Surviving Day By Day (Book 1): So it Begins (41 page)

Charlie crawled quickly across the floor and saw Maximus stalking around, he knew it wouldn’t be long before Max attacked. Looking to Colt, “Max ain’t trained like Tonto that guy may just shoot him if Max don’t get an edge.”

Quickly he made his way back to the kitchen as he came through the door Tabitha turned to him, “What’s the plan Stan?”

Charlie looked at her and stood up just enough to see out the window. “You think yo
u can hit the guy by the tree?”

Tabitha looked at
t
he two targets. “What about the guy by the shed?” Charlie knew then that Tabitha couldn’t see Tonto from where she was at.

“No that’s no good, Tonto’s over there right at the edge and Maximus is trying to sneak up on the guy out front. We need to do something to distract the guy out front he’s digging through are cars.”

Tabitha realized it wouldn’t be long before the guy found the tarp that covered Alden’s stuff. “SHIT CHARLIE!!!! ALDEN’S STASH!!!

Charlie’s eyes got big, “We got to do something and now.”

Tabitha took aim with her shot gun and fired. The guy by the tree grabbed his leg and screamed as she pulled the trigger again. Charlie realized that Tabitha had grabbed Alden’s semi-automatic shot gun. He watched as she hit the guy again only a little higher, right at his waist. The blast tore out the crotch of his jeans. Tabitha screamed,
“NOW WHAT’CHA YOU GOT TO GRAB?”

The guy by the shed unleashed on the back of the house with automatic gun fire the bullets tore through the window as Tabitha and Charlie dove for the floor. The next thing they heard was the man scream and then just a gurgle as the machine gun fired a few more rounds and went silent. Charlie looked out and saw Tonto had the man by throat and was almost shaking the guy’s whole body as his teet
h dug in and he shook his head.

Colt took aim just as the guy headed for the van, Maximus began to run so Colt waited. The gun fire from the back was making him nervous but with Tabitha yelling out he thought
she
and Charlie were okay.

Just as Maximus got halfway to the man
,
he growled and alerted the man, Colt saw the man aim at Maximus. It all played out in slow motion for him, as soon as Colt pulled his trigger so did the man and both the man and Maximus howled in pain. The man turned running into the tree line screaming, “FUCK, JASON I’M HIT!!!!”

Colt wasn’t sure but he didn’t think Jason would hear him. Maximus was down in the front yard, not thinking Colt threw open the front door calling to the others, “MAXIMUS IS SHOT!”

He ran across the yard and knelt by the dog, Maximus looked up and licked Colt’s hand, “It’s okay boy, we’ll get you fixed
,
but I have to see where you got hit. No biting okay? I’m trying to help.”

Colt found the shot easy
enough;
Maximus had been hit in the front left leg just at the shoulder. He tried to look at it better but Maximus growled at him, he reached again and this time Maximus snapped at him. “Damn it, I need to see how bad it is!”

Colt looked down the road, “Where the hell is Beth!”

The thought of Beth made him also think of Ceara and Alden, he was pretty sure both would blame him for not firing sooner. Sitting back on his haunches, looked down at Maximus, “Sorry boy, I’m new to this whole shooting people thing. I guess I suck at it.” Maximus whined and began licking his wound. Colt could see it was still bleeding, “CHARLIE, WE NEED YOU OUT HERE!!!!”

Within seconds both Charlie and Tabitha were out there, Charlie knelt beside Maximus gently petting him far away from the wo
und, “Hi boy, did you get hit?”
His
voice was very soft and gentle.

Tabitha glared at Colt, “What happe
n?”

Colt looked at Tabitha, “I shot too late to stop the guy from shooting Maximus.”

Tabitha looked around, “Where is the mother fucker?”

“He got away, he ran for the trees, but he’s wounded.”

Tabitha got a softer look when she saw the pain in Colt’s eyes, “Look, you did the best you could, but shit happens and it doesn’t look
too
bad. Max will be ok. But we have to find that guy or he is going to bring all his buddies. If he’s wounded then he should be pretty easy to track and getting weaker from losing blood. I’ll go after him.”

Charlie shook his head, “No one goes alone, you know the rules.”

Tabitha threw up her hands, “Are you serious?! We have to get that guy! What is your brilliant plan?”

Before Charlie or Colt could say anything they heard a truck coming down the lane. Alden pulled up and Ceara jumped out of the cab before it was even in park, “WHAT HAPPENED??” She was on the ground beside Maximus, and looked to Charlie for answers. Charlie looked to her then to Alden. Speaking frantically, “I was out trying to get some meat for dinner tonight. I saw a deer and fired at it, but these guys shot at the same time.
But heard my shot
and then everything went downhill. They were shoo
ting at me so I shot
back to try to scare them and I hit one guy in neck and killed him.”

Alden looked down at Maximus. Tonto had come from behind the house and the was sitting next to Maximus, his mouth covered with blood. Alden turned as Beth came running up, “Looks like you’re up again Doc.” He turned to Charlie, “You take Ceara in the cabin and get it cleaned up, Colt you help Beth she’ll
need someone to hold Max down.”

Ceara jumped up and screamed at Alden, ‘HE’S MY FUCKING DOG I’M STAYING WITH HIM.”

That caused Maximus to growl then whimper as he tried to get up. Alden put his hands on Ceara’s shoulders and spoke calmly, “No
…
You will do as I say, you already upset Max, and we need him calm so Beth can do her job. You will go with Charlie.”

Charlie took Ceara’s hand, “He’s right
,
you come with me. Max will be okay
, I’m sure.”

Ceara looked at Max
then to Charlie, “You Promise?”

“Yes” Charlie said an
d walked her towards the Cabin.

Alden looked to Beth and Colt, “Okay Doc do your thing. I’m taking Tabitha with me to see if we can track the last asshole.”

Tabitha’s eyes got wide. “Grab that M-16 over there Tabitha.” Alden walked to the mound of stash and pulled out a long black metal gun case. He opened it and took out a rifle and began to put it together when Tabitha walked up.

“What the fuck is that?” Alden stood and pushed the clip into the rifle and put three more in his pockets, “It’s a Barrett 50 caliber sniper rifle
… Let’s go.”

Charlie had to pretty much drag Ceara to the
cabin;
she tripped a couple of times because she kept looking back. Charlie finally wrapped an arm around her waist and forced her to look forward. “Charlie, I don’t feel right leaving him. I know he is scared and he trusts me. Let me go back, please, I will stay out of the way but Maximus needs me.”

Charlie swung the door open and gently pushed her through it, and she went right to the
window causing Charlie to sigh.

She glared at him, “Well I am sorry but that dog saved my life and I want to make sure he is ok!”

Charlie smiled a sympathetic smile, “Ceara, I know that and you have to trust that Colt and Beth will take good care of him.”

Ceara turned back to the window, “We don’t really know them
,
so tell me why I should trust either of them?”

Charlie came over just as Maximus barked but it had a mixture of a whine, he couldn’t help but look out the window with Ceara. After a few minutes Maximus went limp, Ceara bolted to the door screaming, “NOOOO!!!”

Charlie had her just as she flung the door open, “CEARA, he isn’t dead he just passed out because Beth gave him something.”

He pulled her back in and shut the door. “Now let’s see what we can do to get your mind off what’s going on.” He s
tood looking around that cabin.

Beth made her way over to Colt while she was taking off her shirt. Underneath she wa
s
wearing a typical A shirt and thought that would be better to clean up instead of the nice shirt she was wearing over it. If worse came to worse she could at least throw it away. “Colt, listen to me carefully, I just gave Maximus something to sedate him. I need you to go clear off the table over there and put Max up on it. I am going to get everything I need to take care of this but we need to work as a team here.”

Wasting no time Beth walked over to where she had left the supplies and started sorting through them. She grabbed bandages, a clean syringe, some antibiotics, one of the emergency medical kits that have everything in them that she found on the bottom shelf of the Pharmacy counter and a sewing kit that one of them must
have
just thrown in there. After she got everything in hand she walked over to the table and pulled up a
lawn
chair where she placed all of the items. Colt had placed Maximus on the table and was holding him in position. “You know what you’re doing Beth?” asked Colt very nervously.

Beth smiled, nodded her head and said, “Piece of cake. I got this, just like riding a bike, sweetie. Now hold him firmly but gently,
don’t worry,
he won’t
feel a thing.
I gave him enough
sedative
that he will be still while I remove the bullet.”

Remembering that she needed rubbing alcohol she went back over to her bag, retrieved it and then handed it to Colt. I need you to hold this wh
ile I see where the bullet is
.”

Beth gently ran her hand down his nose, “Just relax boy…”
She didn’t want Colt to know she was checking to see if Max was still breathing.
She didn’t want to continue if Max hadn’t made it but his breathing was shallow but not labored. After taking her hand off his nose Beth reached over to the medical kit, opened it and found a pair of rubber gloves. Quickly she put t
hem on and went right to work.

The point of entry was right at the shoulder and she could see that it was pretty deep. Beth looked up and asked Colt, “Could you go
to our cabin and look in
the kitchen drawer
s;
see if you can find me like a butcher knife or a carving knife of some sorts?”

Colts eyes got as big as saucers and his mouth opened as if though he was to ask, “What the fuck are you going to do??! Cut his leg off??!”

Beth could tell that this caught Colt off guard and she calmly continued, “I need a knife that does NOT have edges on it. Instead I need one with just a stainless steel blade.”

Colt began to step away then stopped, turned back to Beth and inquired, “Would a pocket knife work?? I use to see
that
in some
of the old westerns
when Jessica and I would sit watching movies at night. She would always bury her face in my shoulder because she would get grossed out easily.”

Beth smiled, “A pocket knife would be wonderful!!”

He came back over to the table and quickly pulled his pocket knife out of his jeans. “I bet you were a great boy scout, Colt! Now if you would, take the blade and pour the alcohol over both sides then hand it to me.”

Colt did as he was asked and held onto Maximus tightly. Beth cut above the entry wound about a half of an inch and then below it another half of an inch. The blood around the hole now was oozing out and Beth went into giving orders to Co
lt, “Get me some gauge please.”

They were a team now working quickly on their friend. When Beth packed the sides to where she could see the back end of the bullet Beth spoke quickly, “In that medical kit I need a p
air of tweezers or something….”

Colt turned round and said, “I’m on it!” Without even hesitating when he found the tweezers he dowsed them in alcohol then handed them to Beth. Wasting no time now Beth placed the tweezers on each side of the bullet and within seconds she had the bullet out. “Now look at this Colt…”

Colt leaned over, watched and listened to Beth, “You can’t even see where the bullet was now and it all went back together. That shows that we got it and the bullet didn’t fragment off which shows us that it was intact. All we have to do now is stitch him up and in a couple of days he will be licking his own wound to heal it.”

Beth reached down to the sewing kit that was on the chair, opened it and got a needle and thread together. She placed the wound together started stitching the pup from the bottom of the incision to the top giving him a crisscross pattern. After about ten tight stitches she had finished and after she had taken her gloves off she went back over to her bag with the syringe and grabbed a vile of Penicillin. When she had retrieved about 10 cc’s of it she went back over to Maximus and injected it into his hind quarters. “Now, Colt our boy here is going to need to rest and I am going to go make a nice beddy-bye for him.
”

Beth walked back inside and quickly grabbed the big, soft and cuddly blanket along with a pillow off the couch and put in down on the floor. Once she had made it into a nice resting place Beth stood up and walked over the door. “Colt, you go on and bring him in here. We will keep an eye on him for the first couple of days then when we determine how he’s going to be then we can
move him back over with Ceara.”