Page 77 of Wild Fever

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Iheld Kara’s hand as the medication dripped.

Warmth filled her veins, flowing up her arm and through her body. Her pulse increased, and her cheeks flushed. She swallowed, her mouth filling with a metallic taste, as she would tell me later.

“Are you okay?” Dr. Malcolm asked.

Kara nodded. “How long will this take to work?”

“If it’s going to work, you should feel improvements by morning.”

“If I’m not dead, that will be an improvement,” she muttered.

“I’ll leave supplies so you can administer a second dose.”

She gave another appreciative nod.

We all watched with bated breath as the mini bag emptied.

Dr. Malcolm kept monitoring her vitals.

I took the medication from the cooler and stored it in the refrigerator, made sure it was set to the right temperature, then returned to the salon.

“How are you feeling?” Malcolm asked again.

“Good. Exhausted,” she said, her eyelids growing heavy. The rush of adrenaline had faded. That warm sensation had turned to a chill.

“You should get some rest. Your body needs all its resources to heal.”

We helped Kara to her stateroom below deck. She crawled into bed and trembled slightly. I found an extra blanket and covered her.

I grabbed her hand and whispered, “You’re going to be just fine. When you wake in the morning, you’ll be a new person.”

She smiled. “I already am a new person.”

“I’ll be back to check on you through the night,” I said.

I shut out the light as we stepped into the hallway.

Dr. Malcolm spoke in a hushed voice. “Fatigue, lethargy, and muscle weakness are all side effects as her body works to metabolize the drug.”

“What do I need to watch out for?”

“Shallow respiration, nausea, vomiting, tachycardia, excessive fever. Keep her hydrated. I’ve left a few bags of saline.”

“What are the odds?” I asked, hopeful.

After a hesitation, he said, “I give it 30/70.”

I lifted a surprised brow. “That low?”

He shrugged. “Too many variables. This is an off-label use, to say the least.”

I escorted him up to the main deck. “I appreciate your help.”

Dr. Malcolm was still unsettled. “Let’s hope everything works out for the best.”

He was talking about more than just Kara’s recovery.