Part 14
Brian lowered Dick carefully to the ground, gently laying him back as Martin placed the back pack behind Dick for him to lean on. Both men looked at each other briefly, both reading the concern in each others eyes, there was no way Dick could go any further on foot.
Martin stood up. "I'll be back as soon as I can he said, he was determined to find some sort of boat that they could use to travel the rest of the way down stream, it was the only way they would be able to get Dick out alive. The trip back to the checkpoint would take at least three to four days for a healthy man…In a boat, travelling downstream they would make it overnight.
"Do what you have to." Brian replied as he held the canteen of water to Dicks lips, holding Dicks head up with one hand and frowning as he felt the young man trembling uncontrollably under his hands.
Martin headed towards the river which was now only about fifty meters away and turned to follow it upstream. He would find a way of getting Dick downstream quickly, he was determined he would. There was no way he was going to fail the young man who through this experience had become his friend…Besides Roy would never forgive him if Dick didn't make it, he thought to himself, and there was no way on gods green earth he would let Roy down after what the two of them had been through together in their experiences with Checkmate. Brian watched as Martin disappeared wondering briefly if he would return, then pushing the thought away. These two young men had gone through so much to rescue him it was not likely that Martin would abandon them now.
"Ok Robbie young man, we need to get a bit more water into you." He said quietly as he held the canteen to Dick's lips again.
Dick sipped the cool water thirstily, he felt too weak to even hold his head up properly, though his side no longer pained him as much, the agony had turned into a deep burning numbness instead. Suddenly a wave of nausea hit Dick causing him to choke. Brain quickly helped him roll onto his side, frowning worriedly as the young man threw up the water he had just swallowed. Dick continued to dry heave for some time after his stomach was emptied. Once the spasms had stopped Brian helped him to lay back on the back pack and washed his face with water from the canteen, then he sat down beside him and sighed deeply. "What are we going to do with you young man?"he asked as Dick lapsed into unconsciousness. If Dick couldn't keep water down there was no way he would survive out here much longer.
"You better hurry." He whispered as he looked towards where Martin had disappeared upstream, praying silently that the other man would be successful in his search.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brian awoke as he felt something rocking his shoulder. He jumped at the unexpected touch, annoyed that he hadn't even realized he had fallen into an exhausted sleep. Looking up he was overjoyed to see Martin looking back at him, and from the grin on the younger mans face he had been successful in his search for a boat. "You did it?" he asked eagerly.
"Sure did..It's not the best boat..It leaks a bit, but there's a bucket in it and we can take turns bailing, it's not great but it floats and it'll get us there." Martin replied.
Brian climbed to his feet. He looked at Martins exhausted but happy face. "So?... What are we waiting for?" he asked. Knowing darkness was closing in and it was the perfect time to move.
"Nothing lets go." Martin replied as he stepped towards Dick.
"Good because he's not doing very well at all…Time is of the essence." Brian replied as he knelt down next to Dick. "Come on Robbie my boy…Lets wake you up." He said as he tried vainly to wake the unconscious young man.
"We're going to have to carry him." Martin said as he reached down to take hold of Dicks shoulders, leaving Brian to pick up his feet.
Ten minutes later they laid him carefully in the boat. Martin quickly returned to retrieve the back pack and once it was safely stowed next to Dick he pushed away from the bank and they set off on their desperate journey home. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"C'mon Robbie. ..Buddy you've got to help us out a bit here!" Martin whispered as he tried to wake his friend early the next morning. Dawn was beginning to break and they had made it back to the spot in the river where they had crossed into the boarder when they had first arrived. Martin was desperate to get the three of them safely across the river bank and over the boarder on the other side. If they didn't move now the guards at the checkpoint further down stream would be able to see them moving through the long grass at the rivers edge.
Unable to rouse his sleeping friend Martin enlisted Brian's help and they heaved him out of the boat and onto the riverbank. He then turned back to the boat and opened the back pack withdrawing an object that he knew would come in handy, he pocketed it, then returned to his companions. Once there he hoisted Dick up over his shoulders, thankful that the other mans unconscious state would prevent him from feeling the pain the position would obviously cause to the wound in his side.
"Move." Martin whispered desperately, leading the way towards the jungle as fast as he could.
They were almost to the other side, Martins breath burned in his chest and throat, his knees were in danger of buckling, but he still pushed on, the urgency of their situation fueling his movements...until eventually he could go no further, collapsing exhausted to the ground just meters short of their goal. Brian who had already made it into the jungle, turned and ran back towards them, grabbing Dick under the arms he dragged him back towards safety and into the dense jungle, returning to help Martin to his feet. Both men collapsed, relieved and exhausted beside Dick.
"We did it." Brian croaked happily, his throat parched from exertion.
Martin lay still for a few moments waiting for his breathing to slow. "Yeah we did." He finally replied before he sat up, now they were over the boarder they could safely call on the help they needed without fear of causing an international incident. He reached into his pocket to pull out the object he had retrieved from the back pack. "Now lets get the hell out of here." He said as he looked at the object..He seen Roy use one of these before and he was darn glad Dick had brought his with him he thought to himself as he held up the Titans communicator in his hand. End 14