Hunter's Moon.htm (37 page)

"I've got some coveralls in my trunk," he said. "They won't be the best fit but you need something. That storm's going to be here any minute."

I glanced down at myself. I looked like shit, but I felt worse. I was nearly catatonic. All I could concentrate on was internal CPR. Beat, beat, breathe. Beat, beat, breathe. Nothing else mattered. Just keep oxygen pumping to her brain— keep her alive long enough to doctor her. It was a conscious effort.

They lifted her in one smooth motion as though it was practiced. I was breathliss and panicked as they moved her. I felt the blood drain from my face from the effort of keeping her calm. She could feel it and it hurt. God Almighty, it hurt. She shouldn't be able to feel. But if I could feel her, what was she getting from me?

"She's waking up," I whispered. I looked to Carl with pleading with my eyes. "Give her something for the pain before you start, huh?" His eyes grew wide and he flicked a light across her pupils and swore. He took off for the hanger at a dead run.

As they moved her, I was forced to ask a question. It slipped through my mind before I could stop it. Was I willing to risk my life for this woman? Because that's what I was doing. If Carl couldn't heal her, she would drain me dry. Take me into that black nothingness with her. I was breathing for her, making her heart beat as though I were a life support machine in a hospital. The effort would exhaust me little by little. It already was.

I barely knew her. All I had to do was let go. Just hold my breath and not make her heart beat. A few minutes is all it would take. I could go back to my life if I survived.

No. I didn't want to make this decision right now. Not until Carl had a chance to look at her.

I stayed where I was on my knees as they moved away with her. I could only concentrate on the beating of her heart. I didn't want to distract myself with any additional movement. But as she moved further from me the effort became more; having her near made the life support easier. I stood in the hot sand. My legs were shaky and I felt stings of pain as the superheated quartz blasted my body. It didn't matter.

Bobby watched silently as I dragged my weary body toward the hanger, following like a dog on a lead.

The boys laid Sue down on a table that Carl cleared off with a sweep of his arm. It was dusty in the metal framed building, but it was also cooler and out of the weather. It seemed odd it was cool. There must be some insulation in the walls— it should have been an oven.

Carl immediately went to work. He ripped the tatters of Sue's shirt away from the wound and turned to the waiting men. Scarlet blood stained her snow white bra. Nobody looked. It was somehow too personal.

"Jerry, congratulations! You've been promoted to nurse." He kicked the black bag on the floor toward the men. "Carmine, you get some water. Clean, please. Find some way to heat it up. Mike, get the rest of my stuff out of the car. Jerry," he continued, as I slumped to the floor in the corner. "Get two pairs of latex gloves out of the bag and one of the large alcohol pads." None of the men argued. Carl's the doc. He's in charge. Otherwise, the next time one of them needed patching he'd just watch them die. His Hippocratic Oath has a vindictive streak.

Carl dropped to his knees and pulled a small glass vial from the black bag. He inserted a syringe into the top. He inverted the works and slowly drew the clear liquid into the needle. My heart beat faster and Sue reacted to my panic by moving towards consciousness. I watched Carl remove the air from the syringe by squirting out a small amount of the fluid. One hand held the needle while the other reached out expectantly for the foil square that was about twice the size of a condom. Jerry put it in his hand just like a nurse. He ripped the packet open with his teeth and I could smell alcohol in a sudden wave. He grabbed the towelette and shook off the wrapper. When he swabbed the crook of Sue's arm I couldn't look anymore. I kept telling myself that this was good clear liquid. I knew and trusted Carl. But my fists were closed tight and my legs drew closer to my chest.

I felt when the needle pierced her skin. I could feel everything with her now. The connection was locked tight.

I concentrated on keeping Sue's heart beating, keeping her breathing, while the needle spilled its contents into her body. I felt a warm soothing wave sweep through me as whatever drug Carl had injected started to work. No more pain. Sleep lapped at my consciousness and I had to struggle to stay awake.

A tap on my shoulder made me jump. I had turned to face the wall. Curled in a ball in the corner. Oh yeah. Big strong tough guy, that's me. I turned to find Mike staring at me. He was holding an armload of equipment.

Breathing was still an effort and Mike noticed. "You're not looking too good. Let Carl give you something to sleep." I had to admit that sleep would be a good thing right now. But not by needle.

"No!" came a harsh exclamation to my right. I turned to see Bobby walking toward me. He held a video camera in his hand with a 7 News logo on the side.

Bobby set the camera on the floor under the table where Sue lay. "No drugs for Tony." He looked me over as though seeing me for the first time. His brow furrowed as he looked from me to Sue and then back again. He gave an amazed shake of his head. "You need coffee," he said to me. "I've got some in the car. Let's go."

I shook my head. "I can't leave. I really can't leave." I didn't know if he would understand the reason but I knew that he would smell the truth of my words.

Mike saw the look on Bobby's face and shrugged. He dropped off his load and walked back out into the wind.

Carl turned from his efforts and looked at me for a brief second. "Do you know your lady's blood type? We've got to get some replacement into her or she won't make it. I've got plasma with me, but whole blood would be better."

I shrugged. I really didn't know. I couldn't ask Sue even in my mind. She was out. But he was right. She would die. "I'm O negative— universal donor." I held out my bare arm to him. "Just promise not to be mad if I hit you when you stick in the needle."

Bobby grabbed my arm suddenly and pulled me to my feet in a burst. He dragged rne off to the side. "Are you insane?" he said in a terse whisper. "You can't donate blood!"

"Why not? I'm universal. She'll die without blood!" Fine. If he could be angry so could I.

He gave a sharp exasperated exhale of breath. He hissed the words at me. "You aren't type O negative, stupid. You're W positive— if you get my meaning." He glanced at Carl who was ignoring us and starting to clean instruments. I had nearly forgotten. Beat, beat, breathe. Beat, beat, breathe.

Wolf positive. It hadn't even occurred to me. Hope surged through me. My blood could save her life. I glanced at her. Tried to imagine her awake and laughing again.

But then she'd be just like me. Sub-human. I really believe that. I'm not more than human, I'm less. Could I let her die when I could save her? Would saving her like that be a curse or a cure?

Curse or cure? Curse or cure? I shook my head while Bobby watched my internal struggle. No, I couldn't do that. Not even to save her life. Given the choice again, I'd rather have died. It's a curse.

There was pain in my voice. "Then she'll die. I won't do that to her. I won't make her an animal." It made me sad. Without the blood and unless by some miracle one of the others was universal Sue would die. I sat down on the floor right where I was, still naked. I brought my knees to my chest once more. She would die and I couldn't save her.

Fine. Then I'd go with her. We'll travel down the black tunnel hand in hand. I could live without her, but I didn't want to.

I understood suddenly. It was like sight. As if all your life you'd been able to see but had never seen color. Black and white had always served you until you got a taste of red and yellow and green. Then grey was never again enough. No sunsets, no Christmas lights. Sue was like that now. I'd had a taste of something incredible in my head. A never-ending technicolor sunset. Some magical something that I knew was special. One of a kind.

I ignored Bobby and concentrated only on keeping Sue alive. I'd do what I could. Give Carl whatever chance he needed to save her. Right to the end. Bobby clenched and unclenched his large fists, but it wasn't his problem. This was mine alone. My decision. My choice.

Mike came in again. His arms were loaded with supplies. He paused nearby and juggled boxes. Then he tossed a pair of blue coveralls my direction.

"Get some clothes on, Giodone. There are ladies present." He beamed a confident smile at me. I forced a small one in return.

Bobby watched me, took a deep breath, and sighed. He left me on the floor. I made no move to put on the coveralls. It was too much effort. Beat, beat, breathe.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him walk over to Carl. He spoke softly but I still heard his words. Guess the ears were still working fine. It was just everything else that was slowing down. Grinding down with exertion. Beat, beat, breathe.

Carl was busy unpacking boxes and giving direction to Jerry and Mike. They were setting up tables and instruments like they knew what they were doing. Maybe they did. Carmine stood off to the side. He looked normal. Not anxious; not fretting. Just calm. Apparently he had found hot water. He was waiting for his next assignment.

"Do you believe in miracles, Carl?" asked Bobby.

Carl turned to him and gave him a long look. I brought my head up from where it rested on my knees and watched them. Jerry and Mike seemed to sense something was going on and moved a little further away.

"Let's just say that I've seen some things that can't be readily explained by modern science. If they were miracles, then so be it."

"Did any of them happen when you were actually present?" Where was he leading?

Carl gave him a brief smile, never stopping his work on prepping Sue for surgery. "I've noticed that miracles don't like an audience."

"Do me a favor then." His cold calm unnerved me a little.

"Leave the room. Go take a leak. Get a cup of coffee. Come back in five minutes."

That stopped Carl cold. "She'll die, Bobby. I need those five minutes." He continued working. He shook his head. "No. I can't."

"One minute then, Carl, just one minute for a miracle." He put a large dark hand on the doctor's shoulder, "Please."

Carl looked down at Sue, then at Bobby. He looked at me last but longest. I returned the look. He appealed to me with panicked eyes. Asking my permission. I was Sue's protector. It was my choice. Bobby didn't look at me, he just kept staring at Carl.

It was Carl's choice. He was the doctor. I gave a brief nod and then returned my chin to where it rested on my knees. One minute wouldn't matter but Carl didn't know that. I could probably last another ten minutes before my own strength gave out. Beat, beat, breathe.

I closed my eyes. So tired. Beat, beat, breathe. I heard but didn't see Carl, Jerry, Mike and Carmine leave the hanger. Bobby and I were alone with Sue. Whatever he was going to do, I wouldn't let him end her life. I would prevent that.

In my mind's eye I focused again on the spider thread that I held. I felt each beat of her heart. I breathed each breath with her. The cable continued to glow but only because of what I fed it. She lived because I allowed it.

It didn't make me feel cocky. I didn't feel like God. I felt very alone. Very tense. I concentrated but couldn't reach her mind because of the drugs. It was like a door was closed. Not locked. She slept behind that closed door. She felt no pain and that was good.

I felt Bobby. It was like standing next to a bonfire. Or a live high-tension wire. I concentrated on Sue's lifethread. I stood guard against whatever he would do. I didn't have the physical strength to fight him but I would watch over her life like Cerberus himself at the gates of Hell.

I heard a dark chuckle from Bobby. "Only you could manage to screw things up this bad, Giodone." He spoke softly but knew I could hear. He sighed and it spoke volumes

"Mated to a human. Fiona will have a strip of my hide for this. I should not be doing this. Gawd! I should not even be involved. You'd better appreciate it."

I had no idea who or what he was talking about so I didn't respond. Bobby touched Sue. Me. Us. Placed his hands right over her wound and sealed it. I felt pressure but no pain. I held her life in my hands and guarded it. I mentally became a wolf.

Then the gloves came off. It was like Bobby had been holding himself in check. Not letting on who— or what— he really was. Power sang through the room and raised every hair on my body. I looked up with a gasp. Bobby was bathed in a silvery glow that came from within him. I blinked my eyes suddenly. Just for a moment I thought I saw him shift. Saw the form underneath his skin peek out and then slip back in. I couldn't tell what he was. It was just a flash. But whatever it was, whatever he was, didn't have fur.

The light that pulsed around him was too bright. I had to shut my eyes. Even after I shut them I could see echoes of the glow in the blackness. The image was burned onto my retinas.

Sue's lifethread began to shine brighter. Brighter even than when I first touched it. It pulsed more radiant with each passing second until it was as bright as a captive star. A tidal wave of power churned over us both. It enveloped my virtual body until I gleamed like a nova. I felt refreshed, energized. I felt Sue's body start to heal. He was going to heal her! He was doing what I could do, but his effort was like a bulldozer next to my ant.

Then it stopped and the silence was deafening. I looked up, startled. Sue was still bleeding on the table. But she was a little closer. She'd make it now. Her heart was beating on its own. She was breathing on her own. I could think for myself without that strain. But I didn't feel gratitude— I felt anger.

I stood in a flash and stalked toward him. He was standing over her, looking healthy and not the least tired.

I grabbed his shirt with both fists and pulled his face close to mine. "Goddamn you! Why didn't you finish? You could heal her. Why did you stop?"

He reached around me fast as a snake and grabbed my neck. He turned it sharply. Carl and the boys were entering the room. "That's why," he whispered sharply. "What I've done is bad enough! Now get your clothes on and meet me outside. She'll survive."