his backpack on with all the medical supplies he scrounged from the storm cellar.
Mack guided Amber to the front counter. She hopped up on top. While doing so she almost fell. Blood loss wasn’t the reason why she was out of sorts. Before reaching the gas station she took a couple of the oxycotin she stole from her dad’s pharmacy.
“Let me see it,” said Mack in a soft voice.
Amber hesitated at first. Then she took the long sleeve tee shirt away from her eye. Mack examined her wound under the fluorescent lights of the store. The glass cut through Amber’s eyelid. Mack could see the white of her eye through it, once he wiped away some of the blood. It was a gruesome wound. Luckily it looked much worse than it was.
“You want the good news or the bad news?” asked Mack as he took some gauze and soaked it in hydrogen peroxide.
Amber gave Mack a dirty look, then sighed. “The bad.”
“Well, the bad news is you have a really nasty cut on your eyelid. To be safe you’re going to have to wear something over it and I’m going to have to try and stitch it closed.” Mack started dabbing the gash.
Amber winced and sucked her teeth. The hydrogen peroxide stung, but she knew it was necessary. Back before the outbreak, she read a story online about a guy who left a simple cut on his face from shaving untreated. A month later, the man lost his bottom jaw. Antiseptics were important.
“You’re gonna bring a needle near my eyeball?”
“Indeed I am. I’d advise that you stay still,” said Mack with a slightly morbid smile.
Mack finally got a real good look once he wiped away the blood and sterilized the wound. He prepared the thread and needle.
“Have you done this before?” Amber voice almost trembled.
“Nope.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t.”
“Shhh, stay still.” Mack slowly and carefully pinched Amber’s top eyelid and pulled it away from her eye ball. With steady hands he began stitching.
Amber closed her eyes. The image of her mother’s face formed in her mind. It was from the last time they saw each other. There was both terror and disbelief in Mrs. Long’s eyes.
“All done,” said Mack. “Let me just put something over it.”
Mack took a big piece of gauze and covered all four sides with medical tape. He then put the newly formed bandage over and around Amber’s left eye socket.
When Amber opened her eyes, she saw Mack cleaning up. There was no pain involved in the whole ordeal. Relieved, Amber hopped off the convenience store counter.
“We can’t stay. This place is too exposed.” Mack zipped up his backpack.
Amber had a little trouble navigating around the store. Having only one eye to see from was a change that would take some getting used to. Unfortunately she was amongst the zombie apocalypse. That time wasn’t going to be easy to come by.
“Not even for a little bit?’ asked Amber. The teenager knelt down and grabbed a bag of chips that was on the floor. She opened and started to eat before Mack could answer.
“No, not even a little. Let’s go.” Mack slung on his backpack and headed towards the door. Amber grabbed a couple more things, all junk food, and followed.
Mack and Amber left the convenience store. The former unscrewed the black SUV’s gas cap and started filling up. With each gallon in, there was a little ding.
Chapter 4 : The Red River
“We need to cross,” said Mack they observed the bridge in the distance.
“That’s not gonna be fun.” Amber was atop the SUV roof while Mack was on the street below.
About a mile ahead of them was a bridge that crossed the aptly named Red River. On the other side was Oklahoma. It was the only way over the long winding dark red, almost maroon body of water. And it was covered in abandon cars, much like I-23 back in Dallas.
The bridge was the only way over, and it was the only way into Oklahoma that Mack knew of. If he and Amber wanted to cross through instead of over they’d have to contend with thick
Mack guided Amber to the front counter. She hopped up on top. While doing so she almost fell. Blood loss wasn’t the reason why she was out of sorts. Before reaching the gas station she took a couple of the oxycotin she stole from her dad’s pharmacy.
“Let me see it,” said Mack in a soft voice.
Amber hesitated at first. Then she took the long sleeve tee shirt away from her eye. Mack examined her wound under the fluorescent lights of the store. The glass cut through Amber’s eyelid. Mack could see the white of her eye through it, once he wiped away some of the blood. It was a gruesome wound. Luckily it looked much worse than it was.
“You want the good news or the bad news?” asked Mack as he took some gauze and soaked it in hydrogen peroxide.
Amber gave Mack a dirty look, then sighed. “The bad.”
“Well, the bad news is you have a really nasty cut on your eyelid. To be safe you’re going to have to wear something over it and I’m going to have to try and stitch it closed.” Mack started dabbing the gash.
Amber winced and sucked her teeth. The hydrogen peroxide stung, but she knew it was necessary. Back before the outbreak, she read a story online about a guy who left a simple cut on his face from shaving untreated. A month later, the man lost his bottom jaw. Antiseptics were important.
“You’re gonna bring a needle near my eyeball?”
“Indeed I am. I’d advise that you stay still,” said Mack with a slightly morbid smile.
Mack finally got a real good look once he wiped away the blood and sterilized the wound. He prepared the thread and needle.
“Have you done this before?” Amber voice almost trembled.
“Nope.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t.”
“Shhh, stay still.” Mack slowly and carefully pinched Amber’s top eyelid and pulled it away from her eye ball. With steady hands he began stitching.
Amber closed her eyes. The image of her mother’s face formed in her mind. It was from the last time they saw each other. There was both terror and disbelief in Mrs. Long’s eyes.
“All done,” said Mack. “Let me just put something over it.”
Mack took a big piece of gauze and covered all four sides with medical tape. He then put the newly formed bandage over and around Amber’s left eye socket.
When Amber opened her eyes, she saw Mack cleaning up. There was no pain involved in the whole ordeal. Relieved, Amber hopped off the convenience store counter.
“We can’t stay. This place is too exposed.” Mack zipped up his backpack.
Amber had a little trouble navigating around the store. Having only one eye to see from was a change that would take some getting used to. Unfortunately she was amongst the zombie apocalypse. That time wasn’t going to be easy to come by.
“Not even for a little bit?’ asked Amber. The teenager knelt down and grabbed a bag of chips that was on the floor. She opened and started to eat before Mack could answer.
“No, not even a little. Let’s go.” Mack slung on his backpack and headed towards the door. Amber grabbed a couple more things, all junk food, and followed.
Mack and Amber left the convenience store. The former unscrewed the black SUV’s gas cap and started filling up. With each gallon in, there was a little ding.
Chapter 4 : The Red River
“We need to cross,” said Mack they observed the bridge in the distance.
“That’s not gonna be fun.” Amber was atop the SUV roof while Mack was on the street below.
About a mile ahead of them was a bridge that crossed the aptly named Red River. On the other side was Oklahoma. It was the only way over the long winding dark red, almost maroon body of water. And it was covered in abandon cars, much like I-23 back in Dallas.
The bridge was the only way over, and it was the only way into Oklahoma that Mack knew of. If he and Amber wanted to cross through instead of over they’d have to contend with thick
Similar Books
