Vacation

by Malinda4242

Sequel to Bosco, Maurice and Moe: The Three of Me that Be. This takes place several months after Bosco returns to work, a new Partner CJ Caster, after a tough case they get 'rewarded' with a few days off...those few days lead to the Vacation from hell.

11. Vacation 11

VACATION

BY M

Chapter 11

As the sun began to lower, about 6:00pm, CJ decided to wake him to try to go catch dinner if they could. He had been checking on him and knew that his fever was still up but when he attempted to wake him to check on his leg and get him going, "Moe, Moe wake up. Time to catch dinner," as he lightly shook his arm, there was no response. CJ frowned and shaking him a bit harder, "MOE, MOE wake up man." Bosco didn't even flinch. He tried again, this time a bit panicked, "MOE come on man don't do this. MOE, Maurice! WAKE UP!"

Bosco was too still. His head was on his chest and CJ lifted his head and laid him back against the tree he was sitting against. His arms were dropped on the ground where he sat and CJ lifted his hand to check for consciousness but when he let go if flopped down to the ground without resistance. "OH god! Bosco, come on man, wake up damn it!" he called to him pleading as he continued to shake him and tried to no avail to get some response. CJ could see that the swelling in his eyelids had subsided some and he could actually see his eyes as the lids were slightly open but he also could see that he was out of it.

Up until now CJ with the advanced First Aid training he had had in his scouting life had known what to do for both of them, but this was beyond his training. He wasn't sure what was causing this, between the fever and injuries and starvation, well it could be anything or everything, and he was lost as to what to do. He knew that he had obviously hit his head hard enough to break his nose and there could be more breaks than that as far a CJ knew. He did know that head injuries can take days or even weeks to show up but, well, hell it could even be he was just exhausted. CJ felt some serious frustration then. All he could do was watch and wait. Something CJ wasn't really good at.

XXXX

About the same time back at the landing:

Faith put the phone down, "Rose said to tell you that your mother called, she will call back later, said not to worry about calling her."

She was addressing Laurel, and nodding, Laurel replied, "I didn't want her to know yet but well, its kind of hard what with the papers and TV and all." They exchanged agreeing nods as they left the Landing's office and went to join the rest of the search party.

As they walked out Faith noticed the air had grown cooler, a lot cooler in fact and glancing up into the sky was astonished to see huge storm clouds quickly approaching from the south. The sky was growing darker by the second and the wind had started to pick up. "Where the hell did that come from!" she exclaimed, "the sky was clear a half hour ago!"

Laurel was standing still, a look of fear on her face, she cut her eyes at Faith and, "The gulf, and yes it was clear, but, here they come up fast and they're usually not good, especially on water."

Jamie as she walked up to them, "They won't stop searching because of it will they?" she already knew the answer having spent summers here as a child but was hoping anyway.

"Yes." Laurel said quietly not looking at either of them and then she walked away a look of pain on her face.

Faith and Jamie watched her go and the exchanging looks followed.

As they reached the group, they heard Jake speaking to the crowd gathered before him, "According to the weather report this is a big one folks. Its expected to have 50 to 70 mph winds and torrential rain. They're expecting 4 to possibly 7 inches." There were quick exchanged looks amongst the searchers and a few started to speak but Jake held up his hand and continued. "All the boats that are out have already been called in. They should be arriving anytime, please if you can stay to help secure them. The weather center also expects this to last most of the night," he paused here swallowing hard, then, "The search is over for the night. We need the tents broken down and the gear stowed away, and then each of you needs to get to shelter", he stopped choked up putting his hand to his face and lowering his head.

Everyone there was feeling the same and a few started to argue that the search should continue but Laurel stepped up and embracing her husband turned to the crowd and simply said, "Thank you, no."

Immediately the crowd started to disperse and in a short time the tents were down and their attention turned to helping the arriving boats empty of searchers and get secured. Then as the storm arrived they most of them anyway went to their cars. Some went home to wait but a large handful went into the office with Jake, Laurel, Faith, Jamie and Mikey.

Faith was surprised to find that Mikey hadn't had anything to say about stopping the search she saw as she sat with Laurel for a cup of coffee that he was standing in front of the window staring out. Most of the people who had come in with them, had found a place to sit or lay to wait with them. Mikey stood there looking out with his fist clenched down by his side, his jaw tight as he waited, he knew his brother hated storms, hell so did he, and with Moe out there in this one he was angry.

The trees were whipping back and forth with the force of the wind and the rain was coming down in sheets. It was difficult to see the cars in the parking lot and the boats had disappeared completely from view. This storm was every bit as bad as Jake had said it would be and he was frightened for his brother. Lightening was striking like crazy and the thunder was deafening. He couldn't imagine being out in it, 'Hang in there Moe.' he thought, 'hang in there.'

Jamie came up beside him and glancing at her he saw the fear he was feeling on her face. She was trembling with it and with frustration. Mikey reached out and putting his arm around her shoulders pulled her to him, as much for his comfort as hers rubbing his hand up and down her arm and said, "Jamie, it's going to be ok, He IS ok! Moe is one tough SOB, you know!"

She nodded and dropped her head trying to blink away tears and not succeeding, Mikey pulled her closer and she laid her head on his shoulder as he put his other arm around her and she slipped her arm behind his back as they stood together waiting. Mikey wasn't sure what was going on between his brother and her but if she was here and his mom had wanted her to be here then it must be serious, or about to be anyway. He liked Jamie the first time he had met her at one of Moe and CJ's parties, so he hoped that it worked out for them. Moe had told him she was married and they were just friends but Ma had said she was divorced so now he was really confused but, whatever, if she cared enough to come here for him, well, ok.

"He loves her?" Laurel asked as she watched them.

Faith glanced back at Laurel puzzled, "Mikey?" then as she saw Laurels quick smile and raised eyebrow, "Oh, you mean Bosco. Sorry." She sighed and taking a moment answered, "Yeah, yeah I think he does, actually, no, I know he does. I just don't know what he's going to do about it."

"Well, its obvious how she feels and it would be a shame for her to waste all that energy for nothing." Laurel commented. "CJ's talked as if they were just close friends, until recently that is, but she doesn't strike me as 'just good friends', he also didn't strike me as indecisive."

"They were, still are, but," Faith paused, "there are complications. There were things that kept them apart, may still in fact, but," she paused again not wanting to spill any beans that were not hers to spill. She didn't know how much Bosco had confided in CJ and she wasn't about to betray him. "most have been dealt with, but, well, actually it was only recently that he found out that she was 'available' so to speak, and even that caused problems, like I said it's complicated." smiling slightly at Laurel, "and indecisive is Bosco's middle name, or at least it use to be." Then sipping her coffee she turned back to Jamie and Mikey and the storm.

"Sugar, all great loves are complicated! But I hope he realizes what he could have with that one." Laurel smiled back watching Jake approach her, she had gotten to talk a bit with Jamie earlier and decided she liked her a lot.

Faith glanced back to comment but paused as Jake bent to kiss his wife's hair and as Laurel turned her face up to him for a real kiss she looked away again as she thought 'yeah me too, but theirs has got knots in it' and wishing not for the first time that Fred was here with her got up to go call him.

Afterwards she went to stand with Jamie and Mikey as they watched the storm rage outside, they were impressed by its intensity as much as frightened by it but none gave voice to his or her fears for Bosco and CJ out in it.

XXXX

Back with Bosco and CJ:

CJ felt a stiff breeze begin, then he heard thunder in the distance, struggling to his feet he made his way out of the woods back to the bank. Looking to the south he saw the huge thunderheads approaching. He could see lighting in the clouds and again he heard thunder and he knew from experience that this was not a good thing. He went back to Bosco as quickly as he could and gathered up their few things. Placing them between them at the base of the tree he situated himself on Boscos right side and settling in he waited for the storm to begin. He hoped that this would be a quick late summer storm but he also knew the odds were not in their favor. Hell as far as he knew it could be a hurricane, the sun was beginning to lower and it soon was dark with the approaching storm.

Then the winds began to pick up speed and the treetops were whipping back and forth with the storms beginning fury. No time at all had passed before the winds were on the ground too and CJ was pelted with debris that they whipped up from the ground as well as what was pulled from the trees. He could see small branches torn from the trees around them and putting his good arm around Bosco pulled his face into him and putting his own head down he tried to shield them from the blow with the sling on his bandaged arm. He was surprised at how hot Bosco was, he knew he had a fever but had not realized it was so high, then he thought that maybe it just seemed high because the air had cooled off so much. Looking out he saw that leaves were being torn from above and they swirled in the winds above and around them before being swept away.

The rain came quickly and it was torrential. Before it was over more than nine inches would have fallen, and now the lighting was fierce. It was striking all around them and almost seemed to be looking for them.

CJ had been out in bad storms before and knew that all they could do was wait it out, but, he hated them with a passion. Everytime lighting struck he jumped and he was afraid that the tree they were under would be next. He knew that under this tree was a bad place but in the bayous open water was even worse so even if Bosco had been conscious they would have stayed put.

Soon the thunder was so continuous that he couldn't hear himself think and then a tree several yards from them was struck by lightning. As the concussive thunderclap hit him and the static from the lightning knocked him back the tree began to fall. It was falling towards them but its crown was caught in the trees around it and was deflected to the side of their tree. As it hit the ground with a thunder

of its own Bosco began to regain consciousness.

He began to struggle with CJ in shock at the hell he had awakened too and with all that had gone on CJ couldn't stop him. He grabbed CJ's injured arm and pushed it hard away from him and scrambled to his feet. CJ screamed in pain grabbing his arm and reached out to grab Bosco to stop him from whatever he was about to do, CJ saw the unsure look on his face turn to panic when lightning struck again and thunder clapped above them, but he was too late grabbing him, as Bosco turned and was gone.

CJ grabbed his hurt arm with his good hand and called out to him, "MOE, STOP! STOP! SHIT! DAMN IT!!" he cried out in pain and frustration. His worst fears had happened, they were separated and in the worst circumstances too. The rain was coming down white in sheets that made it difficult to see and he felt blinded by the lightning. He tried to get up to go after him but the shock and pain of his now open wound combined with his other injuries and the weakness he was experiencing he couldn't stand. Sitting down again he could do nothing more than huddle with his arm pulled tight to his chest gripping it with his left hand as he saw blood began to drip from the soaked bandage. He couldn't tell if it was new or just old blood that was washing out. Soaked to the skin of and shivering now in the cold rain and finding it hard to concentrate on anything but the pain, CJ pulling his knees up to protect himself put his face down and shielding himself began to zone out and prayed that Friday would get here quickly and his Dad or Uncle Sam would find them and that he would survive this storm in one piece.

Bosco was now on his own.

XXXX

Bosco struggled blindly through the trees, away from the nightmare that had become his existence, his fever was raging and all he could think was 'Escape'. He could see, some, but with the blinding white rain, it did no real good. He kept running into trees and tripping and finally he tripped over a large root and fell heavily, his outstretched arms barely keeping his face from smashing into the rain soaked ground that was quickly becoming mud. He was stunned but he scrambled to his knees and crawling huddled by the tree whose root he had tripped over, he crouched down into as small a figure as he could make himself and placing his hands over his ears to keep out the thunders roar he tried to hide from whatever Hell this was.

Soon though the cold of the rain began to work on his fever and he began to shiver from the cold. As the fever began to lessen and his senses returned he slowly began to realize that he was in a storm and was not under attack. Soon he picked his head up and realizing he was alone realized what he had done.

"DAMN IT!! YOU IDIOT!!" he beat himself up, not caring that he'd not been himself at the time, he saw CJ's face in his minds eye as he grabbed his injured arm and heard him scream in pain. "Oh god, what did I do!?"

Scrambling to his feet he turned in a circle trying to find the way he had come. He knew he needed to get back to him and quickly. He was dizzy at once and grabbed the tree to steady himself, jumping in fear and reaction to the lightning that was no less than it had been an hour ago when he had woken up, he also realized that he was lost,

"STUPID!! DAMN MIT!! SON OF A BITCH!!" he yelled out in frustration as he tried to see in the darkness of the night that had fallen and through the blinding rain, he couldn't just stand here and wait he had to find his own way back, and he knew it. Real fear began to take him now as he thought about how much blood CJ might be losing while he stood here and making a decision he stepped away from the tree and headed out, hopefully in the direction he had come from.

Bosco had made a promise to himself and the people he cared about that his fears would not cause them any more harm and here he had already broken that promise. He felt about CJ now like he did Mikey and he knew that he had to get back to help him. "God, if you're out there listening, you know what CJ needs, so..." he prayed as he fought his way through the storm wiping the rain from his eyes and shaking his head to clear it he hoped that CJ hung on until he could get to him. Soon though his fever began to take hold of him again and the pain from his leg with the hard rain on his face and shoulder began to take its toll on him and he began to see things, scenes from his past.

He was back in New York, it was a few years before, not long before Faith had been shot. He had lost a prisoner, or rather a paramedic had let one go while he was signing him out for medical treatment, and he and Faith had spent a tense few hours looking for him.

They had found him but word had gotten back to the house and after Lieu had threatened them with a months loss of pay; the penalty for losing a prisoner; he and Faith had gone to change before going home. Faith had simply grabbed her stuff; boy was she pissed at him that time; and left.

He was almost home free and was digging his street shoes out of his bag, about to escape the locker room before anyone came in to rag him about it when Sully and Ty walked in.

'Oh great he thought to himself' as he heard Sully yell, "BOSCO!!!", laughing.

Before Sully could say another word he had yelled back, "BITE ME SULLIVAN!! I don't want to HEAR IT!!"

That made Sul and Ty laugh harder and then Sully went on as if he hadn't said anything to him, "You know Bosco if you keep losing prisoners the way you do sooner or later we're going to have to take up a collection for you; 'The Bosco Wants To Eat Fund'. A whole months pay, hell for as many as you've 'lost and found' you'd be back living with your MOM if lieu ever actually catches you!!"

The entire room cracked up at that and even he had smirked, shaking his head and standing up having finished dressing turned to Ty and said "WHATEVER!!" and started out of the room.

"You know Boscorelli," this from Ty, "your luck is amazing. I don't know how you haven't been caught yet."

Then the vision changed and he was chasing someone. He kept getting close but when he would reach out for them they would turn and disappear. He would catch site of them again and follow but it was no use he couldn't catch up in time. He was yelling for Faith to stop them but she shook her head at him and frowning, said, "You let it slip through your fingers, Bosco. You had it in the palm of your hand and threw it away, so sad."

Then she was gone and he was running again, he saw Her then, her hand outstretched reaching out to him. He couldn't see her face but it seemed he knew her. As he reached his hand out to hers she kept pulling away just out of reach, a sad look(?) on her face; actually he realized he couldn't see her face, it was just a feeling he had.

"Stop, please. Why can't I touch you?" he was confused and then suddenly as his fingers touched hers he was out of he trees and before him was a bayou.

He stopped quickly and his feet slipped out from under him and he sat down hard on the muddy bank. He was jarred from his tailbone to the top of his skull. He sat there stunned, the rain worse here than in the trees. "OOWW!! SHIT!!" he yelled out as he had felt his wound on his leg twist and it felt like it was open again also his face felt like he had been punched. Had his head actually NOT exploded? Lightning struck in the distance and the sky lit up like day. To his astonishment in a tree across the bayou from him he spotted the damn boat seat that had been tossed there in the explosion.

"SON OF A BITCH!" he exclaimed in awe. "Boscorelli, Sully and Ty are right, your luck is astounding!"

Getting up slowly his head now pounding he turned and limping a few yards down the bank found the place were he and CJ had made their way into the trees.

Soon he was back to where CJ was huddled against the tree. At the sight of him Bosco felt both relief and fear, his head was down and Bosco couldn't tell if he was conscious or not. The rain hadn't let up any and fighting his fear as lighting struck again he gingerly sat down next to him and reached out to check him. CJ jumped like he had been snake bit and Bosco fell back startled.

CJ at first looked at him like he was a ghost and then squinting at him simply said, "Took you long enough." and put his head back down.

Bosco raised his eyebrows at him and smiling slightly said, "Well there was this storm see." and scooted close to him. Then putting his arm around CJ's back pulled his own knees up as best he could and putting his head down wrapped his other arm around his knees.

"You ok?" Bosco then asked loudly over the sound of the storm.

"SURE just dandy!" CJ loudly said back, "course I'd be better if my partner was sane!"

"Yeah well, I don't think he his so your out of luck there!" he answered.

He felt CJ's chuckle but couldn't hear it. Then CJ raised his head and, as Bosco looked over at him, said, "You know if I had known you would be this much trouble I would have brought Sully instead!"

"If I had know this shit was going to happen I would have sent Sully instead!" he laughed, quickly regretting it as his head reminded him what pain was. "How's your arm, and, sorry!?"

"Hurts like hell and I'm sure its bleeding again, and you ought to be." CJ said.

Bosco squinted at him through the water in his eyes and nodded. They stared at each other for another moment grinning and then put their heads down to wait for the rain to stop.

Bosco soon realized that the ground they were sitting on was saturated and they were now sitting in water an inch or so deep, he picked up the first aid kit and putting it in his lap between his legs and chest settled in, soon he was drifting again. He thought, 'I can see the headlines now, "Cops survive explosion on water to drown on land!" And then thought, 'If anyone ever finds us!', and wondered what day it was.

TBC...