Cold Spell

Chapter 14

Frank sat back and watched his slumbering brother. Sleeping or unconscious? He really wasn't sure which, but he really hoped it wasn't the latter.

He'd done the best he could, flushing the bite with cooled water and then smearing some of the antibiotic ointment on it before using more eye pads and what was left of the white first-aid tape to bandage it.

An internal conflict had ensued when he looked at the small bottle of hydrogen peroxide he'd stuffed in his pocket and debated whether to use it for its antiseptic purposes or not. In the end he'd decided against it; it would be painful and quite possibly delay healing, as it does destroy living tissue as well.

He hoped he'd made the right decision.

Frank had then used his own belt to fashion a makeshift sling for the younger boy's arm, fastening the belt and then looping it around Joe's neck and left wrist. It would do until he could make something better.

For now it helped support his shoulder by keeping the weight of the arm off it.

Joe would need to keep his arm supported for a couple of weeks at least, and Frank snorted softly, thinking of all the protesting he would have to endure during that time…

"But Frank," he pantomimed in his best 'Joe' voice, "I can't move my arm!"

"Well Joe, that's kind of the idea." He switched to his regular voice.

"But Frank, my arm is perfectly fine!" the 'Joe whine' again. "I can do pushups, wanna see?"

"No."

"Why not?" whined 'Joe'.

"Cause if you even attempt it, I'll have to break your other arm!"

Frank gave a little laugh as he finished the dialogue, smiling fondly down at his brother; Joe made a horrible patient!

The eighteen-year old had also balled up the soiled shirt sleeve using moss as stuffing, to help elevate the bite, by placing it between Joe's ribs and his arm. It wasn't much but it should help a bit.

And then he'd taken off his own coat and put it over the younger boy, afraid that Joe would go back into shock. It was cold, but Frank still had his sweater on and figured it was better for him to be a little cold right now…at least his brother had finally stopped shivering.

Glancing down at his watch, he saw it was only 5:45 A.M., and sighed wearily. Was it really only an hour and a half ago that the wolves had attacked?

He knew he should go back and get the 'sled' and the survival kit he had unceremoniously dumped on the ground, but he was hesitant to leave Joe right now, and he was so tired anyway; he wasn't sure he'd actually get much further than the burrow entrance without collapsing!

So instead he opted to lie down on his own seat pillow next to his brother and watch him sleep for a while.

As he watched the gentle rise and fall of Joe's chest beneath the parka, Frank sighed and tried to fight back a wave of panic when he thought about it again…. Rabies. That was something he couldn't do anything about.

He could wash, dress and monitor the bite for any signs of infection…he could fashion a sling to help immobilize the arm…he could keep his brother warm and from going into shock…but there was absolutely nothing he could do if the wolf that had bitten Joe had rabies.

The older teen didn't think the old alpha did, as the animals looked almost starved to death, and he envisioned that was what had propelled the attack…but he wasn't 100 sure.

And he knew that even if…no, when they were rescued, there were no tests that could conclusively say whether or not his brother had been infected without the wolf's carcass.

They would just have to wait and hope.

Frank frowned, not liking that at all. Because he also knew that by the time Joe showed any symptoms, it would be too late.

There was no cure once the disease was that advanced. It had to be treated at onset. And that presented a problem for them right now!

A huge problem.

Sighing, he tried not to think of it as he reached his hand over and checked his brother's forehead for any sign of fever. That was the biggest worry right now – infection.

So far so good, though. Joe felt a bit clammy still, but not warm.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Frank ran his lips across his chapped lips and let out a heavy sigh.

He wanted to go home.

Joe opened his eyes and blinked in confusion. Where was he?

Oh yeah, he thought remembering the plane crash and wolf attack, not Bayport….

He shifted his head just slightly when he heard the sound of heavy breathing next to him, and gave a small smile when he saw his sleeping brother. Frank had his head on his arm for a pillow and was asleep facing Joe. It warmed him and gave him a tremendous amount of relief to know that Frank was right there. He might have panicked if he'd woken up alone.

Alone and injured….

The feelings he'd had while he waited out the time away from the camp threatened to overwhelm him, and he wished Frank was sleeping on the other side of him, so he could at least reach out and touch him with his good arm. But he wasn't, so Joe had to content himself with just looking at his brother and knowing he was right there.

And after a few long moments, it did work and he fought the feelings back.

Thanks bro, he whispered, soundless so as to not disturb the sleeper, and then turned his head back to face forward.

Wincing as he turned his head, Joe was reminded too well of what happened. He was still in a lot of pain but it was nothing compared to earlier as he realized for the first time, that his shoulder was back in place.

Thank goodness, he sighed and then wondered if his attempt at self-location worked or whether or not Frank had to use something more extreme, afterwards. He decided he wasn't sure if he really wanted to know. All that mattered was that the mind-paralyzing pain had been replaced with something a little easier to cope with…a little.

Joe remembered Frank talking to him and telling him to take it easy, but his memory was pretty fuzzy about anything that happened after the attack up until just now.

After a few moments he realized just how thirsty he was. He wasn't really that hungry anymore, but boy oh boy did he want a drink.

Gingerly, he moved his head to look at his brother again, but Frank looked so tired that the younger boy was reluctant to wake him up just yet.

Instead he tried to distract himself.

The bite was throbbing and he started counting each little throb, wondering absently if the bandages were too tight. And that made him smile – he wasn't sure if it really happened or if he dreamed it, but for some reason he was sure the First Aid kit was as much a treat for Frank to open as the Survival Kit had been for him.

But then the smile faded as he decided that maybe the circumstances weren't exactly that funny.

A slight movement next to him, made him look at Frank again and that was when he noticed for the first time that his brother had given him his coat! No wonder Joe wasn't feeling cold!

Oh bro, he thought as intense feelings of love and affection for the other boy washed over him, not bad enough you wrestled a wolf for me…but you gave me the coat off your own back. What the hell did I ever do to get you as my brother?

Seeing Frank unconsciously wrap his arms around himself to keep warm, Joe tried to move the parka over to him, using just his right hand, but it was too awkward with Frank lying on Joe's injured side.

Gritting his teeth against what he knew was coming, Joe forced himself to roll ever so slightly onto his bad side to give him enough reach and then he kind of threw the coat, as best he could.

Groaning from the effort, he lay back and fought the wave of dizziness that assaulted him with movement. But it was worth it to give Frank his coat back.

The sleeping teen snuggled down under the warm jacket and Joe glanced at his watch, stuck on permanent PM – 7:00 PAM.

Great, he decided closing his eyes, exhausted by that little exertion; welcome another day…or another night.

Either way, he hoped Frank woke up soon, because he really wanted a drink of water!