I was at her side in less than a second, barely able to believe my eyes. She was awake. Alive.
I cradled her in my arms, afraid to ever let go. Only when she began to cough did I loosen my grip and frantically begin to check her over, trying to pinpoint the source of her distress. I gently rubbed and patted her back until her coughing fit eventually died down.
"How are you feeling?" I gently pressed, not wanting to push her. She had almost died so I knew I needed to take it slow.
She opened her mouth to speak but the only sound that managed to escape her lips was a dry, strangled croak. I quickly grabbed a water bottle out of our dwindling supply and held it up to her lips, hoping that she would be able to keep it down this time. Her tiny sips soon turned into greedy gulps as she quenched her thirst. When she had almost finished the bottle, I took it away from her, not wanting her to over-do it and all the while cautiously eyeing the only two 500ml bottles we had left. It needed to last us as long as possible.
"How do you feel?" I repeated softly.
This time I was able to understand her quiet, strained voice. "C... cold..." She wrapped her good arm around her shivering body to enunciate her point. Confused, I felt her forehead, surprised by the icy temperature of her skin. That couldn't be right. She was burning up less than an hour ago.
As she rested her head against my palm, I could see her eyes begin to droop and close. Desperate to keep her from falling asleep, I clicked my fingers in front of her face whilst calling her name loudly. She jumped upright, waking from her trance as I let out a breath of relief. She was awake. For now at least.
I wrapped the previously discarded blanket around her shoulders and held her close to me to raise her body temperature. She was practically a living ice cube. Nothing I tried seemed to make any difference. Even when she felt warmer to touch she was still shivering. I covered her in another blanket before trying to coax some food down her.
At first, she flat out refused to eat and looking at the dismal baked beans I could hardly blame her. I wouldn't give up though, she had to eat and eventually I was able to persuade her to take a few mouthfuls, watching as she painstakingly swallowed each bite.
I felt my heart swell with happiness as I watched her eating. Perhaps there was a chance. Maybe she would be okay. I knew it was still too soon to tell, but she'd woken up and that had to count for something, didn't it?
My heart sank though when she suddenly doubled over, spewing everything she had just eaten all over the floor. At a loss for what to do, I just rubbed her back comfortingly until it was over. How was I meant to help her recover if she wasn't able to keep a meal down? Was it the virus? I didn't know what to think anymore. Surely she would have turned by now if the virus had taken hold of her.
"It's okay, Lily. You're okay." I soothed, still rubbing her back as she cried, her tears of pain eating me up inside. I didn't know what to do and it was killing me. I would do anything to take away her pain, taking it on myself if I could.
She was clutching at her arm as she cried, silently letting me know where she was in pain. As I moved to unwrap the bandage she let out a cry, pulling away from me. My heart shattered to see the clear agony she was in. She was seven years old and she experienced more pain and trauma than most adults had.
"It h... hurts," she sobbed, cradling her wounded wrist to protect it from any pain.
"I know it does, Sweetheart. I'm just going to have a look, make it feel better, okay?"
"You promise?" Her wide, glassy brown eyes stared up at me in desperation, pleading for help.
"I promise," I said, my tone certain. I just hoped it was a promise I could fulfil.
This time she didn't pull away as I unwrapped the bandage from her wrist. She winced as the material rubbed against her wound but didn't stop me. "That's it, Sweetie. Almost done," I tried to reassure, but as the bandage and gauze peeled away from her skin I couldn't stop myself from letting out a gasp.
The light grey etching around the bite from before was gone which I suppose was a relief in itself as it was a clear symptom of the virus. In its place was something just as horrific and dangerous. Just as life-threatening as the virus was. There was no doubt in my mind that the bite was infected, and judging by the severity of it, badly.
The edges of the bite were now red and blistered. The wound itself was heavily infected with thick, yellow pus. Every bit of it was covered in the disgusting, revolting substance, the sight and foul smell of it almost making me gag. I was only able to control myself for Lily's sake. I didn't want to worry her, keeping her arm out of sight, shielding it from her view with my own, until I had gently re-wrapped it.
My heart began to race as I realised what it meant. Lily needed medicine, antibiotics. And she needed them fast. Before she went into shock and judging by the look of it, she didn't have long. It was already infected badly enough, and if the virus didn't kill her, the infection that had festered would.
"What's w... wrong?" Lily asked, reading my own terrified expression.
I tried to look somewhat less scared, no-doubt failing in my attempts. I had to be strong for her, God knows she'd done it for me: fighting the virus that so many others had succumbed to.
"Nothing, Lily. You just need a bit of medicine, then you'll be right as rain," I said calmly, trying to be as convincing as possible while my insides twisted and turned anxiously. The inner turmoil filled me with angst and made me doubt myself. What if I couldn't get the medicine?
A furry weight settled in my lap, his warm brown eyes staring up at me intently. Ace looked at me expectantly, encouragingly. I didn't have to be a mind reader to understand what he was telling me. I couldn't fail Lily. It just wasn't an option. She had to live, for me, for Ace, and for our fallen family. No, I had to do this. It was my fault she was in this mess and I had to fix it.
Whilst I had been contemplating my next moves, Lily had managed to fall asleep without me noticing. Panicked, I tried to wake her, shaking her and calling her name but it was pointless. She was deeply asleep, almost comatose and I couldn't help but be scared by it. I was constantly worried that she once she fell asleep she would never wake up again.
Finally giving up, I decided to let her sleep. She needed as much rest as possible and I was hoping it would help her regain some strength and feel better. I also decided that it would be easier to leave to find the antibiotics she needed. It would be like I never left.
After I had, with difficulty, cleaned up her 'meal' which was now laying on the floor, I finally got to planning my life dependent expedition. I retrieved the map from Jason's car, checking the fuel tank as I did, disappointed to see the needle pointing at the bold 'E' for empty. I shrugged it off for now, needing to figure out exactly where I was going before I focused on anything else.
Spreading the map over the table in the kitchen and smoothing out the creases, I attempted to pinpoint our rough location. I knew that we had driven north-east after we had reached Atlanta as we had driven back the way that we had come. However, after our encounter with Elliot and his 'friends', I had lost track of our whereabouts. I assumed that we had driven in the same general north-east direction. That coupled with our suburban surroundings would mean we were most likely somewhere between the towns Woodbridge and Oakwood.
If my assumptions were correct, then our closest hospital that would be sure to have the right supplies would be the Northeast Georgia Medical Center. I circled the hospital with the marker pen and measured the distance using the scale on the map. Ten miles.
I sighed, already knowing I had no fuel, never mind the fact that the Audi was barely driveable. At least it was a walkable distance. I could set off early and be back before dark, provided I didn't run into any trouble. Yes, it was stupid, and it was dangerous; but I had nothing left to lose. If I didn't do this, Lily had no chance. I was her only hope.
With that thought in mind, I methodically prepared myself for a day's hike, arming myself and packing some of our supplies into my backpack although leaving the majority with Lily. I also decided to move her into the first-floor bedroom, further out of harm's way if an intruder - living or dead - were to break in. I managed to somewhat barricade the bedroom door, trusting Ace to protect her whilst I was away.
"I'll be back soon, Lil," I whispered. Whether she could hear me or not, I had no idea. I just prayed she would be okay until I returned. With a final kiss on her forehead, I bid my final, unheard goodbyes before I set off; armed and ready for the long journey ahead.
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I know, I know. I'm so sorry for the late update. Hope y'all forgive me! I've been so busy with exams coming up I haven't had time to read or write! Unfortunately, updates might be a little more random and further apart until exams are over. 😥
Anyway, hope you like this one! 😊
~ Beth xx ~