Chapters (29)
“Maybe,” Theo agreed, but his voice didn’t sound so sure. “Can I help?”
I nodded as I grabbed the knitted tea towel. “Can you either bring this upstairs, or find the hydrogen peroxide.”
He took the tea towel from my hands, giving me a kiss on the forehead. “I’ve got the kettle. I’ll do whatever you need, sweet girl. Felix is going to be fine.”
“Thank you,” I whispered. I clung to his hand, squeezing it tightly as if I could transfer all of my fear and pain that way. He smiled at me, but it didn’t meet his eyes. “I’ll just grab the peroxide and I’ll be right up.”
I ran off to the pantry, stuffing my emotions as far down as they would go. I needed to stay focused if I was going to heal Felix. I indulged my pity party, and now it was time to get to work. As I stood in the pantry filled with glass jars and unknown labels, I realized my first problem. None of the weird bottled medicines looked like peroxide. I ran my fingers over each one. Headache tonics, vitamin mixtures…it had to be here somewhere. I searched for a brown bottle, then realized, hydrogen peroxide was called something different in 1907. I snatched the brown bottle labeled with “Dioxogen.”
I ran upstairs. In the doorway, I froze, taking in the scene before me. Felix lay in his bed, tossing uncomfortably. If anything, he seemed worse than when I left. Theo stood awkwardly to one side, still holding the kettle, staring in shock at the man who had always seemed so powerful. Luther stood beside his bed, a solemn look on his face. He was holding Felix’s arm in his grasp. Fuck. I had been hoping for something reassuring. This wasn’t it.
I cocked my head to the side, trying to ask what he was seeing without freaking out an already scared Theo further.
Luther gave me a subtle shake of his head, and lifted Felix’s arm off the bed to show me. I nearly dropped the precious bottle of Dioxogen when I saw the angry red streaks shooting up his forearm. This wasn’t just a mild infection we were going to be able to kill with some hot water. I wanted to curl up next to Felix and cry. I wanted Luther and Theo to hold me and tell me it was all going to be okay. I wanted Brynn, and my dad. But none of that was possible right now. The next 48 hours were going to be make or break for Felix, and sitting around moping wasn't going to be much use to anyone. I pursed my lips together and nodded, grabbing from the stack of washcloths. “Let’s get to work.”