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Niko collapsed onto the easy chair

"That’s rowled Then he took a second look at Niko and changed his tone "But you can stay there for a bit"

Mario fished a pack of pills out of his caddy and tossed it in Niko’s lap

"Benadryl Take four" He looked around and his eyes caught lass of water?"

"Okay," I said

"Glasses in first cabinet there and water’s in the corner Not too much water at first, you kids Take two sips, then wait a moment Then two more and so on Otherwise you’ll all retch"

I opened the shelves It seemed like it had been years since I opened a kitchen cabinet and looked at stacks of dishes and glasses standing neatly in a line

I took a jelly glass from the shelf It had cherries painted on it and a yellow stripe around the ri water bottle on a stand

"Can I have some water, too?" Sahalia asked "Please?"

Her voice was funny and I saw she was crying

"Of course You all need water right away And food, too We’ll get to that First I have to help this one And you have to get cleaned up"

My hand shook as I filled the jelly glass I took two sips

It was so clean, that water I felt it go into h my whole, parched body, it felt like

Sahalia had co drink

"Can we have some, too?" Batiste asked

I went over to hilass Then Ulysses had some and by that tilasses for everyone, you kids," Mario crabbed

But ere used to sharing We didn’t care

I refilled the glass and took two ave it to Niko His hands were bloody and blistered

"Thanks," he said His voice was like gravel

"Fella, what’s your name?" Mario asked me

"Alex Grieder," I told him

"Well, I’m Mario Scietto You seem to have your wits about you You want to help me with this one?" He nodded toward Max

"Max," I supplied "Sure"

"You, missy!" Mario said to Sahalia "There’s a shower in the back"

"Ohup

"It’s on a ti, but two ood deep well, but the hot water heater takes too much power"

"Yes, sir"

"And be smart about it Use soap and shampoo and scrub ’til you’re clean Don’t waste water--it’s the only shower you’re going to get"

"Yes, sir"

"And put your underthings in a bag, too The lot of you stink to high heaven Put those boys in first and watch over theet out, there’s clean clothes you’ll find in the dresser back there Put them in some of my pajamas, you hear And there’s some wouys," Sahalia said, herding Batiste and Ulysses to their feet

No argu with tiredness, but excited to get clean

I glanced at Niko He was already asleep

"Noe’re going to re to clean and treat his wounds," Mario said "Do you think you can help me to do that?"

I nodded

"Good boy"

I almost fell asleep a couple tie Max’s feet

There was some Troxoidal in one of the caddies I re out to speed healing

"ThisMario the pack

I said it like a fact, but it was ," Mario told e is two tabs every six hours Let’s give him half that"

So I popped out a pill and put it under Max’s tongue It ht away It was still a little bloody in there, in the spit

Sahalia, Batiste, and Ulysses had all showered by the tiot Max’s feet wrapped up

"Wish I had a bathtub," Mario auze

"Why?" I asked

"Well, I still gotta get Max here clean He’s going to trigger the air filter with all this filth"

He lifted the seat of the couch opposite us The whole couch had a storage space under the seat

Pretty cool I guess in a boe space was filled with blankets He took out a ht you, Dean, back at Greenway after the hailstorm Do you remember?