Russell smirked and finished cleaning the bullet wound. “A moment of brevity can do wonders.”
Cathy grabbed one of the small candy bars, unwrapped the package, and bit off a chunk of the rich, chocolate end. She devoured the rich, sugary bar in three large bites, tossed the empty wrapper and opened another package.
Max’s collar clanged off a dish. The bottom of the bowl scrapped across the floor as his tongue lapped up the water Clyde had poured inside.
Cathy fished her phone from the pocket of her jeans and stared at the screen. The hue washed over her face, highlighting the tiredness and dinginess of her skin. The tip of her finger rapped against the glass. Her lips pursed in frustration. She sighed, then set the phone down on the floor beside her. “I don’t know why I even check that damn thing. I know better. It isn’t going to be working any time soon.”
Russell pulled apart the covering to the bandage he held. “Well, you never know what could happen. The cell service could come back online sooner than you think.”
She groused. “That’s wishful thinking. When that CME hit the planet a few days back, it not only fried the power grid, but also took down communications. It’ll take them a long while to get everything back up and running. If all of that craziness outside doesn’t taper off, it could be even longer. Welcome to the next stone age, I guess.”
“Yeah. Things look bleak at the moment, but there’s hope on the horizon,” Russell replied, placing the bandage over the wound. He pressed the outside to her leg with a gentle touch. “At the end of the day, all one really needs are those they love the most, right?”
Cathy bit off another mouthful of the candy bar and nodded. “True. Look at you being all wise, Cage.”
Russell wrapped her thigh with some gauze, making sure to secure and cover the wound. “Not sure I’d call it being wise. More optimistic. When you don’t have much to look forward to and you see a sliver of hope within reach, you got to take that leap of faith, and hope it all works out.”
Cathy watched him inspect the gauze and bandage, then peered at her thigh. “Not a bad job. Thanks for cleaning and changing that out for me.”
“Not a problem.” Russell shoved the unused first aid items back into the rucksack. Cathy leaned forward, pressed her hands to the floor, and tried to stand up. Russell placed his hand on her shoulder, then said, “Whoa. What are you doing?”
“I’m getting up so we can leave,” Cathy answered, looking at him with a befuddled stare.
Russell shook his head and kept his hand on her shoulder. “Not yet. You need to rest and take it easy for a few. We’ve been going pretty hard, and you’ve been pushing that leg of yours.”
“I appreciate the concern, but I’ll be fine,” Cathy said, pressing her body against his hand.
“Please. Just take a couple of minutes to relax here and let the pain meds kick in,” Russell replied. “I’m not saying we’re going to be here for an extended period of time. Just long enough to let you rest some, then we’ll be back on the move, all right? You push too hard and it could cause more problems.”
Cathy looked at Russell, then glanced down to her thigh. She sighed, then deflated against the shelves. “Fine. We’ll take a few minutes to rest and all.”
Russell removed his hand from her shoulder. “Good.”
“Since you’re making me sit here, why don’t you go grab me another water, and see if they have any other food.”
“I can do that. Be right back.” Russell stood and grabbed the rucksack from the floor. He slipped it over his shoulders and walked toward Clyde who stood like a sentry near the entrance.
“How is her leg doing?” Clyde asked, munching on some beef jerky.
Russell turned and looked back to Cathy. She had her hands resting in her lap while she looked out the window. “It’s looking all right as far as I can tell. I haven’t seen many gunshot wounds, so hard to say.”
Clyde pointed at her, then said, “She’s tough as nails. I’ll give her that. She reminds me of my late wife—hard headed, and doesn’t take crap from anyone.”
“My wife as well,” Russell said, facing him.
“So, what are we doing now?” Clyde pulled a few chunks of the dehydrated meat from the package and shoved them into his mouth.
“We’ll hang here for a bit longer so she can rest, then we’ll get back on the move,” Russell answered. “Maybe things outside will calm down some.
“Doubtful, but I’d like to be proved wrong,” Clyde shot back, dropping the empty package to the floor and wiping his hands off on his pants.
Russell looked to the short run of aisles near them and the array of items littering the floor. “There’s some more water, right?”
Clyde nodded, then pointed in the direction near Max. “Yeah. Right over there. I found that jerky there too.”
“Thanks.” Russell headed for Max.
The German shepherd drank the water in his bowl. When he looked up, his maw dripped with wetness as his tongue licked it free from his fur.
Russell rubbed the crown of his head, then bent over. “Did you get enough water?”
Max flicked his tongue at Russell, catching the end of his square chin. He folded his ears back and wagged his tail–happy at the affection, drink, and food he’d received.
“Did you give him the remainder of the treats?” Russell asked, glancing over to Clyde.
“Yeah. He seemed rather hungry, so I emptied the package out on the floor,” Clyde answered.
Russell nodded. “Good deal. I’ll see if I
