Page 87 of Bones
“I could make you some food,” the woman tried.
"Thank you, Miss Shaw," Trey said, "but what Bones needs is to go sleep for a while."
Before the woman could respond, the door burst open and Apple came racing in. “Trey, Clarity is sick!”
The flicker of fear in Trey’s eyes gave me the adrenaline boost I needed. “Let’s go.”
As we left the shack, Mac came striding up. “I heard Clarity is sick. Sam, you go take a break. I’ll cover for you.”
“Fine, but make her rest after Clarity,” Sam said, glaring at me.
I glared back at him and as he stepped backwards, he raised two fingers pointing at his eyes and then pointed at me with one. I rolled my eyes and turned toward the horse, but a smile tugged at my lips.
“I’m gonna run ahead,” Trey called, taking off with the med kit.
“Bones, c’mere,” Mac ordered, “I’ll give you a boost.”
He knelt next to Violet and gestured at me to put a foot in his clasped hands, and I used him as a step to mount the horse. We'd been on friendlier terms since I'd healed him, but I still wasn't sure how much he recalled from when he'd been sick. I wrapped my cold fingers in Vi's mane, focusing on not falling off, but Mac didn't take the lead like Griz and Sam normally did. He swung up on the horse behind me like Trey often did. I stiffened in surprise, and he stilled.
“This ok?” he asked. “You look like you might fall off.”
Ifeltlike I might fall off, so I just nodded.
He reached around me to take the reins and then loosely wrapped an arm around my waist as he nudged his heels into Vi’s side and clucked his tongue at her to start moving at a fast walk. I sat stiffly for a while, but exhaustion and cold pulled me back to sag against his warm chest. His arm tightened around me.
“You doin’ ok?” he asked.
“Just tired,” I mumbled. “Gotta get to Clarity first though.”
“K, but you’re restin’ after her, got it?”
I hummed in agreement, fighting my heavy eyelids.
“Don’t know what we woulda done without you,” he said. “We probably woulda lost half the hold by now. I’ll never be able to thank you enough for saving us.”
I didn’t know what to do with that. Mac wasn’t usually one for handing out compliments.
“Something’s off about this sickness,” I muttered after a bit.
He stayed quiet for a moment. “I thought so too,” he finally said in a low voice. “Seems like the loggers brought it back. A couple of ’em visited a bar in Farbanks and they were the first ones sick.”
“Shouldn’t be this hard to heal ’em.” My eyes closed on their own accord, sleep calling me.
Mac said something I didn't catch, and when I didn't respond, his arm just tightened around my waist. I could've sworn only a couple of seconds had passed before Mac shook me awake, and I blinked blearily at the brothel in front of us. Mac swung off the horse then helped me down. I rubbed my eyes hard and tried to wake up a little as I followed Mac inside. We went up to Clarity's room and found Trey crouched at her bed, looking stricken.
Clarity’s breathing rattled in her chest and sweat beaded on her pale face. She stared at the ceiling, muttering nonsense.
“She’s not responding to me at all,” Trey said in a tight voice.
I crouched on the other side of the bed and placed my hands on her bare bony shoulders.
“Clarity?” I said. “It’s Bones. Can you hear me?”
She just continued to mutter, her eyes darting around. I gathered my strength and pushed the faint remnants of my power into her. The cases all ranged in severity, but Clarity was the worst case I’d seen yet. As healing her drained my powers, I started to get scared I didn’t have enough left. The little girl I’d been unable to heal after the fire flashed through my mind, and renewed determination filled me. I would not let Clarity die. Warm liquid trickled across my lips and I tasted blood. Trey glanced up at me from the other side of the bed and swore.
“I’m ok,” I muttered, focusing on the color returning to Clarity’s face.
Trey shifted and held up a handkerchief. “Mac.”
