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Chapter 1

Nick’s POV

I woke up with my head pounding with a force I had never felt before. I tried to focus my eyes on my surroundings, but I couldn’t clearly make out anything. I could smell something burning, but I didn’t feel and heat, so I was pretty confident that it was close to me. Reaching up to my face I attempted to wipe away whatever it was that was clouding my vision, but I soon realized that that wasn’t such a great idea. Pain shot across my head as I felt the gash in my forehead. Blood, it must be blood in my eyes. What happened? And more importantly where the hell am I? It doesn’t take me long to realize that I am upside down in my car. Oh shit….I am upside down in my car, my baby, my 2008 Mustang Selene! Oh God, please don’t let her be totaled. How the hell did I wreck her? What could have possibly caused me to be so careless with something so special to me? Then it hit me….the mushroom cloud. Fear consumed my body at this realization. From my 6 years in the Marines I learned that one thing made an explosion like that….Nuclear Bombs!

But what the hell was a Nuclear bomb doing going off in the United States, no forget that, Louisiana?! What the hell was so important in Louisiana that would make someone Nuke it? As my mind starts to contemplate this, I suddenly remember that there was another car. Shit! Are they alright? I suddenly felt the urge to get myself out of the car. I needed to check on those people, and let’s face it; it isn’t too much fun being upside down in a wrecked car. I unbuckled my seatbelt and screamed in pain as I felt a piece of glass pierce my shoulder. Mother Fucking Shit, as if I weren’t hurt enough already. Gritting my teeth through the pain I low crawled my way out of my baby. I turn back and take a look at her, and boy was that a mistake. She was ruined. Totally and utterly demolished. That figures it would be like that. The one thing that I own that I am proud of gets destroyed.

Pulling my attention away from my car, I look around and spot the source of the smoke that I smell. It is the other car and from the looks of the smoke billowing out from underneath the hood, I think it is safe to say that there is a fire under it. I run over quickly to get a closer look inside and winch immediately at the site. It is immediately obvious that the man driving is dead. I could literally see parts of his brain seeping through his skull. I rush around to the passenger side a reach my hand in through the window and place two fingers on the woman’s neck searching for a pulse. Without finding one I conclude that she didn’t make it either. I am really feeling freaked out now. I mean I am standing in the middle of Hwy 445 and there are two dead people here. I reach into my pocket and pull out my cell phone trying multiple times to get through to 911, but all I get is a message saying that all networks are busy. Screw this. I am only about five miles outside of town; if I hurry I should be able to make it back before it gets to dark. I look down at my watch, 7:20, shit never mind about the before it gets dark part. In 20 more minutes it will be dark. Never the less, I have got to get back into town and get someone out here to clean up this mess.

After walking about 30 minutes cursing out loud to myself, I realize that I couldn’t have chosen a worse day to come back to Loranger. I mean damn I haven’t been here in 6 years, and the day I come freaking Louisiana gets NUCKED!!!!How in the world does that make any sense? After another 10 or so minutes of more ranting and kicking the dirt I see a light flashing out of the corner of my eye. Turning my body towards the light, I see what looks like head lights. I wonder if it is another car. Curious of course, I get off the road walking across the ditch and into the trees. It doesn’t take me long to realize that it is a school bus. I take off running towards the bus, almost afraid of what I was going to find. Once I reached the bus, a woman opens the door and allows me on.

“I am so glad you are here. I have been trying to get a hold of emergency services, but it say’s all lines are tied up.” She said with her heavy southern accent. Man those were going to take some getting used to again.

“Yea, I know I was in a wreck a couple of miles back and I couldn’t get in touch with them either. What in the hell is going on?” I asked as if she would have answers that I didn’t know.

“I don’t know! There was the loud noise and then this huge cloud of smoke in the air, and the bus driver totally flipped out. I think he had a heart attack. But he ended up driving off the road and into the woods. I am pretty sure he is dead.”

“Is everyone else okay?” I ask looking around at the kids.

“I think so.” She replied unsure.

“Not her, not her.” Said a little boy from the back.

“Who?” I ask.

“”Grace. She says she can’t breathe and her mouth is starting to turn blue.” Answered the little boy.

I run back and find the little girl turning blue and I immediately start freaking out. I have to remind myself over and over again to think. What would I have done if something like this happened to one of my buddy’s in Iraq? THINK NICK!!!! A trach, a field trach. “I need a pen. Does anybody have a pen? And a knife, or a key, something sharp.”

“I have my swish army knife.” a little boy said as he handed it to me.

“Here, I have a pen.” Answered another kid tossing it at me too.

“You!” I said pointing to the girl who let me one the bus.

“Jennifer.” She acknowledged me, telling me her name.

“Jennifer, I need you to come hold Grace down. This is going to hurt, but we have to open her airway or she is going to die. Okay? Do you think you can handle that?” I say to her trying to stay calm, but inside I am seriously freaking out. I had never done this on a real person before. I had done it plenty of times on dummies, but everyone knows it is different when you do the real thing.

“Yea, I can do it.” She answered with fear evident in her voice.

“Just hold her down and look away. I promise to try and do it fast.” I tell her trying to ease some of her fear. She simply nods her head and lay’s her body partially over Grace to hold her still. I look down at Grace and see fear in her eyes too, but hers isn’t a fear of me with a knife, hers is a fear of dying.

“I promise this will only hurt for a few seconds, and then you will be able to breathe, alright?” I tell her, trying to console her. A single tear rolls down her cheek as she nods her head yes.

I pull the tip and the ink out of the pen and hallow it out, before carefully feeling for Graces vocal cords. Once I find the vocal cords, I go one finger width beneath it. I take a deep breath and press the knife against her throat forcefully, feeling it pierce her skin. She immediately begins to cry and I drag the knife along her esophagus about a half an inch long. Once I made the incision I stuck my finger into her throat to make sure I made it to the wind pipe. Finding out that I successfully made the hole, I remove my finger and replace it with the pen.

“Now try to breathe Grace. Take small breaths, and tell me if you can feel air in your lungs.” I tell her once I think I have it place properly.

I see her chest rise and fall slowly and a small smile creeps across her face. I took that as a sign that yes, she could breathe. I can’t believe I just freaking did that. I trached someone in a freaking school bus. I didn’t even get to do that shit in Iraq, but here I am in butt-hole Louisiana, emergency traching someone. That was like the coolest thing ever.

“That was like the coolest thing I have ever seen.” Jennifer said as she lifted her body off of Grace.

“Don’t move to much Grace, and don’t try to talk, because as long as you have that hole in your neck you won’t be able to speak, okay?” Grace nodded gently letting me know that she heard me.

“Where did you learn to do that?” Jennifer continued to talk.

“The military.” I stated simply.

“They teach you guys that stuff?”

“Well yea, it is called buddy first aid. If someone you work with gets hurt, we are supposed to know how to perform life saving services. It comes in handy in Iraq.”

“You’ve been to Iraq?”

“Do you always ask so many questions?” I shoot back at her. I didn’t know this girl and that was unusual for me, because I thought I knew everyone in Loranger.

“Sorry, I am just nervous.”

“It’s alright. I am Nick by the way.”

“Nice to meet you Nick. What were you doing in these parts? I don’t think I have ever seen you here before.” She asked.

“Actually I grew up here, and I was thinking the same thing about you. Granted I have been gone for a few years, I thought I knew everybody in Loranger.”

“I moved here from Holden four years ago to teach.” She replied. “Maybe I know some of your family.”

“Oh, I am sure you do. My name is Nick Carter, as in Mike Carters son, and Kevin Carters little brother.” I answer watching shock move over her face.

“No shit, the mayor is your dad? You are the Nick Carter huh? A friend of mine tells me stories all the time about the good old days with you.”

“Really who is that?”

“Jessica Smith.”

I smiled to myself happy to learn that Jessica was telling people stories about our past, and as much as I wanted to hear more of the story, I knew that we needed to get this bus back in town. Grace was going to need real medical attention. There was a risk of infection in the incision due to none of the equipment being sterilized and I didn’t want her having any unnessacary complications.

“We should try to get this bus out of here.” I said making my way back up to the front. I checked the drivers pulse just to make sure he was dead before moving him and to my surprise I felt a pulse. It was treading and shallow, but it was there.

“He has a pulse!” I yelled back at Jennifer.

“What?” she answered shocked.

“A heart beat, he has one. It is shallow though, so we have got to hurry. Come help me move him.”

We move the driver into the front seat of the bus and I hope into the driver’s seat. After a couple failed attempts the bus finally roars to a start. YES! Now I just had to drive up back safely. Hoping that in fives minutes time we would be in the town limits, and I would feel much safer there. A few minutes later we pulled in front of the school, which happens to be right in front of the sheriff’s station to find a parking lot full of parents terrified about the absence of their children. I rush to the back of the bus and gently pick Grace up. I carry her off the bus, and just as I had her off to her mother, explaining what happened and I turn around and find myself face to face with none other than my dad.

“Hello son.” He simply greeted me.

“Dad….”