Page 17 of Into the Mist

“Oregon Health and Science University. I wanna be a doctor—actually an orthopedic surgeon.” The teenager put her long, cocoa-colored hair behind her ears. Her green eyes were bright and intelligent, and she looked way older than her years.

“Impressive!” Jenny said.

“She’s always loved science,” said her mom.

“Huh! Me too!” Jenny smiled at Gemma. “And now I teach science.”

“And I teach biology.” Mercury nodded at the teenager. “You definitely did a good job with this splint.” She squatted beside the injured woman. “This is going to hurt, and I’m sorry for that, but we need to get you—”

“You don’t have to explain it to me. I get it. It’s hurts like hell anyway. I’m just thankful you stopped.” She paused and smiled weakly at Sadie. “And thankful Sadie and her daughter didn’t leaveus here like those jackasses did. By the way, I’m Marge Jackson, and this is my partner, Nathan Long.”

“Mercury and Jenny,” Mercury said quickly.

Nathan, who was lying beside Marge, turned his head and blinked his vision clear. “Nice to meet you ladies. Feels like my ribs are broken, but like Marge here, I’ll be damn glad to get into that old truck.”

“Do either of you know those two?” Mercury asked, nodding at the unconscious men beside them. Their faces were bloody, though someone—Mercury guessed Gemma—had tried to wipe them clean. Another makeshift bandage was wrapped around one of the men’s heads. Blood had seeped through it, and his nose was bleeding sluggishly. The other man’s forehead looked like raw hamburger with glass mixed in it.

“Nope. Sadie and Gemma pulled them outta that Winnebago over there. The one rear-ended,” said Marge.

“Neither of them were wearing seat belts,” said Sadie.

“Well, let’s lift the unconscious men in first, if y’all don’t mind,” said Mercury.

“We can wait our turn,” said Marge, and Nathan nodded in agreement.

“The bed’s as ready as it’s going to be,” Mrs. Gay called from the back of the truck.

“The four of us can lift them together,” Mercury said as she moved to the first of the two unconscious men. She bent and felt for the pulse in his throat—not because she could tell whether it was fast or slow or anything in between, but because she wanted to check that it was there at all. The man was so still and pale, he looked dead, but there was a heartbeat under her fingers, though it felt like the fluttering wings of a very small bird. “Sadie and Gemma, y’all get on his left. Jenny and I will be on the other side of him. Let’s grab wrists under him and lift on three.” The four women linked wrists. “One, two, three!” The man was young and slight and more awkward to carry than heavy. They moved together and slowly lifted him to the bed of the truck, where Mrs. Gay put her arms under the man’s shoulders and helped pull him to the rear of the bed.

They returned for the second man, the one whose forehead looked like raw meat. He was older than the first guy, though not by much. He was also heavier. Just as they linked wrists beneath him, the man’s eyelids fluttered and then opened.

“Where am I?” He looked around frantically. “Jason? Where’s Jason?”

Mercury touched his shoulder gently. “You’ve been in an accident. We’re going to take you to find help. Your friend is already in the back of our truck.”

“He’s—he’s my cousin.” The man started to sit up, moaned painfully, then reached up to touch his forehead. He flinched and began to pant with panic.

“My face! What’s wrong with my face?”

“Don’t touch it.” Mercury tried to keep her voice calm, but she was utterly out of her comfort zone. Unlike Gemma, she had definitely never wanted to be a doctor.

“It’s not your whole face,” Gemma said kindly. “Your forehead’s been cut up some, but don’t touch it ’cause there’s still glass in your skin. You’re gonna be fine. What’s your name?”

“T-Todd,” his voice shook. “Todd Wilson.”

“Hi, Todd, I’m Gemma. Don’t worry, okay? We’re gonna get you out of here now.”

“Todd, can you slide one arm around my neck and the other around Sadie’s?” Mercury asked, cutting her eyes to the woman whose wrist she’d grasped.

“Who are you?” asked Todd, whose eyes didn’t seem to be able to focus, but looked glassy and blank. “Where am I?”

“I’m Mercury and you’ve been in an accident, remember? We’re here to help, but we have to get you into the—”

“Something’s wrong!” Todd’s body began to tremble. “I feel wrong. Inside. Like, like I’m broken. I don’t think I can—” His words ended as he began to cough so violently that Mercury lost her grip on Sadie’s wrists, and she had to catch Todd’s torso before it smacked against the ground.

“Hey, it’s okay. We can wait for you to catch your breath,” Gemma said.

Todd reached wildly out and snagged Mercury’s hand. She was shocked at the strength in his grip. “It’s okay,” she said, repeating Gemma’s words, careful to keep her voice soothing. “Like Gemma said, we can wait for you to—”