* * *
He woke with a start. Neetie had moaned. Maggie set up also, rubbing her eyes.
“It’s almost daylight. I’m going to examine him. You go get a couple of blankets out of the truck to wrap him in and let’s get him loaded.”
Maggie hurried out the door and returned with the blankets.
“Spread the blankets out and let’s wrap him up. He doesn’t need to be further chilled by the rain.”
He and Maggie worked together with their usual efficiency, each anticipating what the other would do. He’d never been more in sync with another person in his life. He found comfort in that feeling. In record time they had Neetie stretched out in the backseat of the truck.
Court pulled out of the village while Neetie still slept. Maggie couldn’t keep from touching him as if checking to see if he was still alive. Her lips were taut with worry. Court wanted to ease the strain but he was just as concerned.
He’d questioned the less-than-desirable road trip to the village but the drive back was turning out to be even worse. The pouring rain made mud out of the inches of dry dirt. If what they had traveled coming in could loosely be called a road, it was now a slippery mud field.
“You’re worried, aren’t you?” Maggie asked, as if she didn’t want to hear his answer. “You promised to tell me the truth.”
He glanced at her, took her hand and squeezed, trying to put reassurance he didn’t feel into the touch. “I am concerned but Neetie’s young and I think we’ve caught the hepatitis early. What we must concentrate on now is getting him back to the hospital as soon as possible.”
“I trust your judgment.”
He gave her a dry smile. “Thanks. I don’t want anything to happen to Neetie either. You didn’t get much sleep last night. Why don’t you get some rest now? If Neetie needs you, I’ll let you know.”
“You didn’t get much sleep either.”
“I’ll let you drive when I get tired. Come on.” He put a hand on her shoulder and guided her head down to his thigh. She settled against his leg. A shot of awareness whipped through him. He liked having her near, could get used to it. He had to rest his hand on her waist because he had to shift gear and there was nowhere else to put it. It troubled him to see Maggie so upset about Neetie. For both their sakes, he hoped they could get Neetie to the care he needed in time.
A moan from behind her woke Maggie. She scrambled to sit up in the seat and turned round.
“Missy Maggie, I not feel good.” Neetie’s eyes were open but the whites were yellow and the veins dark red with fever. He’d pushed the blanket down to his legs. “Hot.”
“I know, honey. Would you like a drink of water?”
He nodded but so slightly and pitifully she wanted to cry. But she wouldn’t break down, it would only scare him.
“Hey, buddy,” Court called over his shoulder. “We’ll get you feeling better soon.”
Maggie held the bottle of water for Neetie. He took a few sips. A little dribbled down his chin and she wiped it away.
“It’s been long enough that he can have more pain-reliever,” Court said.
“You’re not concerned about his liver being damaged further?”
“Not at this point. We need to keep the fever in check.”
She pulled a thermometer out of the med bag and took Neetie’s temperature.
It had gone down but not as far as she would have liked. Finding the medicine, she encouraged him to take it. As he held her wrist to sit up, she noticed his hands had swollen.
A rush of alarm ran through her. Because of the dim light, had she not seen the symptom earlier or it had been a recent development? Either way, Neetie was getting worse.
“Honey, you go back to sleep. We’ll be at the hospital soon.” With shaking hands she tucked him in again.
She touched Court’s arm, gaining his attention. “His hands are starting to swell.” She saw him tense, and she pushed down the sob that built in her.
“Is there a quicker way to get back than the one we’re taking?”
“Yes, but it’s more difficult, especially in this weather.”
“We don’t have a choice.”
She glanced at Neetie. Afraid that she might be sick, she focused on what had to be done. “Stay due south.”
* * *
Maggie woke from a drowsy state to the whine of tires spinning. She sat upright.
“What’s wrong?”
“We’re stuck.” Disgust filled Court’s voice.
“Stuck how?”
“Crossing a stream.”
“The flash floods! I was so worried about Neetie I forgot to say anything about them. We need to get out of this before the water starts rising.”
“Another downside to living in this God-forsaken place,” he muttered, before shifting the truck into reverse and then back into forward while applying the gas. The truck rocked back and forth but still didn’t budge.
Maggie looked back at Neetie. He seemed to be sleeping more comfortably. “Neetie?”
“He’s fine. Scoot over here and drive. I’ll get out and push,” he instructed her.
Court climbed out and swiftly disappeared. Maggie worked her way over the gearshift to get behind the wheel. She looked out the open door. Court was in the process of struggling to get to his feet by supporting himself with the door.
“Are you okay?”
“It’s slick out here.”
She wanted to smile even as worried as she was about Neetie, being stuck or, worse, washed away but she couldn’t help finding Court’s predicament funny. Maybe her emotions were getting the better of her but Court’s fancy big-city backside being covered in mud struck her as comical. In a low growl he said, “If I even think you’re laughing…”
“I’m not, I’m not, I promise.” She snorted, almost losing control. Their situation wasn’t good but a little laugh did help ease the tension.
“When I slap on the side of the truck you give it some gas and, for God’s sake, don’t put it in reverse.”
Court didn’t wait for her reply. She pulled the door closed. At the signal thump she checked one more time to make sure the truck was in first gear and pushed the gas petal slowly to the floor. The truck moved forward but not enough to get out of the mire.
Thump. Thump. She let off the gas. Court stood at the door. There wasn’t a dry thread on him and a steady stream of water ran off the brim of his hat. She rolled the window down.
“It’s not working,” he said, breathless. “I’m going to have to unload the wooden supply box and bust it up. I’ll use the wood to hopefully get some traction. Cover Neetie with the other blanket. He doesn’t need to be in a draft or get wet.”
Again Court didn’t wait for her reply. Maggie rolled the window up. She watched in the side mirror as he headed for the back of the truck, holding on for support. He had a plan. If she had to be stuck, she was grateful he was with her.
Getting on her knees in the seat so she could reach over Nettie, she covered him. A gust of wind hit her in the face. Court had opened the tailgate. The heavy tarp fluttered above her. For a brief moment she cupped Neetie’s face. Thank goodness his temperature hadn’t risen.
Opening the door, she hung on to it, making sure she found her footing before moving to the back of the truck. Court had already found the box he was looking for and was unloading the contents by the time she’d joined him.
“Get back inside.” He wasn’t pleased to see her.
“No, I’m going to help you.”
“I can
get this. You go stay dry.”
“Too late for your chivalry. And I know where the hammer is stored, and you don’t. Help me onto the tailgate. I think I can reach it without unloading everything.”
“Turn around and I’ll help you up. It figures you’d find some way to be in charge,” he said in a flat tone that would’ve been a teasing one under other circumstances.
Careful not to slip, she turned until her backside was to the end of the truck. Court’s hands closed around her waist and he lifted her until she sat on the tailgate. Maggie searched through the built-in toolbox, located the hammer and handed it to him.
“You stay out of the rain while I break this box down.”
“I can help.” Before he could argue she jumped down, splashing mud all over both of them.
“Thanks, Maggie.”
“Sorry,” she said contritely, even though they both grinned.
As Court demolished the wood carton she stacked the pieces on the tailgate. When he’d finished Court begin pushing wood under the right back tire. Maggie followed his example under the other rear tire. The water had risen, making it difficult to see what she was doing. She felt along the tire to make sure the wood was in place.
“You get in and do what you did before. Let’s see if we can get this monster out this time.”
Using caution, Maggie made her way back to the driver’s door and climbed into the vehicle. For the first time in her life she flipped a long wet strand of hair out of her face without securing it. She put the truck in gear. Rolling down the window, she yelled, “Ready?”
At the double slap she gave the truck gas. To begin with nothing happened, only the whine of the tires spinning without purpose and the roar of the motor, then with a jerk the truck lurched forward. She brought it to a stop on firmer ground twenty feet away.
Opening the door, she shouted, “I’ll drive for a while.” She reached behind the passenger seat and pulled out her duffel bag. Unzipping it, she found a dry T-shirt and a towel. The passenger door opened and Court climbed in holding his right hand in the air. Blood ran in streams down his arm.