Finding Eden by Megan Dinsdale Page A

took out a couple of alcohol wipes. I opened one foil wrapper and reached towards his damaged eye. He flinched.
    “ I’m not going to hurt you, although it might sting a bit.” I tried to give him a weak smile.
    He seemed to awaken. He blinked a few times and relaxed his shoulders.
    “ Shit,” was all he said.
    I laughed and replied with, “Brace yourself.” I pressed the alcohol soaked square above his eye. I could just barely see his brown iris underneath the damaged, milky-white layer. I let my thumb graze just underneath his bottom lashes, removing dirt as I went. My breathing hitched and I pulled my thumb back.
    He just closed his eyes and pressed his lips firmly together. I padded the cloth on his eyelid, then below his eye, trying to remove the blood and all traces of dirt that entered into the wound uninvited. I squeezed some antibiotic ointment onto my fingertip and gingerly applied a layer along the offending mark. I stuck a bandage on the cut above and below his eye. I did the same thing to the puncture wounds on both sides of his neck, sticking small, circular bandages over those.
    “ All set.” I smiled and patted his shoulder.
    “ Shit,” he said again. “Thanks.”
    “ Of course.” I smiled; it was less weak this time. I got up and walked over to my pack to put away my first aid kit. I needed a moment to myself. I took a shuddering breath and let my face fall into my hands. I squeezed my own eyes shut. Playing the strong one had taken its toll on me. Until now, I hadn’t realized my hands and forearms were covered in the coyote’s blood. I cursed and tried to get the crimson off of me, scratching and rubbing my flesh. It was already dried and wouldn’t come off. I was instantly pissed and cursed again. I scratched and scratched at my skin and the blood began to flake off, but what was left behind burned. I hadn’t realized I was crying until salty tears fell into my self-inflicted wounds, but it didn’t stop me. I had to get this crap off of me and I became vicious in the attempt to do so.
    I felt arms wrap around me, pinning my elbows to my ribcage. My hands were clawed, aching to meet my forearms again. I struggled against Tex and he tightened his arms so that any attempt to free myself was futile. I tried to choke back the onslaught of sobs I knew were coming, only to fail.
    “ Calm down! Calm down, Kid.”
    “ Let me go,” I growled.
    “ Not until you stop. You saved me from that animal; now it’s apparently my turn to save you from yourself. Quit it.”
    I shuddered against him. He was so big compared to me. He engulfed me and I felt like I disappeared into his arms and chest. He dwarfed me and it frightened me. I didn’t want to cease to exist again; that’s what I used to be , living on my own, underground, non-existent. I almost lost him and I didn’t realize that I needed him until that fact. I had been alone for so long and I was scared to death of it happening again. I refused to eat anymore meals and play anymore games alone. Now that I had a taste of the opposite, I was suddenly repelled at the thought of living my life by myself.
    “ I don’t want to be alone anymore,” I confessed as I relaxed against him. His arms loosened around me.
    I felt him take a deep breath, but he didn’t let it out until what seemed like forever. The intake was sharp, like I had said something that either surprised or scared him. I chewed on my bottom lip and decided to create a new mantra: never be alone.
    “ I’m so scared that—”
    “ You won’t be.” His voice sounded tortured and tired, as if it took all the strength he possessed to say those three words. 
     
    I woke up when it was still light outside. I was surprised to see that Tex was up and I was even more surprised when I realized what he was doing.
                  “Are you skinning that animal?” I blanched, my eyes widening at the sight.
    “No, Blondie. I am gutting this animal. I, in fact, skinned him