“We’ve used the antibiotic creams on him, but the knife must have been very dirty. The wound isn’t as deep as Sam’s but it just isn’t healing as well. It took several scrubbing on Sam’s wound to clean it out, but other than the redness, it is starting to heal up.” William said, worry in his voice.
“Lucky me, huh? I wish I had some cocaine, that would fix me right up.” Christian laughed without humor and no one else laughed either.
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Aiden didn’t like it one bit. Connor was a liability. Aiden couldn’t go after the man alone. Without Leo’s help, he’d let it go. He’d just stay the hell away from the main camp. Christ, Christian looked bad. He was dead already; he just didn’t know it yet. There was no help for the man and Aiden knew the poor bastard was in for a painful and excruciating death.
That was the problem. There was no help, for any of them. An injury, easy to treat or heal in the real world was perhaps a death sentence here. Snake bite, poisonous food, simple things if you have a hospital at hand. Not here.
A fall, a broken arm or leg and chances were good that death would soon follow. It would not end well, he was sure and the longer Connor was on the loose, the more havoc the man would bring. Once more he was happy that he and Sarah were far away from these people.
CHAPTER NINE
Christian laid in his cot, he was burning up and his body had uncontrollable tremors that wracked him constantly and there was nothing Diana and William could do for him. She could smell the gangrene that had raised its ugly head. The knife must have nicked his bowel, that was the cause of the infection. The superficial cut was healing, but the deeper one wasn’t. Sam’s wound had healed up and he was doing a lot better now that he was with the group.
Diana looked out of Christian’s tent, and she took a cleansing breath, trying to clear the stench from her nostrils. She watched all the activity around and smiled. They’d become a close-knit group and she was proud that everyone was working so hard together. Even over the top Christian had straightened out, but it was now too late for him. That morning, she’d talked to William, Marla and Leo, she suggested that they euthanize Christian, letting him lay here in agony and suffer wasn’t a kindness.
“We can let him linger, but he will be in so much pain, and there is nothing we can do to help him or alleviate his pain, which is considerable.” She’d said at a meeting.
“What do you suggest?” Marla had asked.
“Simply put, we put him down. As gently as we can, but we will end his suffering. There is just no way he will survive. We don’t have anything remotely to help him. Each minute, each hour is agony for him. He is unconscious, but he moans and writhes from the pain.”
“Who will do it? And how?” Leo had asked, looking at her and William. She had looked at William and had seen his reluctance, she knew it would be up to her. She didn’t mind, she knew she was doing him a kindness by easing him out of this world. Keeping him alive was a cruelty. They put animals down faster than they did humans.
“I’ll do it, I’ll give him a big shot of air in his vein, that will kill him pretty quick.” She’d said, and they all looked at her and then nodded their agreement.
She turned away from the tent opening and looked down at Christian, he was unconscious and moaning, nearly crying and writhing. She pulled out the syringe and pulled in the air, filling the entire syringe, she found a large vein in his arm and gently put the needle in. She pushed down the plunger and slowly filled the vein with air. She stood back and watched him.
She’d do it again if need be. For a few minutes nothing happened and then his body twitched a bit and then it relaxed. She stepped forward and placed her fingers on his neck. His pulse was very thready, and then nothing. She held her fingers there for a moment longer, still feeling nothing. She then pulled his lids up and checked his eyes, nothing. She let out a long low breath and closed his eyes.
She walked out of the tent and saw William, Leo and Marla’s heads all turn toward her. She gave a slight nod, letting them know he was gone. Then she walked over to join them. She sat in one of the camp chairs, and sighed heavily. It was easily done, but it did weigh heavily on her. She’d never intentionally killed anyone before, nor accidently for that matter. It was a weird feeling, a melancholy feeling, but she knew Christian was no longer in pain, nor was he suffering.
“Did he suffer?” Marla asked softly.
“No, he never regained consciousness, it was over very fast.”
“That’s good, we already dug a grave about five hundred yards away from here, we can take him in a bit.” Leo said quietly, his voice almost reverent.
“I don’t mean to be horrible, but you might want to take his clothing. What we are wearing is all we will have for the rest of our lives. Once our clothing wears out, we’ll be wearing pelts.” William suggested, and everyone turned to look at the deer hide that was hanging to dry and then back at William.
“I’m trying not to be squeamish about things anymore. I’m trying to be practical in all matters.” Muttered Marla, wiping a hand over her mouth.
Diana smiled, “I’m sure any of us would feel the same and in fact should I die, you’re
