“Ok…”
“With a blazing hot knife…”
Gabe’s eyes went wide. “What… I can’t…”
“If I don’t, you might die… I think. That’s what they do in movies, right? Heat up a sword or knife and burn the thing away. It might be too late…”
“Fuck…”
“Yeah.” He took the knife which lay next to his bed, outing the blade in the flames. “Let’s hope it won’t burn…” He skipped down the ladder and came back with a thick branch. “You will bite on this whilst I work on you. You might pass out too… I don’t know.”
Gabe grabbed his hand. “What if it doesn’t work?”
“It has to…”
Both silent at the other option.
Damian took the knife out of the flames, that red hot edge on it. “Bite that branch and turn around.” Wedging his knee on Gabe’s thigh, hearing him moan. “I’m sorry, Gabe…” He pushed the knife in that festering flesh, gritting his teeth at his howls, pushing harder on his thigh so he wouldn’t move. Cutting, burning that flesh away, as deep as he could. The stench of burning flesh, so familiar, his eyes darting to Gabe who had gone still.Fainted… thank God…Working on him until he hoped he’d gotten everything, watching that angry black wound. He washed it off and left it to dry, hoping he was doing it right. He covered Gabe’s drenched body, smoothing the hair out of his face.Shit… Fuck…Soft curses in that dark night, sitting, waiting for dawn.
Chapter 14
HewatchedGabewakein the early morning dawn light, watched him shiver, his hazel eyes swimming in pain. “It’s morning?”
Damian smoothed his hair back, leaving his hand on that burning forehead. “Yes…”
“It hurts like hell…”
Damian’s heart sank, but he kept on a brave face, even if he felt like dying inside. “I know… I need to find something to put on it… it’s raw and burnt…”
Gabe sighed, panting softly. “What?”
“I don’t know… some kind of herb? But I know nothing about herbs either…”
Gabe looked at him. “I had an ex… he was a health freak and knew a lot about healing plants and stuff…”
Damian arched his eyebrows. “And?”
“Nothing… I was not listening to what he said… and I doubt we would have any of those plants here…. Or recognize them… ah… fuck…” A rogue tear pearled down his burning face as he closed his eyes.
Damian stroked his forehead. “Super useful. Don’t tire yourself.” Pensive, his mind racing towards his memories. “We would need something to help it heal and disinfect too…” A memory bursting up, one of those buried one, with his kids on a weekend. Sitting with his laptop in an armchair, the kids on the white leather sofa, maybe Cassie six and Kevin two, some sort of kiddy program playing on that huge wall-mounted TV.
“Daddy…”
He glanced up, torn out of his email, a vague irritation creeping into his eyes. “What?”
Cassie showed the screen. “Did you know that honey heals wounds?”
He glanced at the TV. A fake science guy showing a huge honeycomb in a fake lab. A cartoon on honey being smeared on cuts playing in the background. “Wonderful…”
Kevin was sucking his pacifier, his blanket clutched to his chest, his eyes wide on the screen.
Cassie nodded, stuffing some cereals in her mouth. “Yes. And he also said you can eat it, it heals from the inside, has antibotics in it.”
“Antibiotics. And it’s full of sugar, too.” His eyes sparked. “Stop putting crumbs on the floor.”
She wiped her hands in her pink pajamas, unfazed. “Can I get some honey now?”
He almost slammed his laptop shut, but then his eyes went to Maria, cooking in the kitchen. “Maria! Bring some honey to Cassie, please.”
