The First ~10K~ (book 2)

15.) A Matter of Time

Trying to find Doc again was like trying to escape a horde of running zombies. It was almost impossible.

Warren had no idea where he went, Murphy had no idea where he went, nor Addy. It was like he just vanished.

"Dammit!" I yelled.

I started scanning the areas around the outside of the farm. If anything, Doc would be somewhere out here smoking, since the smell made Maddi sick and she didn't want that stuff around her baby.

I ended up finding him near a small lake, smoking away at a joint.

"There you are!" I yelled, making him jump to his feet and chuck his joint in the water.

"Uh-wh-What's up?" He stuttered.

I told him, telling him that Maddi was throwing up blood. Doc and I quickly made it back to her. She vomited more.

"Oh, no," Doc said, running over to her.

I knelt next to them, holding Maddi's hand and placing a hand in her back. She was shaking.

"Doc," She whimpered. "What's happening to me?"

"It's the Sepsis," He said. "It's spreading quickly. More quickly than we thought."

Doc met my eyes. Maddi threw up again, blood trailing down her chin. She looked up at us both, knowing we were both thinking the same thing. The same, terrible, unbearable thing.

Maddi was dying.

—

Maddi didn't act like she was dying. In fact, she was trying her hardest to get her body moving the last week. Doc said that would help keep her blood moving and active so it would help fight off some of the infection. Even though it probably would take over her body before it could.

"Doc and Addy went on a baby run earlier," I told her. I set the bag down that was filled with baby stuff next to her. She moved Ashlyn to herb other arm, holding her like a pro.

"Let's see," Maddi said, digging around the bag. She pulled out a new pack of bottles, formula-since Maddi couldn't breast feed anymore- pacifiers, and some new clothes. All Ashlyn wore nowadays were rags or just diapers.

But the weather was starting to change. If we didn't get Ashlyn dressed warm, she would get a cold. We couldn't have that. Not with...everything.

"These will do." Maddi said, smiling. She held Ashlyn close to her again in both arms, kissing her forehead.

I sat next to them, wrapping my arm around Maddi. She rested her head against my shoulder and sighed.

"I can feel it," She started.

"Feel what?" I asked.

"The infection," She continued. "I can feel it eating away at me. I can feel it slowly taking over everything inside of me."

I blinked away tears that started forming. I pulled Maddi closer, not knowing what else to do. Ashlyn made a grunting noise and looked up at me, locking her eyes with mine. It was like she was trying to talk to me with her eyes, like she was able to communicate through looks.

"You're gonna get through this," I told her. "You're gonna beat this thing. You know why?"

Maddi looked up at me through her tear filled eyes.

"Because of this," I said, pointing to Ashlyn. "Because of this life we created. She's a life that we need to fight for. That you need to be around for. Ashlyn needs you. I need you."