Survival

Disclaimer: These characters are owned by CBS and the CW network. I mean no infringement of any sort and am only using the characters for personal enjoyment and for others to enjoy as well!

DISCLAIMER: THIS FIC IS RATED M FOR LANGUAGE, CONSENSUAL SEX, AND REFERENCES TO VIOLENCE. IF YOU ARE UNDER 18, SCRAM! IT IS NOT MY JOB TO POLICE WHAT YOU ARE READING! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ IT, SCRAM! I WON'T TOLERATE BULLYING!

This story is told from Catherine's POV, in the first person. May throw in Vincent's POV down the line.

Chapter 11

When I opened my eyes again, the first thing I noticed was that the sun was low in the sky. I jerked upright, and my eyes swiveled toward Vincent. He was still unconscious, and I reached out my hand toward his forehead. He was still burning up, and I began to panic. Scared, I checked his injuries. My heart stopped when I saw how angry looking they were. The skin around them was red and irritated and I knew that they had become even more infected.

I sat next to Vincent, and I fought the urge to scream. We needed to get out of here. I knew absolutely nothing about surviving the outdoors. I knew Vincent needed medical attention that I couldn't provide. I stared at him, knowing any chance we both had of making it out of here alive, was gone. Without proper attention, Vincent's wounds would begin to fester and he would most likely die.

Without Vincent...I wouldn't live much longer than him...

Damn it! Why wasn't there a subject on surviving the great outdoors in school? Not that I would have taken it...but still!

Wait a minute! I did know about surviving in the wilderness. A ranger had come to school when we were kids. I closed my eyes, willing myself to remember...

"Can you believe we need to sit here and listen to some stupid ranger tell us how to survive in the wild? It's not like we are ever going to get lost in the woods," Vincent said, giving my shoulder a nudge. I nudged him back, smirking. At 13, Vincent thought he was so smart. Puberty had hit him earlier in the year, and he already stood a few inches taller than me. He even had a little scruff on his chin. It made him pretty hot looking.

Wait! Why am I thinking about him like that? He's my best friend. I don't like him like that...

Do I?

Again, I began to notice little things about Vincent...things I never thought about before. His smile...how it always traveled to his eyes. His lips...plump and kissable...

I shook myself. Stop it, Catherine!

"Hey...lets sit here," Vincent said, breaking into my thoughts. He grabbed my elbow, guiding me toward the two end seats. We sat down, waiting for the presentation to start.

Vincent nudged me again. I turned my head. "Hey, if I ever do get lost in the woods, I hope you are the one that finds me," he said with a wink. I felt heat climbing my neck.

"Me too..." I whispered. Then, I heard applause start. I looked toward the stage, seeing our Principle, Mrs. Scott, and a man in a ranger outfit. She introduced him as Ranger Nelson, and for the next hour, he went over basic survival skills. He told us about plants that could stave off infections, how to make a poultice, and how to know when something was beyond saving.

Afterwards, as we walked back to class, Vincent looked down at me. "Did that scare you, Catherine?"

I looked at him, confused. "Why do you ask?"

VIncent chuckled. "Cause your nails have been digging into my arm ever since he mentioned infections and poultices."

I looked down, realizing he was right. I pulled my hand away. "I'm sorry! I didn't even realize I was doing that."

"Good to know in a crisis, you will keep a level head," he teased.

"Let's hope you never have to find out..." I smirked at him. He shook his head, a wide smile on his face. He threw his arm around my shoulder, and we made our way down the hallway...

My eyes widened. I knew what to do. I looked down at Vincent. "Hold on a little longer, Vincent. You aren't going to die today."

I raced into the woods around us, looking for the plants I needed. Finding them, I raced back to Vincent. I found a large rock, and mashed everything together. Working as quickly as possible, I made the poultice, and placed it on Vincent's back.

Throughout the day, I repeated the process, praying it would work...

Night was falling when I checked Vincent's back again. I was surprised to see that the wound looked less angry than this morning. It was still inflamed, but the redness was not as bright as before. I felt Vincent's forehead.

It was noticeable cooler.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I did it! I had tamed the infection. I jumped when I heard a groan.

Vincent began to stir, his eyes blinking open slowly. He looked at me.

"Catherine..." he whispered.

I smiled, my relief engulfing me. "You're going to be okay, Vincent. You're gonna be okay."