CHAPTER THREE
A month later
Matt Hawkes was leading his horse, holding the reins lightly while watching the ground, following a set of small tracks. He had been heading to his father's for a surprise visit, but along the way had come across some lone footprints that he felt he needed to check out. They looked like they were for a small adult or child, possibly a young teenager. He hadn't spotted any other tracks, so couldn't be sure if someone was lost or not.
Glancing around, he realized he wasn't far from Aaron Bass' place and wondered if the tracks were his granddaughter. He wouldn't have been all that worried if it was Jen, except that she seemed to be following some bear tracks. And the tracks appeared to be that of an adult and cub, which could be more dangerous than a rabid wolf if Jen inadvertently got between mother and child.
As he moved closer to the stream that through this part of the forest, his horse began to get antsy, whinnying and pulling on the reins. He stopped and settled the horse back down, then moved back a bit and tied off the reins lightly enough that the animal could get away if it really needed to, but still keep it there if whatever alerted the horse moved away in another direction. Slipping his rifle from the scabbard, he checked that it was ready to fire if needed.
He walked slowly through the trees, continuing to follow the tracks. He jerked his head up at the scream.
He raced through the forest. The voice had sounded like a young female. His gut was telling him it was Jen and his instincts were confirmed as he moved around a large tree to find Jen frozen about twenty yards in front of him, a large grizzly growling at her from beside the stream. Matt saw the cub tucked up behind its mother.
He moved slowly yet deliberately, not wanting to cause the bear to attack, but needing to get between the animal and the girl. He raised his rifle and fired off several rounds, hoping to scare off the mama bear. But it just seemed to enrage her further and she headed straight for Jen. Dropping the now empty rifle, Matt ran at Jen and tackled her to the ground. He wrapped his body around hers, tucking her head against his chest with one arm and wrapping the other around his own head, trying to protect himself while making as small a target as possible.
He grunted as the claws raked down his back. Jen screamed again and he tightened his hold on her. "Shh, play dead," he said into her ear, and tried to follow his own advice even as the bear swiped at him again, this time catching the back of his right thigh. He tried not to move, hoping the bear would think he was no longer a threat and move on.
After one final swipe, which tore through both jacket and skin on his lower back, he heard the shuffle of the big paws walking away. He stayed still for a full five minutes, listening for any movement close by. Then he slowly lifted his head and looked over his shoulder, wincing as the movement pulled at the injuries to his back and leg.
Not seeing any sign of the bear or her cub, he loosened his hold on the girl. "Are you hurt?" he asked in a quiet voice, the pain obvious in his voice.
"I...I d-d-don't think so," she whimpered.
"Can you move?"
As she slid out from under him, she accidentally moved his leg. He hissed and reached down, his breath catching as the pain shot through him.
"I'm s-s-sorry," she gasped.
"S'okay," he muttered as he tried not to move. He lay there for several long minutes, trying to catch his breath and willing himself to move. She watched, glancing around periodically to be sure the bear wasn't returning, afraid to touch him.
When he looked up, he saw the tears rolling down her face. She was rubbing her hands up and down her legs nervously. He reached out a hand and grasped one of hers, startling her.
"It's gonna be okay, Jen. But I'm gonna need your help."
She nodded and wiped her other hand across her face in an effort to stem the flow of tears. It didn't work very well, but he totally understood her fear. He put both of his hands on the ground and pushed himself to a sitting position, his right leg screaming with pain as he moved it. He knew that walking on it would be nearly impossible, but there was no way he was sending Jen into the woods alone. If he could make it to his horse, they could ride the short distance back to Aaron's.
He wondered if the man had heard the shots and if he would bother to investigate. He hoped so, considering Jen was out here, but you could never tell with the crotchety old guy.
"Hand me my rifle," he told the girl. She jumped up and ran to pick it up. Coming back, she handed it to him. Using it as a crutch, he pushed himself off the ground, nearly going back down at the pain. "Aaaahhhhh!" He leaned heavily on the firearm, using every ounce of strength he had to stay upright, panting at the effort.
"Matt! Matt..." Jen reached out for him, but was afraid to touch him. He bleeding from the leg and the back of his jacket was ripped to shreds and blood was all over his back. "Oh, God, I don't know what to do!" She took several deep breaths, calming herself and then moved up close to him. "Matt, lean on me," she said.
He opened his eyes, tears stinging them, to find her standing in front of him. He reached out his free hand, cupping her face. He could see the fear on her face, but he saw determination, too. He nodded and moved his hand to her shoulder.
"My horse is that way," he said, pointed to his left. "If you can help me get there, we can ride to your granddad's place."
She nodded and moved up next to him. She was afraid to put her arm around him for fear of hurting him further, but if he needed to lean on her, she would do what she could.
It took a very long time to go a short distance, but she cried out when she spotted the big white stallion. It wasn't in exactly the same place Matt had left it, but it wasn't too much further away either. She made sure that Matt had his balance before hurrying over to gather up the reins and walk the tall horse back to his owner.
Matt glanced up, his vision blurring. He knew he was losing blood fast and needed to get to Aaron's. He knew that, no matter how the man felt about him personally, who wouldn't turn away an injured man. At the very least, he'd call the Rangers. He glanced at his horse. Damn, when had that ornery animal gotten so big, he thought. He wasn't sure he'd be able to lift himself into the saddle.
"Jen...you need...get A...Aaron... ride home...get Aaron..." he gasped out.
"No, you have to come with me!" she insisted, even as he shook his head.
"Can't... can't get up...on horse..."
"Matt, please," she pleaded.
He stared at her for a full minute before nodding his head and straightening up. She pulled the horse closer and he reached up to grab the horn. Taking a moment to catch his breath and brace for the pain, he put as much weight as he could on his injured leg, before lifting the other leg, slipping it into the stirrup and pushing up.
It took a Herculean effort, but he finally settled, very ungracefully in the saddle. "Oh god," he breathed out, his entire body seizing in pain. His vision grayed out a bit, so he slammed his eyes shut. His mind flitted over the thought that he was grateful that the horse was well-trained and didn't shy away from him as he clumsily mounted.
"I don't think I can lift you up, Jen," he told the redheaded girl. "Can you find a rock you can climb onto and lead the horse over?" She glanced around and found a likely spot.
"Hang on, Matt," she instructed. Once she was sure he had a grip on the saddle-horn, she led the horse over, then climbed onto the rock. Matt slid back a bit, allowing her to slide in front of him. "Wrap your arms around me, Matt, and hold on."
He weakly reached around her and grabbed the horn with one hand. Jen lightly kicked her heels into the horse's side and tried to remember everything Matt had taught her about controlling the horse. Luckily the cabin wasn't far away, but just as she thought that, she felt more of Matt's weight leaning against her back and she prayed he would stay on the horse.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the roof of the cabin come into view. In a hurry to get her grandfather's assistance however, she inadvertently jerked on the reins, which caused the horse to falter.
Matt started sliding sideways and she was unable to hold his weight. He slid to the ground with a heavy thud.
/
"No!" she cried as she hopped down beside him. "Matt?! Matt, wake up!" She shook him, but got no response. "Matt, please, wake up!" she pleaded. Looking around, she made a quick decision. "I'll be right back, Matt. I'm gonna go get Grandpa!"
She quickly took off on foot, figuring it would be faster than trying to get back on the horse that she was halfway afraid of anyway. Two minutes later she was racing up the steps of the cabin.
"Grandpa! Grandpa, I need your help, where are you?!"
She turned as he called out from the kitchen. "What's all the hollerin' about, child?" He walked out, drying his hands on a towel, only to have his hand grabbed as she let him toward the door.
"We have to hurry!" she said, pulling on his hand as he stopped her. "The bear...bleeding..."
"What's all the excitement, child?"
"He's hurt! We have to hurry!" she cried, pulling on his hand again, trying to get him to move.
"Jennifer, stop." She did, reluctantly. "Now, who is hurt?"
"Matt!"
"Matt Hawkes?"
"Yes, please, Grandpa!" she began to cry and grabbed his sleeve, tugging him forward again.
He decided to go ahead and follow her, grabbing his jacket as he walked out the door. Once she realized he was coming, she let go off his hand and raced off, periodically turning back to be sure he was still behind her. She knelt down next to Matt, joined less than a minute later by a huffing Aaron, who wasn't used to being in such a hurry.
If he hadn't already been out of breath, he would have gasped at the blood that covered Matt's jacket.
"Dear God, what happened?" he asked, lifted the back of the jacket to check the damage to his skin.
"Bear," Jen said, quietly, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Where did this happen?" he asked, looking around.
"Over by the r-r-river," she said, finding it difficult to talk, breathe and cry at the same time. "I was picking some wildflowers. When I stood up and-and-and turned around, it was r-r-right there. I screamed. I think I m-m-m-made it m-mad."
"What was he doing there?" Aaron asked, noticing two or three very deep gashes, and several other, less severe, ones. Only the deep ones were still bleeding with any seriousness, but they all could prove difficult if they got infected.
"I guess...he must have h-h-heard me scream."
Aaron pulled the jacket back down, needing to get the young man back to his cabin before he could begin to treat him. "Jennifer, go get the horse," he instructed her. As she went to grab Shadow's reins, he pondered how to get the man onto the horse. Matt was tall and muscular, and Aaron wasn't sure he'd be able to lift him.
He was startled at the quiet, "Just help me stand," from the man beside him.
"Think you can get on the horse if I help you?" Aaron asked, seeing the pain flash across Matt's face as he tried to move.
"Yeah, I think so."
It was a lengthy and painful move for Matt, but finally he was on the back of his horse. Aaron helped Jen up behind him. "Wrap your arms around him and hold onto the saddle horn."
"It didn't help before," she said.
"Yell out if he starts to fall, I'll be right here."
She nodded and put her arms around Matt, barely able to grab the horn, but determined to not let him fall again. Aaron gathered up the reins, and staying close to the horse's head, began a slow and careful walk back to his cabin. Except for one brief moment when Matt began to slide sideways, caught by the pair before he could move to far, they made it back to the cabin without incident. Matt had lost consciousness again about halfway there.
Aaron had spent the short trip chastising himself for not getting into town to get the small part he needed to repair his radio, which had been on the fritz for the better part of two weeks. He also made a mental list of the first aid supplies he had at the cabin and hoped he had enough to at least stop the bleeding and bandage Matt's wounds.
Glancing at the sky, he knew it would be too late to try to make it down the mountain in his beat up old truck. And he was hesitant to send Jennifer off to Jesse's for help, as it was a good two hours by horseback, which meant it would be well dark by the time she got there-and that was even if she could find the place, since she'd only been there twice and both times by truck.
He shook his head. No, he would just have to do his best for Matt and then get him down to town the next day. He glanced over his shoulder as he pulled the horse close to the porch. He tied the reins around the porch railing, then reached up to help his granddaughter from the large animal.
Matt came around enough to at least assist Aaron in getting him into the house, but they barely made it to one of the two beds in the downstairs guestroom before he passed out again. Aaron pushed and pulled him all the way onto the mattress, pausing to catch his breath before order Jennifer to grab as many towels and sheets as she could carry.
Aaron hurried to the kitchen and pulled the large first aid kit from the pantry where he stored it. Setting it on the table, he then filled every pot and kettle he had and put them on the stove top, then stoked the fire inside and added more wood to get the water heated as quickly as possible. He grabbed the bag then rushed back to Matt.
He set the bag on the nightstand, pushing that lamp out of the way. Then he pulled a knife from this belt and began the laborious task of removing Matt's jacket and shirt, trying to be careful not to injure the young man further as he did. It worried him that Matt never stirred during the process, even as he peeled the blood-soaked T-shirt away from the jagged wounds on Matt's back. The blood had partially dried, causing the cloth to stick to the skin. It should have been painful, but Matt never moved.
Once his back was exposed, Aaron got a good look at the injuries. There were five long scrapes across Matt's back, going from his right shoulder toward his left hip. Two were fairly deep, the others more shallow, but all would likely need stitches. He shook his head, praying that he had enough supplies to treat the wound.
He then took the blade of the knife and cut up the back of Matt's right leg, exposing the injury to his thigh. It didn't appear as deep but it was still bleeding. He debated which wound he needed to treat first and finally decided it really didn't matter, he just needed to get started.
So he turned and walked out of the room, passing Jennifer in the hallway, burdened with towels and sheets. He helped her get everything into the bedroom, pulling the second bed closer to put everything onto. Then he headed back to the kitchen to get the water to clean the wounds.
When he returned, carrying a steaming kettle and a large empty bowl, he found Jennifer standing by the bed, staring at Matt's back, crying.
"Jen, hon, I need your help," Aaron said, wanting to give his granddaughter something to do, to keep her from being so upset. When she didn't move or look at him, he set the bowl on the nightstand and the kettle on the floor. He stepped up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Jennifer, I need to clean the cuts and get him bandaged," he said quietly, but firmly. "I need your help."
She nodded, then looked over her shoulder at him. "He saved my life, Grandpa. That bear was coming at me."
Aaron closed his eyes briefly, sending up a prayer of thanks that those awful wounds weren't on the skin of his only grandchild. He moved one hand onto her head. "We'll help him get fixed up, then tomorrow we'll get him down to the hospital."
She nodded and wiped a sleeve across her eyes. "What can I do?"
Aaron smiled. "That's my girl," he said, stepping to pick up the kettle and pouring the water into the bowl. "Hand me one of the towels, we'll start by cleaning up these wounds."
/
For two hours, man and child worked together to clean, stitch and bandage the wounds on Matt's back and leg. Finally, Aaron pulled the warm quilt up over the unconscious man, placing his hand on Matt's forehead, noticing a slight fever beginning. He'd have to keep a close eye on that, he mentally reminded himself.
Aaron stood back up, reaching for his lower back, rubbing at the stiffness that had settled in from being hunched over his 'patient' for so long. He watched as Jennifer gathered up all the bloody towels and the remnants of the sheets Aaron had used for bandages. The old man picked up the bowl, now filled with red-tinged water. He'd had to empty and refill the bowl nearly a dozen times before he finished.
He carried the bowl outside and dumped it. It was full on dark now and he knew he wouldn't get much sleep that night. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the long night ahead. He glanced toward the general direction of Jesse's cabin, and silently chastised himself again for not having a working radio. He knew better and yet he still didn't get it fixed. He hated going into town and always put it off as long as he could. And now, it could cost the life of the son of his closest and dearest friend.
He shook his head. No. No, he would not allow Matt Hawkes to die. Determined to make sure the boy survived the night, he hurried back to his cabin. Checking on Matt once more and determining that nothing had changed, he instructed Jennifer to keep an eye on her savior, and to come get him if anything changed. Then grabbing a flashlight, he went back outside.
He started up his old truck and pulled it around so that it was right next to the porch. Then heading back inside, he gathered up extra pillows and blankets took them outside, setting up a pallet in the bed of his truck. Finally satisfied that he had done all he could, he went back inside to check on Matt and Jennifer, before putting together something for dinner.
During the night, Matt's fever rose and he became restless. Aaron continued to wipe him down with cool water. He was watching his granddaughter as she slept in the extra bed, when a cry from Matt drew his attention.
"Dad, dad, where are you?"
Aaron sat down on the bed next to his patient, once again drawing the damp cloth across his neck and shoulder. "It's okay, Matt. It'll be light soon and we'll get you some real medical help."
Matt's eyes opened, blinking, confusion apparent in the green orbs. "Why isn't dad here? Where's Cody? Mom...Mom, I want to go back. I don't like it here. I want dad. I want to go home."
"Easy, Matt," Aaron said, trying to calm the young man. "Calm down."
"I want my dad. Where's my dad?" Matt pushed himself up and tried to move off the bed. Aaron tossed the cloth back into the bowl and used both hands to try to keep Matt from moving.
"Easy, boy, don't want those wounds to open back up again." For several minutes, it was a struggle between the delirious, but still strong young man, and Aaron. Finally, the fight seemed to go out of the Matt as he slumped back down onto the sweat-soaked sheets.
"Please...I just want to go home. Please."
"Shh. It'll be okay, Matt. You'll be home soon."
As Matt dropped into an exhausted and fevered sleep again, Aaron stood up. Stretching the kinks out of his back, he picked up the bowl and headed back to the kitchen for some fresh cool water. Re-filling the bowl, he headed back to the bedroom. He set the bowl down on the nightstand, dropped the washcloth back into the water.
He could see that Matt was restless again. Although his eyes were still closed, the minor movement from his arms and legs showed that his sleep wasn't calm.
Aaron wondered where the boy's mind was at in his fever. Was he dreaming or remembering something from his childhood. Aaron sighed. When Matt was young, his father used to bring him to see Aaron all the time and he enjoyed having the boy around. As he sat there listening to Matt's fevered murmurings, he took a good hard look at his own actions over the years.
Matt had been just a little older then Jennifer when he and his mother had left the mountain and moved to Tahoe. Aaron remembered Jesse being very despondent over the loss of his wife and son. He doted on Cody and enjoyed having the boy with him, but Matt was his first born, and he missed him.
It was the first and last time he'd ever seen Jesse cry, the night he and Cody had come over and he'd admitted that his marriage was failing and that his wife had moved back to Tahoe. The tears had come when he told Aaron that Matt had decided to move to Tahoe with Jackie.
It had surprised Aaron. The boy loved the mountains. He didn't understand why Matt had left. And it was at that moment, when he saw those tears streaming down Jesse's face, as the tough ex-Marine cradled his youngest, who lay sleeping in his arms...it was that moment that Aaron began to hate a fourteen-year-old boy.
It was the first time Aaron had ever admitted, even to himself, that he had actually felt hatred for the boy. He shook his head, ashamed that he'd ever felt that way. Yes, he hurt for Jesse, that half his family had moved away. But to have such intense feelings for a young boy... Aaron was grateful that his wife had passed away. She would have slapped him into next year for feeling that way toward such a young boy.
Over the weeks that followed Jackie and Matt leaving, Jesse had come to terms with it and even had the chance to talk to Matt. He seemed to be, if not happy, at least understanding of Matt's reasons for accompanying his mother to Tahoe. But for some reason, Aaron just couldn't get past the fact that Matt had deserted his father. Funny, it never seemed to matter that Jackie left. Of course, Aaron never thought she fit in the mountains anyway, not like his Jennifer. He supposed that it was inevitable that she would leave eventually. He just wished she hadn't taken the boy with her.
He wrung the washcloth out again, dragging it down Matt's arm and back, careful of his injuries. His eyes strayed over to Jennifer, still sleeping on the other bed. He couldn't imagine her having to make a choice between her parents. She had loved them both deeply, although she was closer to her mother.
Matt likely was the same, since he spent all of his time with her while Jesse was trying to get the Rangers up and running. He spent a lot of time in Tahoe at the beginning. Once things finally settled down, he was able to be at the cabin more, but by that time Matt was nearly nine and Cody was only a couple of years old.
Aaron knew, in his heart, that he'd misjudged the boy. Had known it for quite some time. But he was a stubborn old cuss. He knew it. Everyone knew it. And he was never one who apologized easily.
He sighed. In this case, an apology was paramount. He just hoped he got that chance. He wrung out the cloth again and laid it across the back of Matt's neck, then he moved over to the other bed and settled down next to Jen, his eyes closing in exhaustion.
/
