The other bit I wrote today. Like I said, will get back on track ( :
Thin blades of grass striped the forest floor where a tree had fallen. Once a majestic oak, now a massive horizontal toothpick. Birds nested in the dying branches where half-green leaves withered. A frightened rabbit dodged into the neighboring underbrush as the foursome passed.
"Since all we seem to be going is uphill, at some point it must get easier." Nathan slapped at a scraggly bush, ineffectively trying to free his shirt.
"I know what you mean." Luke hesitated at his brother's side, twisted the thorny twigs away. "There you go."
"Thanks." Nathan poked his index finger through a hole. "I hate those dang bushes."
Luke almost laughed, but the sharp twinge of pain kept him from cracking a smile.
"We don't hurry-" Nathan mimed Dan-"we're going to be lazy boys, holding Danny up."
Luke tried to place his injured cheek in the direction of the oncoming breeze. It eased the throbbing some what.
"Hey, open your eyes." The younger brother nudged him. "We've got to get going."
"Ya." Luke adjusted the pack on his back, it was bearable as long as he didn't hurry.
"Luke, come on!"
"I'm coming, alright?"
Why couldn't they just let him be. So what if he fell behind a little bit. Like what was going to happen?
"I have to make a stop. Go on, I'll catch up."
Nate nodded absent mindedly. He was thinking about the last time he'd talked to Hailey, and it was hard enough to have a moment alone. Away. Away from Dan, that is.
The blond watched him round the curve ahead, then sank onto a dead branch. Despite the cold wind, he was sweating. He just needed to rest a moment. No way in hades he was going to give Dan that satisfaction, either. So he just sat and stared into the buzzing forest, glad for any excuse that would make his absence plausible.
Wished he could curl up right there and go to sleep. Wished he had another aspirin. Really wanted one.
"Where's Lucas?"
"Um, huh?" Nathan barely avoided Dan's back.
"Ya, dreamer boy. Where is he?"
"He had to make a stop. If that's okay with you."
"That smart mouth of yours is what'll make you stop."
"Excuse me?"
"Whatever. Just get out of la la land, there's more to this life than girls."
"It's not like that."
"I know. She's something special, isn't she?"
"What if she is?"
"I don't know, Nate. What if she isn't? Trust me, I've had a lot more experience in the field. She's the typical little schoolgirl with bare knees, tight jeans, and a really pretty shade of lip gloss."
"Don't talk about Hailey like that. Makes her sound cheap."
"Really?" Dan's expression hinted at genuine amusement.
"Tell me all about it. How many times did you two sleep together?"
Now it was Nathan's turn to flash the smug Scott smile.
"Never, Dad. Not once."
"Through no part of yours."
"Hailey's different. She's right for me. I can feel it."
"Turn off the soap, Nate, it's playing right in your brain. The sooner you get women out of your mind, the better. At least-" Dan bit a stick of gum in half, " the serious ones."
"I fail to find that funny." Nathan pushed past. "Why don't you find Lucas?"
"Why don't you? You two being so close and all."
"He's not my son."
Dan ignored the parting insult, watching Nate jog to catch up with Jake. Leaving him with no choice but to turn back with a sense of growing frustration.
Lucas heard Dan's approach in time to leap to his feet, brushing the dirt from his jeans. Putting on his face for Dan.
"What are you doing? We're getting tired of sending some one back to check on you."
"I'm getting tired of being checked on."
"We'll just leave you behind then." The elder Scott turned on one heel, as Lucas let out a shaky breath of relief.
He wasn't feeling confrontational, barely up to it if his dad had pressed for it.
The path was steep. If it was a path. He stared at it as he rounded the turn, fuzzily picking out Nate's prints, Jakes, Dan's, criss crossing forward, back, and forward again. They seemed to clear, then jumble indistinctly together, like the thoughts in his head.
Cool wind. It washed across him like water, and he turned again to face it.
He wasn't really here. He was a spot-a spot in a film. A music video. A tiny stick figure that had long, thin arms and legs and a filled in circle for a head.
Jake ran back wards, calling out lightly, "Luke! Come on. We're almost ready to set up camp."
Where was he? Jagielski peered through the trees, hoping Luke hadn't decided to take a nap some where. He was tired, too.
Nathan retraced his steps easily, an afternoon spent (mostly) aside from Dan and a jumble of Hailey bits and pieces-how she would feel to see him back. Would she be upset? Worried about him? Excited to see him again?
Lucas was sitting against a tree stump, smack in his way. Nathan stumbled a bit as he tried not to trip over the legs blocking the path.
"Found you!"
"I didn't know I was it."
"What's going on?"
"Just taking a breather." Lucas coughed, turned it into a short laugh.
"I didn't think you should be carrying this."
"I can."
"No, you can't." Nate slipped the straps of his brother's knapsack from Luke's shoulders.
"This weighs a ton."
"Evenly distributed." Luke closed his eyes.
"Why don't you forget about him and just say that you can't carry all this gear?"
"Every one's carrying something. I do my part."
"Forget it, Luke. I'm not letting you keep all this pride crap. Now-" he dumped the greater half of Lucas' bag into his own-"give me your hand and we'll get into camp before Dad comes."
"Sounds good." Luke got to his feet, one arm slung across Nathan's shoulder.
"Better?" The dark haired Scott hesitated before they started back.
"Much." Luke took a breath, concentrating on not being a stick figure but placing one foot in front of the other.
"Mr. Scott?"
Jake. He leaned in close, disturbing Dan from his weak coffee and musing.
"What?"
"It's Lucas, sir. I think he needs looking after."
"Then take care of it. He can answer to you himself."
"No, I mean-seriously- Luke would never let on. Nate either. But you have to step in if you want to make better progress than we've been. Luke is worn out."
"Let him sleep."
"I don't think it's going to take care of it."
"I'll see to it later."
Dan irritably watched Nathan and Jake settle down for the night, low voices. An occasional glance in his direction, which he pretended to ignore. finally, The waning moon slipped into the center of the sky, and all fell silent.
He waited a pace-but everyone was sound asleep. He'd better see how Lucas was doing, why not? After all, this whole nightmare was his doing.
Cup in hand, Dan picked his way through the sprawled forms until he came to the last. Luke purposely slept the farthest from him as was possible.
A sarcastic sneer touched Dan's lips, ready for Luke's haughty stare. He pushed the sleeper full on his back, doing a rough perusal with his eyes.
Lucas' blue eyes shot open at Dan's touch.
"I'm not a stick figure," he said, audibly louder than necessary.
Dan's smugness turned puzzled.
"I'm really quite real."
"Okay." Scott saw the sleepers starting to shift.
Anything to shut him up.
"I'm human." Luke stared solemnly up at him.
"Why don't you just go back to sleep." Dan set his drink aside, pressed his first born's mouth with one hand.
Luke moved impatiently, trying to say something.
"What?" Dan's whisper was hoarse.
"You're him, aren't you?"
"Yes, yes."
"You are?"
"I'm him. Go to sleep!"
"You're my dad."
Dan cast a harried glance at Nathan. Still out.
"You're my dad. You're-"
"Dan Scott. I'm Dan Scott. Yes."
What did his idiot son give Lucas this time?
"I don't feel so good."
"Yes, I know."
The blond sighed. "I don't need-don't need so many blankets."
"You only have one. Keep it on."
"Why doesn't he-"
Dan retrieved the coffee after tucking the stray ends of the covers under Luke's body so he couldn't throw them off, much less move.
"Why didn't he keep me?"
The conversation was becoming decidedly irritating.
"Why didn't Dan want me, too?"
It was strange. Lucas' eyes were open, wide and blue, pinning Dan with their expression.
"Maybe he was busy."
"Too busy..." the kid let the sentence fade.
"Keith. Keith!"
Dan slapped his hand over Luke's mouth yet again.
"What the heck are you doing?"
Nathan had woken, hair in sticking little points of disarray, barefoot.
Lucas took in a deep breath of air, feeling as if he'd been under water.
The moonlight played over his features, accenting and shadowing to soft, smooth shapes. His shirt was damp, sculpted to him. Hot. He half raised himself, a smile softening the stiff set of his mouth when the breeze touched him.
Strange dreams he'd been having.
"You lie back or I'll make you."
Dan's voice caused Luke to start, so near his head.
"We have to make time tomorrow."
The medicine began tracing it's way back; Dan could follow the effect as Lucas sagged, against Dan's arms. The way his eyes softened instead of narrowing when he caught Dan's gaze.
So the night sped, on the wings of moths and cry of crickets.
Strangely so, with Lucas so close at hand. Dan slid back into slumber once more, feeling his eldest son's body snug close against him.
What stranger things had happened?