The Salvation

Chapter 47

|Andrew|

Andrew applied pressure to the bleeding and screaming baby's thigh as Felicia stitched it messily. Without any sedatives or anything really to numb the pain, Mike was forced to suffer. Felicia tried to be quick as she tied off Mike's chubby baby thighs and stitched the wounds closed with a bloodied needle and unsteady hands. Keep it together Felicia, keep it together for Mike and Craig's sake. Andrew held the baby's left thigh as Felicia finished stitching it and moved to the right, tearing off Venelope's bloodied trench coat and beginning to stitch the skin tight again.

"Shhh, it's gonna be okay..." Felicia attempted to calm the baby as she worked.

Andrew noticed the rain had finally stopped and outside light began to pour into Craig's messy living room. Andrew tightened his grip around Mike's right thigh as Felicia threaded the needle in and out as best she could with the baby's struggling. He's not kicking his legs, but his body is squirming and he's thrashing his arms and head all about. That's not a good sign. Andrew gulped as Felicia finished the second stitching. He could see in her pretty eyes, the watery sadness. Andrew closed his eyes and released the baby's leg. Mike continued crying, but there was nothing else to be done.

"Felicia... He's thrashing all about... But his legs aren't moving..." Andrew dreaded his observation and his possible conclusion. "His feet aren't moving... His toes... Do you think... Do you think he's...?"

Felicia covered her gaping mouth as she saw what Andrew spoke of. "Who would do this? To a baby!" Felicia demanded as she looked over at Whyllys' body, his head blown off by Venelope.

"Do you wanna tell him...?" Andrew asked solemnly as he stood up. "Or should I go and tell him...?"

"I wanna stay here and make sure Mike's okay, we're not done here yet..." Felicia said with defeat in her voice. Andrew nodded and turned to leave, but Felicia grabbed his hand. "Be gentle on Craig..." Andrew nodded again, sadly.

When Andrew stepped out of Craig's house, closing the door behind him before anyone could see inside, a crowd was waiting to meet him. Craig wasn't wholly conscious and Venelope was sitting on the ground with her face in her hands next to Shale and Liz. The animals knew, Andrew could tell. Shale whimpered sadly as he walked over to Andrew and sat at his feet, rubbing his head against Andrew's thighs sadly. Liz curled up around Andrew's feet affectionately and looked up at him with a look Andrew couldn't explain in a reptilian mutant. Venelope finally looked up from her hands, her face stained with dried tears and shock.

"Can everyone just get away? This isn't any of your business, go back to whatever you were doing..." Andrew addressed the nosy crowd. As they departed, mumbling their protests as they did so, Andrew took in the light that lit up the wasteland for the first time in a week and a bit now that the rain had subsided. The clouds still loomed gloomy and grey overhead and blocked the sun, but it was warm and the ground was damp. Andrew walked over to Craig and helped him to his feet. He noticed the dried blood on Craig's scalp where he'd been struck and knocked out. "Craig... Felicia did everything she could..."

Craig looked at Andrew drowsily. He hasn't grasped it yet. Craig blinked in the light and scrunched up his face. "What do you mean...?" Craig asked through a raspy voice. His eyes watered slightly and his voice went hoarse.

"He's not dead yet, but I don't know if he'll live..." Andrew tried to explain as easily as he could to Craig. Venelope began to cry again, but Andrew reached over for her with his arm and pulled her in. "You did everything you could too, without you that both Mike and Craig would definitely be dead!" Andrew comforted her, trying to shift the blame.