AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Has the baby eaten anything recently? Been exposed to insects or any environmental factors that might cause such a reaction? Has it taken any medicine?”
Nick’s eyes widen, and he nods. “I gave him a dose of Wellturin. That cough medicine I bought earlier.”
Maggie’s voice comes sharply over the phone. “Did you say ‘Wellturin’? Then it is definitely an allergic reaction. It’s a known side-effect for a tiny subset of people. Emily, do you have access to an EpiPen?”
I look at Nick, and he shakes his head no. Of course. He might have more knives and guns than I can count, along with a host of other ‘useful’ tools, but when it comes to something lifesaving, count him out. Then I look toward the kitchen, where Emily is still gagged and bound to the chair. Her eyes are wide.
And she’s nodding her head.
I rush over to the kitchen, my phone still pressed against my ear. Maggie's voice is a distant murmur now as my heartbeat thunders in my ears. Emily's eyes are fixed on mine, filled with urgency and fear. I kneel beside her.
“Stay strong, Soph, I’m going to rip the tape off and take your gag out, OK?”
She nods.
Maggie says, “You gagged your friend and you’ve duct taped a baby? Emily, what is going on there?”
There’s no time for answers, only for ripping. In one fierce pull, I tear the duct tape off Sophie’s face and rip the towel out of her mouth.
She howls. But not in a pained way. “Oh my god, that hurt so fucking much, I love it. I think I’m wet right now.”
“Where’s the EpiPen?”
“In my bra. Left boob.”
“Why?”
“Because death by fava bean is the lamest way to die, ever. Do you really have time to question this, Em? Stop talking, grab my boob, and save that baby’s life.”
I do as she says, and then run to the baby’s side with the EpiPen in my hand and the phone still pinned against my ear.
“Maggie, I have the EpiPen. What now?”
“Sanitize the injection site and administer the shot, same as you’ve seen me do a million times before. Relax, Emily, you have what you need. The hardest part is over.”
I take a deep breath and focus on the tiny, fragile body of Charlie. His eyes are closed tight, his cheeks flushed with the allergens surging through his system. My hands are shaking as I sanitize his thigh with a splash of whiskey, which isn’t ideal, but it’s all we’ve got. Then I take a swig to steady myself — it’s high proof, which is good for sanitizing the injection site, but burns my throat like crazy.
“Hold him still,” I instruct Nick, whose face has paled considerably.
Nick nods and gently holds down Charlie’s little arms and legs. For once, he looks genuinely scared — and maybe realizing the depth of responsibility he holds as a father.
With swift precision, I plunge the EpiPen into Charlie’s thigh. The baby stirs a little but doesn’t cry out. As I count to ten, Maggie’s voice comes soothingly through the phone.
“Good job, Emily. Now pull it out slowly.” I do as she says, my every move deliberate and careful. “It will take just a few minutes to see improvement.”
I glance up at Nick. His eyes meet mine, filled with conflicting emotions — relief, fear, guilt, suspicion.
“What’s next?” he asks quietly.
“Watch him, and if you do not see improvement within a few minutes, you need to get him to a hospital,” Maggie says firmly over the line. “Wellturin is not supposed to cause life-threatening medical incidents, as long as properly treated with epinephrine, but that’s assuming you’re operating under ideal conditions, and not in some scenario involving duct tape, hostages, and knives.”
Sensing that Maggie might not be done with arguing with Nick — not that I disagree with her — I quickly say, “Thanks, Maggie, I’ll see you later,” and then hang up. I glare at him intently. He might still hold the gun and he might still be a giant, threatening mountain of muscle and danger, but I just saved his baby’s life, which I feel puts us on at least equal footing. “Go untie my friend. Now.”
“He doesn’t need to do that, if I’m being honest. This is kind of hot,” Sophie calls out.
“Sophie, shut up. He’s untying you and that’s that.”
“Oh, yeah?” Nick says.
