"Ian, man, hold up!" Jamal panted, resting his hands on his knees as he
and Ian ran through the woods in hot pursuit of Danny. Ian was sure he had
come this way, he just knew it.
"No, Jamal! We can't stop now! I've got to find my boy before he gets in the path of that bloodsucker!" Ian rasped, surging forward.
Jamal heaved a sigh as he went to start running again. But as he was straightening up, he noticed something in the dark, beneath a tree. He moved in for a closer look. Danny.
"Oh my God," Jamal said. "IAN!" he screamed, hoping that he hadn't gotten too far up the path. Jamal knelt down next to Danny's limp body. He was breathing, but unconscious. Jamal held his lantern over him, trying to examine the damage. He looked all right.
"What is it Jam- Oh my God, my boy!" Ian cried, joining Jamal on the ground. "What happened?" Ian cried, pulling Danny's limp body close to him. "I don't know for sure, I just found him laying here," Jamal explained. "I bet he tripped on this hog tree root and knocked himself out cold."
Ian cradled Danny's head carefully in his big ropy hands, and felt something cool and sticky. He retracted his hand, and saw that it was covered with blood. He cursed in shock, and pulled off his shirt. He held it to the back of Danny's head. He then pulled his medical bag (which he'd brought along just in case) and began to bandage Danny's wound properly as Jamal held the lantern still.
"Come on, boy, come around now," Ian crooned as he took Danny's vitals. They were strong. Ian gently patted Danny's cheek, but for some reason, he wouldn't wake up. Then, suddenly, Danny's eyes fluttered open.
"Danny!" Ian cried, pulling Danny's face up to kiss his cheeks. "Ow," Danny moaned groggily, his hand going to the back of his head. "Sorry, sorry boy," Ian said, his eyes filled with relief. Danny sat up a bit, rubbing his head.
"What the heck..what happened?" he asked. "We came out here looking for you after you took off. Looks like you conked yourself out real nice," Ian chastised.
Suddenly, something in the distance captured Jamal's attention. "Holy mother of..what is that?!"
*
"It's over," Raven sighed with relief. She and her father stood out in the meadow, watching the flames of the burning house dance and melt into the dawn sunrise. It was strangely beautiful.
"Yes, over for good this time," Rafe said, rubbing Raven's arm and pulling her closer to him. They stood quietly for a moment, relishing the feeling of the cool morning mist intermingling with the heat blast from the fire before them.
"We better go see your mom. She'll be so glad that you're safe," Rafe said, kissing the top of his daughter's head.
"Yeah. And she'll be glad to see you too."
*
Christina had had a good night's sleep last night for the first time in months. She woke up feeling excited, waiting for Brandon to come. She hadn't felt like this since grade school, not even about Michael.
She didn't have to wait long. Brandon looked forward to seeing his favorite patient as well. In fact, he came in an hour before his shift started so that he could check on her specially. He found her sitting up in bed, looking radiant. Glowing.
"Hey, looks like you're feeling better this morning," he said in a warm voice. Christina flashed her most genuine smile and nodded.
"I am. I've got the best doctor," she said, girlishly flirtatious. Brandon returned the remark with a flash of his own pearly whites.
"Well , the 'best doctor' has some of the 'best news'..you and your baby are doing great," he said, nodding at the chart in his hand.
"Really? That's good," Christina said, delighted but disappointed at the same time. She couldn't believe how much Brandon seemed to like her, he was so different than any guy she'd ever met. Brandon crossed the room to Christina's bed, and placed one hand on the wall above her head, and leaned in close, romantically.
"But I still want to keep you in for observation," he said quietly, sweetly, seductively, before his lips met hers. Their perfect kiss was interrupted by a strong left hook. "Brandon!!!!" Christina screamed.
Brandon fell back onto the floor, wincing and readjusting his jaw. Christina looked mortified. From his place above Brandon, Michael looked furious.
"What the hell do you think you're doing to my girlfriend?!"
*
"No, Jamal! We can't stop now! I've got to find my boy before he gets in the path of that bloodsucker!" Ian rasped, surging forward.
Jamal heaved a sigh as he went to start running again. But as he was straightening up, he noticed something in the dark, beneath a tree. He moved in for a closer look. Danny.
"Oh my God," Jamal said. "IAN!" he screamed, hoping that he hadn't gotten too far up the path. Jamal knelt down next to Danny's limp body. He was breathing, but unconscious. Jamal held his lantern over him, trying to examine the damage. He looked all right.
"What is it Jam- Oh my God, my boy!" Ian cried, joining Jamal on the ground. "What happened?" Ian cried, pulling Danny's limp body close to him. "I don't know for sure, I just found him laying here," Jamal explained. "I bet he tripped on this hog tree root and knocked himself out cold."
Ian cradled Danny's head carefully in his big ropy hands, and felt something cool and sticky. He retracted his hand, and saw that it was covered with blood. He cursed in shock, and pulled off his shirt. He held it to the back of Danny's head. He then pulled his medical bag (which he'd brought along just in case) and began to bandage Danny's wound properly as Jamal held the lantern still.
"Come on, boy, come around now," Ian crooned as he took Danny's vitals. They were strong. Ian gently patted Danny's cheek, but for some reason, he wouldn't wake up. Then, suddenly, Danny's eyes fluttered open.
"Danny!" Ian cried, pulling Danny's face up to kiss his cheeks. "Ow," Danny moaned groggily, his hand going to the back of his head. "Sorry, sorry boy," Ian said, his eyes filled with relief. Danny sat up a bit, rubbing his head.
"What the heck..what happened?" he asked. "We came out here looking for you after you took off. Looks like you conked yourself out real nice," Ian chastised.
Suddenly, something in the distance captured Jamal's attention. "Holy mother of..what is that?!"
*
"It's over," Raven sighed with relief. She and her father stood out in the meadow, watching the flames of the burning house dance and melt into the dawn sunrise. It was strangely beautiful.
"Yes, over for good this time," Rafe said, rubbing Raven's arm and pulling her closer to him. They stood quietly for a moment, relishing the feeling of the cool morning mist intermingling with the heat blast from the fire before them.
"We better go see your mom. She'll be so glad that you're safe," Rafe said, kissing the top of his daughter's head.
"Yeah. And she'll be glad to see you too."
*
Christina had had a good night's sleep last night for the first time in months. She woke up feeling excited, waiting for Brandon to come. She hadn't felt like this since grade school, not even about Michael.
She didn't have to wait long. Brandon looked forward to seeing his favorite patient as well. In fact, he came in an hour before his shift started so that he could check on her specially. He found her sitting up in bed, looking radiant. Glowing.
"Hey, looks like you're feeling better this morning," he said in a warm voice. Christina flashed her most genuine smile and nodded.
"I am. I've got the best doctor," she said, girlishly flirtatious. Brandon returned the remark with a flash of his own pearly whites.
"Well , the 'best doctor' has some of the 'best news'..you and your baby are doing great," he said, nodding at the chart in his hand.
"Really? That's good," Christina said, delighted but disappointed at the same time. She couldn't believe how much Brandon seemed to like her, he was so different than any guy she'd ever met. Brandon crossed the room to Christina's bed, and placed one hand on the wall above her head, and leaned in close, romantically.
"But I still want to keep you in for observation," he said quietly, sweetly, seductively, before his lips met hers. Their perfect kiss was interrupted by a strong left hook. "Brandon!!!!" Christina screamed.
Brandon fell back onto the floor, wincing and readjusting his jaw. Christina looked mortified. From his place above Brandon, Michael looked furious.
"What the hell do you think you're doing to my girlfriend?!"
*