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I turn and walk down the hall, a huge smile on my face.
Take that.
“YOU GUYS, WE SHOULD probably go back onto the track,” Faye murmurs as we trek through the thick wilderness near the little stream we were meant to be swimming at.
There is a walking track that leads up to a waterfall, but Chev saw some gorgeous flowers and heard a flowing river and decided to take us off track for a little adventure. I’m not sure it was the best idea we’ve ever had, but I will admit it’s pretty damn nice and I do love a good bush walk, besides, we can hear the laughter of the other girls by the stream, so we’re not far away.
“We’re only going to find another bit of water,” Chev tells Faye. “You’ll be okay.”
“I’m not a fan of going off track,” Faye mumbles.
“We’re not going far,” Alice assures her.
We trek a little deeper, stepping over fallen trees and shrubs. It’s gorgeous out here, and the air is crisp and clean. I close my eyes, inhaling as I take small steps, and, without noticing, walk into a short, thick shrub. At first, I just pop my eyes open and take a step back, but then I realize there is a giant wasp nest right there in front of me and, as if in slow motion, a whole heap of them come charging at me, stinging my face.
I scream and launch my body backward, landing on the ground as I swat angrily at the tiny pins of fire darting into my face. I wave my hands, trying to stop them, but they’re persistent. The girls have all stopped and are calling out to me, but I’m unable to hear what they’re saying, I’m too busy swatting wasps.
I finally free myself of them and stand, gasping as my face feels like it’s on fire. “I need water,” I cry, the stinging so overwhelming I feel like I’m going to pass out.
I turn and run without thought. I move as quickly as I can to the cold stream of water, tripping over trees and getting scratched up by bushes as I move at a pace I wasn’t sure I even could. I finally reach the group, run past them, and launch myself into the freezing cold stream, pressing my hands over my burning face and screaming with both agony and relief as the cold water washes over me.
By the time I surface, my face feels like it’s on fire but I’ve found some relief. The girls are all back, panting and telling Enzo what just happened. He walks over to the edge of the stream and orders me to get out immediately, I do as he asks, getting out and walking into the towel he holds out.
“Are you having difficulty breathing?” he asks me, taking my chin in his hand and inspecting my face. “You’ve got a lot of stings.”
“A little,” I admit, when the pressure on my face and neck feels a little stronger than it should be.
“I’m taking you to the hospital.”
Shit.
“Elias, take over here, you’re in charge. Madden, can you tell Rhett what’s happened, so he knows?”
Both men nod sharply.
Enzo takes my towel, dips it in the cold water and hands it back to me. “Put this against your face.”
He then rushes me as fast as he can to the truck near the main house, and then before I know it, we’re on the road, I’m still soaking wet, and my face feels like a wasp dartboard. God damn, that hurt. It hurt a whole lot more than I would have ever expected.
I groan, pressing the cool towel to my face.
“You good?” Enzo asks.
“Yeah, it just burns.”
“No trouble breathing?”
“Nothing major.”
I can feel the swelling beginning in my face as we drive out of the ranch and toward town. The drive takes about twenty minutes; I keep the cool towel on my face for the entire time. When we arrive at the hospital, Enzo takes me into the ER and they see me right away —a few injections later and I’m lying in a hospital bed being monitored for the night just in case I have a more severe reaction.
At this stage my face is the size of a balloon, and it hurts to even move my mouth. Enzo refuses to let me look in the mirror, which tells me I look absolutely horrible. The medication the doctors are giving me helps ease the swelling, but I’m still incredibly uncomfortable and kind of glad I have to stay here because I don’t think I’d have a comfortable night at home.
“How are you feeling?” Nurse Betsie asks, coming into the room just before dinner is served that night.
Enzo has just gone home to get some clothes for me to take a shower and then he’s coming back; he said he’s staying with me and that it’s not negotiable which is kind of sweet. I’m not about to tell him he can’t because I can see it’s important to him. Besides, not often is a man so hands on, I’m not about to change that.
