Chapter .16
Nathan picked his way among the rocks along the beach...he half slipped, soaking one shoe. Dan pulled him back, impatient.
"Nathan, slow up. You're going to get wet."
"It won't kill me, Dad."
Dan caught the sideways glance, heard the edge in his son's tone.
"Be careful." He released Nathan's arm, voice unusually quiet.
"Don't worry, dad, I will."
"What do you want from me?"
"I want you-" Nathan half turned, gestured helplessly. "I want you to feel something. Regret, something. Lucas is dead. He's dead."
Dan shook his head, frustrated. "But, son, I didn't kill him. He made the choice of his own free will. And I'm not going to pay for that. But Karen will."
"Lucas was your son."
"Technically, Nathan, but-"
"I can't believe you're still arguing about this now!"
"And since when, Nathan, when did you become the friend, the long lost brother? Because I, for one, didn't see any love lost between you two."
"I know. I hate him. But I've always seen it wasn't his fault. I caused the tension between us. But I still hated him."
"Well, maybe it's for the best." Dan sighed, relieved his son was starting to open up.
Nathan looked back, face a mask of anger. "What?"
"Nathan, you have so much to offer. Think-think what it would be like if you had died. Think about your mother. If we'd all died? Lucas knew that. He chose."
Nathan scuffed his foot against a green tinted bottle. "Then he was the bigger man."
"It's easy to be courageous when you know you're going to die, anyways."
"Then how come I couldn't let go? Even if my mind had wanted to, there's no way I could have done it." He looked out, across the water. "Question is, would you have let me fall?"
Dan frowned. "Son, I could barely hold onto both of you. What does all this mean?"
"I think that you were relieved that Luke let go. It made it easy for you."
"I wouldn't exactly define the thought as easy, Nathan, not at any time." Dan was growing irritated.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Let's get out of here." Dan shivered in the chill wind, slung an arm about his son's shoulders.
Nathan nodded, looking at the ground.
Blowing sand. Empty water.
Empty.[]
"Keith, you okay?"
Lucas peered at his uncle in concern.
"Yeah. This dang leg."
Lucas shifted his position, examined the wound, Keith half grinning at him.
"Don't touch my boo boo, kid."
Lucas ignored him. "It doesn't look too bad." He tore a strip off Keith's shirt and gently circled the older man's leg.
"I see more of Karen in you every day."
Lucas tied the makeshift bandage and smiled.[]
Nathan redirected his steps, reluctant to face everything. The people who would be waiting for them on the other side of the cliff. The fact that the girls might not have been rescued yet.
He shaded his eyes, hoping for one last glimpse of something-seeking reassurance, he didn't know what.
"Wait!"
Far out.... Impossible. He grabbed Dan's pack, shaking a pair of binoculars onto the beach.
Adjusted them with trembling hands. Had to be Keith. Had to be. Or the girls. The girls...somehow...
Dan was staring at him with concern.
The blurry figures wobbled into focus. Nathan's voice broke excitedly.
"I see them! I see them!"
"Who?" Dan reached for the glasses, but Nathan shook him aside.
"Lucas! Uncle Keith. Lucas and Keith!"
"Well, well." Dan's first thought was scorn. Should have expected it of big brother. All around hero. His mouth twisted bitterly.
"Let's go!" Nathan dropped the binoculars, started unlacing his shoes. Dan caught him.
"Whoa, son, let's not go rushing into things! That water's cold."
"How long will it take us to make it back?"
"Around? If we shortcut it, through the reserve, say, two, three, hours."
"What if Lucas is hurt bad? They're wet, they don't have any protection, and it's going to storm."
True enough. Dan's eyes roamed the gray, windswept sky and he groaned inwardly.
"That water's rough. You planning on swimming out and bringing 'em in? 'Cause Keith isn't towing Lucas back and I'm sure there's a reason."
"Maybe he's worn out." Nathan smugly met his father's gaze. "After all, you yourself said he wasn't in shape."
Dan practically sneered. "Cute. My own son, think's he's the world's smartest wise ***."
Nathan sobered. "Dad...how long is it going to take to get a boat?" He stood up, kicking his sneakers aside. "And unless you left a third talkie back there with someone..."
Dan pushed Nathan away. "Fine. But I'm going.You're in no condition to be doing this."
Nathan waited until Dan had waded out and sliced into the waves before following.[]
Lucas closed his eyes, tried to concentrate. How long it'd take for someone to find them...he cast a quick glance in Keith's direction. The man was stretched out, totally exhausted. Lucas knew his 'uncle' was wiped out. There was nothing to do but wait. And that was becoming decidedly unpleasant.
He picked up a dried splinter of driftwood and scratched patterns into the rock. Marooned. On his very own coast.[]
Dan splashed up to the boulder, shaking back his wet hair. He found a handhold and clambered to the top.
Keith Scott, spread out, mouth open in deep slumber. Dan noted the stained bandage around his older brother's leg. Lucas. For all his height, a surprisingly small bump. He was nestled in a deeper crevice, head on his knees. A white shirt flapped wildly atop a smooth stick jammed next to him. Dan had to marvel at the boy's level headedness, if nothing else.
So far, his presence on the island had gone unnoticed, drowned by the crashing surf and rushing wind. He felt embarrassed, almost an intruder, staring at his son-um, er, Lucas! like this. He reluctantly reached out and touched him.
Lucas didn't notice the hesitant touch. Dan shook him, carefully.
'Karen's son' lifted his head, blinked muzzily at the dark shape looming above him. Almost freaked when he saw who it was.
Dan squatted down to Lucas's level. Asked a question.
Lucas couldn't make out what his dad was saying.
Uncomfortable, he leaned in closer.
"You okay?"
What a stupid sounding question. Dan felt lame, asking it. But it would be harder to acknowledge any concern.
Lucas nodded. His eyes were still haunted with that empty look-Dan remembered it, vividly-and one side of his face was slowly turning into a mottled purple bruise. Wherever his body had taken the impact would soon be a darker hue, Dan surmised. He cleared his throat nervously.
"Can you swim?"
Lucas again nodded assent. His look was guarded as he straightened up.
Dan unconsciously reached out to steady him, realized how cold the two of them must be. He shrugged out of his wet tee and draped it around Lucas's shoulders.
Caught him as he slipped on the slimy rock surface. Lucas gently tugged at Keith's hand.
The oldest Scott sighed, looked around in surprise, gaze lingering on Dan.
"Little brother." Always-well, usually always- calm and steady. Like this boulder. Dan stepped even further away from Lucas, anxious not to establish any ties.
"Do you mind telling me what happened?" Keith's voice easily carried above the sound of the wind.
Dan's eyes narrowed. Lucas obviously hadn't told, then. What was with the kid? He shook his head. "Time for that later. I came out here to get you back to shore before this storm breaks."
Lucas felt a raindrop on his face, then another. "Too late."
"Help Luke. Get him in before it this gets any worse."
Dan nodded, took Lucas by the arm. Lucas twisted back. "No. I can make it back on my own. Keith, you can't."
"Luke, go with Dan. Someone will come back for me. Besides, soon as I rest up a minute more, I'll be able to swim back. You wore me out, boy." He smiled reassuringly, but Luke was having none of it, stubbornly waiting.
"You two go on." Nathan suddenly appeared, his arrival previously unnoticed in the heat of the moment.
All three whirled in surprise at the sound of his voice.
"Hey, I'm only half winded." He sank onto a rock, gestured at Keith. "We'll sit it out a moment then head back."
Dan abruptly released Lucas and started toward Nathan. "Son-"
"I'll be okay, dad." Nathan's tone was hard. "I'm fine."
'Lucas is the one who fell off a cliff,' his look clearly read.
Dan, mouth tightening, jerked his assent. "Be careful."
"I will." Nathan felt like a baby.
Dan took the warning, dropped it. He saw Lucas, obviously unhappy with the situation, grew impatient.
"Alright, we're heading in." He waited for Lucas to climb down, lower himself into the water with a sharp intake of breath. Dan silently cussed as he dropped beside him. The water was too chilly for his tastes.
"Okay. Stay with me."
Lucas felt the surging waves pull him out, then send him back with every crashing motion. The boulders strewn liberally about caused no end of swirling currents and eddies.
Dan caught his arm, drew him closer. Lucas resented the action, Dan was coldly treating him like a child.
He kicked back, sure, even strokes, heading for the nearest point of land.
Dan tried to keep an eye on the independent kid. He was doing a pretty good job, fighting each wave in a way that reminded Dan of himself. But he seriously doubted Lucas could make it back on his own.
Stayed close, ready to grab him.
A particularly heavy wave crashed into them, sending the two into each other. The storm was finally upon them. Even Dan, with his powerful strokes, was making little or no headway. It was all consuming, the very struggle to stay afloat. He glanced back worriedly toward the rock he'd left Nathan and Keith marooned upon. Doing so, lost sight of Lucas.
He felt a hand brush past him, seized Lucas by the arm and met his quiet son's eyes.
"Let's do it!" Together, as a team.
Because that was the only way they were going to make it back. Alive.[]
Nathan picked his way among the rocks along the beach...he half slipped, soaking one shoe. Dan pulled him back, impatient.
"Nathan, slow up. You're going to get wet."
"It won't kill me, Dad."
Dan caught the sideways glance, heard the edge in his son's tone.
"Be careful." He released Nathan's arm, voice unusually quiet.
"Don't worry, dad, I will."
"What do you want from me?"
"I want you-" Nathan half turned, gestured helplessly. "I want you to feel something. Regret, something. Lucas is dead. He's dead."
Dan shook his head, frustrated. "But, son, I didn't kill him. He made the choice of his own free will. And I'm not going to pay for that. But Karen will."
"Lucas was your son."
"Technically, Nathan, but-"
"I can't believe you're still arguing about this now!"
"And since when, Nathan, when did you become the friend, the long lost brother? Because I, for one, didn't see any love lost between you two."
"I know. I hate him. But I've always seen it wasn't his fault. I caused the tension between us. But I still hated him."
"Well, maybe it's for the best." Dan sighed, relieved his son was starting to open up.
Nathan looked back, face a mask of anger. "What?"
"Nathan, you have so much to offer. Think-think what it would be like if you had died. Think about your mother. If we'd all died? Lucas knew that. He chose."
Nathan scuffed his foot against a green tinted bottle. "Then he was the bigger man."
"It's easy to be courageous when you know you're going to die, anyways."
"Then how come I couldn't let go? Even if my mind had wanted to, there's no way I could have done it." He looked out, across the water. "Question is, would you have let me fall?"
Dan frowned. "Son, I could barely hold onto both of you. What does all this mean?"
"I think that you were relieved that Luke let go. It made it easy for you."
"I wouldn't exactly define the thought as easy, Nathan, not at any time." Dan was growing irritated.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Let's get out of here." Dan shivered in the chill wind, slung an arm about his son's shoulders.
Nathan nodded, looking at the ground.
Blowing sand. Empty water.
Empty.[]
"Keith, you okay?"
Lucas peered at his uncle in concern.
"Yeah. This dang leg."
Lucas shifted his position, examined the wound, Keith half grinning at him.
"Don't touch my boo boo, kid."
Lucas ignored him. "It doesn't look too bad." He tore a strip off Keith's shirt and gently circled the older man's leg.
"I see more of Karen in you every day."
Lucas tied the makeshift bandage and smiled.[]
Nathan redirected his steps, reluctant to face everything. The people who would be waiting for them on the other side of the cliff. The fact that the girls might not have been rescued yet.
He shaded his eyes, hoping for one last glimpse of something-seeking reassurance, he didn't know what.
"Wait!"
Far out.... Impossible. He grabbed Dan's pack, shaking a pair of binoculars onto the beach.
Adjusted them with trembling hands. Had to be Keith. Had to be. Or the girls. The girls...somehow...
Dan was staring at him with concern.
The blurry figures wobbled into focus. Nathan's voice broke excitedly.
"I see them! I see them!"
"Who?" Dan reached for the glasses, but Nathan shook him aside.
"Lucas! Uncle Keith. Lucas and Keith!"
"Well, well." Dan's first thought was scorn. Should have expected it of big brother. All around hero. His mouth twisted bitterly.
"Let's go!" Nathan dropped the binoculars, started unlacing his shoes. Dan caught him.
"Whoa, son, let's not go rushing into things! That water's cold."
"How long will it take us to make it back?"
"Around? If we shortcut it, through the reserve, say, two, three, hours."
"What if Lucas is hurt bad? They're wet, they don't have any protection, and it's going to storm."
True enough. Dan's eyes roamed the gray, windswept sky and he groaned inwardly.
"That water's rough. You planning on swimming out and bringing 'em in? 'Cause Keith isn't towing Lucas back and I'm sure there's a reason."
"Maybe he's worn out." Nathan smugly met his father's gaze. "After all, you yourself said he wasn't in shape."
Dan practically sneered. "Cute. My own son, think's he's the world's smartest wise ***."
Nathan sobered. "Dad...how long is it going to take to get a boat?" He stood up, kicking his sneakers aside. "And unless you left a third talkie back there with someone..."
Dan pushed Nathan away. "Fine. But I'm going.You're in no condition to be doing this."
Nathan waited until Dan had waded out and sliced into the waves before following.[]
Lucas closed his eyes, tried to concentrate. How long it'd take for someone to find them...he cast a quick glance in Keith's direction. The man was stretched out, totally exhausted. Lucas knew his 'uncle' was wiped out. There was nothing to do but wait. And that was becoming decidedly unpleasant.
He picked up a dried splinter of driftwood and scratched patterns into the rock. Marooned. On his very own coast.[]
Dan splashed up to the boulder, shaking back his wet hair. He found a handhold and clambered to the top.
Keith Scott, spread out, mouth open in deep slumber. Dan noted the stained bandage around his older brother's leg. Lucas. For all his height, a surprisingly small bump. He was nestled in a deeper crevice, head on his knees. A white shirt flapped wildly atop a smooth stick jammed next to him. Dan had to marvel at the boy's level headedness, if nothing else.
So far, his presence on the island had gone unnoticed, drowned by the crashing surf and rushing wind. He felt embarrassed, almost an intruder, staring at his son-um, er, Lucas! like this. He reluctantly reached out and touched him.
Lucas didn't notice the hesitant touch. Dan shook him, carefully.
'Karen's son' lifted his head, blinked muzzily at the dark shape looming above him. Almost freaked when he saw who it was.
Dan squatted down to Lucas's level. Asked a question.
Lucas couldn't make out what his dad was saying.
Uncomfortable, he leaned in closer.
"You okay?"
What a stupid sounding question. Dan felt lame, asking it. But it would be harder to acknowledge any concern.
Lucas nodded. His eyes were still haunted with that empty look-Dan remembered it, vividly-and one side of his face was slowly turning into a mottled purple bruise. Wherever his body had taken the impact would soon be a darker hue, Dan surmised. He cleared his throat nervously.
"Can you swim?"
Lucas again nodded assent. His look was guarded as he straightened up.
Dan unconsciously reached out to steady him, realized how cold the two of them must be. He shrugged out of his wet tee and draped it around Lucas's shoulders.
Caught him as he slipped on the slimy rock surface. Lucas gently tugged at Keith's hand.
The oldest Scott sighed, looked around in surprise, gaze lingering on Dan.
"Little brother." Always-well, usually always- calm and steady. Like this boulder. Dan stepped even further away from Lucas, anxious not to establish any ties.
"Do you mind telling me what happened?" Keith's voice easily carried above the sound of the wind.
Dan's eyes narrowed. Lucas obviously hadn't told, then. What was with the kid? He shook his head. "Time for that later. I came out here to get you back to shore before this storm breaks."
Lucas felt a raindrop on his face, then another. "Too late."
"Help Luke. Get him in before it this gets any worse."
Dan nodded, took Lucas by the arm. Lucas twisted back. "No. I can make it back on my own. Keith, you can't."
"Luke, go with Dan. Someone will come back for me. Besides, soon as I rest up a minute more, I'll be able to swim back. You wore me out, boy." He smiled reassuringly, but Luke was having none of it, stubbornly waiting.
"You two go on." Nathan suddenly appeared, his arrival previously unnoticed in the heat of the moment.
All three whirled in surprise at the sound of his voice.
"Hey, I'm only half winded." He sank onto a rock, gestured at Keith. "We'll sit it out a moment then head back."
Dan abruptly released Lucas and started toward Nathan. "Son-"
"I'll be okay, dad." Nathan's tone was hard. "I'm fine."
'Lucas is the one who fell off a cliff,' his look clearly read.
Dan, mouth tightening, jerked his assent. "Be careful."
"I will." Nathan felt like a baby.
Dan took the warning, dropped it. He saw Lucas, obviously unhappy with the situation, grew impatient.
"Alright, we're heading in." He waited for Lucas to climb down, lower himself into the water with a sharp intake of breath. Dan silently cussed as he dropped beside him. The water was too chilly for his tastes.
"Okay. Stay with me."
Lucas felt the surging waves pull him out, then send him back with every crashing motion. The boulders strewn liberally about caused no end of swirling currents and eddies.
Dan caught his arm, drew him closer. Lucas resented the action, Dan was coldly treating him like a child.
He kicked back, sure, even strokes, heading for the nearest point of land.
Dan tried to keep an eye on the independent kid. He was doing a pretty good job, fighting each wave in a way that reminded Dan of himself. But he seriously doubted Lucas could make it back on his own.
Stayed close, ready to grab him.
A particularly heavy wave crashed into them, sending the two into each other. The storm was finally upon them. Even Dan, with his powerful strokes, was making little or no headway. It was all consuming, the very struggle to stay afloat. He glanced back worriedly toward the rock he'd left Nathan and Keith marooned upon. Doing so, lost sight of Lucas.
He felt a hand brush past him, seized Lucas by the arm and met his quiet son's eyes.
"Let's do it!" Together, as a team.
Because that was the only way they were going to make it back. Alive.[]
