Chapter 16 Kitty Kitty Kitty
The three castaways crawled, staggered, and limped respectively back to their camp.
"I haven't felt this bad since eating reindeer eyeballs in Lapland." Marie moaned cramped over her very tender mid-section.
"D-don't be s-so graphic." Brains groaned and tried to shift his sling to a more comfortable position.
"Thank heavens that's over..."Virgil began and was interrupted by an alarming gurgle and moan coming from his stomach.
"I'm afraid n-not," Brains' face was twisted with similar internal disorder. "I f-feel we are g-going to b-be..."
He wasn't able to finish the sentence when he began to retch helplessly. He was joined by the other two. Their miseries were punctuated by a shrill scream close by -too close by.
"Cat!!" Marie gasped.
"Big one." Virgil added and managed to throw a chunk of wood on the dying fire.
"D-dis ah darn." Brains muttered. "P-pulled out." Sweat sheened his face visible even in the fitful firelight. He was clutching his injured arm to his chest.
"Let me see, dear." Marie swallowed back a nasty tasting mouthful of vomit.
Brains' scream of pain as she touched his arm was echoed by the cat close by - much too close by.
"Oh Virgil! What now?" Marie gave a shuddering sob.
"Build up the fire. I'll get some water." Getting to his feet while crouching over an abused stomach was none to easy. The leg which the pig had gored earlier was also throbbing and trembled alarmingly when he put weight on it. None of which bothered him as much as Marie's face of despair turned to him. And the fact that she had called Brains 'dear'.
"Be careful..."she called after him, "dearest." was lost in the night and coughing growl of the big cat.
Virgil moved as quickly as possible, the treacherous leg giving out several times driving him to his knees, where once there the urge to rid his body of toxins became vital.
He made it to the little stream and pulled the coconut shells he'd taken from their camp and filled them with water. For good measure he took off his shirt and soaked it. He was kneeling by the edge of the stream drinking from his cupped hand when behind him he heard a low menacing growl. He turned slowly to see two phosphorescent green eyes staring at him a bare yard away.