Valentine Wishes (Baxter Academy Book 1) (21 page)

“Is that why Abigail wants to make everyone happy?”

“She tried to cheer Mom up. Staying home more than the rest of us. Reaching out, but it didn’t do any good. When Abigail mentioned a friend who was going to go off to Disney, Mom suggested she do the same. I don’t think Abigail ever expected to be hired, but when she was, Mom practically pushed her out the door. Insisted she go live and enjoy her life. To do it every single day and to not compromised for anyone. To be happy.”

“She didn’t want her to have the same life,” Jackie whispers.

“Claire has taken it the hardest, and probably has the most guilt.”

“It was her graduation?” Jackie asks.

“Claire was looking forward to traveling as an archeologist. With her gone, there was no reason for Mom to continue, which is what we all get now. She wishes she wouldn’t have been so anxious to leave and kicking herself that she should have just moved home while trying to find a job. It’s not like she needed a place of her own to live since she would be traveling. If she had just moved back Mom would still be alive, or that’s what she’s convinced herself of.”

“And the reason she isn’t working and going from family member to family member.”

I nod. “She’s lost and we’ve all tried, but it’s like she lost her passion for archeology and life.” I squeeze Jackie close. “I may send for her so I can keep an eye on her so she doesn’t slip into the same depression as mom.”

“She’s with your dad in New Orleans, right?”

“Dad didn’t recognize the signs in his own wife. Was shocked and pissed that she would do that to him.” I bite out. “I sure as hell don’t trust him to watch out for Claire.”

W
e head back
down the path, but I’m too busy thinking to talk. Should I be worried about Theo? There was a sudden change in his behavior. I’ve not seen him fight for something as much as he has the school. And, he’s pretty much been pointing out that everyone will be okay and things will work out as they should.

Was he thinking about….? I can’t even finish the sentence. The idea of it is too frightening.

“Do you think it’s possible to go back tomorrow?” I hate to bring an end to this trip, but I’m not going to be able to enjoy it if I’m worried about Theo.

“First thing in the morning.”

“You don’t mind?” I don’t want him pissed. Brett paid for five days and it couldn’t have been cheap.

He stops in the middle of the path. “I wouldn’t have brought it up if it’s something I wasn’t concerned about.” He kisses the tip of my nose. “Family is important, no matter how distant or far. If school was weeks away, I’d not worry so much, but it’s the one thing he doesn’t seem to have any concern for, which kind of makes me worried.”

“Thanks.”

“You know, it isn’t that far away. We can always run back with an excuse that you forgot something. If it would put your mind at ease.”

I can’t believe he’d be willing to do that. “Now?” It’s a three-hour drive. By the time we got there and came back it would be dark. But, it is my brother and would I really be able to sleep tonight.

“It if would give you peace of mind.”

“Let me think about it.”

He gives my hand a squeeze and says nothing else. I try not to worry, but I do. All the way down the path. As we near the cabin, Brett lets go of my hand. “We used a lot of the kindling last night. Let me get some to replenish the supply.” He grins at me. “Even if we don’t use it, always leave the place better than you found it.”

“Huh?”

“Boy Scout rule.” He winks at me as he reaches for some fallen limbs at the side of the path.

“Shit!”

He starts to pull back his arm and I barely see the movement or what happens before he next yells, “Fuck!”

“What happened?”

“Copperhead.”

My blood runs cold. They are poisonous. We have to watch for them in the woods around the plantation, but I never heard of anyone actually getting bitten by one. Is he going to die?

“Damn that hurts.” He’s cradling his left hand against his abdomen. “I’ve heard that copperhead bites hurt, but I was not prepared for this searing pain.”

“What do I do?” My heart is pumping and I try to clamp down on the panic. Now is not the time to panic. I need to think and do something but I have no clue what to do.

Brett closes his eyes and takes a couple of deep breaths. He isn’t going to pass out is he? I can’t carry him. I don’t even think I could drag him anywhere.

Grabbing the phone from my back pocket I look down, ready to punch in 911, but I have no fucking bars.

“No reception up here.” He bites out as all color leaves his face.

“Oh God!”

“It’ll be okay,” he says calmly.

How the hell can he be so calm? He’s been bitten by a poisonous snake. He could die, leaving me up here alone.

“I’m going to slowly walk to the car. You need to get my keys and billfold from the counter.”

“Okay.” I put an arm around his waist and lead him to his car.

“Get some kind of bag too.”

“Why?”

“I could be sick,” this was said with a groan.

I don’t do well with puking. When someone around me pukes, I start gagging and usually puke right along with them. I can’t let that happen this time though. Brett needs me.

Once we get to the car, he leans against it while I run into the cabin, grab my purse, his keys and his wallet, like he asked. I’m pushing the button to unlock the car as I lock up the cabin. Damn, I hope the other side is locked too. Instead of going to the car, I go back inside, and lock both doors, then hurry back out. Brett is already sitting in the passenger side of the car.

“Help belt me?” He asks when I get in.

I grab the shoulder belt and pull it across his body as he holds his left arm out of the way. The hand is already swelling and two puncture marks are bright red and inflamed. I swallow my panic and start the car. “Where am I going?” Hell, I don’t even know where I am to know what direction to go.

“After going over the bridge, turn right. There should be an urgent care in the town at the bottom of the hill.”

“Should be?” What if he’s wrong?

“Don’t worry,” Brett assures me. “If not, I’m sure there is a hospital or something not far.”

I look at him out of the corner of my eye as I go over the narrow bridge. “What exactly do you mean by not far?”

Brett shakes his head. “No more than an hour.”

Keep the hand in my lap and below my heart. That’s the one thing I remembered about snake bites. We learned all kinds of things and if this was a scouting trip, I’d still remember everything. And, maybe I do.

I can’t believe I was bit. If I would have looked a second earlier, I would have seen the snake before the damn thing bit me. Copperheads are not aggressive snakes, but I was reaching toward him. He was threatened. It’s not the snake’s fault but mine. And, I should have been more aware. The temperatures up here are in the mid-seventies. Their favorite weather.

Damn this hurts. Burning, stinging, aching, and there isn’t a damn thing I can do until I see a doc. Not even Tylenol or Advil. One of the specific instructions was no over the counter meds, no tourniquet and heaven forbid, no matter what they did in old westerns, do not try and suck the venom out. Instead, I just need to sit here, keep my hand low and try not to throw up.

The movement of the car, or the curves in the road are not helping with the nausea or dizziness. Closing my eyes only makes it worse because then I’m more aware of the movement.

Poor Jackie, her knuckles are nearly white from gripping the steering wheel. It isn’t the roads, but getting me to a doc.

“I’m not going to die.”

“Are you sure? How the hell can you be sure?”

She has me dead in the passenger seat before we ever get to a medical facility. “People rarely die of copperhead bites.” At least that’s what I’ve been told. I’m not going to mention I have no facts to back that up. I may have at one time, but I’m barely keeping up a normal conversation to keep Jackie calm at the moment.

“But they are poisonous. Isn’t there a half hour rule, or something like that? When the venom makes it way to the bloodstream and then to your heart and then you die.”

Is she writing my eulogy in her head too? “Where did you hear something like that?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugs. “An uncle told me when I was a kid.”

“Probably to keep you from playing with snakes or to make sure you were careful if you saw one.”

“If I saw one, I’d run.”

“Usually a good plan, or at least walk calmly away.” Calmly is usually the preferred reaction for the person and the snake.

“Are you sure you aren’t going to die?”

“Not from a snakebite.” But if she doesn’t slow down and keep her eyes on the road, I may have bigger issues than a throbbing hand and venom in my system.

Jackie hits the gas as soon as we are on the main highway and not the narrower mountain roads. At least I don’t need to worry about her going over a cliff. My stomach calms somewhat, now that we aren’t winding down a road, but just as I’m about to relax, I hear sirens behind us.

“How fast are you going?”

She looks down and eases off the gas, her face turning red. She is afraid and wants to get me to a doctor, though I wish I knew how fast she was going. She didn’t answer me.

Jackie has her window down and both hands on the wheel, waiting for the officer. I swear there are tears in her eyes. She’s not going to try and get out of it is she?

My wallet is on my lap, and I could flash my badge, but I don’t like doing that. It makes me look like a jerk and Jackie could be in worse trouble, depending on her speed. A lot of county cops don’t like federal officers so it’s best if I just sit silent and let her deal with this.

The officer stops by the driver’s side window. “License please.”

Jackie is shaking so hard she can barely get her wallet out of her purse.

“Where were you going in such a hurry?”

“Hospital or Urgent Care. Whichever one was first.”

This time the officer leans down to look inside the car. “Sick? Injured?”

I hold up my hand. “Snake bite.”

“Copperhead,” Jackie explains, finally finding her wallet.

“It’s a couple of miles down the road,” he tells Jackie and takes a step back. “Go the speed limit this time. You want to get him there alive or a bite won’t matter.”

“You’re not giving me a ticket?”

“Go on.”

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

She turns the car back on, signals and then pulls back out on the road. This time she watches the road, and the speedometer, then the road, with a few glances in the rear-view mirror.

“He’s following.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He’s probably going to give her a ticket as soon as we pull in. He’s just being nice enough to let me get to the doctor first. I don’t tell Jackie this, of course. She’s already on edge.

“I’ll drop you at the door and then park.” She pops my seatbelt and I open the door.

“I’ll be on the bench waiting.”

“You aren’t going in?”

“I’m not sure I can make it to that bench.” Dizziness has hit me again.

Jackie scrambles out of the car and helps me walk to the bench. “I’ll be right back.”

The police cruiser stops behind us and the cop gets out. “I’ll get someone out here with a wheelchair.”

“Thank you,” Jackie nearly cries then gets back into the car and pulls it into a parking spot somewhere in the long lot. Before she gets back I’m being wheeled into the ER.

“Are you still giving her a ticket?”

The officer shakes his head and chuckles. “Her day is bad enough. Just remind her to keep her speed down.”



That cop is going to give me a ticket. Why else would he follow me all the way in to the parking lot? Not that I can worry about that now. I was going twenty over, but he’s got to understand that this is life and death. Brett may not think he’s about to die, but he looks it.

Brett isn’t outside anymore when I reach the doors. The cop is leaving as I walk in.

He nods to me. “Watch your speed from now on.”

“I will. I promise. I swear.” I look past the officer. “Where did they take him?”

“Back in an exam room.” He puts his hat back on his head. “Have a good day.”

Good day? This is a horrible day. First to find out my brother might be…. No. Do not think like that. Now Brett has a bite from a very poisonous snake. It’s a nightmare.

“Where did they take Brett Robak?” I demand when I get to the front desk.

She hits a buzzer and the door opens. “Exam room five.”

I quickly thank her and hurry through the doors and find his room. Brett’s already on the bed, but they don’t have him in a gown or anything. What kind of place is this if they don’t get him in a hospital gown?

“Are you sure it was a copperhead?” A guy in white jacket is asking. Is he the doctor?

“Yeah!” Brett groans. “Saw it too late. Tried to jerk back my hand, but wasn’t quick enough.”

The doctor nods to the nurse and she leaves for a moment. “The morphine will help with the pain.”

“Thank God.”

“Some antibiotics too.” The doctor gently lifts the hand. “When was your last tetanus shot?”

“Three years ago.”

“Should still be good.” Then he lets the hand rest back on the bed. “Anti-venom as a precaution since it’s only been about half an hour.”

Only half an hour? It feels like a hell of a lot longer.

“Once you’ve been given the morphine, we’ll get this cleaned and bandaged up.”

“Thanks,” Brett mumbles.

He doesn’t look all that better, but maybe some of the pain is diminishing, or maybe it’s just better now that he’s lying down.

The nurse returns and takes three syringes out of her pocket along with little medicine vials.

I hate needles.