Roxton raced over to see Morgan, being pulled up under the arms by Avery, who was trying to get him away from a snake, that had wrapped itself around his boot and clamped onto the ankle, biting hard. Not wanting to risk injuring his son further, Roxton took his boot and kicked the snake off of the little boy, risking getting bitten himself, before he shot it at point-blank range.
The blown bits of snake were a pale brown, like a bark-birdhouse that had sat in the sun for way, way too long and was falling apart. The black patterns on the snake were unmistakable... a pit viper.
He knelt down to his son, who was sobbing.
"It's all right... it's going to be fine..." he said in empty reassurances, though, he was frightened out of his own mind.
He ripped open the loose khaki pant leg with his bare hands, and then took his knife to cut the boot off. The ankle was rapidly swelling, the two perfectly-spaced puncture wounds red and angry-looking, oozing a pinkish mixture of venom, puss and blood.
"Challenger!" Roxton yelled. "Where the bloody hell did you go?"
"I'm right behind you." Challenger soothed, sitting down beside the distraught father. "Make two xs with your knife on the puncture wounds." he instructed.
"Yes, bloody damn it, I know that much..." Roxton spat, frustrated, "but... what about an anti-venom?"
Challenger shook his head. "You blew that snake's head off. I need him alive to get a venom sampling to make an anti-venom."
"We'll go track some." Finn promised, leading Challenger off.
"What's going to happen, Daddy?" Morgan asked tearfully.
"Nothing, sweetheart..." Roxton sighed. "I'm going to get the venom out as best I can, and Uncle George is going to get you some medicine afterwards- Ned, take the other boys home. Now." he ordered.
Ned nodded, leading them back the way they had come, but Avery balked.
"I wanna stay with Morgan!"
"Young man, I do not have time to argue with you! Go!" Roxton snapped.
He hadn't meant to, but, he couldn't help it. He didn't want Avery to witness this. Hell, he didn't want Morgan to witness it... he pulled out his flask.
"Take a nip." he said, "this is going to smart."
Morgan looked at him, wide-eyed, and took a deep drought, coughing. "Yuck..."
"Yeah, I know..." Roxton said, and gave him a stick. "Bite on it." he ordered.
And, he made the cuts to begin sucking out the venom...