Without You
“Mom! Something is stinging me!” I turned around and tried to look at my behind.
I was just about to run my hand across my ass when my mother screamed.
“Oh God! Don’t put your hand back there. Oh shit…oh…I might actually faint!”
“What? Mother! What in the hell is it?”
“Take off your pants. Oh my! Now, Alex!”
I stripped out of my boots and began taking off my riding pants. “Ouch. Fucker! Oh…oh!” I screamed over and over as I pulled my pants down.
My mother began stomping on something. “Get away, and watch where you step! Put your boots back on.”
I grabbed my boots and ran over to Banjo. My ass and the top of my leg were stinging like a bitch. I looked back at my mother, who was screaming like a mad person while stomping on something. I walked over and saw a scorpion that was dead on the ground from her stomping on it. I instantly felt sick to my stomach. Then, I saw another one.
“Mom, how many were on me?”
She turned and looked at me. “ Three,” she whispered.
Three? Did she say three?
I swallowed hard and looked over at the log I had been sitting on. Scorpions were all over it.
“Mom…Mom…I’m gonna throw up. I’m gonna faint.”
“Okay, well, which one are you going to do, so I can prepare myself?”
I had to turn away. The sight of all those scorpions was making it worse.
“Throw up!” I shouted.
She ran over and grabbed my hair. “Go for it, baby.”
“No, I’m dizzy. I’m gonna faint.”
“Okay, I’m ready.” She positioned herself in front of me and dug her feet in as she held out her hands.
I heard someone riding up on a horse, and I looked up to see Colt and Luke.
Colt looked down at my bare legs and said, “What in the hell?”
That was when I knew for sure what I was going to do next. I looked at my mom and went to tell her to move, but instead, I threw up all over her.
“Gross! That was nasty!” Colt shouted.
Luke jumped off his horse and started throwing up.
Colt started laughing as he pointed at Luke.
“Mom…oh, Mom, I didn’t mean—”
My mother held up her hand for me to stop talking. “Colt, give me your T-shirt.”
Colt jumped off his horse and ripped his shirt off before handing it to her. She began cleaning off the puke. Luke turned and looked, and then he turned back around and started throwing up again.
“Colt, get your sister back right away. She’s been stung a few times by scorpions.”
Colt looked at me and then over to my pants. That was when he must have seen the log.
“Holy crap. Did you sit on that, Alex?” He turned back to me. “Um, Mom? Alex doesn’t look so good.”
“Get her home, Colt.”
Colt picked me up, and I started having trouble breathing.
“Luke, text Gunner and let him know that Alex has been stung by scorpions. Hurry!”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I was starting to feel really bad as Colt handed me to Luke, so he could jump up on his horse. Luke lifted me up to Colt, and Colt took me and placed me in front of him. He took off toward the house in a full-on run.
“Hang on, Alex. Please, just hang on. I’ll get you home. Dad will fix it.”
I started to close my eyes, so I could focus on pulling in air.
In that moment, I remembered that I was allergic to scorpions.
“Daddy…hurts. It hurts…can’t breathe.” I was gasping for air, and I knew it was more my nerves than anything. I could feel tingling in my ass and leg, but the pain was unreal.
I watched as my father pulled out an EpiPen, and he gave me a shot. Grams was on the phone with the doctor, and I could hear her talking.
“Yes, I remember. She was sixteen. Yes, he just gave her the shot. Okay. Will do, Doctor. Of course. Thank you.”
“What did he say, Emma?” my mother asked as she stood there, watching me closely.
Grams looked at me and smiled. “Watch her closely and the shot should work here pretty quick. Keep her calm, and that will help her breathing return to normal.”
Everyone stood there and stared at me for a few minutes. I wanted to laugh, but then I caught a glimpse of my mother’s shirt.
“Mom…” I whispered.
“Yes, baby. I’m here.”
“Please go shower. That is so gross, knowing my puke is on you.”
Luke made a gagging noise. “Oh God!” He quickly ran by and went into the bathroom.