Part four
The rocky outcropping, uneven at the best of times, was even more so with the aid of the downpour the continued unabated. Mud and rock blended into one, as the injured man made his way onward; any mistimed slip of the foot eliciting a tormented moan from between his clenched teeth.
With his body having passed exhaustion some time ago, Johnny Lancer now worked on his remaining willpower alone as he searched for his brother Scott. Yet, that same willpower was now only a fading glimmer under the weight of his injuries and chills that seemed to weaken him to his bones. As another agony-filled, shudder coursed through him, Johnny's legs could no longer support him and he collapsed.
Landing on his knees, the rope fell from his good hand as he reached for his side in an attempt to ride out another wave of pain. "Damn it!" Johnny cried out in frustration, as it seemed that the elements and his own body's weakness conspired to defeat his purpose.
Pulling his hand from his side, Johnny absent-mindedly watched the rain dilute the red stain from his fingers, before turning his head toward the sky to demand one last favor. "Let me find him -- save him, then you can have me!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With his head turned upward toward his one hope of escape, Scott tried to focus on what had happened to his brother, but as each part of his body became numbed by the cold rising water that pooled around him, he fears for his own survival intensified.
"--you -- --me!"
The words were barely audible over the sound the water coming from above and below ground, but Scott knew the voice. It was his brother; it was Johnny and he was alive.
"Thank God," he sighed gratefully, as he wiped the rain from his face with the back of his trembling hands.
Barely able to command his frigid legs into action, Scott sluggishly dragged himself until he was directly under the opening. "Johnny?"
When he receive no answer, he called out more desperately. "Johnny, can you hear me?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Johnny?"
"Oh, funny," Johnny growled as he figured the voice he had heard to be a figment of his imagination, and another cruel trick that was being played on him.
"Johnny, can you hear me?"
Following the sound of the illusion, Johnny turned his head, expelling an incredulous gasp as he sighted the opening of the mineshaft just a few mere steps away.
"Scott?" Johnny's voice was barely above a whisper, as he desperately crawled toward the opening; finding even that simple action left him winded and barely able to catch his breath. Yet, knowing his brother the way he did, he knew that Scott wouldn't let Johnny to risk himself for him, so he took a moment to steady his breathing, before returning his brother cries.
"Hey, B-boston," Johnny peered down the hole, seeing for the first time the perilous position his brother was in.
"Damn it, brother, you scared me," Scott smiled thankfully up at his partially rain-concealed sibling.
"N-now, ya know h-how f-felt when -- ya fell down the dam-n thing in the f-first p-place," Johnny tried to joke through chattering teeth.
Not even the rain could hide the hitch in Johnny's voice, and Scott didn't have to have a clear view of his brother to know something was wrong. "Johnny, what is it? What happened up there? I heard the shot, then I heard you called out. What happened?"
Not about to go into the details while his brother's situation became even more dangerous than it already was, Johnny steadied his breathing again. "I h-hate to i-interrupt your b-bath, Boston, but h-how about we g-get that h-harvard ass of y-yours up here, b-before we have this d-discussion, I'm f-freezing up here."
"Damn it, Johnny!" Scott cursed as he watched the form of his brother's head disappear from the holes edge. "Johnny!"
"He's freezing!" Scott lightheartedly chastised, as he splashed at the water around him.
The rocky outcropping, uneven at the best of times, was even more so with the aid of the downpour the continued unabated. Mud and rock blended into one, as the injured man made his way onward; any mistimed slip of the foot eliciting a tormented moan from between his clenched teeth.
With his body having passed exhaustion some time ago, Johnny Lancer now worked on his remaining willpower alone as he searched for his brother Scott. Yet, that same willpower was now only a fading glimmer under the weight of his injuries and chills that seemed to weaken him to his bones. As another agony-filled, shudder coursed through him, Johnny's legs could no longer support him and he collapsed.
Landing on his knees, the rope fell from his good hand as he reached for his side in an attempt to ride out another wave of pain. "Damn it!" Johnny cried out in frustration, as it seemed that the elements and his own body's weakness conspired to defeat his purpose.
Pulling his hand from his side, Johnny absent-mindedly watched the rain dilute the red stain from his fingers, before turning his head toward the sky to demand one last favor. "Let me find him -- save him, then you can have me!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With his head turned upward toward his one hope of escape, Scott tried to focus on what had happened to his brother, but as each part of his body became numbed by the cold rising water that pooled around him, he fears for his own survival intensified.
"--you -- --me!"
The words were barely audible over the sound the water coming from above and below ground, but Scott knew the voice. It was his brother; it was Johnny and he was alive.
"Thank God," he sighed gratefully, as he wiped the rain from his face with the back of his trembling hands.
Barely able to command his frigid legs into action, Scott sluggishly dragged himself until he was directly under the opening. "Johnny?"
When he receive no answer, he called out more desperately. "Johnny, can you hear me?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Johnny?"
"Oh, funny," Johnny growled as he figured the voice he had heard to be a figment of his imagination, and another cruel trick that was being played on him.
"Johnny, can you hear me?"
Following the sound of the illusion, Johnny turned his head, expelling an incredulous gasp as he sighted the opening of the mineshaft just a few mere steps away.
"Scott?" Johnny's voice was barely above a whisper, as he desperately crawled toward the opening; finding even that simple action left him winded and barely able to catch his breath. Yet, knowing his brother the way he did, he knew that Scott wouldn't let Johnny to risk himself for him, so he took a moment to steady his breathing, before returning his brother cries.
"Hey, B-boston," Johnny peered down the hole, seeing for the first time the perilous position his brother was in.
"Damn it, brother, you scared me," Scott smiled thankfully up at his partially rain-concealed sibling.
"N-now, ya know h-how f-felt when -- ya fell down the dam-n thing in the f-first p-place," Johnny tried to joke through chattering teeth.
Not even the rain could hide the hitch in Johnny's voice, and Scott didn't have to have a clear view of his brother to know something was wrong. "Johnny, what is it? What happened up there? I heard the shot, then I heard you called out. What happened?"
Not about to go into the details while his brother's situation became even more dangerous than it already was, Johnny steadied his breathing again. "I h-hate to i-interrupt your b-bath, Boston, but h-how about we g-get that h-harvard ass of y-yours up here, b-before we have this d-discussion, I'm f-freezing up here."
"Damn it, Johnny!" Scott cursed as he watched the form of his brother's head disappear from the holes edge. "Johnny!"
"He's freezing!" Scott lightheartedly chastised, as he splashed at the water around him.