-Jake-
I kept on going through the night until finally I collapsed in front of a small lake. I leaned my head over the edge and drank at the water, I didn't care if I looked like an idiot lapping up water like a dog, I was thirsty and it tasted like manna from heaven.
The night was cool and it was nice to finally rest. I hesitated before undoing the scarf and dipping it in the water wringing it out before peeling away the torn part of my shirt cringing. "A-AUGH!" It hurt, and I could see the damage done. I pressed the scarf to it, relief coming briefly as the cold took some of the pain away.
I sat up more looking up at the moon that now was above me. It was a full moon and I could make out the outlines of some planes flying overhead.
I was tempted to call out but I had no idea if I was being followed and there was a plane among the goons who took me and killed Reese. There was another kid, but she would apparently be unrecognizable upon death as even a person so they let her go, just… Gosh what did we do to make these guys so hateful?
A twig snapped as I jumped head snapping in the direction of where it came from. Out slowly stepped a pack of wolves. I would've been afraid had I not grown up with one as a substitute for a dog. When the machines took over, the wolves were on our side and were good protection against some wild ones. They never really saw us as prey again.
The wolves came over and around me, sniffing the air, one that was bigger than the others stepped forward sniffing me… Before licking my cheek.
"Hey!" I laughed a little, the first time I had laughed in months. "That tickles."
I reached out petting it, as it bumped my hand. It took a step back growling to the others.
Before I knew it, I had a bunch of wolves surrounding me. I wrapped up my wound again and laid down, the wolf that had licked me was letting me rest against him.
It was warm here now. These guys would protect me I knew.
I drifted off able to relax finally.
-Andy-
I finally got away from my parents. I was doing something that would piss them off SO freaking much if they caught me, would piss off EVERYONE actually.
I was sneaking out and I was the main target.
I knew it was a dumb thing to do, but I had to try one last time. I had my gun on me, and this time my dog was left at home.
I had my extra crutches strapped to my back, in case of my leg getting busted or I needed something to swing.
I looked back as I made it up a hill, about to head into the forest.
"I'm sorry…" I mumbled, before breaking into a run, not wanting to look back.
If one of them, any of them was alive…
I wanted to be able to help them. It was stupid, it was dangerous… But I'd rather they come and get me then come and get my friends or family.
I'm so gonna get grounded….Hell I think Dusty might even yell at me for this one…
I kept walking looking around, dawn would start to come soon and if I didn't get back, my folks were going to kill me for sure.
Then I heard it… Heavy breathing, and not the breathing of a wild animal either.
A groan of pain and the sound of wolves growling.
I came upon a different clearing then where Reese had been found… To see a small pack of wolves looking at me with a glower as one stood over someone curled up gripping their right arm.
"H-hey, easy now." I held up my hands. "Not here to do harm…"
"It's…" The person coughed. "It's okay…" He looked up and gave me a weak smile.
Blonde hair… Brown eyes…
I felt my jaw drop as my heart skipped a beat.
"Hey Andy…."
He was beaten up, he looked like halfway to roadkill… But he was alive.
"JAKE!" I ran over and knelt beside him, helping him sit up. He yelped when his arm was touched.
"Not there… They tried to run me over…"
"Who?"
"I'll tell ya later…" He said sounding and looking exhausted. "Got a way to get me back home…?"
"Of course… But you are SO going to the hospital… No getting out of it this time." I said feeling relief, but worry as well. He looked like he was in bad shape as it was.
We tried getting him moving, we being the two of us, but he was so exhausted he just fell right to his knees again. "Sorry… Guess this is as far as I can go." Jake gave me a tired grin.
"No… C'mon…" I felt something poke at me from my pocket and reached in yanking it out. A radio…
THAT'S IT!
I turned it on, tuning in the frequency.
"Mayday, Mayday!" I shouted into it. "Come in! Come in!"
"Mmm?" The tired voice of the one cropduster plane I could trust came on. "This is Crophopper 7, what's your emergency dispatch?" He was so tired he didn't even recognize my voice.
"Dusty, this is Andy, come in! I found Jake…"
"YOU WHAT!?" He yelled back as we winced. "Where are you!?"
I gave him our coordinates. "Bring one of those stretcher things if you got one.. He can't walk, and he's hurt really bad Dust…"
"I'm on my way… Sit tight." He cut off after that. We waited for what seemed like ages in quiet.
"... I'm sorry I called ya a racist arse…" Jake muttered after awhile.
"I'm sorry I called you a pig…" I said after. We looked at each other.
"...If you weren't so hurt right now I'd hug you and shed liquid happiness."
"If I wasn't feeling like I was half dead I'd hug you and cry like a little girl."
And there it was. I smiled a little, he gave a weak grin back.
Soon we heard the sound of a plane as we looked up. The wolves scattered as Dusty came in for a landing, he had the stretcher hooked to his pontoons. "Oh geeze…" He murmured when he got a good look at Jake. "Get him in, I'll airlift him to the hospital."
"Got it, I'll walk back-"
"Oh no… You're getting into the darn harness, your not outta the woods THAT easily my friend." Dusty said giving me a stern look.
Geeze I get no credit… I thought helping Jake in, then hooking myself to the harness, making sure it was tight enough to hold me.
"Ready?"
"Still alive." Jake muttered.
One, awkwardly quiet flight later we made it, Jake was rushed off by a bunch of doctors. I moved to get out of the harness but Dusty suddenly took to the air.
"Oh no… You and I are gonna have a little chat while they're working on him."
"Dusty…" I groaned. "Come on-"
"You could've been killed!"
"The wolves only growled at me-"
"WOLVES!?"
"They're tame remember? They wouldn't hurt a fly!" I protested. Dusty groaned in annoyance as he flew over the river. "And y'know we could've just went behind the hospital if you wanted to yell at me."
"Yell at you? Andy I've been worried this entire time for you and your sister's safety. You know the only reason your folks didn't have a fit when I brought you home that time was because I didn't want you to get even more upset." He said, sighing, he sounded like he was worried. "I don't want anything else to happen to you guys…."
"Dusty…" I murmured. "... I'm so sorry… I just… I didn't want to take a chance they'd hurt you guys…"
"And you getting killed is better? I'm glad you found your friend, trust me I am… Just please…" He started as he did a turn back for the hospital. "Don't scare me like that again…"
"Okay… I promise…" I said as he landed, letting me unhook myself.
"Thanks kiddo…" He nuzzled me a little. I chuckled a bit.
"Hey!"
Then the waiting game began. I lost track of time that we spent waiting, but it was long enough that Dusty and I could easily make a small bet on which paramedic was going to die that night.
"It's gonna be that girl who keeps tripping over her own two feet." I said pointing, the EMT in her yellow and green paramedic jacket and shorts looked almost like she could've still been in high school. The jacket was slipping off of her as she kept making sure the long braid she had was still clipped up.
The one we were betting on killing her and possibly the rest of the paramedics, was a shorty that was for sure but she was scary. "THAT'S IT! WHO FORGOT TO RE-STOCK THE GEL!?"
The young EMT's all standing around quickly pointed to the girl with the braid as she squeaked.
"N-NO! It was Stephen who was supposed to-"
"Nope. "Amelia" forgot."
Dusty and I pointedly turned away hearing yells of terror from the paramedics.
"Now I know how Lightning felt...He had to hear this daily when he was in the hospital as a human." Dusty commented.
"This is what I heard nightly when me and Livvie were admitted during the fire incident." I replied cringing as we heard someone probably getting nailed where they should NOT. "Oh gosh."
"That had to hurt…"
"... Think Jake's gonna be okay?"
"He survived this long… He should be able to…"
I nodded sighing a bit. "Hoping so…"
Eventually a doctor with some weird looking eyes came out. He had red eyes and he looked like he hadn't slept in a few days.
I feel you doc… I thought, sleep had been a treat as of late. "Are you two here with the boy who was brought in?"
"Was he in a red shirt?"
"...Yes?"
"Yep." I nodded. "He's with us… His name's Jake Sampson… How is he?"
The doctor sighed. "He'll live… Unfortunately there was a complication…" He trailed off.
"What kind of complication?" Dusty asked. I gulped hoping it wasn't that serious.
"... His arm had to be amputated."
"WHAT!?"
