Julia's Pack.

Chapter 7 - Bush critters

Lia reached out to touch the snake too, to Julia's horror, like neither of them could quite see or hear their parent's panicked yells. Julia ran at the curious four year olds, as Levi ran, Julia's feet stumbling and knocking over sand forts. What was just a few metres suddenly became miles, miles and miles, and she knew she wasn't going to reach them in time. Neither was Levi.

A crash in the bush barely sunk into her head, as she saw the angry brown snake lash at Lia and David, and then something large and dark knocked both Lia and David over, the snake caught between its teeth.

An otter.

It rolled around with the snake, no more cute Otter, teeth bared and sinking into the brown snake as the brown snake attacked back. But the otter was fast, sharp, and the snake stopped thrashing as teeth sunk down, the flexible paws grasping onto the snake's head.

It bent over the snake, breathing hard, and then Ben changed back. He kind of stumbled, looking shocked, white, staring back at the upset twins.

“Did it bite?”

Levi got to them, as Lia and David grabbed for him, now crying their eyes out. Julia caught up to him and grabbed Lia, checking her, her hands, her face, her body, looking for anything. But she was just shocked, just frightened, and there was nothing.

“No.”

“No.” Levi breathed out, flopping, arms grasping onto David.

“Good.” Ben flopped. He seemed to be not okay though. Julia smelt it- something different, heard something different about his heart and breathing, and her eyes met his. She got it. He had been bitten. He smiled a weak smile as her face drained of blood. “I would not let your children get hurt.”

Levi stared at him, then stood, heading straight for the Pack Hall. For Randy, or someone, and she watched him go. They had a first aid kit, they had some people in the Pack with training, and Julia tried to think.

“Okay. Evie, Angelica?”

The older girls had watched this, hand in hand, staying close to the fort as if it'd protect them. Maybe they got it, they weren't that young, maybe they knew about snakes. She had to stop thinking of them as babies. “Mama?”

“I want you to take Lia and Davie up to Beth's house, okay? You tell her they were playing with a snake.” Julia hadn't found a bite but she still felt paranoid. “It didn't bite them. But stay there while we make Ben feel better.”

“Okay.” There it was, that strangely mature thing they both had, even though they looked kind of freaked out. She hugged them hard as they came over, and then squeezed their hands.

“I'm going to come up soon. Then we can eat chocolate. But I want Ben to feel okay.”

A nod from both of them, as they took Lia and David's hands, and she watched them lead the littler ones up the hill to where Beth and Yasmine's cottage was. To Julias relief, Beth only took a minute to answer the door, and let them in.

She slid over to Ben, who'd exposed the bite, frowning. It looked so tiny but Julia could smell it was bad. Stupid Australian snakes. Julia felt totally helpless. She had no clue what to do. Ben seemed calmer than she was.

“Do not worry. It is a bite.” He stared at his arm, like it was no big deal, but she knew it was. Levi and Andy were running down the hill, a first aid kit in Andy's hand, and Levi tugged Julia back so Andy could get to it. He glanced at the snake and frowned.

“Okay. We have anti-venom.”

“We do?”

“Randy's idea. Seemed stupid to be in Australia, with all these snakes, and not have some way to handle it.” Andy muttered. “We'll worry about that in the Pack Hall.”