Jake came running up to Sam.
"Noo..Sam...Umm..," Jake said, his voice trembling. He looked around frantically. Blood began to dribble down Sam's forehead.
"Here," Jake took off his shirt and wrapped it around her head. He brushed the hair out of her face so the blood wouldn't get in it.
Witch needed the water he was holding. Ricardo was running off toward the Calico Mountains. The horses in the barn were acting very..insane. Probably because of what happened just now, He thought. But none of that mattered right now because..Sam was hurt. Badly.
He bent down beside her, looking into her eyes. "Sam, what happened? Can you talk? If you can.. say something."
She didn't. She just lied there, her eyes closed, barely breathing.
"damn," Jake mumbled under his breath. She's unconscious. That's really bad..She wasn't supposed to have another blow to the head..and..what is this gonna do to her?
Jake didn't want to think about that right now.
Okay..what should I do? He thought. Everyone's gone on that stupid trip..okay maybe I should call Wyatt..if the phones are working..
Jake stood up. "Because of this damn storm!" Jake yelled furiously, throwing his hands up to the ceiling. He backed up but wasn't ready to leave yet. He took one last look at Sam.
He shook his head. Oh, what the heck, He thought.
"Brat," Jake said. "I know that you can't hear me right now..but you know..you could've just waited until I came back. Why did you even let Ricardo out in the first place?" He asked. "Were you..mad or something because I wasn't there and you thought I left you here alone? Or because you felt sorry for him because his sign said Ricardo's Last Chance and you thought you should let him free? For whatever reason..just don't do something like that ever again. I know you think you're doing the right thing, but you're really not.
Jake stopped talking and realized how stupid he sounded talking to someone who couldn't hear him. He ran off and headed to the house. When he finally got there, it seemed like it took forever. He grabbed the phone and began searching frantically for River Bend's number.
"Mom...Dad...Kit...Quinn...," Jake read out loud, going through his personal phone book. "Adam, Bryan, Rachel..?" He tore that page out and threw it away instantly. Why would he ever want or even need to call her?
"River Bend!", Jake began dialing the number right away.
"Great, the phone isn't working. Should've checked that first," Jake told himself. "Darn storm." he put the phone down. What should he do now? The hospital was hours away and he didn't have a car. It would take way too long to ride out there. And how in the world would he take Sam with him?
I guess I could ride out to River Bend real quick and get Wyatt and Brynna, Jake decided.
Running as fast as he could, Jake came back to the barn to check on Sam. She was still how he left her. Maybe I should move her to a more comfortable spot, Jake thought. Lifting her up very gently, he carried her and walked to the house.
"Sam, I promise you, I'll make sure you're okay," Jake whispered in her ear. "No matter what happens, I'll make sure of it." He brushed the auburn hair out of her closed eyes. "I promised myself, when you were in the hospital, that I would look after you better and make sure you're safe. And I'm sorry I broke that promise."
Jake got to the house and set her down on the couch as gently as he could. He went back outside to get Chocolate Chip, tacked him up as fast as he could leaped up, landing on his horse's back. "Run!" Jake shouted to his horse and kicked him with his spurs, heading straight out into the darkness.
It was so dark, Jake couldn't see that well, but despite the darkness, Jake pushed his horse on and made him gallop as first as he could. At first Chip was hesitant but then he could feel how determined his rider was to get to where ever they were going so he went faster. And because Jake is such a good rider, and almost like his master, and he knew what his master would do if he backed down now. Over the years, Jake had earned Chip's respect. Even thought he is Quinn's horse, Jake rides him fairly often when he doesn't feel like chasing Witch.
They finally crossed the bridge to River Bend when Jake noticed that the lights were on inside the house.
Weird, Jake thought. Why, in the middle of the night, would the lights be on? Jake thought as he dismounted and tied Chocolate Chip to the hitching post. But before he could go inside, someone stepped out and walked toward him.
Jake couldn't make out who it was. It couldn't be Wyatt or Brynna, because the person was way too small. Gram, maybe? No, too fast..
"Hey, Jake!" Jen called, coming up to him. Now he could see her more clearly. She wore blue pajamas with horses on them, and boots. But what was she doing here?
"Uh, hey Jen," Jake replied, rubbing the back of his neck. He forgot he was still shirtless.
He was gonna ask her what she was doing here but then he thought of Sam, laying on the ground unconscious.
"Jen, get Wyatt and Brynna, quick. Sam really needs them. She's hurt; she let out one of the stallions at my ranch and he bucked, and his hoof struck her head," Jake spat out the words so quickly Jen could barely understand him.
"Oh my god," Jen yelped. "This is bad," She said. Her voice was trembling with fear. "Wyatt and Brynna aren't here, Jake. Apparently something bad happened to your brothers, like a car crash or something and they went to see if they were okay."
"Shoot!" Jake let out a long, shaky sigh. "Oh, man," He looked down and ran his hand through his black Shoshone hair. First Sam, now his brothers. He couldn't take it any longer.
"So they told me to stay here with Grace until they get back," Jen said.
Jake was only half listening. He could feel tears under his eyelids but he was surely not going to let them out.
Sam needed desperate help. Medical help. Who knew a lot about taking care of people? Surely not him. Wait..
"You're good at math and science, right," Jake blurted. Jen looked surprised. "Why yes, Jake,Yes I am.That's like..my specialty. It's been my specialty for like, ever," Jen said slowly, as though he was stupid.
"Yeah, well, Sam told me how you're studying to be a vet when you're older. Do you think maybe you can help her?" Jake asked. "Please, Jen? You're her best friend and, you're her only hope."
"Jake! " Jen exclaimed,"Of course I'll help Sam! I'd do anything to help her! And I'm just as sad and scared for her as you are," She said, a little mad at him for thinking she didn't care about her best friend. "Wait right here, I'm gonna get Silly. Trust me, I'll be very fast. I'll probably even ride her bareback," Jen said and ran to get her horse.
"Well I would too," Jake yelled after her. "I just..don't know anything about medical stuff!" He really didn't. If he did, he would have definitely stayed at his ranch with Sam all night long. He would have patiently waited until she was conscious again. That's what he's gonna do, as soon as Jen comes back. "Hurry!" Jake suddenly felt a lump in his throat. What if Sam doesn't make it this time?
As Jake waited, he thought about how tonight was really not going the way he planned. How could Sam be so stupid? All she cares about are horses. She always thinks she's doing the right thing but she's not. And she doesn't realize how many people care about her. Then he thought about his brothers. I wonder if any of them are hurt! Aw man, Bryan was probably driving. I remember he told me he wanted to drive on the way there. All Jake wanted to do was watch Witch give birth! Why did things always have to go so wrong! I really hope Sam and my brothers are okay, He thought. Great. It was getting harder for him to hold back his tears.
Right then, Jen came back on Silly. She was riding bareback like she said. Jake hopped back up on Chocolate Chip and they were on their way galloping to Three Ponies Ranch. Jake thought he heard something and looked at Jen, who suddenly burst into tears and began bawling.
"S-S-am..," Jen cried. "S-she Can't-" She was now crying like crazy. Silly side-stepped, confused. "She can't d-die!"
Great. That only made Jake want to cry more. The tears were almost out and the lump was getting bigger, but he couldn't let them out. He just couldn't. And if he let it all out now, Chip would slow down. He needed to get to Three Ponies as fast as he could for Sam, who was unconscious. And bleeding.
Silly was slowing down. "Jen, I know it's hard, but you need to try and keep it together!" Jake yelled back to her. "We need to get there fast! Before Sam..," Jake stopped. "Before it's too late."
"I'll tr-try," Jen managed. She pushed Silly on, who suddenly burst into a really fast gallop, faster than Jen had ever experienced on her. Jen bounced in her saddle, trying to get her balance back from the unexpected outburst from her horse. Jake smiled in amazement as Silly ran past him and toward Three Ponies. Jake buried his spurs in Chip's sides, who then broke into a really fast run as they caught up with them.
"She's running like that because she's nervous and senses there's something wrong," Jake yelled to Jen. Jen looked back and nodded, still trying her hardest not to cry.
When they finally got there, they ground tied their horses and Jake led Jen to the house, where Sam was still laying on the couch. Jen gasped, then instead of red-eyed and sad, now put on a real serious-doctor look, pulled up a chair and started examining her head.
"Okay," Jen said. "She's unconscious, which you already know," She nodded to Jake. "And..her forehead is bleeding a little."
"Yeah," Jake said. "I was coming back from getting water for Witch, and that's when I saw Ricardo's hoof strike her head pretty hard."
Jen winced. She looked at Sam's head again. "And I see you wrapped your shirt around her head," She said, pointing. She looked up at Jake. "You know..Sam is really lucky to have a friend like you. I mean, it's freezing!" Jen said, laughing. "And I know that you'd do anything for her," she added.
Jake snarled rubbed the back of his neck . "Okay, just quit talking and get to work." Suddenly he sounded like Wyatt instead of himself. "I'll get the first aid kit out," Jake said as he walked inside the tack room. That kind of mushy-talk just wasn't for him. Especially when it had to do with Sam. It's not like he cares about her that much.
"Here it is," Jake grabbed the white and red kit that read "First-aid" and opened it up. "Okay, um, I see bandages..rubbing alcohol, stitches-"
"Give me the stitches," Jen demanded.
Jake didn't hesitate and gave her them right away. "Is she gonna be okay? How long is she gonna be unconscious?" Jake asked. Jen glared at him. "Will you be quiet, I don't know," She said.
Jake's jaw tightened. He usually didn't talk a lot, but this was Sam who was hurt, on the couch, and Jen was stitching her up. How could he stay quiet!
Jen was just finishing stitching the wound on Sam's forehead. "9, 10..done!" Jen cheered and carefully put away the stitches. "Now all we need to do is wait until she's conscious again."
Jake looked at her. "Ookay how long is that gonna take? Do you know?" He asked hopefully. Jen shook her head. "No, sorry. You'll just have to wait. I'll probably head back to River Bend, and I borrowed Brynna's cell phone, so you can call me incase she doesn't wake up in the next 2 hours. But I'm sure she will. It doesn't look too bad." Jen said, brushing the dirt off her pants.
Jake nodded and made a "walk off" gesture with his hands. He didn't tell her the that the phones weren't working. I don't need to tell her, He thought. 'Cause Sam will wake up in the next 2 hours. She has to.
Jake heard the door slam after Jen walked out, but he didn't take his eyes off of Sam.
Suddenly her eyes opened.
"Sam," Jake yelled, hugging her. He kneeled down closer to her. "Sam, you're okay!" He said, making his hug tighter. He was laughing and his tears started coming down out of pure joy. "Shoot, you have no idea how scared Jen and I were," He let go of her and looked into her eyes. They were cloudy and half-open. "Sam, you scared me half to death. I thought you were gonna die this time. Don't EVER do anything like that again!"
Sam groaned. Her head would've dropped back down but Jake held it up.
"Sam, are you okay?"
She mumbled something Jake couldn't understand. "What?" He asked. Sam opened her eyes a little wider. She was trying to say something but couldn't.
"Sam, answer me. Are you okay?" Jake asked, concerned.
"Huh-Who are you?" Sam asked, and this time, Jake let her head drop. His face felt like it had just been slapped real hard and his heart felt like it had ripped right down the middle.