"Serena, you should wash your face. I have some ointment here you can use."
Serena Lynch nodded. "Okay."
She had taken a nasty fall. Her forehead and chin were scraped open, and she had cuts on her arms and knees. Chase Underwood wet a towel and carefully wiped Serena Lynch's face while Annie stood by, watching her anxiously.
"Does it hurt a lot, Mommy?"
Serena Lynch shook her head. "It doesn't hurt at all."
"You're lying, Mommy. You're bleeding, so it must hurt."
Serena Lynch pulled Annie into her arms. "It really doesn't hurt. It's just a tiny scrape, and it'll heal quickly. Does Annie need to use the bathroom?"
Annie nodded. After applying the ointment to Serena Lynch's cuts, Chase Underwood took a torch and carried Annie outside.
Once the water boiled, Evelyn Ford crumbled a hardtack biscuit into a bowl, added hot water and salt, and ate it with some Dried Meat.
