Wild Desperation

Chapter 54

 "Aww man, I miss all the good stuff. We've been so busy in the garden today that I barely got to take this little break, I've got to go back in a minute." She pouted out and I smiled over to her, her presence was a bit relaxing. "No one really appreciates just how much work we do in providing food for everyone." I sigh out. "Exactly, now I have to go, but I expect details later!" She called goodbye as she ran off and I was left alone with the animals. "Night my boy, if that bimbo ever comes near you I want you to give her a good kick to the back of the head." I grumbled out as I gave him some scratches. 

"Inlisting the stallion to commit murder for you, good way to keep your hands clean huh Cupcake?" Luke winked as he joined me. "One way, I've got plenty of others." I snorted out. "You handled the Jade situation better than I thought you would. Hey Cupcake, I know it's probably not a real date but will you take a walk with me?" His adorable pleading pout had me relenting, after all who could say no to that puppy dog face.

                                                 Luke

I led the way to one of my favorite spots inside the fence, a copse of huge oak trees that overlooked a large part of our little community. I watched her face contort in curious confusion as I started to climb my way up into my favorite of the tall trees. "Come on up Cupcake." I called down to her, she didn't need any other encouragement as she hurried up beside me. "I think this is one of the, no IT IS the thing I miss the most about being outside the fence." She sighed out she as she settled back on a branch. "What is?" I asked softly as I snuggled down beside her.

 "The trees. Being able to move through them freely, both on foot and in their branches. I miss the feeling of that freedom, for that reason I can't wait to leave this place." She sighed out and I frown at the possibility of losing her. "You can always move through these trees if you want too." I pout out at her. "No Sunshine, I really can't. I have to look out for Jess now too, it's my job to protect her." She stated firmly and that just confused me. "Jess is perfectly safe inside these walls." I replied back. "Luke, she is in more danger inside these walls than outside of them. The married birds have their husbands for protection, the bimbos open their legs willingly so no one cares about them, that just leaves Jess and me." She glanced at me as I caught the meaning in her words. 

"I can defend myself, but sweet little innocent Jess." She shakes her head as she glances into the distance where we can barely make out the garden workers. "Cupcake no one is going to hurt Jess, they wouldn't dare try." I affirm and she sends me a pitying look. "You can try to convince yourself of that but I've seen enough to know better. The sweet and innocent are like magnets for the evil and corrupt, they seek to crumble and crush all the good left in this sorry existence." She states, part of me wants to defend the community but I know she's not wrong.

 "So what are you Cupcake, sweet and innocent or evil and corrupt?" I ask to test the waters. "I'm one of the few who adapted into both in order to maintain my survival." She snorts out. "Well you might not be all that innocent to this world but you are certainly the sweetest and kindest bird left in all existence." I murmured as I leaned into her, letting my lips meet hers. The kiss was a quick one but when I pulled back she had the sweetest grin pointed back at me. 

"You know Sunshine sometimes you make me believe that's true, even if it's not." She sighed happily back. We spent the next hour talking and occasionally kissing up in our tree until a scream rang out in the distance. I caught sight of commotion going on in the garden before Sang was out of the tree and running towards the crowd of panicked people. It was all I could do to rush down after her, no matter what we were running into.

                                                  Sang

When I heard the scream ring out all I felt was fear, because I knew exactly whose scream it was. I had no clue what had brought such a sound out of Jess but it both terrified and infuriated me, if anyone had harmed her I was going to kill them. "What happened!?" I call out as I see Jess leaning over Jay with tears in her eyes as he sits on a rock grimacing in pain. "Sang! He got bit by a cottonmouth, what do we do?!" Jess called out to me, a water moccasins bite was nothing to play around with. "It was going to strike you Jess, I had to kill it, unlucky for me it got a bite in first." Jay wheezed out, risking his life for hers made me have a whole new respect for him.

 "Luke go get Sean and bring him here! Jess listen to me carefully, my red bag in the cottage, I need you to run and get it for me." I said urgently as Luke hurried off but Jess hesitated. "I can't just leave him!" She whimpered. "Jessica if you want to have a chance at saving him, I need that red bag." I growled out at her and after another glance down at Jay she hurried off to get it. Now that she was gone I focused in on Jay, ignoring the few people who had stuck around to watch. "Don't give her false hope, everyone else that was bitten died, I'm not going to be any different." Jay murmured out with a cough. 

"It's not false hope, it's a chance. I'm not making any guarantees, but I'm going to fight to keep you alive and you had better fight to do the same, understood." I demanded as I stared him down, his slight nod was enough answer. "Good, now where is this bite?" I inspected him until I saw the two punctures on his right ankle. "Okay Jay I want you to lay flat on your back and keep as calm and still as you possibly can, that can help slow the poison." I directed him onto his back as I slid his sock and shoe off his right foot. "If the snake is dead then be careful of the head, it can still bite!" I called to the onlookers as Jess came running in with my red bag.

 I took it from her and hurriedly pulled out a few things before making a paste out of them, and handing it to Jess. "Smear this on and around the bite, it will help draw some of the poison out. If it starts bleeding or seeping let it, that's how some of the venom drains." I instructed her as she nodded and went to work. I pulled a few more of the contents out of my red bag and mashed, grinded and mixed them into some water just as Sean and Luke showed up. 

"Alright Jay this is that chance I told you about, a true 50/50. It could counteract the poison in you and save your life or it could cause you to have an alergic reaction and die. It's your decision on whether or not you take that chance?" I held the concoction out to him. "What do I got to lose?" He choked out as he drank down the bitter mixture. "Pookie what is that stuff?" Sean puzzled out. "It's not antivenom but it's the closest natural thing to it. He'll have to take more every few hours, but if he can survive the next 24 hours, he should make it." I responded softly.

 "We need to get him back to the medical ward to keep an eye on him." Sean stated. "Get him on a stretcher and we'll carry him back, the less he moves the better!" I called out as we worked to do just that despite Jay feebly protesting. I made enough of the medical mix drink and instructions on when to give it and how much before posting myself in the waiting room, it was going to be a long night.