Several officers climbed up the easy incline of the mountain and escorted the murders down. While this was happening, Steve hurriedly knelt down by the bush to see if Jesse was all right.
"Jesse, are you okay, did he get you?"
Jesse looked up at him, his head cocked to one side. "No, I'm all right."
"Then what was that scream for?" Steve asked, helping Jesse up.
Jesse winced as he rose to his foot. "Well, it scared me! And when I jumped back, I wrenched my ankle and it really hurt."
They started, slowly but surely, walking down. "You scared me to death. I thought you were shot!"
"Sorry," Jesse gasped through clenched teeth.
Steve could tell that his friend was in great pain, and at that pace, they would never reach the bottom. *Oh, he's small enough.* Steve abruptly scooped Jesse up off the ground and tossed him over his shoulder.
"Whoa!!! Steve, what do you think you're doing!?!?"
"At the rate we were going, we would've never gotten down."
Jesse felt mischievous. "Oh, Steve, you're so big and strong," he drawled in a rather feminine voice.
Steve smacked his buddy on the butt. "You keep that up and I drop you."
"Ow! Hey, I was just kidding!"
Steve put Jesse down as they reached the bottom and found Mark and Amanda.
"Jesse! Steve!" Amanda yelled, embracing Jesse in a bear hug and trying to contain her laughter at the sight she had just witnessed between two of her best friends. "What happened to you?!" Even through all the laughter, worry and concern were still very evident in her voice.
"Oh, it's a long story! Hey, thanks for saving us!" Jesse quipped, still leaning heavily in Steve.
Mark released his son from a big hug. "Jess, how's your ankle?"
"Not too good, it's badly sprained."
Mark sat Jesse down and unwrapped his foot as and officer approached the witnesses.
"Lieutenant Sloan?" an officer called. "Dr. Travis? Do you think you two could answer a few questions for us?" A few cops approached them and the two answered some questions and agreed to testify, should it come to that. After few minutes, the four were on their way back to Community General, the guys telling their story as Mark examined Jesse's ankle.
"Jesse, are you okay, did he get you?"
Jesse looked up at him, his head cocked to one side. "No, I'm all right."
"Then what was that scream for?" Steve asked, helping Jesse up.
Jesse winced as he rose to his foot. "Well, it scared me! And when I jumped back, I wrenched my ankle and it really hurt."
They started, slowly but surely, walking down. "You scared me to death. I thought you were shot!"
"Sorry," Jesse gasped through clenched teeth.
Steve could tell that his friend was in great pain, and at that pace, they would never reach the bottom. *Oh, he's small enough.* Steve abruptly scooped Jesse up off the ground and tossed him over his shoulder.
"Whoa!!! Steve, what do you think you're doing!?!?"
"At the rate we were going, we would've never gotten down."
Jesse felt mischievous. "Oh, Steve, you're so big and strong," he drawled in a rather feminine voice.
Steve smacked his buddy on the butt. "You keep that up and I drop you."
"Ow! Hey, I was just kidding!"
Steve put Jesse down as they reached the bottom and found Mark and Amanda.
"Jesse! Steve!" Amanda yelled, embracing Jesse in a bear hug and trying to contain her laughter at the sight she had just witnessed between two of her best friends. "What happened to you?!" Even through all the laughter, worry and concern were still very evident in her voice.
"Oh, it's a long story! Hey, thanks for saving us!" Jesse quipped, still leaning heavily in Steve.
Mark released his son from a big hug. "Jess, how's your ankle?"
"Not too good, it's badly sprained."
Mark sat Jesse down and unwrapped his foot as and officer approached the witnesses.
"Lieutenant Sloan?" an officer called. "Dr. Travis? Do you think you two could answer a few questions for us?" A few cops approached them and the two answered some questions and agreed to testify, should it come to that. After few minutes, the four were on their way back to Community General, the guys telling their story as Mark examined Jesse's ankle.