sense.”
“Your blood volume is down, Liv.” Jake sat next to me and patted my leg. “There is no way for us to know exactly how much Eli took from you because he did a direct transfusion. I bet he took a couple of liters, easy. That’s enough to make a person feel weak under normal conditions. Your biology is anything but normal these days, Liv, not to mention the fact that you are dehydrated and exhausted. It’s no wonder your senses are dulled.”
I buried my face in my hands. “What good is having this radar crap if it doesn’t even work?”
“Take it easy, Liv,” Jake said. “We just have to get your strength up, and I am sure it will come back. Let’s see if we can find you something to eat, okay?”
“But, Zander is—” I began to protest.
“Zander is stronger than both of us put together. Hell, he comes with his own built-in weapons,” Jake snickered and held up a fist. “He is not the one I am worried about, right now.”
* * *
“Ty!” Christa shouted. “Oh my God, Ty. You guys, get over here!”
Jake and I made our way over to Ty’s pallet and joined Falisha and Riley at his side. Christa threw herself across Ty’s chest, clawing and hugging frantically. Eli peeled her off him and pushed her toward her brother. Jake wrapped his slender hand around her shoulder and held her at bay.
“Keep that girl under control, please.” Eli shook his head, then crouched down next to Ty and helped him to sit upright. “Take it easy, kid. You lost a lot of blood. There are quite a few stitches in that leg. I would rather not have to put you back together again, if you don’t mind.”
“What?” Ty rubbed at his eyes disoriented. “What the hell happened, y’all?”
“You got shot is what happened,” Christa shrieked at him.
“Seriously? But I…” Ty’s brow furrowed and he ran his hand through his sweat-soaked hair. His face dropped as the events came back to him. “Oh, right.”
“Okay, Ty, I need you to follow this light with your eyes,” Eli said, clicking on his penlight. Ty nodded and did as he was asked. “How do you feel? Any dizziness or nausea?”
“Naw,” Ty said as his eyes shifted with the path of the light. “I feel…I feel tired but fine, actually. Leg’s a bit sore, is all.”
“Yeah, I can imagine it is,” Eli snorted. “Let’s take a look, shall we?”
“Sure, doc. Do what you gotta do,” Ty said, and Eli set to work peeling back the bandages on his leg. “I still can’t believe that som’betch shot me, y’all. It happened faster than a knife fight in a phone booth, too. I barely even felt it.”
“Adrenaline,” Jake said the corner of his mouth quirking.
“If you need anything for the pain just say the word,” Riley said. “Don’t try to play the tough guy for our sake.”
“Yeah, man,” Falisha agreed. “Your leg looked like it had been through a grinder. It must be hurting right now. Christ, mine hurts just thinking about it.”
“Really y’all, I’m right as rain,” Ty smiled up at them. “It don’t hurt much at all.”
“What the hell?” Eli said, shifting back onto his heels.
“What is it doc,” Ty asked. “Is it bad?”
“Take a look for yourself,” Eli said tossing the bandages to the side and glaring up at me. “You and I need to talk.”
I took a step forward and leaned in, wondering what had upset him so much. I was absolutely shocked by what I saw. Despite the thick layer of blood that had dried on Ty’s skin, the wound on his leg appeared to be almost completely healed. It was as if it had happened weeks ago, rather than a couple of hours.
“What the—?” Jake was so shocked he released Christa, who immediately dove to the floor and wrapped herself around Ty’s neck.
“You almost died.” Christa sobbed into his neck.
“Easy now, darlin’.” Ty patted her back gently and spoke to her in a whisper. “Everything is gonna be fine, sweets. I’m alright, see?”
“But how?” My eyes
“Your blood volume is down, Liv.” Jake sat next to me and patted my leg. “There is no way for us to know exactly how much Eli took from you because he did a direct transfusion. I bet he took a couple of liters, easy. That’s enough to make a person feel weak under normal conditions. Your biology is anything but normal these days, Liv, not to mention the fact that you are dehydrated and exhausted. It’s no wonder your senses are dulled.”
I buried my face in my hands. “What good is having this radar crap if it doesn’t even work?”
“Take it easy, Liv,” Jake said. “We just have to get your strength up, and I am sure it will come back. Let’s see if we can find you something to eat, okay?”
“But, Zander is—” I began to protest.
“Zander is stronger than both of us put together. Hell, he comes with his own built-in weapons,” Jake snickered and held up a fist. “He is not the one I am worried about, right now.”
* * *
“Ty!” Christa shouted. “Oh my God, Ty. You guys, get over here!”
Jake and I made our way over to Ty’s pallet and joined Falisha and Riley at his side. Christa threw herself across Ty’s chest, clawing and hugging frantically. Eli peeled her off him and pushed her toward her brother. Jake wrapped his slender hand around her shoulder and held her at bay.
“Keep that girl under control, please.” Eli shook his head, then crouched down next to Ty and helped him to sit upright. “Take it easy, kid. You lost a lot of blood. There are quite a few stitches in that leg. I would rather not have to put you back together again, if you don’t mind.”
“What?” Ty rubbed at his eyes disoriented. “What the hell happened, y’all?”
“You got shot is what happened,” Christa shrieked at him.
“Seriously? But I…” Ty’s brow furrowed and he ran his hand through his sweat-soaked hair. His face dropped as the events came back to him. “Oh, right.”
“Okay, Ty, I need you to follow this light with your eyes,” Eli said, clicking on his penlight. Ty nodded and did as he was asked. “How do you feel? Any dizziness or nausea?”
“Naw,” Ty said as his eyes shifted with the path of the light. “I feel…I feel tired but fine, actually. Leg’s a bit sore, is all.”
“Yeah, I can imagine it is,” Eli snorted. “Let’s take a look, shall we?”
“Sure, doc. Do what you gotta do,” Ty said, and Eli set to work peeling back the bandages on his leg. “I still can’t believe that som’betch shot me, y’all. It happened faster than a knife fight in a phone booth, too. I barely even felt it.”
“Adrenaline,” Jake said the corner of his mouth quirking.
“If you need anything for the pain just say the word,” Riley said. “Don’t try to play the tough guy for our sake.”
“Yeah, man,” Falisha agreed. “Your leg looked like it had been through a grinder. It must be hurting right now. Christ, mine hurts just thinking about it.”
“Really y’all, I’m right as rain,” Ty smiled up at them. “It don’t hurt much at all.”
“What the hell?” Eli said, shifting back onto his heels.
“What is it doc,” Ty asked. “Is it bad?”
“Take a look for yourself,” Eli said tossing the bandages to the side and glaring up at me. “You and I need to talk.”
I took a step forward and leaned in, wondering what had upset him so much. I was absolutely shocked by what I saw. Despite the thick layer of blood that had dried on Ty’s skin, the wound on his leg appeared to be almost completely healed. It was as if it had happened weeks ago, rather than a couple of hours.
“What the—?” Jake was so shocked he released Christa, who immediately dove to the floor and wrapped herself around Ty’s neck.
“You almost died.” Christa sobbed into his neck.
“Easy now, darlin’.” Ty patted her back gently and spoke to her in a whisper. “Everything is gonna be fine, sweets. I’m alright, see?”
“But how?” My eyes
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