Tayla peeled her top off four the fourth time that day, her pack lay in the grass beside her. Bruce was doing the same, they knelt by a stream and soaked their tops in the cool water. It cleaned off the sweat and made it slightly cooler.
"How are we for time?" Tayla asked pulling her top over her head.
Bruce glanced down at the map and shrugged. "If we keep on going at this pace we should reach the last checkpoint by nightfall."
Tayla nodded and did a quick mental tally. That was four hours away, she filled her canteen and dropped a steraliser tablet intp the water, it sent it into a flurry of bubbles.
They had been in the dessert for two days and they had already run out of sun block. Bruce's nose was red and peeling and his arms were blistered. Tayla wasn't much better, she was a slight shade of pink but her skin was used to the harsh sun and her burnt nose was already going brown.
"Let's get a move on then." Tayla said slipping her pack on her back.
Bruce nodded and did the same. "Did you hear that snake last night?"
"Yep." Tayla said as they started the 15km hike up a steep hill, the check point was somewhere at the top of the ridge and they had less than six hours to reach it. "Don't worry though. I have all the different anti-venom's in my pack."
"I know." Bruce shuddered. "But what if you don't recognise the snake and you get the wrong anti-venom? Like that kid all those years ago?"
Tayla shrugged which was difficult with the back weighing down her shoulders. "Well let's hope you listened in Survival Class."
"I listened a bit, but I can't guarantee it went in." he said.
"Don't worry." Tayla said. "My family were avid hunters, I joined my dad couple times when we came over here on special hunting conventions. I think I know enough."
Bruce didn't look very confident, unlike his blazé attitude at Campus. "I keep getting freaked out when I see a stick."
"Most snakes, spiders, and scorpions come out at night." Tayla shrugged. "They usually dom't like this kind of heat."
Bruce almost choked. "Scorpians?"
Tayla smirked at Bruce. "There are also poisonous caterpillars I think," she said. "But then I might be getting confused with Portugal."
Bruce went a very pale colour considering the sunburn.
They reached their checkpoint by six in the evening, it was still light and atop the hill was a crumbling shack between two towering trees. Inside they found maps for the next day, Tayla's were in Russian and Bruce's in Japanese. They poured over the maps until they had figured out the route. While it was still light they sorted through the food packets and water which had been left there by the Instructors.
"I think we should set off at about five in the morning." Tayla muttered tracing the route with a pen. "We have to cover 30km, we have all day and night. But it won't be nice hiking at night with all the creepy crawlies."
"Sounds like a plan. I'll set my alarm for half four." Bruce said unrolling the sleeping bag.
When they had been dropped in the middle of the dessert, they had cleared out any stuff they didn't need. Like the thick book of Shakespeare, cutlery, frying pans, wrapping paper and lots more. There was some serious junk. They had decided that they would share a sleeping bag as it would be warmer if they were together, they had kept a few pages from Shakespeare as toilet roll.
"I'm just going to the dunny." Tayla said slipping out of the shack with a page from A Midsummer Nights Dream. She ducked behind a bush, careful to check there were no snakes in the fading light.
As she headed back to the shack there was a rustling from a bush on her left. Tayla froze and peered through the gloom, she couldn't see anything and the rustling had stopped. Tayla shook off her fear and continued to the shack.
Tayla opened the door and the light from the gas lantern flooded the dirt and bushes surronding the shack, the sudden light caused the bush to her left to stir again. In a sudden movement an olive brown snake reared out of the bush, it was over two metres tall and lashed out at her. Tayla screamed out in pain as it sunk its fangs into her arm.
"Bruce!" she cried as the pain flooded her senses.
Bruce came scrambling out of the shack. "Shit!" he gasped.
"Get the knife." Tayla groaned. He hurried back inside and a minute later he came back out with the hunting knife, in one swift motion he brought the blade down, slicing the body from the head.
Tayla slumped to the ground as Bruce threw the body away, he carefully pulled the head from her arm, black markings covered it's scaly head.
"What was it?" Bruce said helping Tayla inside the shack.
She squeezed her eyes shut. "Inland Taipan, venom sufficient enough to kill 100 adult humans."
Bruce scrambled for Tayla's pack, producing a small black case. It contained lots of little viles of anti-venom, along with a booklet of snakes and which anti-venom for which snake. Tayla lay on the wooden floor, she felt sick. Within a matter of moments she was shaking uncontrollably, sweat trickled from her pale clammy skin.
Bruce produced the anti-venom vile for Inland Taipan snake and fastened it to the needle gun.
"This shouldn't be too painful." Bruce said pressing the needle into Tayla's bicep. She let out a small groan, when there was no immediate effect he reached for the radio and turned it on, there was a crackle and he heard Mr Large's voice.
"Alright my dasies?"
"Don't." Tayla said as Bruce opened his mouth and about to call for help.
Bruce glanced up to see a paleTayla trying to sit up. "Are you sure? Did it work?" his finger hovered over the reply button.
"There is no way I am going home on day 99, okay?" she managed a small smile. Bruce glanced back at the radio.
He pressed the buttom. "Sorry, leant on the radio."
There was annoyed sigh. "You could've lost your place."
"Sorry sir." Bruce replied, turning it off.
He reached for the bandages and treated her snake bite, it was deep and after cleaning it he placed paper stitches across the wound before dressing and bandaging it.
"Good as new." Tayla whispered.
Bruce gave her a once over before packing the venom kit away along with the radio. "Shall we get some sleep then?"
Tayla nodded weakly and Bruce helped her into the sleeping bag, they snuggled into the small bag and Bruce zipped it closed, pulling the chord on the head flap as well, making them look like Egyptian mummies. They didn't want any unexpected visitors.
During the night the temperature dropped, reaching below ten degrees celsius. When Bruce's alarm went at half four in the morning, the sky was a deep orange setting the dessert alight. Tayla opened her eyes to find herself on top of Bruce, resting her head on his chest. The temperatures were already rising and she felt herself heating up considerably.
"Morning.." Bruce muttered.
"G'day mate." Tayla groaned reaching for the sleeping bag's zip.
"How are you feeling?" Bruce asked as Tayla slipped out of the sleeping bag.
"A bit peaky, and my arm hurts, but I am sure I can make it to the last check point." Tayla yawned. "I've endured worse."
They packed their packs and ate breakfast, it was cereal bars and a sip of water from their canteens. Tayla nipped outside before they left for the toilet and made sure there wasn't any snakes lurking in the bushes.
At ten to five they had started the steep decline towards the last checkpoint. They walked across the dusty dessert, stopping only for lunch and to cool down in a stream they passed. It was seven in the evening when they reached the last checkpoint on day 100. The Instructor's Jeeps were parked outside a little hut.
Mr Large, Smoke and Speaks exited the hut when they heard the two trainees. Bruce was the only thing which was keeping Tayla up, she was very pale now and she was shaking. Mr Large was carrying two grey shirts.
"Well done you two lovelies. You have passed Basic Training." Mr Large bellowed, handing the two trainees a grey shirt.
Tayla clutched the fabric in shaking hands, a smile crossing her features, the first proper smile since her parents death. It didn't last long, because as soon as she had taken off her pack and blue shirt, and had put on her grey one she collpased. Bruce caught her before her head hit the ground.
"What's wrong?" Smokes asked rushing forwards.
"Last night she got bitten by an Inland Taipan snake. I gave her anti-venom, and she said she was fine." Bruce stumbled over his words.
Mr Large grabbed Bruce's shoulder in his beefy hand. "Was that why you radioed?"
Bruce nodded. "But she didn't want to quit on day 99 and insisted she was fine to continue."
Mr Large gave Bruce a withering stare, before bundling him into the back of one of the Jeeps. They reached Alice Spring's in half an hour and then they were taken by helicopter to a Military Hospital in Darwin.
"Tell the doctors exactly what you told me." Mr Large said as they walked into the hospital.
Two days later Tayla was discharged from hospital. They had cleared her blood of venom and stitched up the wound. Bruce and Tayla sat together on the flight home, Bruce told her about how the two other trainees had failed - Mike and Lucy. Lucy had fractured her wrist and they hadn't reached the checkpoint in time.
"So we're the only ones who passed?" Tayla asked as they were sat in the minivan heading back to campus.
Bruce grinned. "We're going to be legends!"
Tayla smirked. "Don't get your hopes up."
It was late evening when they reached Campus and after tidying the Training Compound. Tayla was glad to see the back of the little concrete building. Bruce and Tayla headed over to the canteen, there was a lot of noise coming from the inisde.
"You ready to become celebrities?" Bruce asked wrapping his free arm around Tayla's shoulders and giving her a squeeze.
"Nope." Tayla grimaced as Bruce lead her into the canteen. There were a few cheers from Bruce's friends and other students. Tayla blushed and stared at the floor, suddenly becoming very aware of Bruce's arm dangling around her neck.
A/N:
Here is the next chapter, it may be a while until my next update because school is starting.
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