“Is he going to be all right?”
“Let me do what I can,” Clarisse yelled. “Someone help me. He’s losing too much blood.”
“Graham, come on,” Rick said and pulled Graham away. “Let her do her job.”
“Son!” Graham yelled.
“Give her some space,” Rick said again and stepped in front of Graham, pushing him away.
“How did this happen?” Graham raged. “Why…was he here?”
“Who’s got A+ blood?” Clarisse screamed.
“I do,” an Indian man said.
Clarisse looked at him. “Have you had the virus?”
“What do you mean?”
“Were you immune to the virus or did you have it?”
“No one survived the great death. Of course I’m immune,” he said.
Graham stood there watching. He couldn’t believe he found his son this way, about to be slaughtered by a terrorist and trapped by the body of a horse. It was all he could do to run as fast as he could the moment he spotted Bang go down. If he hadn’t seen him the moment they arrived…it might still be too late.
“No. Stay with me, Bang,” Clarisse yelled, her voice cracking. She began CPR again and felt for a pulse.
The Indian man touched her arm and in a soft tone said, “The boy will not die today.”
Graham watched the strange man next to his son.
Clarisse disregarded the comment and hooked an IV up to his arm and then to Bang.
“That’s just Bob. He’s like that,” Corey said and then another member of the tribe called his name. “I’ll be right back,” Corey said.
“Okay, I’ve got a line in,” Clarisse yelled.
“Does that mean he’s going to be okay?” Addy said tearfully.
Graham hadn’t even noticed she was standing there next to him and Sam and the others. He couldn’t help but think this was a terrible thing for her to see. It was her father’s voice that reassured not only her but Graham as well.
“It means he has a pulse, and that means he has a chance,” Sam said.
“Okay, okay,” Clarisse said. “I need bla…” and then there was a shot off in the distance.
They all turned to Hunter, who stood over the horse, smoke drifting from his gun.
“What? He was still breathing. That’s cruel. I had to put him down,” Hunter said.
One eye questioned the other.
“I need supplies here,” Clarisse demanded. “I need to clean him up.”
“Can we move him back to camp?” Rick said.
Clarisse didn’t answer but stared back and shook her head. “Not going to chance that. We’re here for the night.”
Graham looked around and shook his head as the others ran for supplies from the truck. He put his hands on his hips and walked away.
Rick followed him.
“Look, it’s going to be okay, Graham. Clarisse will pull him through this,” Rick said.
“I can’t believe this is happening. I’ve got one child missing and one who’s fighting for his life and hell, look around.” He waved his hand. “It looks like a bad horror movie. Indians versus terrorists.”
Rick looked at the crowd too. There were people tending wounds. Some were stacking bodies, a few were going through the vehicles, and some were taking care of the horses. All of them were still standing under a blue sky amongst amber waves in a warm breeze.
“The Indians won, Graham,” Rick reminded him.
“I had one job, Rick. To keep those kids alive and well.”
“You did that, dammit. You’ve got to stop, Graham. It’s the questions that will kill you…not the living.”
Despite the smell of iron in the air, it was too beautiful a day for war or the loss of a child. A shiver ran through him again. “I’ve got to head back,” Graham said. “I’ve got to find her. The rest of you stay here with Bang.”
“Wait, Graham. We’ll take a few…” Rick began to say.
“Hey,” someone yelled from behind them and Graham immediately saw Rick’s eyebrows rise. He didn’t like the new guy either. He seemed far too happy for recent events.
“What does he want?” Rick said. “Not now, Corey!”
“I’ve got good news. The tribe found something that belongs to you,” Corey said.
Graham turned around and his heart squeezed tight, because next to Corey stood Tehya, and she came running.