{"id":553,"date":"2011-08-26T00:00:37","date_gmt":"2011-08-26T04:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=553"},"modified":"2011-08-26T00:00:37","modified_gmt":"2011-08-26T04:00:37","slug":"day-10-chapter-9-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=553","title":{"rendered":"Day 10 – Chapter 9 – 11"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 God, what a mess.<\/em>\u00a0 Jacqueline suppressed another wince as she passed the curved needle through the flame of a borrowed lighter, sterilizing it for the task she meant it for\u2014stitching Matt\u2019s face back together.\u00a0 She glanced at Leah, who\u2019d already started on the meaty part of his palm, where the cut on his hand was the deepest.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Why did I volunteer for this part?<\/em>\u00a0 She checked her knot and leaned in to have another look at the long cut across Matt\u2019s face, peeling back bloody gauze.\u00a0 Sucking in a breath, she set her jaw and got to work, aware that Matt was trying to watch her stitch his face up.\u00a0 Having an audience was more than a little disconcerting.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Just keep them straight and small, Jac.\u00a0 That\u2019s all you need to do.\u00a0 Keep them straight and small.<\/em>\u00a0 Her fingers tightened around the scrap of gauze in her other hand and she used it to clean the field she was working in.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHow bad is it?\u201d\u00a0 Marin asked.\u00a0 Thom\u2019s arms were wrapped around her, keeping her from getting too close and interfering in their work.\u00a0 Jacqueline was silently grateful for that.\u00a0 She and Leah were under enough pressure as it was.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll leave a mark,\u201d Jacqueline admitted, trying not to wince, \u201cbut he\u2019ll be okay.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cGood to know,\u201d Matt mumbled, holding onto the heavy blanket they\u2019d tossed over him.\u00a0 At least he\u2019d stopped shivering and calmed down a little more.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t move, Matt,\u201d Jacqueline snapped, cursing inwardly.\u00a0 Just hold still so I can do this!<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cThe last thing I need is to slip on this.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want you to have a bigger mark because I screwed something up.\u201d\u00a0 And it\u2019d be my fault, not his.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He eyed her like he was about to say something, but kept his mouth shut.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Leah sat back against her heels after a few minutes more, snipping the threads and grabbing the tube of antiseptic and antimicrobial gel so she could smear it along the stitches.\u00a0 Jacqueline watched her for a moment, then refocused on her own task.\u00a0 A scene from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves<\/em> kept running through her brain, when Alan Rickman looked at whoever was about to put stitches in his face and snarled, \u2018And keep the stitches <\/em>small.\u2019<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If she hadn\u2019t been in such a serious situation, she\u2019d have laughed out loud.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Matt hissed a little as she had to give the needle an extra hard tug to get it through his flesh.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cSorry,\u201d she whispered.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He smiled with the side of his mouth furthest from where she was working and she gave him another reassuring smile.\u00a0 He\u2019s a trooper.\u00a0 I\u2019m glad.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It took another few long minutes for her to finish with the stitches, by which time Leah was bandaging up Matt\u2019s hand.\u00a0 Jacqueline snagged the antibiotic gel and an alcohol swab, cleaning the stitches before smearing the line with the gel.\u00a0 Matt hissed as she swabbed the stitches, grimacing.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cSorry,\u201d Jacqueline said again, wincing sympathetically.\u00a0 \u201cI know.\u00a0 It stings.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cA lot,\u201d he said, slowly sitting fully upright\u00a0 from the propped-up but semi-reclined position he\u2019d been in.\u00a0 He swayed a little, then steadied and adjusted his blanket, pulling it around his shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cThanks,\u201d he muttered, both to her and to Leah.\u00a0 Jacqueline smiled.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re welcome.\u00a0 You should try to eat something soon.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Matt nodded a little as Thom let go of Marin, who moved to her brother\u2019s side almost immediately, brushing stray hair from his face.\u00a0 He waved a hand, trying to fend her off, then slumped slightly with a sigh.\u00a0 He looked at Thom, who was grinning at him.\u00a0 \u201cYou<\/em> are suddenly happy she\u2019s got someone else to fuss over.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cDamn straight,\u201d Thom said, though the smile shrank a little.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jacqueline smothered her own smile.\u00a0 Something tells me that he likes the attention a little bit.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Matt smiled tightly at him, wrapping an arm around his sister, being careful of his bandaged hand.\u00a0 Jacqueline started rifling through her kit for some gauze to tape over the stitches in his face.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened?\u201d\u00a0 Marin asked quietly.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Matt shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u00a0 It happened too damn fast.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jacqueline found the gauze and the tape and nudged Leah, dropping her voice low.\u00a0 \u201cCan you go make him some oatmeal or something? \u00a0And get him some water or juice?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Leah nodded, gathering up most of the first aid supplies before she trotted off toward the fire.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Marin was frowning.\u00a0 \u201cWhat did?\u00a0 I mean\u2026what happened to the radio?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cIt just\u2026it popped<\/em>, Marin.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t explode so much as it just popped, almost like a balloon.\u00a0 I sat down when I thought I was starting to hear something coming through across the static.\u00a0 Started fiddling with the dial so I could maybe get a stronger signal and focus in on the voices I thought I was hearing, but the static just kept getting louder and louder and then it just\u2026it just went.\u00a0 Flying parts, burning wires.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know, I guess it overloaded or something.\u00a0 We did<\/em> kind of jury-rig those batteries to it.\u00a0 I\u2019m lucky those didn\u2019t go up.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHold your head still, Matt,\u201d Jacqueline said, gently starting to tape the pad over his stitches.\u00a0 If it went up in his face, where\u2019re the burns?\u00a0 He\u2019s just got the two cuts, and some soot.\u00a0 That\u2019s really strange.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Matt nodded slightly, then held his head still, eyes going to Thom.\u00a0 \u201cI was probably lucky you weren\u2019t far away, Thom.\u00a0 I was panicking.\u00a0 Still don\u2019t\u2019 think my heart\u2019s slowed back down all the way yet.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d have held it together long enough for someone to make it to you.\u00a0 I just happened to be the nearest.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Marin squeezed Matt.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m just glad you\u2019re okay.\u00a0 That\u2019s all that really matters to me.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Matt snorted softly.\u00a0 \u201cSo am I, Mar.\u201d\u00a0 His gaze slid over to Jacqueline.\u00a0 \u201cGuess I\u2019m not going to be digging any more wells for a while, huh?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She laughed and shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I don\u2019t think so.\u00a0 You need to keep the stitches clean, at least for a week or two until they start to heal.\u00a0 Something tells me that using a shovel isn\u2019t going to help that happen.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom smirked.\u00a0 \u201cGreat, so now between him, me, and Greg, we make a person and a half.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThat math sounds about right,\u201d Jacqueline said with a grin, though her mirth faded after a moment.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve got to start being more careful.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cNo one could\u2019ve predicted this happening, Jac,\u201d Marin said quietly.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jacqueline nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI know.\u00a0 That\u2019s the part that\u2019s got me worried.\u00a0 There\u2019s too much that\u2019s out of our control\u2026we need to control what we can, to minimize overall damage.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s right,\u201d Matt murmured.\u00a0 Thom nodded silently in agreement.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Marin sighed, then nodded as well.\u00a0 \u201cI know.\u00a0 I know.\u00a0 It\u2019s just that there\u2019s a lot<\/em> outside of our control.\u00a0 More than I think any of us realize.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jacqueline stared at her for a moment, then nodded slowly.\u00a0 More than any of us realize, Mar\u2026or more than you and Kel and some of the others are telling?<\/em>\u00a0 She dismissed the thought.\u00a0 Whatever the rest of them didn\u2019t know, they were being left in the dark for a reason.\u00a0 The only thing that was important was that she\u2019d put her trust in Marin, and she was positive that she wasn\u2019t going to be led astray.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I trust you, Mar.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got to.<\/em>\u00a0 Jacqueline stood up.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m going to see what\u2019s taking Leah so long with that oatmeal.\u00a0 You should go lay down, Matt.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom got up slowly.\u00a0 \u201cI can check on the oatmeal if you want to put your stuff away.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jacqueline smiled, nodding.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, Thom.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cNo problem.\u201d\u00a0 He limped off, toward the fire.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Matt started to get up, too.\u00a0 Marin tucked herself under his arm to steady him.\u00a0 \u201cOof,\u201d he muttered, shaking his head slowly to clear it.\u00a0 \u201cGot a headache.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll get you something for the pain,\u201d Jacqueline said as she gathered up her kit.\u00a0 \u201cBut promise me one thing.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThat you\u2019re not going to just pretend to take whatever I give you to make me happy.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Matt laughed and shook his head a little.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not Thom.\u00a0 I\u2019ll take it.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jacqueline grinned.\u00a0 \u201cGood.\u00a0 Go lay down.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He nodded and she watched as Marin helped him over toward his mattress.\u00a0 Jacqueline chewed the inside of her lip.\u00a0 He\u2019s a nice guy.\u00a0 Wonder why he\u2019s so lonely all the time.\u00a0 Wonder if I can change that\u2026\u00a0 He\u2019s about as cute as Davon is, but\u2026easier to talk to, almost.\u00a0 And he\u2019s really nice, and smart, and\u2026and I wonder what his lips taste like.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Her cheeks flamed and she turned quickly.\u00a0 Drugs.\u00a0 I need to get him drugs, and he needs to sleep, and I need to stop thinking these kind of thoughts.\u00a0 It\u2019s the end of the world.\u00a0 Stay on task and don\u2019t worry about anything else.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She thought about him smiling at her and blushed some more.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 God.\u00a0 I\u2019m such a girl.<\/em>\u00a0 She kept walking.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 God, what a mess.\u00a0 Jacqueline suppressed another wince as she passed the curved needle through the flame of a borrowed lighter, sterilizing it for the task she meant it for\u2014stitching Matt\u2019s face back together.\u00a0 She glanced at Leah, who\u2019d … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chapter-9","category-day-10"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-8V","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=553"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/553\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}