Challenger was pacing about impatiently when he heard Roxton shout his
name. He looked up, and saw Roxton stumbling towards him with a body in his
arms.
'Challenger, he needs medical attention,' Roxton said breathlessly when they reached him. 'His injuries. I don't know. probably severe, you should see what they did to him and-'
'Who?' Challenger asked, for once totally lost.
'Malone!' Roxton half-shouted at him.
'Oh my. set him down here,' Challenger cleared the area as Roxton knelt down awkwardly. He tried to put Malone down, but he clung on as if his life depended on it.
'Ned, I have to put you down,' Roxton grunted with exertion. But Malone wouldn't listen, and tightened his grip.
'Malone,' Marguerite looked at Challenger helplessly. 'Malone, Challenger needs to take a look at your injuries.'
Roxton finally managed to pry his arms loose and when Malone tried to rise, Challenger held him down.
Big mistake.
Malone gave a cry and bucked, effectively catching Challenger and the others off guard. He staggered to his feet, shaking violently, the marks on his torso suddenly stark on his pale skin in the firelight. The bloodstains could not hide the scourge-marks, or the discolored bruises that covered his body in some kind of twisted abstract.
'Malone,' Marguerite carefully approached him so as not to alarm him. 'Ned, we need to look at your injuries. We're not going to hurt you.'
Malone was still distressed. When he attempted to move away, his bad knee buckled under him and he fell heavily to the ground. In a flash, Roxton jumped on Malone and attempted to restrain him.
'Roxton, you're scaring him!' Marguerite shouted.
'I'm trying to prevent him from hurting himself further;' Roxton yelled as he pinned the smaller man to the ground. Malone twisted in his grip, tears streaming down his face. He was hyperventilating; his breath was coming in sharp gasps, and the sobs only served to make breathing harder.
'If he continues at this rate, he'll go into cardiac arrest,' Challenger exclaimed. Turning to Jakum, he asked, 'Do you have any sedatives? Anything to calm him down?'
'Would this do?' Jakum reached into his pack and took out a bottle. Challenger opened it and sniffed tentatively.
'Chloroform? Well, I guess that's all we have.' Challenger ripped his sleeve and poured some of the liquid onto it. Bending over, he held the cloth over Malone's nose and mouth. This made him struggle even harder, but once the drug kicked in, the tension left his body and unconsciousness took over.
'I hope that will give him some respite,' Roxton stood up, breathing hard. 'Take him back to the village,' he told Jarl. The native nodded once, ordered for a make-shift stretcher, and was ready in no time.
'What about the traders, sir?' Jakum asked.
Roxton shrugged. The slaves had been freed and most had returned to their homes. The traders were another problem.
'Well, they have no leader now.'
'You killed the boss?' Marguerite was slightly stunned.
'It was sort of an accident involving the other guy. He's dead too anyhow. But they'll figure something out.' Jakum nodded, knowing that Roxton was more concerned about something else.
'You're staying here Jakum?' Marguerite asked the dark-skinned man.
'My family came with the settlers. I belong here.'
'What if we hadn't killed your boss? Would you still have returned?'
'I did, didn't I?'
Marguerite smiled at that. The explorers bade him farewell, with many a word of thanks.
'And now we have Malone,' Challenger said as they followed the Zanga warriors back to the village.
'I just wished it could've ended better,' Marguerite watched the still form on the stretcher. 'What will Veronica say?'
'Challenger, he needs medical attention,' Roxton said breathlessly when they reached him. 'His injuries. I don't know. probably severe, you should see what they did to him and-'
'Who?' Challenger asked, for once totally lost.
'Malone!' Roxton half-shouted at him.
'Oh my. set him down here,' Challenger cleared the area as Roxton knelt down awkwardly. He tried to put Malone down, but he clung on as if his life depended on it.
'Ned, I have to put you down,' Roxton grunted with exertion. But Malone wouldn't listen, and tightened his grip.
'Malone,' Marguerite looked at Challenger helplessly. 'Malone, Challenger needs to take a look at your injuries.'
Roxton finally managed to pry his arms loose and when Malone tried to rise, Challenger held him down.
Big mistake.
Malone gave a cry and bucked, effectively catching Challenger and the others off guard. He staggered to his feet, shaking violently, the marks on his torso suddenly stark on his pale skin in the firelight. The bloodstains could not hide the scourge-marks, or the discolored bruises that covered his body in some kind of twisted abstract.
'Malone,' Marguerite carefully approached him so as not to alarm him. 'Ned, we need to look at your injuries. We're not going to hurt you.'
Malone was still distressed. When he attempted to move away, his bad knee buckled under him and he fell heavily to the ground. In a flash, Roxton jumped on Malone and attempted to restrain him.
'Roxton, you're scaring him!' Marguerite shouted.
'I'm trying to prevent him from hurting himself further;' Roxton yelled as he pinned the smaller man to the ground. Malone twisted in his grip, tears streaming down his face. He was hyperventilating; his breath was coming in sharp gasps, and the sobs only served to make breathing harder.
'If he continues at this rate, he'll go into cardiac arrest,' Challenger exclaimed. Turning to Jakum, he asked, 'Do you have any sedatives? Anything to calm him down?'
'Would this do?' Jakum reached into his pack and took out a bottle. Challenger opened it and sniffed tentatively.
'Chloroform? Well, I guess that's all we have.' Challenger ripped his sleeve and poured some of the liquid onto it. Bending over, he held the cloth over Malone's nose and mouth. This made him struggle even harder, but once the drug kicked in, the tension left his body and unconsciousness took over.
'I hope that will give him some respite,' Roxton stood up, breathing hard. 'Take him back to the village,' he told Jarl. The native nodded once, ordered for a make-shift stretcher, and was ready in no time.
'What about the traders, sir?' Jakum asked.
Roxton shrugged. The slaves had been freed and most had returned to their homes. The traders were another problem.
'Well, they have no leader now.'
'You killed the boss?' Marguerite was slightly stunned.
'It was sort of an accident involving the other guy. He's dead too anyhow. But they'll figure something out.' Jakum nodded, knowing that Roxton was more concerned about something else.
'You're staying here Jakum?' Marguerite asked the dark-skinned man.
'My family came with the settlers. I belong here.'
'What if we hadn't killed your boss? Would you still have returned?'
'I did, didn't I?'
Marguerite smiled at that. The explorers bade him farewell, with many a word of thanks.
'And now we have Malone,' Challenger said as they followed the Zanga warriors back to the village.
'I just wished it could've ended better,' Marguerite watched the still form on the stretcher. 'What will Veronica say?'