Chapter Three: Help Me

WARNINGS: Nudity, blood

For half an hour Mac laid on the floor, sobbing softly in a hoarse voice. He was lying on the cold floor with a crippling stomachache. All he could vaguely remember was being beaten, but he was sure more had gone on. He opened his bloodshot eyes, looking around the lodge for anyone, but of course no one was there. Mac noticed a phone on a table by the wall closest to where he was laying. Somehow he mustered the strength to drag his aching, beaten body over to it and pull it off the table to the floor where he lay. Picking it up, he dialed Brodi's cell phone number, praying that he would answer…

"Hello..?" Brodi picked up after a few rings. He had been boarding down Garibaldi when his phone had rang and had to ride off the track to answer it.

"B-Brodi… I… p-please… help me…" Mac's voice was shaking violently and he could hardly speak between his sobs. He let the phone roll out of his hand onto the floor next to where he lay, and he closed his eyes, moaning and gasping softly for air.

"Mac? Is that you?" Brodi asked in a desperate voice, he felt his stomach lurch, knowing that Mac was in severe distress. "What happened? Mac? Where are you?" When he didn't get a response, he hung up and looked around wildly. He hadn't seen Mac on the slopes since the last race. The last time he saw him was when he was walking up to the lodge…

"The lodge…" Brodi whispered and sped over to the ski lift. When he reached the top of the mountain he jumped off the lift, unstrapping his board and sprinting towards the lodge. He dropped his board outside, grabbing the door handle and jiggling it, but it was locked. "Mackenzie, open up! It's me! Are you okay in there?" When he received no response, he backed up a few paces and rammed into the door with his shoulder, bursting through and looking around wildly. His gaze finally fell upon Mac's naked, quivering form lying by the phone on the floor, and he gasped in horror.

"MACKENZIE!" He yelled and ran over to him, kneeling by him and gently turning him over onto his back. Mac cried out in pain at being touched, his whole body was sore from being beaten. "Oh my God, Mac what happened?!" He leaned over him and placed a gentle hand on his cheek, looking into his half-open eyes.

"I… they… h-help…" Mac couldn't even speak, the pain was unbearable and he felt like he was going to throw up or pass out any second. He went from quivering to shaking violently, and Brodi pulled him into his arms.

"Mackenzie… please, calm down and tell me what happened… now what did you say about Luther?" Brodi whispered softly into Mac's ear, rubbing his hand gently over his back as he cradled him in his arms.

"Everyone… I c-came in h-here and they… attacked me… all of them…" At the sound of his own explanation Mac started sobbing miserably, wrapping his weak, shaking arms around Brodi. All he could feel was pain, physical and mental, and he wanted to lay in Brodi's arms forever…

"Oh my God… Mackenzie… everyone…? They all did this?" Brodi asked in a shocked voice.

Mac nodded. "Everyone in the race… except you…"

Brodi nodded as well, silent tears slipping down his cheeks. He couldn't believe what had happened to Mac, how everyone could have done it to him, why they did it to him… all he could do now was comfort Mac and try to help him through it…

"Mackenzie, would you like me to call for help?" Brodi asked in an obviously fake calm voice.

"N-no! Please I… I just… don't…" As Mac spoke those words, the lodge door opened again and Brodi immediately looked to the door. He was relieved when he saw it was only Kaori, but flinched when she let out a scream.

"MAC!!!" Kaori shrieked and ran over to him and Brodi. Her eyes were wide and she was shaking, never before had she seen anyone like this before. "Mac! Brodi what happened to him?!"

"Kaori, please, go to Mackenzie's trailer and bring some fresh clothes, ok?" Brodi had seen the torn clothing on the floor by the couch, which saddened him even more, viewing evidence of the horrific event.

Kaori nodded and sprinted from the lodge, returning a few minutes later with a navy and white long sleeved shirt, a pair of plaid boxers and navy sweatpants. She handed them to Brodi, who laid Mac gently back on the floor.

"Tell me if I hurt you, alright Mackenzie?" Mac nodded weakly and let his head roll to the side, his eyes closed. Brodi began dressing him slowly, first putting on his boxers and sweatpants, then his shirt. Mac winced a few times but said nothing.

Kaori just watched, she was crying and stroking Mac's pale cheek gently with a shaking hand. "Brodi, is he going to be ok? Is he going to die?"

"I am pretty sure he is not going to die, Kaori, though his spirit may have died already…" Brodi said softly to Kaori. He then lifted Mac, one arm beneath the crooks of his knees and the other underneath his shoulder blades. Mac's head hung back and his eyes remained closed as Brodi carried him out into the cold. Kaori ran after them to Brodi's trailer and opened the door, following Brodi and Mac inside.

Brodi walked over to his bed and laid Mac down upon it carefully, the last thing he wanted to do was injure the traumatized teen further. Mac groaned softly and shakily rolled over onto his side, gasping in pain as he did so. Brodi pulled the covers up over him and sat down on the side of the bed, leaning down to kiss Mac's cheek.

"It's going to be alright now, Mackenzie… I'm right here with you… no one can hurt you now…" He whispered to Mac as silent tears continued to stain his cheeks. Kaori sat down in a chair next to the bed and stared at Mac fearfully, biting her nails.

"Please be ok, Mac… please…" She whispered to herself through her sobs.