About five hours later, Steve could barely stay awake any longer, and Jesse's nearly incessant mumbling was getting very annoying. It was almost dawn, so he decided to wake Jesse, hoping that he had forgotten about his panic.
"Jesse, hey Jess, wake up, it's your turn," Steve whispered, shaking his friend.
Jesse rolled over. "Just five more minutes Susan, it's not my turn to make breakfast."
Steve snickered for the first time in hours and shook him some more. "Jesse, it's Steve, you need to get up and take over."
Jesse groggily opened his eyes. "Huh? Oh, sure Steve, I'm up." He quickly got up and became alert right away, remembering his panic, much to Steve's chagrin. "Oh my goodness, I'm not dead! They haven't gotten me yet?"
"No, now hush and keep a watch out." Steve wearily crawled into the warm comfort of his sleeping bag, knowing that he wouldn't get to stay there long.
"Steve," Jesse whispered loudly.
Steve only growled in answer.
Jesse continued, shaking fear evident in his voice. "Steve can we leave now?"
Steve thought he was going to cry. "Jesse, please, I need sleep!" he whimpered pathetically. "Just an hour or so, please!"
The young doctor sighed shakily. "Okay Steve, I'm sorry, go to sleep." Jesse felt the panic rising in him. He jumped at every owl hoot. But soon, the need for more sleep threatened to overtake him and he did everything he could think of to keep himself awake. It seemed like an hour, though it was actually about fifteen minutes, before he heard some rustling in the woods. He dove to the ground next to the cover of Steve in his sleeping bag, playing dead, just as a bullet whizzed past them. He lay there for a moment, as motionless as his shuddering body could be, as Steve woke up.
"Jesse, what are you doing?!" the enraged lieutenant mumbled.
"Shh, I'm supposed to be dead!" came Jesse's muffled voice from his face buried in the ground.
"Oh, oh, of course!" Steve pushed Jesse away and tried to go back to sleep.
Jesse finally got up and shook Steve. "Steve, get up, we have to get out of here!"
"Grr, I thought you were supposed to be dead." Steve shoved Jesse away again and rolled over.
Jesse wasn't about to give up. "Not anymore, get up!"
Steve could tell it was hopeless. He had to admit that Jesse was right, it definitely wasn't safe. But no, he wasn't going to admit it to Jesse. He sat up and yawned, the dull rays of the rising sun peeking up over the tree-lined horizon and piercing his bleary eyes. "Fine. It's just about dawn anyway."
Jesse began gathering up their supplies. He loaded both packs up on his own small back and fell over.
Steve laughed and quickly rolled up his sleeping bag. "Jesse, wait one second, I gotta get my stuff together and then we can start the--" He added sarcastic dread into his voice. "--two-mile hike down the mountain."
"Oh, don't remind me!" Jesse sighed as he put down Steve's things and helped him get everything together. He quickly remembered to be nervous again. "Alright, you're ready, I'm ready, let's go!"
"Jesse, hey Jess, wake up, it's your turn," Steve whispered, shaking his friend.
Jesse rolled over. "Just five more minutes Susan, it's not my turn to make breakfast."
Steve snickered for the first time in hours and shook him some more. "Jesse, it's Steve, you need to get up and take over."
Jesse groggily opened his eyes. "Huh? Oh, sure Steve, I'm up." He quickly got up and became alert right away, remembering his panic, much to Steve's chagrin. "Oh my goodness, I'm not dead! They haven't gotten me yet?"
"No, now hush and keep a watch out." Steve wearily crawled into the warm comfort of his sleeping bag, knowing that he wouldn't get to stay there long.
"Steve," Jesse whispered loudly.
Steve only growled in answer.
Jesse continued, shaking fear evident in his voice. "Steve can we leave now?"
Steve thought he was going to cry. "Jesse, please, I need sleep!" he whimpered pathetically. "Just an hour or so, please!"
The young doctor sighed shakily. "Okay Steve, I'm sorry, go to sleep." Jesse felt the panic rising in him. He jumped at every owl hoot. But soon, the need for more sleep threatened to overtake him and he did everything he could think of to keep himself awake. It seemed like an hour, though it was actually about fifteen minutes, before he heard some rustling in the woods. He dove to the ground next to the cover of Steve in his sleeping bag, playing dead, just as a bullet whizzed past them. He lay there for a moment, as motionless as his shuddering body could be, as Steve woke up.
"Jesse, what are you doing?!" the enraged lieutenant mumbled.
"Shh, I'm supposed to be dead!" came Jesse's muffled voice from his face buried in the ground.
"Oh, oh, of course!" Steve pushed Jesse away and tried to go back to sleep.
Jesse finally got up and shook Steve. "Steve, get up, we have to get out of here!"
"Grr, I thought you were supposed to be dead." Steve shoved Jesse away again and rolled over.
Jesse wasn't about to give up. "Not anymore, get up!"
Steve could tell it was hopeless. He had to admit that Jesse was right, it definitely wasn't safe. But no, he wasn't going to admit it to Jesse. He sat up and yawned, the dull rays of the rising sun peeking up over the tree-lined horizon and piercing his bleary eyes. "Fine. It's just about dawn anyway."
Jesse began gathering up their supplies. He loaded both packs up on his own small back and fell over.
Steve laughed and quickly rolled up his sleeping bag. "Jesse, wait one second, I gotta get my stuff together and then we can start the--" He added sarcastic dread into his voice. "--two-mile hike down the mountain."
"Oh, don't remind me!" Jesse sighed as he put down Steve's things and helped him get everything together. He quickly remembered to be nervous again. "Alright, you're ready, I'm ready, let's go!"