Under Pressure

Glad you could join us for the next explosive episode of Elliot’s Adventures. If you’re new here, you can catch up by returning to the beginning, and reading really fast…

Elliot tried to press on Vernon’s stitched chest with his tentacles, but instead of compressing, they slid off the hard shell that was the wasp’s skin. After the third attempt, he stared at Clifton.

“You have to do this, Clif.”

“But I don’t know what you’re doing.”

“I’m trying to make his heart work again, but I can’t push hard enough.”

“If I push on him,” Clifton warned, “I’m afraid I’ll break him. Besides, what is that stuff? It looks like he’s leaking.”

“I think his cut is infected — he’s burning up. But if we don’t get his heart started soon, he’s gonna be cold and dead.”

Clifton sighed. “Okay. Tell me where to push.”

“Just this side of the stitches. Over his heart.”

His first compression was timid. Vernon’s exoskeleton didn’t even sag.

“Harder, Clif. Stiffen your arms.”

The young bee threw himself into the job, denting the wasp’s thorax and letting it snap back in a rhythm that matched his own pounding heartbeat.

“Keep going.”

On the eighteenth push, a spout of spray erupted in his face.

Opening his fever-glazed eyes, Vernon choked out, “Stop…stop…it hurts.”

“You’re alive!” Clifton shrieked. “You’re alive again!”

“Can you fly?” Elliot asked wiping Vernon’s wound with a bit of dampened moss.

“I don’t think so. I crawled most of the way here.”

“Are you strong enough to stay on my shell?”

“I don’t know.”

“Stay with him, Elliot. I’ll go get help,” Clifton called just before he darted off.

“Elliot,” Vernon whispered urgently, “rebels are…” and then he passed out.

To be continued. . .

Previously, on Elliot’s Adventures ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Next time . . .