Read Online The Break Free Trilogy (Book 3): Through The Frozen Dawn by E.M. Fitch - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: E.M. Fitch
Tags: Zombies
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used to give to Emma when she had a bad cold. The coil of clear tubing flashed in her vision and she yanked open the drawer with the packaged nebulizers, bringing the entire box with her.
Andrew's breathing had worsened noticeably. Even in the low light, Kaylee could see his lips were tinged in blue. He was awake, grunting as he breathed, his eyes wielding from Anna to the bored men who stood over him.
Anna grabbed at the items Kaylee held out for her, grimacing. She pulled the tubing from the nebulizer, instructed one of the nearby men to cut a piece the length of her arm. She ripped open a syringe and pulled off the plastic cap, exposing a long, thin needle.
"What's wrong with him?" Kaylee asked again, kneeling next to Andrew. Her own breath was coming hard. She grabbed for his hand and squeezed tight, reveling in the firm pressure with which he squeezed back.
"Collapsed lung," Anna murmured. "He needs a chest tube. I don't have one. This is all I can think of. Someone hand me a knife."
Kaylee looked up to see the raised eyebrows of the men surrounding them. One pulled out his pocketknife, flipping the blade open. He went to hand it over but another stopped him, dousing the blade with clear liquid from his flask. Kaylee wrinkled her nose at the smell, sharp and bitter. Anna nodded in approval and took the alcohol soaked knife gingerly. Her fingers prodded along Andrew's chest, rising and falling with his gasping breaths. She settled them firmly between two ribs, pausing for the first time.
"I need him as still as possible," she said, looking up to the men. They nodded, some glancing over their shoulders and to the front door where Kaylee knew a horde of infected were waiting to be released. To their credit, no one argued. Everyone took a limb, some of the men laying right across Andrew. Kaylee held fast to his hand, pressing the rest of her weight on his forearm. She couldn't see his face.
But she could hear his scream. There may have been other sounds, sounds of the needle piercing his skin, a pop or hiss when the tip of the needle found the pressurized area that trauma had forced into his chest, but if there were, no one would have been able to hear. Kaylee saw the syringe get tossed, its clear cavity filled with blood. She knew, realistically, that it was only a few moments. It felt like hours of Andrew writhing and yelling before Anna instructed the men to let him up. They all moved, leaving Andrew panting on the ground, the bloody end of a small curl of tubing hanging from where Anna pierced it through Andrew's chest. Already a stream of blood was flowing from the cut end of the tube, dripping down his side.
But his breaths did come easier, that was plain to see.
"I think I got it right," Anna said. The knife was still in her hand and she let it fall with a clatter to the floor. She opened the bottle of sterile water, pouring half of it on the ground behind her. She stuck the end of the tube in the water, the drips of blood forming pink swirls in the liquid. One of the men offered a length of duct tape. Anna took it, securing the tubing to Andrew's chest. "You have to tell me, Andrew, if anything feels off, if it gets hard to breath."
He nodded, his eyes closed tight in pain.
"That's about all the time we have, ladies. Let's get you to the jeeps." Michael stood over Andrew's head. At his word, four men bent down and picked Andrew up. Anna held tight to the bottle of water, keeping it close to Andrew's body. One of the men bent to retrieve his knife. They started to the front of the store, no one answering when Andrew asked where his father was.
"Will he make it?" Kaylee asked, keeping her voice low as she followed Anna. Anna shook her head, not meeting Kaylee's eyes.
"I really don't know."
It took only a moment to explain the situation outside to Anna. Her eyes roved over the makeshift fences, the infected creatures straining against them, the parking lot and road they had traveled down completely covered
Andrew's breathing had worsened noticeably. Even in the low light, Kaylee could see his lips were tinged in blue. He was awake, grunting as he breathed, his eyes wielding from Anna to the bored men who stood over him.
Anna grabbed at the items Kaylee held out for her, grimacing. She pulled the tubing from the nebulizer, instructed one of the nearby men to cut a piece the length of her arm. She ripped open a syringe and pulled off the plastic cap, exposing a long, thin needle.
"What's wrong with him?" Kaylee asked again, kneeling next to Andrew. Her own breath was coming hard. She grabbed for his hand and squeezed tight, reveling in the firm pressure with which he squeezed back.
"Collapsed lung," Anna murmured. "He needs a chest tube. I don't have one. This is all I can think of. Someone hand me a knife."
Kaylee looked up to see the raised eyebrows of the men surrounding them. One pulled out his pocketknife, flipping the blade open. He went to hand it over but another stopped him, dousing the blade with clear liquid from his flask. Kaylee wrinkled her nose at the smell, sharp and bitter. Anna nodded in approval and took the alcohol soaked knife gingerly. Her fingers prodded along Andrew's chest, rising and falling with his gasping breaths. She settled them firmly between two ribs, pausing for the first time.
"I need him as still as possible," she said, looking up to the men. They nodded, some glancing over their shoulders and to the front door where Kaylee knew a horde of infected were waiting to be released. To their credit, no one argued. Everyone took a limb, some of the men laying right across Andrew. Kaylee held fast to his hand, pressing the rest of her weight on his forearm. She couldn't see his face.
But she could hear his scream. There may have been other sounds, sounds of the needle piercing his skin, a pop or hiss when the tip of the needle found the pressurized area that trauma had forced into his chest, but if there were, no one would have been able to hear. Kaylee saw the syringe get tossed, its clear cavity filled with blood. She knew, realistically, that it was only a few moments. It felt like hours of Andrew writhing and yelling before Anna instructed the men to let him up. They all moved, leaving Andrew panting on the ground, the bloody end of a small curl of tubing hanging from where Anna pierced it through Andrew's chest. Already a stream of blood was flowing from the cut end of the tube, dripping down his side.
But his breaths did come easier, that was plain to see.
"I think I got it right," Anna said. The knife was still in her hand and she let it fall with a clatter to the floor. She opened the bottle of sterile water, pouring half of it on the ground behind her. She stuck the end of the tube in the water, the drips of blood forming pink swirls in the liquid. One of the men offered a length of duct tape. Anna took it, securing the tubing to Andrew's chest. "You have to tell me, Andrew, if anything feels off, if it gets hard to breath."
He nodded, his eyes closed tight in pain.
"That's about all the time we have, ladies. Let's get you to the jeeps." Michael stood over Andrew's head. At his word, four men bent down and picked Andrew up. Anna held tight to the bottle of water, keeping it close to Andrew's body. One of the men bent to retrieve his knife. They started to the front of the store, no one answering when Andrew asked where his father was.
"Will he make it?" Kaylee asked, keeping her voice low as she followed Anna. Anna shook her head, not meeting Kaylee's eyes.
"I really don't know."
It took only a moment to explain the situation outside to Anna. Her eyes roved over the makeshift fences, the infected creatures straining against them, the parking lot and road they had traveled down completely covered
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