I scooted down so that I was over the red, swollen cut. Ian redirected the light so I could see it clearly. Doc and I both rustled through our bags at the same time. He came up with the silver scalpel, a sight that sent a quiver of unease down my spine. I ignored it and readied the bigger Clean spray.

“He won’t feel it?” Doc checked, hesitating.

“Hey,” Jamie croaked. His eyes were open wide, roaming the room until they found my face. “Hey, Wanda. What’s going on? What’s everyone doing here?”

CHAPTER 46: Encircled

CHAPTER 46

Encircled

Jamie started to sit up.

“Easy there, kid. How you feelin’?” Ian moved to press Jamie’s shoulders against the mattress.

“I feel… really good. Why is everyone here? I don’t remember…”

“You’ve been sick. Hold still so we can finish fixing you.”

“Can I have some water?”

“Sure, kid. Here you go.”

Doc was staring at Jamie with disbelieving eyes.

I could barely talk, my throat was so tight with joy. “It’s the No Pain,” I muttered. “It feels wonderful.”

“Why does Jared have Sharon in a headlock?” Jamie whispered to Ian.

“She’s in a bad mood,” Ian stage-whispered back.

“Hold very still, Jamie,” Doc cautioned. “We’re going to… clean out your injury. Okay?”

“Okay,” Jamie agreed in a small voice. He’d noticed the scalpel in Doc’s hands. He eyed it warily.

“Tell me if you can feel this,” Doc said.

“If it hurts,” I amended.

With practiced skill, Doc slid the scalpel gently through the diseased skin in one swift movement. We both glanced at Jamie. He was staring straight up at the dark ceiling.

“That feels weird,” Jamie said. “But it doesn’t hurt.”

Doc nodded to himself and brought the scalpel down again, making a cross cut. Red blood and dark yellow discharge oozed from the gash.

As soon as Doc’s hand was clear, I was spraying Clean back and forth across the bloody X. When it hit the oozing secretion, the unhealthy yellow seemed to sizzle silently. It began to recede. Almost like suds hit by a spray of water. It melted. Doc was breathing fast beside me.

“Look at that.”

I sprayed the area twice for good measure. Already the darker red was gone from Jamie’s skin. All that was left was the normal red color of the human blood that flowed out.

“Okay, Heal,” I muttered. I found the right canister and tipped the little spout over the gashes in his skin. The clear liquid trickled in, coating the raw flesh and glistening there. The bleeding stopped wherever the Heal spread. I poured half the container—surely twice as much as was needed—into the wound.

“Okay, hold the edges together for me, Doc.”

Doc was speechless as this point, though his mouth hung wide. He did as I asked, using two hands to get both cuts.

Jamie laughed. “That tickles.”