Carrion (The Bren Watts Diaries #1)

Chapter 14

Silence seeped onto the streets, only interrupted by the occasional gunfire and screams or the roaring of engines whizzing by in a mad rush. Accompanying those clamors were the shrieks and howls of the rioters. Sometimes only one, and sometimes sounding off together in a group.

Carson's condition was stable. Nothing critical got bitten out of his arm, and I managed to apply first-aid as my mother taught me. Well, as best as I could anyway. It was a mild flesh wound, but I still made sure that the bleeding wasn't too severe. Paying attention to my watch, I counted until ten minutes to see if the bleeding ceased after a firm pressure. It mostly did, so I took that as a good sign.

I am not particularly good at applying a tourniquet or bandages as my mom was more of an expert than me. Still, I knew not to use hydrogen peroxide or iodine as it could damage the deep tissues for such wounds like these. So, I dragged Carson to the bathroom at the end of the store and cleaned his wound with warm water as best as I could.

Luckily, the store had a first-aid kit, and I used their clean white bandages to patch up his arm after I applied anti-bacterial and antibiotic ointment around the wound.

"Am I gonna live?" Carson asked worriedly.

"Quit being dramatic. It's nothing," I said. "By the end of the week or two, you'll have a badass scar to show off in school." It would heal, but a teeth-shaped scar would replace it.

I caught a weak smile, but then it suddenly dropped. "I better not die from this," Carson grimaced. "You'll get it worse. I swear."

"What? Haunt me beyond the grave? You do know I don't believe in such things, right?"

"And you call yourself Catholic," he muttered under his breath.

"I mean, you're not wrong. I may be Catholic, but I'm no longer that a long time ago. But I do know that God-fearing men and women don't bully other people into making themselves feel superior," I said. "Jesus, taught us better," I quipped, grinning.

"Whatever."

Natalie, Aria, and Logan hounded him and checked if he was okay. When Logan came closer, Carson flinched away from him.

"You almost got me killed," he seethed.

"I--I froze. That's all," Logan muttered. He clutched the rifle harder in his hand.

Carson bore down his eyes at him. "Froze? If you could've shot that thing, I wouldn't have this!" he said, raising his arm. "Freaking thing hurts like a mother—"

"Shh! Quiet down," I said. "We're not out of the clear yet. Or would you rather want those things in here with us?"

They went quiet. Aria soothed Carson, and she ushered him deeper into the store where the rest of the group hid. Logan and Natalie didn't follow.

"Logan, can I talk to you for a sec?" I asked.

He eyed me warily for a second. He gave a curt nod to Natalie that he'll come back shortly. When Natalie was about to protest, he kissed her on the lips for what felt like minutes passed.

I had to avert my eyes and look around at the books on the shelves, feigning I was interested in them. My eyes caught a particular title in the middle: How to Get Kissed by Boys. I steered my eyes away from that, too.

When Logan finally pulled himself away from her, he followed me into the self-help section.

"You froze?" I asked smoothly, not wanting to sound accusatory.

But he didn't take it that way. "If you think you can lecture me like some kid or like my dad, then who do you think you are, Bren? Huh? Just because you can shoot and have a gun in your hand doesn't change who you are out there."