Death Valley Summer by Brandon Wallace

Author:Brandon Wallace
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin
Published: 2024-02-20T00:00:00+00:00

12

Jake ran over and knelt on the ground in front of his brother. “Let me see,” he said.

Taylor jutted his foot forward. A small bloody wound was visible just above the top of his hiking boot. Jake looked back up at him, concerned.

“Did you get a look at what kind of snake it was?” he asked.

“No,” Taylor said. “It slithered away too fast. But I think I stepped on a nest. Back over there.” He pointed toward a tangle of underbrush at the edge of the lake. “Is it bad? Can you wrap it?”

“It doesn’t look terrible,” Jake said. “But if the snake was poisonous, you need proper medical attention. Not me and the first-aid kit.”

Kaito, Nico, and Juan hurried over. They clustered around the brothers and looked worriedly at Taylor.

“What happened?” Juan asked.

“Taylor was bitten by a snake,” Jake answered. “We don’t know what kind.”

“Are there poisonous snakes around here?” Nico said.

“Rattlesnakes are the only venomous snakes in this region,” Kaito said. “Did you hear a rattle?”

“I don’t think so. But it all happened so fast,” Taylor answered.

“What did it look like?” Kaito asked. “I know a little about snakes.”

Taylor shrugged. “I don’t know, it was maybe brownish-black and off-white. Like I said, it happened fast.”

“It’s possible it was a rattler,” Kaito said. “But I’d really need to see it to be able to tell.”

“If it was a rattlesnake, how long does it take the venom to—uh, you know?” Juan asked.

“It can take several hours,” Kaito answered. “But sometimes it can spread even faster. Do you feel any tingling in your lips, Taylor?”

“No,” Taylor squeaked out. “I don’t think so. Do I?” He tapped his fingertips against his lips, growing paler. “All this talk about rattlesnakes is making me feel funny. I need to sit down.”

“How do you know so much about snakes, Kaito?” Nico asked.

Kaito shrugged. “They’re cool, that’s all. And I read a lot.”

“Yes, you should sit,” Jake said. He grabbed a backpack and slid it behind Taylor. “But make sure to keep that ankle below your heart. And take nice, calming breaths.” Jake gave his brother a reassuring smile. If Taylor had been bitten by a rattlesnake, keeping the bite below his heart and staying calm were critical to slowing the spread of venom through his bloodstream.

Taylor lowered himself onto the backpack, breathing slowly in and out.

“Where’s Linc?” Juan asked, looking around for their counselor. “We need to use the satellite phone and call for help.”

“No!” Taylor said. “Then we’ll have to forfeit.”

“That’s better than the alternative, if it was a rattlesnake,” Jake said. He dug out a first-aid kit and sat in front of Taylor’s leg. He dabbed antiseptic on the wound and inspected it for signs of infection. So far, there was just some minor redness. No swelling, which was good.

“But we don’t even know if the snake was poisonous,” Taylor said, wincing at the sting of the antiseptic.

“I could check it out,” Kaito offered. “You said over there, right?”

“Yep,” Taylor answered. “There was a nest in that brush near the lake.

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