Before the Dawn, BK3 of the Lightwalkers (complete)

XI - Remi

I opened the door to the hotel room and helped Bryson in to the closest chair. He winced, easing back as he sagged in the chair.

He'd been quiet during our long trek back through the woods. It'd been long one, night had already fallen.

"Nice place," Bryson said gruffly.

I ignored the comment and went through the bag on my bed, searching for the two cases.

One was a plastic pouch, a normal first aid kit that I picked up from a convenience store on the drive down. The other wasn't as normal. It was something my grandfather originally had. The one thing I had asked my parents for before the silence began.

I carried the wooden box and the first aid kit to the little table by Bryson. Pulling the other chair around so I could sit in front of him, I sat and leaned back.

"So, I'm not a doctor or anything, but I can patch you up at least. What hurts the most?"

Bryson rolled his good eye up at me. "My ego, mostly."

I stared at him a moment. Jay would kill me if he found out, but...

I reached into the cargo pocket on my leg and pulled out a silver flask. I set it on the table next to the wide-eyed Bryson.

He snatched it from the table. "What are you doing with that? How old are you anyway."

"Figures, I'm being nice, and you're going to card me?"

"You're a minor!"

"Right." I stood up, pushing the chair back. I reached for my grandfather's case, but Bryson stopped me.

"Thanks." He loosened the top and took a swig, and winced all over again.

"Yeah, whatever." I sat back down and smiled when he gasped with the afterburn of the liquor.

"What the hell do you have in there? Lighter fluid?"

"Well, that's one use for it." I flipped the latched on the case and opened the lid. Inside, the box was full of little vials, packets and powders. Most of them were unlabeled, but I knew them all by smell, color, or taste. I pulled a small vial of amber liquid and a packet out, setting them beside the first aid kit.

"What's all that?" Bryson asked after another swig.

"Probably better if you didn't ask."

It was Bryson's turn to grunt and look away. "Right."

I pulled some gauze out of the first aid kit and poured a little of the liquid from the vial on it. I leaned forward, moving to dab at his split lip.

He pulled away, "Ok, seriously, that stuff smells horrible. What in it?"

"It's a natural antiseptic mix with a few things that will speed up the healing process. Any more questions?"

"Yeah, did you really follow us all the way out here by yourself? Can you even drive?"

I started cleaning the wound on his lip, not too gently. "Who said I came out here alone?"

"Well, if you're not alone, where's the other person?"

"Does it really matter?" I finished with his lip, and stood, tossing the gauze in the waste bin. I grabbed a glass from the dresser next to the tv and poured the contents of the packet into it before taking my seat again.

"Pour some of that liquor in this," I said, setting the glass on the table. He did as I asked, and I motioned when he should stop.

I swished the glass around, mixing until the powder was dissolved in the liquor. Setting the glass down on the table, I went back to the case, digging through the vials for the last ingredient.