Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 119764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
But Samir shakes his head. “It’s not up to me, and something like that is more valuable than gold to the people here. I’d recommend trying to find your own supply, I really would.”
Finding our own is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Never mind that everything is years expired, it’s all been picked over by scavengers long ago. Finding a needle in a haystack might actually be easier than finding a few antibiotics in the After. “But if we did trade,” I say, “what would it look like?”
Samir shakes his head again. “I really don’t think you can trade enough—”
“What about a puppy?” Aggie says. “Would that be enough for a round of antibiotics for my friend?”
Dottie frowns at Aggie. “Don’t be stupid. Those are your puppies, woman. We’re not selling them off just because I’ve got a bit of a thing going on.”
“It’s not a bit of a thing,” Aggie retorts. “And they’re my puppies, which means I’m the one that gets to trade them if we need to.”
“Bullshit.” Dottie shakes Rabbit’s hand away and tugs on the IV, trying to pull it out. “I’m not going to let anyone make sacrifices on my behalf—”
“Rabbit, hold her down,” Aggie says, struggling to get up and stop Dottie. “She’s being stupid!”
Samir is there before either one of them can, stopping Dottie before she can pull the long IV needle out and harm herself. “Let’s be reasonable, ladies. Dottie is welcome to stay here as long as she needs to, and I’m happy to feed her and give her fluids, but that’s about all I can do. Even if I wanted a puppy for my son—which I do—it’s not my decision to make. The fort would have to decide the payment—”
“So we’d be indentured servants working for the fort,” I blurt out. “Working off the price of the drugs.”
“I didn’t say that,” Samir retorts. “Just that it’d be wiser for you to have your own supply.”
“Oh sure, and chickens might fly out of my butt,” Aggie declares. “Both seem as likely!”
“Everyone calm down,” Rabbit says, lifting her voice to get our attention. Dottie reaches for the IV again, and Rabbit grabs her hand, holding it tightly. “Let’s think about this, okay? Dottie needs help. If it was me, you’d want me to get help, wouldn’t you, Dottie?”
Dottie looks away.
“So of course we want to help you. Murr can fly. If there’s any place that hasn’t been picked over, he’ll be able to find it.” Rabbit sounds so confident, so reassured that Murr will be able to find whatever is needed. “He can go much farther than anyone else. He and Mom can scout around.”
“What about the animals?” Dottie asks. “We all need to go home. The cats and dogs need us.”
“We’re going home,” Aggie says, straightening in her chair. “You’re staying here.”
Dottie looks utterly devastated. “You’d do that to me? Leave me here alone?”
“Not alone,” Rabbit says, and holds Dottie’s hand tightly even as she looks over at me. “I’m staying with you.”
Now I’m the one that’s devastated.
CHAPTER 96
MURR
We return home to the bookstore after a long day at the fort. I am more than relieved to leave it all behind. The layers of smells, the constant noise, the stares…all of it overwhelmed me. How humans can all live piled atop one another like that makes no sense to me. Perhaps I have been spoiled by being on my own for so long, but I am relieved when we leave the fort behind.
The car I carried there was much lighter on the way home with only Aggie and my mate inside. We made it home quicker than expected, and after I set the car down and shift into my human form, the cats come rushing out to greet us with a chorus of meows.
I scoop one up and glance over at my mate. Dakota goes inside the bookstore with Aggie, turning on a lantern since there is no fire. She is going to fuss over the elderly woman since her daughter is not here. I know my mate well enough to know this about her. Once she has Aggie and the dogs settled, I will talk to her.
The cats rub up against my legs and cry for a meal, and I tilt my head, scenting the air for game. There is nothing in the immediate area, so I find the container of dried meat scraps and add water to it like Rabbit does, swirling it with my shorn claws to make a meaty soup. I portion it out into the dozens of bowls that Rabbit keeps just for feeding, setting them down on the ground spaced evenly apart so everyone gets a chance to eat.
When the last of the cat soup is tipped into a bowl, I bring the pan back to our cooking area. The firepit is dark, and it would be easy for me to start it again, but there is no point if there is no one to sit around it. I wipe my hands clean on my towel as my mate comes out to find me.