that is if I even live long enough to have the baby...” Her voice was rapidly rising in pitch with each statement.
“You aren't alone,” Lila interrupted, before the pregnant woman could completely dissolve into the hysterics that seemed to be threatening. “What you did to my friend has no excuse, but I won't abandon you over it.” It was like the words helped to cement her own thoughts even as she spoke. “I've searched and hoped and waited far too long to give up on you just because I don't like you very much. I'm not stupid―I'm not going to throw away help just because it isn't exactly what I wanted. I will help you when the baby comes, and maybe someday we will find your husband. You can't give up hope just yet.”
“Why not? There's no reason to keep hoping.”
Lila repeated one of Protector's favorite sayings. “Hope is refusing to give up when we have no reason to believe. If you have information, it is knowledge. Persistence without promise―that is hope. As long as you live, there is always hope.” Was it just her imagination, or did Katie's skin seem paler than normal?
Katie shook her head. “You don't undersand,” she said, shaking her head weakly. “I'm living dead. A wolf bit me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Wolf fever. The wolf bite contains the virus―no one ever survives the Wolf Fever.” Katie put a hand to her head.
Lila wasn't imagining it―she was definitely paler than normal. “That's silly. I've lived in the forest for over a dozen years. If there was such a fever I think I would have caught it by now.”
“You haven't been bitten.” Katie reached down to pull up her pant leg on the injured ankle.
Lila gasped in revulsion when she saw the bite. Katie's entire ankle was severely swollen, an angry red color. The edges of the gash were an unnatural shade of gray. She jumped up and grabbed a scrap of cloth from the pile near the backpack. “I need to wash the wound again. You'll be fine.” She wet the cloth and dabbed at the wound, nausea clenching her stomach at the smell of infection. She tried to smile reassuringly, but was alarmed when she looked up to see that Katie's face was white and her hands were trembling.
“Are you okay?”
“I don't feel―” Lila moved back when Katie suddenly turned to the side and retched violently. She stepped behind Katie and held her hair back away from her face. The spasms wracked Katie's body until her stomach was empty, until finally she turned away and lay down on the grass bed, beads of sweat standing out on her forehead.
Lila placed a hand gently on Katie's forehead and realized it was burning up. Despite this, and the muggy heat of the day, Katie began shivering so hard that her teeth chattered, still sobbing weakly. As gently as she could, she used the cloth to clean away the scabs until fresh blood began to flow from the wound, helping to carry the infection away. It took several trips to the stream to wash out the cloth before the injury was as clean as Lila could get it. Katie bit her lip and whimpered as Lila worked.
“I'm sorry, I'm almost done.” Eventually Lila had to step back, knowing there was nothing else she could do. Despite her efforts, one glance at the sick girl was enough to tell her that it was unlikely that anything she could do would be enough to stem the infection. She had no medicine, she didn't even have any soap. There were a couple plants that she could find to bring down the fever, but that was it. She went to stand, intending to wash the cloth out in the stream, but Katie grabbed her arm.
“I'm going to die.”
“You are not going to die!” Lila exclaimed, squashing the thrill of fear at the thought. She didn't find another survivor just to lose her like this, and told Katie as much.
“You can't do anything. Wolf fever leaves no survivors.”
Lila was not one to allow the world to tell her that she couldn't do
“You aren't alone,” Lila interrupted, before the pregnant woman could completely dissolve into the hysterics that seemed to be threatening. “What you did to my friend has no excuse, but I won't abandon you over it.” It was like the words helped to cement her own thoughts even as she spoke. “I've searched and hoped and waited far too long to give up on you just because I don't like you very much. I'm not stupid―I'm not going to throw away help just because it isn't exactly what I wanted. I will help you when the baby comes, and maybe someday we will find your husband. You can't give up hope just yet.”
“Why not? There's no reason to keep hoping.”
Lila repeated one of Protector's favorite sayings. “Hope is refusing to give up when we have no reason to believe. If you have information, it is knowledge. Persistence without promise―that is hope. As long as you live, there is always hope.” Was it just her imagination, or did Katie's skin seem paler than normal?
Katie shook her head. “You don't undersand,” she said, shaking her head weakly. “I'm living dead. A wolf bit me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Wolf fever. The wolf bite contains the virus―no one ever survives the Wolf Fever.” Katie put a hand to her head.
Lila wasn't imagining it―she was definitely paler than normal. “That's silly. I've lived in the forest for over a dozen years. If there was such a fever I think I would have caught it by now.”
“You haven't been bitten.” Katie reached down to pull up her pant leg on the injured ankle.
Lila gasped in revulsion when she saw the bite. Katie's entire ankle was severely swollen, an angry red color. The edges of the gash were an unnatural shade of gray. She jumped up and grabbed a scrap of cloth from the pile near the backpack. “I need to wash the wound again. You'll be fine.” She wet the cloth and dabbed at the wound, nausea clenching her stomach at the smell of infection. She tried to smile reassuringly, but was alarmed when she looked up to see that Katie's face was white and her hands were trembling.
“Are you okay?”
“I don't feel―” Lila moved back when Katie suddenly turned to the side and retched violently. She stepped behind Katie and held her hair back away from her face. The spasms wracked Katie's body until her stomach was empty, until finally she turned away and lay down on the grass bed, beads of sweat standing out on her forehead.
Lila placed a hand gently on Katie's forehead and realized it was burning up. Despite this, and the muggy heat of the day, Katie began shivering so hard that her teeth chattered, still sobbing weakly. As gently as she could, she used the cloth to clean away the scabs until fresh blood began to flow from the wound, helping to carry the infection away. It took several trips to the stream to wash out the cloth before the injury was as clean as Lila could get it. Katie bit her lip and whimpered as Lila worked.
“I'm sorry, I'm almost done.” Eventually Lila had to step back, knowing there was nothing else she could do. Despite her efforts, one glance at the sick girl was enough to tell her that it was unlikely that anything she could do would be enough to stem the infection. She had no medicine, she didn't even have any soap. There were a couple plants that she could find to bring down the fever, but that was it. She went to stand, intending to wash the cloth out in the stream, but Katie grabbed her arm.
“I'm going to die.”
“You are not going to die!” Lila exclaimed, squashing the thrill of fear at the thought. She didn't find another survivor just to lose her like this, and told Katie as much.
“You can't do anything. Wolf fever leaves no survivors.”
Lila was not one to allow the world to tell her that she couldn't do
Similar Books
