He had just finished pouring the water he had boiled with a tiny dash of salt, then allowed to cool to room temperature, into her IV bag. The doctor told him there were no more supplies, and that was the only way he could keep her hydrated. Leah, the Swiss hiker who hadn’t left Wolfgang’s side since they returned from the dragon rock, sat on his wife’s other side, dabbing her forehead with a wet washcloth. She had been amazing, helping Wolfgang take care of his wife and daughter when only minimal medical help was available. Once Wolfgang’s family had been categorized as fatal cases of radiation poisoning, the limited medical resources were redirected away from them to individuals who might survive. Wolfgang’s daughter died the day after. His wife hung on, her pain abated by morphine, but that would run out soon and Wolfgang didn’t know if he wanted his wife to die to spare her the suffering, or to hang on, and by some miracle, survive. He prayed like he had never prayed before.
