Survive The Fall | Book 4 | Total Collapse

of her. She palmed her thigh and adjusted her backside on the floor to gain some comfort. “Thanks, Cage.”
“For what?” Russell removed the rucksack from his shoulders, then took a knee at her side.
“For dragging my stubborn ass through this damn city like some sort of helpless person,” she answered, cutting her eyes over to him. “I wouldn’t have asked to stop, so thanks for making the call.”
Russell unzipped the pack and pulled apart the flaps. “Yeah, well you’ve done better than I thought you would. Besides, we’re in this together, and I want to reach your daughter and make sure she’s safe as well.”
“And that makes you a good man. At least, it does in my book.” Cathy offered a warm smile through the pain, then grimaced as she moved her leg.
“Is there any bottled water in this place?” Russell asked Clyde while sifting through the contents of the rucksack.
“Let me check and see,” Clyde answered.
“Here we go.” Russell dug out the pain meds and shook the container. The pills rattled inside. He popped the top and dumped two out in his hand. “That good?”
Cathy nodded. “Yeah. That should work.”
Russell placed the pills in her hand, then studied her leg.
Cathy held on to them, waiting for water or any other liquid to help wash them down.
The light shining through the window next to them illuminated her bloody, dingy hand that palmed the side of her thigh and the bandage. He touched her leg, then squinted. “While we’re stopped, we need to clean it and change out that bandage.”
Clyde approached Russell, his boots kicking any fallen items on the floor out of his way. “I found a few bottles of water and candy bars that hadn’t been squished.”
Russell turned to face Clyde. He looked at his hands that held the two bottles of water and food. “Perfect. Is there anymore that you can give Max?”
“Yeah. I’ll find something to pour it in, so he can get a drink,” Clyde answered.
“Good deal.” Russell took the water and food, then sat it on the floor near Cathy. “Oh. I have some treats that you can give to him. He needs to eat something.”
Clyde turned and pointed across the store to Max who sifted through the goods scattered about. “I imagine he is pretty hungry. He’s searching through all of that junk for something to eat.”
Russell pulled the bag of dog treats out that he’d scored from one of the other stores they’d found. The crinkling of the package caught Max’s attention.
He stopped, lifted his leg, then stared at them. His tail wagged with excitement, tongue rimming his maw. He galloped through the mess toward them.
“You knew what that sound meant, didn’t you, bud?” Russell held out his hand. Max met his palm, then sniffed for the food.
The entrance to the store clattered against the jamb.
Clyde turned, then trained the pistol at the entrance.
Max growled, and spun around, facing the same direction.
Russell pressed his finger to his lips, then patted the anxious canine’s side. “Shush.” His hand reached for the Ruger tucked in his waistband, waiting to see what happened next.
The door rattled in the jamb a moment longer, then stopped.
Clyde inched forward, looking at the door for any threats. “I think they’re gone. I don’t see anyone out there.” He lowered the sidearm, then stood at ease. “I’m going to find a bowl for him, then keep watch. We don’t need to hang here for too long. This isn’t a safe location with these windows and the amount of activity out there.”
“Here.” Russell tossed the treats to Clyde.
He grabbed it out of the air. The package crinkled in his hands.
Max trotted after Clyde, jumping at his side and raising up on his hind legs. He sniffed for the bag, searching for the tasty morsels inside.
“You want one, huh?” Clyde opened the package and fed some of the treats to Max who wolfed them down in a blink.
Russell shook his head, then looked back to Cathy. “Are you ready for me to change that bandage out?”
Cathy chugged the bottle of water, then stopped to take a breath. “Yeah. Go ahead.”
“You need to eat something as well.” Russell grabbed the candy bars and set them in her lap. “Take what you want.”
“What about you?” Cathy shot back, dipping her chin and looking at the colorful packages. “You need to eat something too.”
Russell pulled the bandages, cotton balls, and gauze from the rucksack, then said, “There’s probably other stuff over there I can get. Besides, you’re hurt and need your strength. I’ll find something after we get you fixed up.”
Cathy gulped the remainder of the water down, then tossed the empty bottle to the other junk carpeting the linoleum floor. “Well, if you insist.”
Russell removed the bandage with care, trying to minimize the pain.
Cathy pursed her lips. Her fingers balled into fists. She held a bated breath, then vented it through her flaring nostrils.
“Okay. Got it off.” Russell waded up the bloody bandages, then threw them to the floor. He grabbed the unopened bottle of water, unscrewed the cap, then dribbled some of the tepid liquid on the wound.
Cathy flinched and looked straight ahead. Her lips pursed. She grumbled and balled her hand into a fist.
Russell dabbed the wound with the cotton balls with a gentle but firm touch, trying to clean the blood away from the torn flesh. He squinted and inspected the area, touching her thigh and looking it over.
“What do you think?” Cathy asked, taking a moment to let the pain abate. “Am I going to keep the leg or lose it?”
“I don’t know.” Russell shrugged. “It looks like it could go either way. I wouldn’t get too attached to it if I were you.”
A half smile broke across