“Reason with her,” Oliver begged.“I’m… losing… blood.Hospital.”Every breath was agony.
Andrew straightened and stepped further away.“I’m just doing what I’m told.”
“Help me!”
He shook his head.“I can’t.Dad would kill me.”
Selfish little prick.
Oliver examined the contents of the kit and took out the first bandage, wrapping it into a donut ring.
Kristy had unhitched the trailer and driven the Range Rover to the edge of the jetty by the time he was done.
“Get in,” Kristy ordered through the open window.When he ignored her she added, “I’ll take you to the hospital.”
Bullshit.Oliver threaded the ring over the spear.His legs wobbled as the pain compounded.
She no longer had a weapon.They couldn’t make him get in.He could wait here until help arrived.
He prayed Dot had been notified.
“Bandage,” he said to Andrew.
The boy passed it over and Oliver made another donut ring.
“What are you doing?”Kristy demanded.
“First aid,” Oliver retorted.
“We don’t have time.”She jumped out of the car and strode over.
The next part would be tricky.He couldn’t do it himself.He studied Andrew.“Put… over… spear.”He turned to give him access.“Wrap… bandage… around.”Every breath, every word was torture.
Andrew nodded and did what he was told, making quick and remarkably good work of wrapping the bandage in place.
Kristy shuffled foot to foot impatiently.“Hurry, someone’s coming.”
Relief filled him as the rumble of a vehicle got closer.
The sun beat onto his head as he stepped forward and the nausea he’d been fighting was released.He vomited over the gravel ground.
Andrew yelled and leapt out of the way.
His head spun, and he sank to the ground, groaning at the pain.
He closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing, slow shallow breaths to calm himself, and applied pressure to the wound.
He fought the urge to sink into the darkness that called to him.
Dot was on her way.
He had to believe it.
He just hoped she wasn’t too late.
***
Dot let Rodney do the formalities of remanding Steven in custody and when he returned, she asked, “Shall we bring Kristy in?”
