Thanks to K. Presson, Sara, Sonneta, Two2feet, Teresa, Treachery89,
Shadowsofpain, Kiddo, Frankie McStein, Silver_Eagle:Jessie_West, Samantha
Quinn, DavinaGenevieve, Tyger Magick and anyone else who read the previous
chapter.
Please see earlier chapters for all-purpose disclaimer.
Chapter 11.
Ben tramped through the forest after Lucas and called for his friend to slow down so that he could catch up.
"I heard something up ahead." Lucas shouted back.
"You said that two hours ago!" Ben yelled, tripping over a moss covered root as he tried to at least keep Lucas in sight.
"Ben! Ben! There's a parachute! Ben!"
As Ben finally reached the parachute he leaned against a tree, trying to catch his breath. He was starting to suspect that Lucas was trying to keep him so out of breath he wouldn't be able to start any conversations. So far it was working, Ben could just about manage to wheeze - talking properly was out of the question.
"Any idea who's parachute it is?" Ben managed to gasp.
"Miguel's." Lucas said, "I think he went that way." He added pointing towards a few broken branches.
"Hold on." Ben said, grabbing the edge of Lucas's shirt when the teen made to start walking again, - he pretended not to notice the way Lucas flinched when he noticed Ben's hand. "How do you know it's Miguel's parachute?"
Lucas shock Ben's hand off and pointed down at the soft mud. "Miguel wears the same size shoes as me," He placed his own shoe next to the impression that had been left in the mud. "Tim's wears two sizes bigger, so unless they swapped shoes, this is Miguel's parachute."
"What else have you figured out, since some sort of expert tracker?" Ben said, raiding one of his eyebrows.
"I'm no expert," Lucas disagreed, "But I'd say Miguel's hurt."
"And this theory is based on..?"
"He didn't take the parachute with him, I think that probably means he's hurt. There's no blood," Lucas went on "So it's most likely he's broken an arm, maybe dislocated a shoulder, or possibly something like a concussion."
Ben looked sceptical, so Lucas carried on "It would be difficult to roll a parachute with an injured arm, and if he had a head injury he probably would think of it."
"You seem to manage Ok with one arm." Ben pointed out. Lucas ignored him.
"There's lots of broken branches this way, so I think he headed in this direction." Without looking around to see if Ben was following him, Lucas made his way between the trees, but Ben was right - Lucas's fractured arm didn't seem to worry him a lot - and that it self was one of the fact's what worried Ben all too much.
***** ***** *****
Tim woke up wondering why some one was shouting, and if they would stop if he ignored them for long enough. After a few minutes he gave up on the idea of being allowed to get any sleep, and tried to push himself into a sitting position. He'd made it about three inches off the floor before his back reminded him of his injuries and he slumped back onto the floor.
Now that he was wide-awake, he recognised Miguel's voice. And, further away Tim was sure he could hear Ben as well, he listened closely for a few moments and heard Lucas as well. Tim let out a sigh of relief.
"Miguel?" Tim called, trying to find out what was going on.
Miguel hurried over. "Tim, everything's going to be fine, Lucas and Ben are on the other side of the river, they found Katie and Ben too, everyone's ok." Miguel said, all in one rush.
Tim smiled but then asked, "How do we get across to the other side of the river?"
***** ***** *****
"How do we get across to the other side of the river?" Ben wondered out loud.
"Maybe there's somewhere we could cross over?" Lucas suggested.
30 minutes and a through search of the riverbank on up and down stream later, they'd found nowhere to cross.
Ben and Lucas looked at each other. They both knew that if they waited much longer, there wouldn't be enough daylight left for them to get back to Ford and Katie that day.
"Someone has to go over anyway." Lucas said in the end. "Miguel's probably on the verge of hypothermia and Tim needs someone who knows how to dress wounds properly."
"And that's another bit of first aid you picked up somewhere?" Ben asked. Lucas ignored him.
"If we want to keep everyone together, then four of us are going to have to get wet. Lucas said. "Miguel and Tim won't be able to get over hear on their own, we'll have to go over and help them."
Ben sighed. "Last one in is a rotten egg?"
***** ***** *****
Just under an hour later four men were sitting dripping river water onto the same bank. It had taken a lot of work for Ben and Lucas to make their way over to the opposite back, and even more work, to get Tim and Miguel transferred across the other way, but they'd done it. The only thing still dry was Lucas's bag, which had been carefully placed under a tree and kept well away from the river.
Now Lucas was try to explain to Ben what he needed to do to put Miguel's shoulder back properly.
"There is no way I'm going to stand on his shoulder." Ben stated emphatically.
"You don't have to stand on his shoulder," Lucas explained again, "All you have to do is put your foot on the shoulder joint and pull his arm, the shoulder joint should slip back into place when you release it."
"It sounds painful." Ben complained.
"You think it sounds painful! It's not your arm." Miguel pointed out.
"The longer you leave it the more it will hurt to put back." Lucas said.
"Oh, and you know this from experience?" Miguel asked will more than a little sarcasm.
"Yes I do. From experience I know it hurts a lot more if you leave it." Miguel looked across at Ben, who shook his head - telling Miguel just don't go there. Although Ben made a mental note that if Lucas could make a direct comparison, he must have had a dislocated shoulder at least twice.
After a bit of convincing and a short muffled scream Miguel's shoulder was laying more naturally in it's joint. After Lucas had immobilised it, Ben and Lucas stepped aside to talk out of hear shot of the others.
"Do you think you could find your way back to Katie and Ford?" Lucas asked.
Ben nodded. "I'm sure I could. There are still a few hours of light left, if we make god time, we could be back by dark."
Now Lucas nodded. "I'll try to get Tim's back sorted out while you're gone." Ben didn't ask how Lucas knew how to treat wounds like Tim's - he was more than a little afraid of the images any answer might bring to mind.
***** ***** *****
"Are you sure you know where you're going, Ben?" Katie asked her ex-husband for the third time.
"I know where I'm going - we'll be there in a few minutes."
"You said that half an hour ago." Katie pointed out Ben and Ford, or Jonathan as he now preferred to be called, were carrying Katie between them. Katie didn't complain about how much each movement sent a shock of pain through her leg, instead she took her mind of it by nagging him about how long the journey was taking.
"When we started out, I didn't know it was going to snow, did I?" Ben muttered he was starting to shiver, and was wondering how Lucas and the other's were getting on. All three of them were still soaking wet, and the drop in temperature couldn't be helping.
A few minutes later, just as Ben had predicted, they reached the other crewmembers. While everyone caught up on everyone else's injuries, Lucas looked around at the little group. The snow was falling fast now - Ford and Katie were starting to shiver, and, if Lucas was any judge - and he knew for a fact he was a very good judge, Ban, Tim, Miguel and himself would all be hypothermic by the morning.
All this meant one thing - somehow he had to get a fire started.
***** ***** *****
To Be Continued...
***** ***** *****
That's it for the moment; next chapter will be up as soon as I get time to write it. Hope everyone is still enjoying the story. Any feedback you are inclined to offer in a review will be gratefully received.
Please see earlier chapters for all-purpose disclaimer.
Chapter 11.
Ben tramped through the forest after Lucas and called for his friend to slow down so that he could catch up.
"I heard something up ahead." Lucas shouted back.
"You said that two hours ago!" Ben yelled, tripping over a moss covered root as he tried to at least keep Lucas in sight.
"Ben! Ben! There's a parachute! Ben!"
As Ben finally reached the parachute he leaned against a tree, trying to catch his breath. He was starting to suspect that Lucas was trying to keep him so out of breath he wouldn't be able to start any conversations. So far it was working, Ben could just about manage to wheeze - talking properly was out of the question.
"Any idea who's parachute it is?" Ben managed to gasp.
"Miguel's." Lucas said, "I think he went that way." He added pointing towards a few broken branches.
"Hold on." Ben said, grabbing the edge of Lucas's shirt when the teen made to start walking again, - he pretended not to notice the way Lucas flinched when he noticed Ben's hand. "How do you know it's Miguel's parachute?"
Lucas shock Ben's hand off and pointed down at the soft mud. "Miguel wears the same size shoes as me," He placed his own shoe next to the impression that had been left in the mud. "Tim's wears two sizes bigger, so unless they swapped shoes, this is Miguel's parachute."
"What else have you figured out, since some sort of expert tracker?" Ben said, raiding one of his eyebrows.
"I'm no expert," Lucas disagreed, "But I'd say Miguel's hurt."
"And this theory is based on..?"
"He didn't take the parachute with him, I think that probably means he's hurt. There's no blood," Lucas went on "So it's most likely he's broken an arm, maybe dislocated a shoulder, or possibly something like a concussion."
Ben looked sceptical, so Lucas carried on "It would be difficult to roll a parachute with an injured arm, and if he had a head injury he probably would think of it."
"You seem to manage Ok with one arm." Ben pointed out. Lucas ignored him.
"There's lots of broken branches this way, so I think he headed in this direction." Without looking around to see if Ben was following him, Lucas made his way between the trees, but Ben was right - Lucas's fractured arm didn't seem to worry him a lot - and that it self was one of the fact's what worried Ben all too much.
***** ***** *****
Tim woke up wondering why some one was shouting, and if they would stop if he ignored them for long enough. After a few minutes he gave up on the idea of being allowed to get any sleep, and tried to push himself into a sitting position. He'd made it about three inches off the floor before his back reminded him of his injuries and he slumped back onto the floor.
Now that he was wide-awake, he recognised Miguel's voice. And, further away Tim was sure he could hear Ben as well, he listened closely for a few moments and heard Lucas as well. Tim let out a sigh of relief.
"Miguel?" Tim called, trying to find out what was going on.
Miguel hurried over. "Tim, everything's going to be fine, Lucas and Ben are on the other side of the river, they found Katie and Ben too, everyone's ok." Miguel said, all in one rush.
Tim smiled but then asked, "How do we get across to the other side of the river?"
***** ***** *****
"How do we get across to the other side of the river?" Ben wondered out loud.
"Maybe there's somewhere we could cross over?" Lucas suggested.
30 minutes and a through search of the riverbank on up and down stream later, they'd found nowhere to cross.
Ben and Lucas looked at each other. They both knew that if they waited much longer, there wouldn't be enough daylight left for them to get back to Ford and Katie that day.
"Someone has to go over anyway." Lucas said in the end. "Miguel's probably on the verge of hypothermia and Tim needs someone who knows how to dress wounds properly."
"And that's another bit of first aid you picked up somewhere?" Ben asked. Lucas ignored him.
"If we want to keep everyone together, then four of us are going to have to get wet. Lucas said. "Miguel and Tim won't be able to get over hear on their own, we'll have to go over and help them."
Ben sighed. "Last one in is a rotten egg?"
***** ***** *****
Just under an hour later four men were sitting dripping river water onto the same bank. It had taken a lot of work for Ben and Lucas to make their way over to the opposite back, and even more work, to get Tim and Miguel transferred across the other way, but they'd done it. The only thing still dry was Lucas's bag, which had been carefully placed under a tree and kept well away from the river.
Now Lucas was try to explain to Ben what he needed to do to put Miguel's shoulder back properly.
"There is no way I'm going to stand on his shoulder." Ben stated emphatically.
"You don't have to stand on his shoulder," Lucas explained again, "All you have to do is put your foot on the shoulder joint and pull his arm, the shoulder joint should slip back into place when you release it."
"It sounds painful." Ben complained.
"You think it sounds painful! It's not your arm." Miguel pointed out.
"The longer you leave it the more it will hurt to put back." Lucas said.
"Oh, and you know this from experience?" Miguel asked will more than a little sarcasm.
"Yes I do. From experience I know it hurts a lot more if you leave it." Miguel looked across at Ben, who shook his head - telling Miguel just don't go there. Although Ben made a mental note that if Lucas could make a direct comparison, he must have had a dislocated shoulder at least twice.
After a bit of convincing and a short muffled scream Miguel's shoulder was laying more naturally in it's joint. After Lucas had immobilised it, Ben and Lucas stepped aside to talk out of hear shot of the others.
"Do you think you could find your way back to Katie and Ford?" Lucas asked.
Ben nodded. "I'm sure I could. There are still a few hours of light left, if we make god time, we could be back by dark."
Now Lucas nodded. "I'll try to get Tim's back sorted out while you're gone." Ben didn't ask how Lucas knew how to treat wounds like Tim's - he was more than a little afraid of the images any answer might bring to mind.
***** ***** *****
"Are you sure you know where you're going, Ben?" Katie asked her ex-husband for the third time.
"I know where I'm going - we'll be there in a few minutes."
"You said that half an hour ago." Katie pointed out Ben and Ford, or Jonathan as he now preferred to be called, were carrying Katie between them. Katie didn't complain about how much each movement sent a shock of pain through her leg, instead she took her mind of it by nagging him about how long the journey was taking.
"When we started out, I didn't know it was going to snow, did I?" Ben muttered he was starting to shiver, and was wondering how Lucas and the other's were getting on. All three of them were still soaking wet, and the drop in temperature couldn't be helping.
A few minutes later, just as Ben had predicted, they reached the other crewmembers. While everyone caught up on everyone else's injuries, Lucas looked around at the little group. The snow was falling fast now - Ford and Katie were starting to shiver, and, if Lucas was any judge - and he knew for a fact he was a very good judge, Ban, Tim, Miguel and himself would all be hypothermic by the morning.
All this meant one thing - somehow he had to get a fire started.
***** ***** *****
To Be Continued...
***** ***** *****
That's it for the moment; next chapter will be up as soon as I get time to write it. Hope everyone is still enjoying the story. Any feedback you are inclined to offer in a review will be gratefully received.