Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
____________ c h a p t e r t w e n t y - t h r e e
With Dawn breaking nearly every traffic law in Indiana, the group makes it to Bradley's Big Buy in record time.
Nancy throws a rock into the window, shattering the glass completely, which lets them all walk in.
"I've never liked you more, Wheeler," Dawn shakes her head.
Mike and Max follow, carrying El over to a spot in a random aisle, later joined by the rest of the kids.
El winces as they set her down, while Nancy, Dawn, and Jonathan come back carrying first aid supplies.
"Let's see," Nancy pulls up El's pant leg, revealing the gnarly wound.
It was oozing out blood, way too fast for anyone's liking.
Nancy goes to start cleaning it, making Max and Bianca interrupt.
"Woah, woah, woah. What are you doing?"
"I'm cleaning the wound," she shrugs.
"No, you can't clean it when it's this bloody," Bianca corrects.
"Yeah, first we need to stop the bleeding, then clean, then disinfect, then bandage," Max elaborates, earning several shocked looks. "I skateboard, trust me."
"Trusting you," Dawn nods.
"Good. Now hold your hand here, keep pressure on it," she grabs Dawn's hand, placing it on top of the gauze covered wound.
"We're gonna need water and soap," Bianca inspects the wound.
Lucas then pours everything out of his bag, hopefully looking up as Max and Bianca turn to him at the noise. "Will any of this help?"
"Um..." Bianca looks over the stuff, appreciating the effort.
"No. Go get me a washcloth and a bowl," Max shuts him down.
"A bowl?"
"Lucas."
Will hits Lucas' arm, silently warning him not to argue. "Go."
"Okay," he stammers, quickly leaving the aisle.
After a few moments of silence between the five, Bianca nods her head towards the other aisles. "Maybe we should go check on Will and Lucas."
"Yeah, who knows what Lucas is distracted by," Max gets up, following Bianca towards the fireworks section. "Dawn, keep applying pressure!"
"I will!"
"That doesn't look like a bowl," Max puts her hands on her hips.
"Nah, it's way better," the boy argues. "There is a reason this warning label says "18 or older." This sucker is filled with 150 grains of black powder. AKA gunpowder. Strap two of these together, and it's bigger than an M-80. Five of them, we've got ourselves a stick of dynamite."
