there and Carolyn just came and told me that it\u2019s oozing pus already.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLike Cameron\u2019s wound,\u201d Phelan said.\u00a0 He closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled.\u00a0 Bloody hell.\u00a0 I should have known that we wouldn\u2019t be that lucky.<\/i>\u00a0 \u201cMarin, you need to go check on Thom.\u00a0 They got a piece of him, too, didn\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked between he and Jacqueline for a moment, then sucked in a breath and moved away quickly, toward where Thom was undoubtedly sleeping off the night\u2019s combat.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs this going to happen every time we go up against something nasty, Phelan?\u201d\u00a0 Jacqueline asked as she tugged him along.\u00a0 \u201cIs someone going to get so badly hurt that they\u2019re on the verge of death\u2014even from something minor?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t exaggerate,\u201d Phelan mumbled as he diverted her toward his cot.\u00a0 His spare kit was there, along with his backup supplies.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not.\u00a0 He\u2019s already running a fever, Phelan.\u00a0 What the hell is going on?\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s the effect Dirae<\/i> can have on people with Otherworld blood,\u201d he growled as he pawed through his bins of supplies.\u00a0 \u201cI was hoping that Cameron would be the only one with a serious problem, but it seems we\u2019re not so lucky.\u00a0 Either the Dirae<\/i> got more potent after the end of the world, or he\u2019s got more Otherworld blood in him than I suspected.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that means what, exactly?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means this could kill him,\u201d Phelan snapped.\u00a0 He immediately regretted it as Jacqueline\u2019s fingers dug into his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt could kill him,\u201d she echoed, her voice quiet and weak.\u00a0 \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you warn them before\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did,\u201d he said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cI did warn them.\u00a0 Some things you can\u2019t help, Jac.\u201d<\/p>\n
She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly.\u00a0 \u201cSo what do we do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPack the wounds, dose him with antibiotics, and hope,\u201d Phelan said through a clenched jaw as he shoved a few jars of herbs into his satchel.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s all we can ever do.\u00a0 At least the antibiotics will work for him and Cameron.\u00a0 Me, Teague\u2014those would kill us faster than the poison.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause of your allergy.\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded.\u00a0 For a moment, his shoulders slumped and he stared at nothing, lips thinning.\u00a0 \u201cI hate all of this, Jac,\u201d he murmured at last.\u00a0 \u201cNone of this should be happening.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what should be?\u201d\u00a0 Her fingers tightened around his shoulders again and she shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cWe play the hand we\u2019re dealt.\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing more we can do than that.\u00a0 God never dishes out more than we can handle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Phelan smiled humorlessly as he rose.\u00a0 \u201cIf I hadn\u2019t seen what you can do with Yahweh\u2019s power, I would tease you about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, you need the gift he\u2019s given me\u2014we all do.\u201d\u00a0 She headed for his door.\u00a0 \u201cCome on.\u00a0 Jay needs us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAye,\u201d Phelan said softly.\u00a0 \u201cAye, he does.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Marin sighed, staring beyond the fire to the storm that was rising beyond the walls of the tent, battering it, blowing snow lashing against the blue and white tarps, quickly washing away all sign of the fights of the day … Continue reading