Chapter 14

Building Momentum, Spinning Wheels

Day 48 Mid-morning

The next two days seemed to be the apex of Eric's fever and the worst times seemed to have finally passed, mercifully. Mel had given him the reduced amount of Subversion with trepidation. While it hadn't completely stripped him of his always precarious hold over his sex drive, it had definitely increased it, as several incidents, especially when his fever rose, proved:

He'd begun hallucination when his fever peaked at 101. When a concerned Taylor, who'd had her hair in pigtails, and Nathan had went in to check on him, he'd cried out:

" It's Dorothy and Toto! Hey, Toto, I gotta bone you can fetch!" And he'd hipped his impressively large erection out to their horror. Nathan had nearly sprained his own ankle as he spun to leave, tripping over a hysterically laughing Daley, who'd come in to see what was happening. Taylor had come within a heart beat of attacking the invalid, until Jackson had been forced to literally pick her up and set he outside the room.

He had not left Daley out either, shouting each time he saw her, " Her head's on fire, her heads on fire!"

Even Lex had had a taste of it, as he'd brought Eric's food in to him.

" It's a leprechaun ! Or a munchkin. Or, no, it's Dobby from Harry Potter!"

While many of the incidents were amusing, some weren't.

Like the two hour long flashback to his being raped by Captain Russell, being violated by an enormous length of wood. His hideous pleas had made Mel break down and cry and had Jackson waking up screaming himself after calming the restless Eric down. Eric had cried himself to sleep and slept for almost 10 hours, the longest single stretch he'd had.

O f course, that wasn't all. Eric had gotten a raging erection within minutes of taking the first third of a tablet. Within a half hour, he'd been openly playing with himself. An hour later, he'd just finished jerking off for the third time. Then he'd started getting really horny. And he didn't care who knew. As Nathan had found out when he'd brought some water in. He'd stumbled over a loose board and dropped the water bottle near the bed. When the young man had bent over to get it, Eric had reached over and quite unabashedly reached out and grabbed a handful of Nathan's butt.

" Nathan, Nathan, wow, you gotta firm ass, "Eric had babbled happily, " Man I'd like to tag you and Cody at the same time!"

" Dude, I'm not like that!" Nathan had screeched, dropping the bottle and jumping across the room in a single bound.

Nathan had nearly broken the sound barrier in his retreat. He'd yet to make an appearance in the last twelve hours. It was even more blatant when Jackson was in the room, or Mel for than matter.

" Oh God, it hurts!" he'd cried out to the two of them. They'd gathered around to comfort him.

" Is it your neck or your ankle bothering you," Mel had asked with concern.

" No! It's my dick! Somebody please suck it 'til the swelling goes down.!"

Which, in the end, Jackson had quite simply had to do it. Eric's demands had grown so loud that everyone there knew what he wanted. And they would know by the silence thereafter that he'd gotten what he wanted. To his amazement, Mel had asked to watch.

" You're joking, right?" he'd asked, his voice cracking in surprise. His eyebros had shot to his forehead in his disbelief.

" No. I really want to see you doing this of your on free will." she'd answered simply. " You'd better get started before he tries to get loose again."

With a last backwards glance at Mel, he'd went down on his lover , while his other lover had watched, one of the most surreal experiences of his life. He was busily working on the reddened staff when he felt Mel's hands on his own zipper. To his delight, Mel swiftly and silently opened his fly and gripped his on bobbing shaft, full lips engulfing his jutting phallus. One of his newer unmentionable fantasies was fulfilled when he and Eric both erupted almost simultaneously, Eric filling his mouth while he filled Mel's, he and her swallowing at the same time.

Finally, three days after being assaulted by the creepy crustacean, Eric had been stable enough to be allowed to walk outside, aided by Nathan and Jackson. Nathan was somewhat nervous about being in contact with Eric since their encounter, warning him,

" Dude, you grab at my butt just once and I'll put you back on that stretcher." he's threatened, unfazed by the hard glance Jackson gave him.

Eric fought to keep a cross between a grimace of shame and a grin of delight from crossing his overly expressive face at Nathan's astringent tone.

" Relax man, I haven't had my sex med today." he struggled to say with a straight face. He fought to keep from grunting as Cody not -quite-accidentally stepped on his foot, a subtle sign to be quiet and leave the discomfited Nathan alone.

" Whoa, " Eric sighed, taking a good look around and enjoying the air, which was somewhat cooler today than it had been in over a week, "I'd almost forgotten what it feels like to be outside. Man, that breeze feels good." With the to others helping him, he sat on the crumbling old steps while the rest of the group gathered near for a progress report from the leader, Jackson the sun beating down upon the group.

" Ok guys," he began, crossing his long arms on his chest and leaning back and forth slightly as he spoke, " Even after Eric's injury," he nodded at that worthy, who tipped hit battered hat in response, " We're at least even with we're we'd hoped to be. I've gotten the frame for the main hull about done. I'm ready to start on the spars and the outrigging, when Lex and Mel get a chance to help. Daley's nearly finished with making the sails and Taylor's managed to weave a dozen ropes for us and found a couple of yards more helping Lex on his scavenger hunts. Mel's been doing great on gathering fruit and she's even managed to make a couple of "coolers" of sorts, for the boat."

" Way to go Mel, " Nathan said encouragingly, a broad grin on his face from here he sat crosslegged on the ground, with Daley's head nestled on his shoulder.

" Good job ," Taylor added graciously from her perch, sharing the steps by Eric, occasionally swatting at his hands as he tried furtively to flick her ear from behind.

Thank God we gave him the last pill yesterday or I'd be kicking his skinny ass off of Taylor, Jackson thought, bemused at their play. " We're building momentum with our projects; the last thing we need to do is start spinning our wheels again. But," he said warningly, " remember: we never know if one of those monster is nearby. That being said, Nathan and I spent most of the morning improving some weapons for everyone. Ok, Mister Society For Creative Anachronisms, show them what we made for them," he said to the half Italian half African American 16 year old .

He gently moved Daley aside as he got up and around to stand beside Jackson. He put his hands on the hips of his tan cargo pants and spoke to the others.

" Jackson and I made up a supply of the torches and spears we've been using. We're going to have to start carrying one with us at all times, one or the other. We found two knives that Jackson is sharpening . Since he and I both have one, we'll give Mel and Daley the other two for now, since their chores take them out closest to the jungle." The two girls exchanged somewhat uneasy looks at that before Jackson spoke again.

" We have a new rule too, well," he did one of his odd headshakes, " really two, nut one only involves Lex. Lex," he said, motioning the boy up beside him, putting a hand on his small shoulder and looking at him as he talked, " you've been our main innovator, the brain of the group, from the very first. That makes you valuable. You're also the youngest and," an abashed look on his face as he went to one knee to speak directly to the boy, who returned the gaze steadily, " you're the most vulnerable of us physically. From here on out, you don't go anywhere in camp without at least one of us and you Do Not," he emphasized strongly, " go into the jungle for Any reason unless there are two of us with you and it's work related . I'm sorry if it makes you feel crowded Lex, "' he said apologetically, " but we can't risk losing you. Not because of ho many things you do for us, but because it's just not justifiable for us to not keep an eye on you. Do you understand, little buddy?'

" Yeah, I guess I do," he answered, then asked, a look of unease on his face beneath his omnipresent Hartwell High cap, " Does the latrine count as in camp or out?"

Cody fought down a guffaw at Lex's tone. " If you need to go, go, just tell some one." He felt a tinge of sympathy for the youngster then, God knows I'd hate to have to announce when I needed to leak a leak or a dump to the whole world. But it is for his own safety. "It's not that big of a deal, is it?"

" No, I guess not," Lex answered, going to sit back as Jackson spoke to the group again.

" Nathan and I are also making some pits, scattered around the perimeter. We'll show them as soon as we get them dug so no one falls in. e have to be careful guys." He swept the assembly with his eyes, his emotions showing in his voice, " We nearly lost Eric and Lex to one of these things and it was hurt and outnumbered 7 to one and it still nearly got two of us. I don't want to have to bury any of you , or for you guys to have to bury me."

" Be careful. You can't be careful enough, even if it slows our leaving this island down a day or two. You can't leave it if you're already dead." At this, he asked the group: " Enough morbid stuff; anyone have any announcements?"

Lex stood back up, one of the small metal drinking cups he'd found in the ruins in his hands. His dark brown eyes twinkled with excitement as he made his announcement to the group. " I have something to show you all. It's too soon to use it for the trip, but it may still come in handy. It's a compass I made." He grinned at them as the comments came at him."

" Yea Lex!" from Mel, smiling brightly at him.

" The Genius does it again!' was Eric's pithy comment, moderated some by a genuine grin for the boy he'd gotten bitten protecting.

" Good work Lex." Nathan added.

" How'd you make a compass in the middle of nowhere ?' Taylor asked , skeptically, giving the compass a distrusting glance.

" It was actually easy, once I thought to use one of the needles from the sewing kit, oh, and your wool top." he told her, to an almost inevitable honk of outrage.

" You went prowling through my clothes?! You little creep, I hate it when people touch my clothes!" the blonde shrilled angrily .

" Yeah, tell me about it," muttered Mel, who'd had an epic row with Taylor over accidentally scorching one of her blouses, which Mel had honestly mistaken for her at the time," Lex better watch it, she might run him out of camp like she did me." She murmured sotto voice to a softly giggling Daley.

Jackson waved at them to be silent as he encouraged Lex, " Go on."

" I remember that if you rub a needle of wool or another conductor it magnetizes it. So, I tried it and now we have a compass. If we can spare another needle, I'll make a backup."

Unexpectedly Eric broke in: " Hey, I found a big old time watch the other day , I mean it's really big."

Daley butted in, " Interesting, but Lex as speaking about something a little more important than an old watch."

" No smartass, " Eric went on, ignoring the mean look Nathan gave him as he insulted Daley, " I was thinking, maybe Lex could take the top off the watch and put the needle on it. If it'll hold water so the needle can float. It'd be less likely to be dropped that way." He raised cinnamon colored eyebrows at Lex as he waited for a reply.

" That could work," the Latino boy said with enthusiasm, " and I was worried myself about maybe losing the compass if a wave hit us. I'll take a look at it later. Good idea Eric." he said, rare and high praise from him to his past tormentor.

" I kept telling everyone I should be the idea man, but no, if was always " Lug water Eric, you're too stupid to do anything else…" , obviously prepared to go into a full fledge diatribe about his past oppression, He quieted at a gimlet look from Jackson.

" Ok, you two can get together this afternoon and try to work on that for a while, but for now, and I never thought I'd have to say this to you, but Eric, get some sleep."

Six set of unbelieving eyes stared at him. Then the laughing started.

" Seriously, you're pale as a ghost. Rest and get better because we're shorthanded without you. There's a lot to do still before we can start island hopping. Go snore while we get back to work." He walked over and helped the injured teen up, gently shoving him in the direction of the improvised "hospital", then turned and looked expectantly at the others. They got up and did as he'd asked, returning to the daily struggle to survive this nightmare.