WC: 865
"Five thousand eight hundred fifty-two, five thousand eight hundred fifty-three, five thousand eight hundred fifty-four…"
"Yasu, please shut up," Monk said.
"Five thousand eight hundred fifty-five… and that's the fifteenth time you've told me to shut up."
"For good reason."
The rain was still in downpour-mode. Every time they thought that it was starting to lighten up, another burst would come. At some point they all had to haul the washtub out to empty the water that had gathered, and Monk realized the hard way that Yasu could barely lift something that heavy and had sloshed water all over Monk's shoes.
"It's not my fault. I'm a dedicated student. I don't go lifting weights every night."
"I noticed."
"Come on guys. Let's not start any arguments here," John said. He smiled at both of them.
"You're right. I'm sorry, John." Yasu nodded, making John a little worried that he might be planning something.
"What time is it?" Monk asked.
"Only five minutes after you last asked that..." Yasu checked his watch. "Twelve-thirteen a.m."
Monk made a disgusted sound and pulled his knees up, his shoes making squishing sounds as he moved his feet.
"Why don't you fall asleep? There's enough room for you to lie down," Yasu said. There really wasn't that much room. But Yasu was just trying to make him feel cared for. A grumpy Monk was an unpleasant thing to deal with.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't want to sleep in the same tent as you."
"What a terrible thing to say." Yasu wiped away a fake tear.
"I don't feel any pity."
"You wouldn't. There was a study that people start losing their compassion as they get older."
"Don't. Start. That."
"You can take the last sleeping bag if you want. Just don't be alarmed if I try to crawl in with you in the middle of the night."
Monk shook his head. "I worry about you sometimes, kid."
"Hey..."
"Just being honest."
"Even so, I think we could fit two people into one sleeping bag."
They were both silent. John had seemed to have been ignoring them, but he had gone slightly red in the ears.
"Yeah, but it'd be hard to do anything that close but sleep," Monk said.
John put his hand over his eyes, the blush creeping into his neck and cheeks.
"…Sorry, John," Monk said.
"We wouldn't have to close the zipper all the way," Yasu said, "Besides, two bodies in an enclosed area would produce enough heat."
"Ah-hem…" John coughed, his eyes still covered. These two people in an enclosed space were a recipe for disaster. He should have just bowed out when Yasu said he wanted to go.
"…Sorry, John," Yasu said, grinning over John's head to an equally grinning Monk.
"Yeah, that would work. Or maybe, instead of lying side by side…" Monk said, rubbing his chin as if he was giving the matter thought.
"—I get to be on top," Yasu said.
"Guys!" John snapped.
"…Sorry, John," they both said in unison.
All that prevailed over the silence was the rain and the water dripping into the tub.
"Yasu," Monk said dangerously, "I hope you know I was joking about everything I said earlier. Quit touching me."
"Eh? I'm all the way over here..."
"…Then what is…?" Monk twisted around and grabbed at the darkness behind him. He grabbed at something smooth. He pulled up a snake.
"HOLY HELL!" he yelled, jumping forward and getting out of the tent. The other two were not far behind.
Standing at the door of the tent, they were all immediately drenched.
The tent was softly aglow from where Yasu had dropped his flashlight. They could see the form of the snake moving around it, the light making its shadow bigger then it had been.
"Go kill it," Yasu ordered, looking at Monk.
Monk gave him a side-ways glance. "If you can tell me it's not poisonous."
"There's a way to tell that…something with the shape of the eyes or the head… I don't remember which."
"Let it bite you and we'll see."
"Come on, calm down," John said, his hair plastered to his face.
"Aren't you from Australia, John? Can't you kill a snake?" Monk asked, pulling up the hood of his jacket.
"Well…I can kill them with a shovel, but I've never killed one with my bare hands if that's what you're asking."
"You've never killed a snake with your bare hands." Monk rolled his eyes. "Don't you people wrestle kangaroos? Shouldn't you have been able to tell if it was poisonous?"
"Where did you get that idea! And I didn't get a good look at it, it was too dark!"
"Okay, let's not argue," Yasu said to them.
Monk was eyeing up the little log cabin. It seemed so dry and cozy on the inside. "Why doesn't this thing have a porch?"
"Why don't you build one," John muttered.
"What do I look like to you, a survivalist?
"Not in the least."
John and Monk glared at each other until the other member of their team interrupted them. Unfortunately.
"…What…was that?" Yasu said.
Behind them, they could hear the footfalls of something…big.
"Dammit," Monk said. John watched as he started to climb the nearest tree.
"If it's a bear, it can climb trees, you know," John said.
"That's why you're staying down there. It can eat you first."
The footfalls abruptly stopped.
The other two climbed the tree after Monk.
