BLAM!
I sat there motionless as a Coyote laid dead at my feet.
"Come on kid! Now is not the time to freeze up!" Chuck said, snapping me back to reality.
"Right! I said cocking the rifle again.
Another coyote lunged at me, bringing me down to the ground. We struggled as the coyote tried snapped at me, trying to get a bite off. The coyote them clamped down on the rifle and tore it from my hands and tossing it aside. Trying to crawl away I used my arm to push the coyote away. But my eyes clamped shut and I let out a blood curdling scream as the animal brought is jaws down on my forearm. We struggled for a few more seconds before I eventually started to black out. Chuck finally managed to shoot the coyote before it did more damage and dragged me to the barn where Billy and Sam closed the doors behind us. Chuck carried me over to a stack of hay bales and sat me down.
"BILLY! GET ME THE FIRST AID KIT!" Chuck screamed. Looking back at me I could see he was mortified not only for what happened to me but that he'd failed my dad.
Chuck ran to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of whiskey and a bottle of water. Opening the whiskey he began pouring it over his hands.
"W-what the hell?" I said panting heavily as my arm bled profusely.
"Whiskey is a good way to sterilize objects." Chuck said walking back over to me with the water.
He unscrewed the cap with his teeth and held out my arm as he began pouring the water over my wounds -the cold water jolting me awake. By now Billy returned with the first aid kit and knelt down.
"This is gonna hurt." Billy said as he opened a bottle of antiseptic and poured over my wounds as well.
I screamed again as the antiseptic stung like hell.
Billy hastily bandaged my wound as I suddenly started to black out again.
"Shit! Jacob stay with with us! Jacob!"
Slowly my eyes opened and my vision cleared up. I was in a hospital room, with an IV in one arm and the other wrapped in bandages. Whatever they gave me was strong because I wasn't able to move at all.
"He's awake!" came a hushed voice.
I turned my head to see my dad and...my mom?
My mom was five-foot-nine, raven black hair, and more than stunning good looks. How a lowly rancher like my dad landed her I have no Idea, but as me and my dad could tell you, it didn't work out.
"Ma?" I said confused as she came up and began pelting me with kisses.
"I told your father it wasn't a good Idea bringing you to that damn ranch!" she scolded my father who merely rolled his eyes.
"It was just a one time thing Samantha. Won't happen again." My dad explained.
"You're damn right it won't!" my mom snapped back, grabbing my dad by the arm and dragging him outside.
Outside I could hear their muffled voices going back and forth as they walked off. I rested my head back on my pillow and tried to doze off again but was interrupted by the shutting of my door. I opened my eyes and saw Lena, Hana, and Lucio cautiously walking in.
"Jacob?" Hana said sheepishly.
"Hey guys." I said sitting up, minding my wounded arm.
"We heard you got hurt. So we came to see you as soon as we could." Lena said, sitting down in one of the chairs.
"Thanks guys, I appreciate it." I said weakly.
"What happened?" Lucio asked.
"Long story." I said taking a large drink from the glass of water on my bedside.
I sighed as the water relieved my dehydration and began recounting the recent events.
"Wow, that's rough." Lucio said sitting back in his chair.
"Aw you poor thing!" Lena pouted.
"At least you'll have a cool story to tell now." Hana suggested.
"I guess I do."
We spent the next few hours filling me in on whatever I missed in school, apparently Jameson almost got caught trying to sell a kid a new copy of Red Dead Redemption and Mr. McCree got a new security partner. Eventually the trio had to say their goodbyes which left me alone in the empty hospital room again. I watched a few videos on my phone until it became sundown and the nurse came in to ask me what I wanted for dinner. I order chicken tenders per usual as they were the most decent tasting dish on the menu and you really can't go wrong with chicken tenders. After dinner my dad returned looking sad. Which was rare for him even during funerals he usually had a straight face or at most a slight frown.
"Hey dad, somethin' wrong?" I asked.
Silently he sat down and took off the baseball cap he was wearing.
"I'm sorry son." He finally said,
"For what? The coyote bite isn't a big deal, I'll just have a cool scar to show off in the end. Before we know this'll all be in the past." I said.
"It's not that simple son. It's your mother, you're going to go live with her."
My jaw nearly dropped. "W-what? No way-"
"It's done." My dad interrupted. "She has all the legal work done."
"There's nothing we can do?" I said. "D-dad, I wanna stay with you!" I started choking up.
Tears began to well up in my eyes.
"I'm..sorry." my dad said getting up to hug me. "I love you son."