It took them only ten minutes to get to the station by car. Brooke wove in and out of the solar cells, narrowly missing a few that could have wiped them out. She slammed on the brakes, and the cruiser slid forward a few feet through the sand, stopping them right in front of the station's entrance. Brooke ran around to the back and picked Emily up in her arms.

 

The lights were still on, which was a good sign that the solar cells were retaining energy. Brooke pointed to one of the desks in the main room.

 

“John, clear off that table,” Brooke said.

 

In one sweeping motion, John knocked all of the random items off the desk, and they clanged to the floor. Brooke gently set Emily down and ran for the first aid kit she had seen in the back.

 

“Keep an eye on her,” Brooke said.

 

Brooke flipped the latches open on the first aid kit and sifted through the contents. She pushed aside bandages, creams, and pills until she pulled out the tube of liquid holding the scorpion antivenom. She poured it into a syringe, sprinting back to Emily.

 

“Roll up her sleeve,” Brooke said.

 

John slid Emily’s sleeve all the way up to her shoulder, and Brooke pierced her daughter's skin with the end of the needle. She pressed down on the syringe, and the medicine entered her daughter's bloodstream.

 

“Is it working?” John asked.

 

“It'll take some time,” Brooke answered.

 

Emily's breathing continued to be labored. Brooke placed the back of her hand on her daughter's forehead.

 

“She's burning up,” Brooke said. “John, go grab some water out of the cruiser.”

 

John disappeared in a flash, and Brooke bent down and kissed her daughter's head, stroking her hair. She hoped and prayed that it was a scorpion that had stung Emily. If it was something else, she wasn't sure the antidote would work.

 

Brooke picked up her daughter's hand, holding it gently between both of her own. John returned, holding a one-gallon water jug in each hand.

 

“There's a compress in the first aid kit in the back. Fill it with water and bring it over to me,” Brooke said.

 

John nodded. She knew that her son felt guilty about what had happened. As much as he argued with his sister, he still loved her. Brooke knew that keeping him busy was the best way to keep his mind from wandering down paths of distress and blame.

 

“Here you go,” John said, extending the compress to her.

 

Brooke felt it; it wasn't nearly cold enough to do any good. The water was already hot from the sun beating down on it all afternoon.

 

“We need to cool it down. There was a break room somewhere in here with a fridge. I don't know if they took it with them when they left. See if you can find it,” Brooke said.

 

“Okay,” John replied.

 

The temperature in the building felt like it was going down. The AC was definitely kicking in, which was helpful for her daughter's current condition.

 

Emily's muscles spasmed. Her head rocked back and forth on the table. The venom was wreaking havoc on her daughter’s nervous system. It was doing its best to shut her major vital systems down until Emily's heart was too weak to keep beating.

 

“Stay with me,” Brooke said.