"Roxton." A woman's voice called out distantly. " Roxton, are you awake?"
John opened his eyes to meet the concerned blue eyes of Veronica. His mind was blissfully blank and sleep addled and he glanced up at her in confusion. The roof of the treehouse was a backdrop to her worried face; odd since the last thing he recalled was falling asleep in the tent on a hunting expedition
" Thank god. We were getting worried, old boy." Challenger's voice said from somewhere off to his right.
" What-?" Roxton croaked, his sore and parched throat preventing the rest of his sentence from being voiced. His eyes felt as if someone had thrown sand into them and his eyelids seemed to stick together slightly whenever he blinked.
" Here drink this." Veronica said, offering him a glass of water.
" What happened?" Roxton repeated after swallowing a generous amount of the liquid.
His friends glanced at each other with obvious concern which alerted the hunter to the feeling he had that something was terribly wrong.
" What do you remember?" Challenger gently prodded, sitting on the edge of the bed that Roxton rested on.
" Malone, Marguerite and I were out hunting for extra supplies." He slowly replied after a moment's thought. " I remember falling asleep...no waking up early this morning to a raptor invasion of out campsite. Marguerite was missing-" John's eyes widened in terror as the horrid memories came cruelly rushing back. " No. Tell me that was a nightmare, Challenger."
" I'm afraid it wasn't Roxton. The bullet seemed to have ricocheted off a nearby tree; it hit Marguerite, veritably saving her from a predatory raptor but hitting her in the process."
" George. I killed her. I murdered her!" Roxton gasped.
" What? No. You misunderstand me, John. You didn't-"
" I killed her. Just as I killed my brother. I don't deserve to live." Roxton growled in defiance to the scientist's attempt at consolation; a frightening glint settling in his eyes.
" Roxton!" Veronica gasped.
" John. Listen to me! You are not a murderer." Challenger began only to be interrupted by Roxton's attempts to argue. " You didn't murder her! She isn't dead ,John!"
" What?" Roxton huffed in disbelief. " But I saw her; I held her in my arms as she-"
" It was a close call, I'll say that. Malone managed to set up a temporary barrier to camouflauge you from hungry predators while he carried Margurite back here in time for her to receive the necessary medical care. She is in bad shape, but she's strong and I do believe she'll pull through this. The bullet missed her heart so the worst penalty against her was the blood loss. "
" That doesn't change the fact that I shot her." Roxton murmered biterly.
" No," Veronica spoke up, " but it doesn't make you a murderer either."
John opened his eyes to meet the concerned blue eyes of Veronica. His mind was blissfully blank and sleep addled and he glanced up at her in confusion. The roof of the treehouse was a backdrop to her worried face; odd since the last thing he recalled was falling asleep in the tent on a hunting expedition
" Thank god. We were getting worried, old boy." Challenger's voice said from somewhere off to his right.
" What-?" Roxton croaked, his sore and parched throat preventing the rest of his sentence from being voiced. His eyes felt as if someone had thrown sand into them and his eyelids seemed to stick together slightly whenever he blinked.
" Here drink this." Veronica said, offering him a glass of water.
" What happened?" Roxton repeated after swallowing a generous amount of the liquid.
His friends glanced at each other with obvious concern which alerted the hunter to the feeling he had that something was terribly wrong.
" What do you remember?" Challenger gently prodded, sitting on the edge of the bed that Roxton rested on.
" Malone, Marguerite and I were out hunting for extra supplies." He slowly replied after a moment's thought. " I remember falling asleep...no waking up early this morning to a raptor invasion of out campsite. Marguerite was missing-" John's eyes widened in terror as the horrid memories came cruelly rushing back. " No. Tell me that was a nightmare, Challenger."
" I'm afraid it wasn't Roxton. The bullet seemed to have ricocheted off a nearby tree; it hit Marguerite, veritably saving her from a predatory raptor but hitting her in the process."
" George. I killed her. I murdered her!" Roxton gasped.
" What? No. You misunderstand me, John. You didn't-"
" I killed her. Just as I killed my brother. I don't deserve to live." Roxton growled in defiance to the scientist's attempt at consolation; a frightening glint settling in his eyes.
" Roxton!" Veronica gasped.
" John. Listen to me! You are not a murderer." Challenger began only to be interrupted by Roxton's attempts to argue. " You didn't murder her! She isn't dead ,John!"
" What?" Roxton huffed in disbelief. " But I saw her; I held her in my arms as she-"
" It was a close call, I'll say that. Malone managed to set up a temporary barrier to camouflauge you from hungry predators while he carried Margurite back here in time for her to receive the necessary medical care. She is in bad shape, but she's strong and I do believe she'll pull through this. The bullet missed her heart so the worst penalty against her was the blood loss. "
" That doesn't change the fact that I shot her." Roxton murmered biterly.
" No," Veronica spoke up, " but it doesn't make you a murderer either."