The Host (The Host #1)(162)

“Doc,” I said. “Look at my face.”

Doc wasn’t the only one who responded to my words. Jeb, Ian, and even Maggie looked and then did a double take. Maggie glanced away quickly, angry that she’d betrayed any interest.

“How?” Doc demanded.

“I’ll show you. Please. Jamie doesn’t need to suffer.”

Doc hesitated, staring at my face, and then let out a big sigh. “Ian’s right—he can’t get much worse. If this kills him…” He shrugged, and his shoulders slumped. He took a step back.

“No,” Sharon cried.

No one paid any attention to her.

I knelt beside Jamie, yanking the backpack off my shoulders and tugging it open. I fumbled until I found the No Pain. A bright light switched on beside me, pointed at Jamie’s face.

“Water, Ian?”

I twisted the lid open and pinched out one of the little tissue squares. When I pulled Jamie’s chin down, his skin burned my hand. I laid the square on his tongue and then held out my hand without looking up. Ian placed the bowl of water in it.

Carefully, I dripped enough water into his mouth to wash the medicine down his throat. The sound of his swallow was dry and painful.

I searched frantically for the thinner spray bottle. When I found it, I had the lid off and the mist sprayed into the air above him in one fast movement. I waited, watching his chest until he inhaled.

I touched his face, and it was so hot! I scrambled for the Cool, praying it would be easy to use. The lid screwed off, and I found that the cylinder was full of more tissue squares, light blue this time. I breathed a sigh of relief and placed one on Jamie’s tongue. I picked up the bowl again and dribbled another mouthful of water through his parched lips.

His swallow was quicker this time, less strained.

Another hand touched Jamie’s face. I recognized Doc’s long bony fingers.

“Doc, do you have a sharp knife?”

“I have a scalpel. You want me to open the wound?”

“Yes, so I can clean it.”

“I thought about trying that… to drain it, but the pain…”

“He’ll feel nothing now.”

“Look at his face,” Ian leaned in beside me to whisper.

Jamie’s face was no longer red. It was a natural, healthy tan. The sweat still glistened on his brow, but I knew it was just left over from before. Doc and I touched his forehead at the same time.

It’s working. Yes! Exultation swept through both Mel and me.

“Remarkable,” Doc breathed.

“The fever has cooled, but the infection may remain in his leg. Help me with his wound, Doc.”

“Sharon, could you hand me —” he began absentmindedly. Then he looked up. “Oh. Ah, Kyle, do you mind handing me that bag right there by your foot?”

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

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.