“What’s wrong?” Phoenix asked as he swung out of the tree where he’d been perched.
“I’m not sure.” Nadirah’s ankle throbbed, and she squinted at it in the darkness, only to see nothing.
But Phoenix did.
“Something bit you.” A stark announcement that probably explained the fire spreading from the spot.
“It’s burning,” she exclaimed, unable to tamp down her panic as she thought of all the animals that could poison.
“Because it injected you with venom,” his grim reply. “I’m going to try and suck most of it out before it has a chance to get too far.”
He gave her no warning about the slit he’d make with his pocketknife, not that the extra cut made a difference in the throbbing. He pressed his mouth to her flesh, and she felt the suction as he drew blood—and poison—and spat it aside. Over and over until he murmured, “I can’t taste the bad shit anymore. How are you doing?”
“I feel lightheaded.”
The last thing she said before she fell into darkness.
Chapter Ten
Nadirah lost consciousness,and Phoenix did his best to not panic. He couldn’t determine what had bitten her, meaning he had no idea whether the venom would prove deadly or not. It didn’t help he lacked a cell signal, so he couldn’t do an internet search or call for aid. Should he scoop her up and hike her back to the entrance of the park?
A glance at the sweat beading on her brow had him thinking maybe not a good idea. The trip itself might do her in. So, what could he do to help?
He eyed the swollen and red flesh at her ankle. The wound at least no longer oozed blood, but it didn’t look good either. Had he sucked out enough poison? What could he do to alleviate her symptoms? He didn’t need to touch her to sense the radiating heat as her body fought off whatever coursed through her veins.
Feeling helpless, he did the only thing he could think of. He soaked his shirt in water and placed the cool damp cloth on her fevered brow. When the chills invaded and she began to shiver, he spooned her body and let her absorb some of his heat. He spent the night tending and worrying, especially since she didn’t wake when the sun rose.
Eventually the trembling stopped, but she remained unresponsive as the fever resumed, her skin burning to the touch. He returned to the river with his tepid shirt and leaned forward to slosh it, disturbing the fronds of the plants growing by the riverbank. He smelled and heard nothing amiss, yet instinct had him suddenly rearing, just in time, as a crocodile lunged from the murky water, its jaws coming mere inches from chomping his flesh. Phoenix scrambled backwards and stared, waiting to see if it would emerge. To his relief, the beast remained in the sluggish-moving river, but the close encounter acted as a reminder that this wasn’t Canada, where the most savage thing you had to worry about in the water was a muskrat or a Canadian goose.
Each time Phoenix had to rewet his shirt, he paid close attention, lest the croc lie in wait. He did many trips back and forth, as her fever quickly sucked the coolness from the cloth. Twice, he spotted the ridged back and snout of the croc, eyes above water, watching. It didn’t come near, but he remained wary.
At nightfall, to his immense relief, Nadirah opened her eyes and turned her head side to side, her eyes clouded in confusion. She spoke but in Malaysian, leading him to say in English, “Welcome back.”
Her gaze focused on him, and she rasped out, “Water.”
He grabbed the bottle from his pack and propped her up for a drink. She swallowed thirstily before sighing and closing her eyes.
He lay her down gently. “How are you feeling?”
“Like something nasty bit me,” her wry reply. “How long was I out?”
“All day. You had a pretty intense fever,” he stated as he pulled the folded fabric from her neck where he’d applied it last.
“Thanks for taking care of me.”
“As if I could do anything less. It’s my fault you’re out here.”
“And my fault I’ve delayed your quest.”
“Fuck the ruins. You’re more important.” Answers could wait. Her health and wellbeing were more important at the moment.
“How’s my ankle look?”
He glanced and did his best to not grimace. The puffy flesh worried, but worse? The oozing pus that indicated a possible infection. “Not great.”
She propped her arms to partially sit and peek for herself. “I don’t suppose you brought some antiseptic?”
“No.” He hadn’t, but he suddenly remembered what Nadirah had said about a tiger’s saliva. “This is going to sound weird, but what if I licked it?”
