Carter's Distraction:
Summary: Newkirk gets injured on a mission so Carter tells him a story of when he blew up his high school to distract Newkirk from the pain.
…
Newkirk and Carter ran through the woods, trying to lose the soldiers who were following them. Gun fire resounded through the forest, They could hear the bullets hitting the trees and ground around them.
Newkirk glanced back behind him to make sure Carter was still behind him. There was a loud bang and Newkirk felt a sharp pain in his back. He fell unwilling. Carter nearly tramped him. Kneeling down he quickly checked his friend and found him wounded but, luckily, alive. The young man looked around him then in the direction of the pursuers. Quickly he hauled Newkirk to his feet and hauled him over his shoulder and carried him to safety.
Carter took Newkirk to an old oak tree that was hollowed out. Laying down on the earth beneath the tree where they were hidden. He took off the shirt to see how bad the wound was. The bullet had penetrated the shoulder cleanly; the blood was pouring down Newkirk's chest and back. Carter nervously took his shirt and tore it to make a makeshift bandage. Slowly and carefully he wrapped his friend's shoulder. He knew his friend would be okay. He just had to stop the bleeding so he applied as much pressure as he could to the wounds.
At the pressure Newkirk groaned in pain. "Carter…"
"Sorry, I have to stop the bleeding. It doesn't look too bad. You should be okay." Carter took his coat off and placed it over his friend to try and keep him warm.
Newkirk, held his eyes closed tight and was panting from the pain.
Carter wiped the sweat from Newkirk's brow with a handkerchief he found in his pocket and told him he'd be alright.
"Carter…"Newkirk practically croaked the name.
"Yeah?"
"Talk."
"Huh?" Carter looked at his friend in confusion. Usually Newkirk told him to 'shut up' or that he talked to much, and now he wanted him to talk? The Englander must have been ill to request such a thing from Carter.
"Talk. Say something'. I'll listen, it will distract me from the pain." Newkirk tried to adjust his position but the movement only made the agony worse.
As gently as he could, Carter pulled his friend up to his chest and let him rest against him comfortably so he was off the cold, hard ground. "What do you want me to talk about?"
"Anythin'."
Carter didn't know what to talk about. He could comment on the weather, but that wasn't very interesting to keep Newkirk distracted.
"Carter… please…" Newkirk's pain was evident as he choked out another plea.
"Okay, I got it! I'll tell you about when I blew up my school."
Newkirk smirked through his pain, this would be good.
….
(Story-Time Mode Begins)
Andrew was asleep at his bedroom desk. He had been studying for his chemistry test all last night and waas exhausted. He opened his eyes and glanced over at his clock; ten minutes before he had to be out the door. Jumping up he tripped over his bag and shoes and got dressed.
Running down the stairs he nearly crashed head first into his mother who had a basket of laundry in her arms. "Andrew, Be careful. Uh…Where are you going?"
"School!" He shouted as he ran into the kitchen, grabbed some toast and ran out the front door.
"Honestly, that boy! Be good!" His mother shook her head and continued with the work.
Andrew bolted down the street toward his school. Bullfrog wasn't too large of a town so he could easily make it to school on foot in time. Luckily he did make it in time with a minute to spare. He ran up the steps of Rutherford B. Hayes Polytechnic High School. He thought it had a rather long name but he didn't build the school so he didn't have a say in it and figured he may as well just deal with it. He only had a year left anyway. He ran straight into his Chemistry class and took his seat just as the bell rang. What a day this was turning out to be… at least he knew he'd do well on his chemistry test.
The teacher walked from behind her desk and handed a paper to all the students.
Andrew put on his goggles and lab coat and prepared for the test. One thing was for sure; he'd go sneak some food from the Cafeteria next door when this was over. Then he'd go watch Mary Jane rehearse for the school play in the Auditorium. She was playing Juliet, but he wasn't worried about any kissing scenes he trusted Mary Jane.
He arranged his chemicals before him and read his paper and the instructions. It was pretty simple. He began to mix the chemicals one by one. He glanced over to his friend Nate who was just mixing things at random. He wanted to be remembered for blowing up the Chem. lab and he tried so hard every class period to do so but thankfully, to no avail.
Andrew knew though, that the teacher had caught on before Nate even entered her class room, to what he wanted to do and switched all the chemicals with colored water so as to save her class and herself.
Andrew shook his head and looked back to what he was doing. With as much concentration as possible, he slowly began to pour the last chemical into the mix. He stopped and thought; he'd put in too much of the last chemical. He decided he'd just double the recipe then, like they did in cooking. That way it still turned out, there was just more of it. So he went back to the beginning and began pouring in double of what he needed. Finally it was bubbling and looked good. It was time for the last mixture. Slowly he lifted it and began dripping it into his concoction.
"A-CHOOO!" the kid behind Andrew sneezed, causing him to jump and dump in a large amount of the chemical.
"Oh No!" Andrew grabbed the flask and quickly went to dump it down the sink.
"No, Andrew!" The teacher leapt at him but it was too late! The concoction mixed with the water in the pipes. The teacher quickly pushed everyone out of the class room and they all crashed to the floor just in time.
BOOM!
They all turned around. The Chemistry lab was gone. They looked down the hall; the cafeteria was gone. And where the class room used to be, there was seats from the balcony level of the Auditorium.
"Andrew!" Nate was the one reprimanding him… which didn't make sense to him.
Later, Andrew sat in the Vice Principals office, since the Principal, who happened to be in the balcony level of the Auditorium during the explosion, was in the hospital.
"You destroyed the Chemistry lab, the Cafeteria, and the balcony level of the auditorium." The Vice Principal glared at Andrew.
"Sir, it was an accident, honest! The kid behind me sneezed and made me jump." Andrew spoke in his defense. "I accidentally dumped in more of the last chemical than I was supposed to. I got scared so I thought I'd get rid of it by dumping it down the drain…the teacher never told me not to mix it was water! She never said it would blow up!"
The Vice Principal could believe this. That teacher sometimes seemed to forget to tell the kids important things. The Vice Principal sighed. "Very well. But I do plan on telling your folks about this."
"That's okay, I'm sure they already know." Andrew said timidly.
The man sighed and smiled. The kid was probably right. The explosion could have been heard for miles.
(Story-Time Mode Ends)
…
"Yeah they didn't rebuild any of it until after I was graduated." Carter told Newkirk as he concluded his story. "I guess they didn't want me to blow it up again. Nate was pretty sore at me for a little while since I stole his dream of blowing up the Chem. lab and going even further than that.. But after about a week, he lightened up and turned it around to say that he was the friend of the kid who blew up his high school." Andrew was thoughtful as he spoke. Those were some good times. He looked at Newkirk who was smiling.
"Ya really are clumsy, mate. Always have been." Newkirk was feeling better the bleeding had stopped and the shock had worn off.
"Nah, I'm just unlucky!" Carter smiled.
"So did you pass your test?" Newkirk asked jokingly. He knew Carter didn't.
"Yeah, actually."
Newkirk just looked at him.
"When they were looking in the remains of the classroom, they found my test and found out that, even though I blew up half the school, I still finished the test and mixed it correctly. I got an 'A'."
Newkirk started laughing before stopping and wincing in pain.
"Hey Newkirk, Carter! Is that you?" A voice from the woods brought them to attention. It sounded like Lebeau's voice.
"Yeah! It's us!" Carter called back.
From the bushes emerged Colonel Hogan, Lebeau, and Kinch. "What happened to you two?" The three spoke in unison.
"Newkirk is injured. I think he'll be okay though." Carter stood.
"With you around, mate? Ya might blow up this area of the woods with just water!" Newkirk winced as he was helped up by the young man.
Hogan looked from face to face completely confused.
Carter knew that he was joking, and handed the Englander over to the Colonel and Kinch.
The five went back to camp, to hear the retelling of the odd tale.
[AN] Har Har Har! I had fun with this one!
Well that's my take on when Carter blew up his high school. Hope you liked it! R&R please!
The First point of view of Carter's story is next chapter
I'd like to thank Deana who Beta read this for me! Thank so much hon! You're the best!