Page 26 of Summer Holiday Lifeline

The kitchen light dimmed as if in acknowledgement.

Steven sighed in response to that. “It’s fine, Shirley. I know you didn’t mean anything to happen.”

The light went out and the water turned off.

“Okay. Not Shirley.”

Everything came back on.

Quickly, Myles found a clean towel in a drawer that slid open about an inch, all by itself. He wetted the towel, took it back to Steven, and draped it across the back of his neck.

Steven jerked at the chill, but blinked wide, brilliantly blue eyes to gaze at Myles.

“Okay?” Myles asked.

Steven offered a half-hearted and crooked smile. “Not dying or anything. Feeling pretty dumb, though.”

“I’m just going to call Lucky, tell them everything is fine, then I’ll help you bandage that up. Sound good?”

Steven let out a breath, closed his eyes briefly, but nodded. “Thanks.”

“I’ll be right there,” Lucky said as soon as Myles informed him the sound had been the bookshop’s front door, and everything was fine. Or going to be, as soon as he had Steven’s bleeding stopped and bandaged up.

It was only moments before Lucky and Kreed appeared in the now brightly lit kitchen.

Kreed abruptly turned almost as pale as Steven, and Lucky tugged him back from the mess, then stepped forward to hand Myles a metal first-aid box. “Brought you this.”

A sharp keening sound erupted before Myles could respond.

“Jake!” Steven shifted, trying to get to his feet, but the colour drained again, and Myles held him down with just the weight of his hand on his shoulder.

Glancing up, Myles noted the two figures hovering in the back door to the kitchen.

“I got them,” Kreed said quietly. “If you’re good here?”

“Yeah, sure. Go.” The strange noise was clearly deep distress, though Myles wasn’t sure why. If Kreed knew how to handle it, Myles was going to let him. Physical injury, he could deal with. That soul-tearing sound was out of his wheelhouse by a long way.

Kreed backed the two newcomers out the door with his signature soft-but-controlled voice and soothing words Myles didn’t bother to listen to.

“Let’s get you off the floor, yeah?”

Steven nodded and allowed Myles to support him as he wobbled to a chair.

“Thanks.”

“Not a problem. Can I have a look?” He tapped the wrist of Steven’s bleeding hand.

“Better you than me,” Steven whispered. “Might pass out again.”

“I got you,” Myles assured him.

As he gently uncurled Steven’s fingers, Lucky reappeared with more wet cloths. “I called to let Jet know everything was okay. He’s got Shelly with him in the kitchen, and Jet’s helping Tris out until Kreed gets back. You okay with this, Myles?” He gestured at the hand. “I’m going to go check on Kreed and Jake.”

“Yeah, yeah. Go.” Myles took a moment to open the kit and arrange what he needed. His first glimpse of the cuts told him they probably weren’t as bad as all that. Fingers tended to bleed a lot, and if the sight of blood made a person squeamish, was it any surprise Steven had fainted?

“Stay put,” Myles told him, going to the sink to wash his hands. When he returned to kneel in front of the chair, he found Steven rocking slightly, alternately biting his lip and reciting… “Robert Service?”

Steven nodded. “‘Cremation of Sam McGee.’ We had to memorize it in eighth grade.”