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The sky was dark and the trees seemed to suck all the light faster than it should. But at least Karl had been able to gather enough firewood and start the damn thing before it really sunk in.
Davey's skin was cold to the touch and Karl couldn't tell if Davey was even breathing. There was the slightest hint of blue on Davey's lips and Karl knew they were in for a world of trouble.
Karl tried to check his brother's pulse. His fingers fumbled across Davey's throat trying to figure out how to place his fingers. He'd seen it millions of times in movies, just a two fingered touch on the side of the neck and he would be able to tell. But Karl couldn't seem to find it. Karl takes a deep breath, trying to calm the clamoring in his head, the quickness of his heart, and tried again. This time he felt slowly across Davey's cold skin. There it was, slow, too slow, but steady.
Karl let go of a breath he hadn't known he held. "Damn it, Davey. Don't scare me like that."
Karl kept his fingers on Davey's pulse and shifted around until Davey looked slightly more comfortable against rocks and wet dirt.
He knew what was wrong. Davey was in shock and he probably had a concussion. But Karl didn't know what else he could do besides getting Davey warm. He sighed and plopped down next to David. He tipped David against his shoulder, hoping that would create a bit more warmth. He watched their small fire, knowing he would soon have to find more wood. Dry wood was hard to find, the whole place seemed to constantly covered by a fine mist. He felt even worse when he realized he'd have to leave Davey alone again.
He didn't trust Dinotopia. Everything was different and strange and he just wanted to go home. He wanted Davey and their dad to be all right. He wanted for all this to be some terrible, yet incredibly detailed, nightmare. But nothing he wanted would change the fact that his brother was possibly slipping into a coma getting closer and closer to death against his shoulder.
What kind of brother was he?
He cared deeply about Davey. He knew he did. Everything he did since they got here was for him. To make sure they would both be alive and able to go home. Together. But it seemed like David fought him at every step. Like David would rather spend forever here than leave. He knew David never exactly fit in at home, but they were going to start living together. They were going to university at Dad's alma mater. Dad had found an apartment they could share, with bedrooms on opposite sides and a large living area. Karl had known it would be a rough start, but he was looking forward to getting to know his brother better.
Karl must have drifted to sleep. When he opened his eyes, the sky beyond the tree tops was a dark grey. Just enough light to see by, but definitely early morning. Karl carefully checked Davey's pulse. He found it this time with some difficulty, and it seemed no different from last night.
Karl sighed. He felt David's forehead, checking for any change in temperature, but his skin was still dry and cool. Karl fidgeted; he had no idea how to fix this. He gently propped David against the rock and got up to collect wood and some water.
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