"Step by Step, Brother "
By Lorrie
Chapter 6 – The Rescue
Disclaimer: The following story is based on the characters of the TV Series "Drake & Josh". The characters belong to the creators and Nickolodian, but the story is mine. ALL DISCLAIMERS APPLY. (No copyright infringement is intended.)
A search party of ten had assembled at Ranger Headquarters and were now ready to set out; some on four-wheelers and some on horseback. "Mr. Nichols, why don't you go back to your campsite, just in case the boys find their own way back?" The Park Ranger suggested.
Walter nodded; his face full of determination and anguish. "I'll pack up our gear. I want to be ready to leave when they're found . . . just in case something's really wrong." He turned to make the slow walk back to their campsite.
The Park Ranger nodded knowingly. "Try not to worry Mr. Nichols. We'll find them."
An owl landed on the tree branch, just above Josh and Drake's heads and began to screech. Josh jumped at the loud noise. "Wh-wh-who's there?" He called out. The owl hooted in return. "Mr. Owl, why don't you just go away?"
"Who're you talkin' to?" Drake mumbled groggily as he regained consciousness.
Josh took Drake's hand and was relieved when his brother squeezed his in response. "Just an owl, Drake." Josh replied. "How are you feeling?"
"Not so good." Drake replied weakly. "No sign of dad yet?"
Josh shook his head, even though Drake couldn't see him. "No, not yet." The wind began to blow out of the North and Josh watched, helplessly as Drake began to shiver and then he shivered himself.
"Wish we had a fire." Drake whispered.
Josh's eyes widened as he realized he had a book of matches in his jacket pocket. "Forget everything bad I've ever said about you brother! You're a genius!"
Drake looked at him, confused. "I am? What did I say?"
Josh began going through the pockets of his jacket, which still covered Drake. "What're you doin?" Drake slurred.
"Matches! I have matches!" Josh shouted as he triumphantly held up the book of matches. "I can start a fire. We'll stay warm and hopefully draw some attention to ourselves at the same time!"
Drake weakly nodded. "You don't happen to have a bottle of water in there, do you?"
Josh stared at Drake. "I wish I did. I know you're dehydrated." He took a good look at his brother, uneasy about what he saw. "Your head's still bleeding a little and who knows what's banged up inside."
"Just thought I'd ask." Drake said before drifting off again into an unconscious state.
Small branches laid on the brittle pine needles beneath them. Josh carefully collected a few small rocks and placed them in a circle, then he scooped some of the dead pine needles into a small pile and lit them with one of the matches. Once they caught fire, he added a couple of small branches. "There you go, Drake. That should help warm you up." He said, noticing that Drake was shivering once again.
It didn't take long for the Forest Rangers to see the smoke from Josh's freshly lit fire. "We've got smoke on the North slope!"
"Let's go!" The Rangers on horseback followed the four-wheelers and soon, all ten members of the search party were nearing Drake and Josh's location. "Hear that, Drake?" Josh said excitedly as he heard the four-wheelers.
"Mmm. Help." He managed to say softly before passing out again.
Josh stared at Drake for a few seconds before he screamed out as loudly as he could. "HELP US!" He waited for a minute and yelled again, just as the motors of the four-wheelers were turned off. "HELP!"
"Hey, I heard something." One of the Rangers shouted.
Josh continued to call for help until finally one of the Rangers called back. "WE HEAR YOU! KEEP YELLING UNTIL WE FIND YOU!"
Josh began to yell again. "HELP! PLEASE HELP US. MY BROTHER'S HURT, BAD!"
Two of the Rangers stopped at the top of the embankment and lowered themselves to their stomachs. "ARE YOU DOWN THERE?"
"YES!" Josh shouted.
"ARE YOU DRAKE OR JOSH?"
"I'M JOSH. DRAKE'S HURT."
"HOW BAD?"
"HE'S UNCONSCIOUS."
"OK, YOU STAY PUT. WE'RE ON OUR WAY DOWN." Within minutes, the Rangers were in their harnesses and waiting for the others to help anchor them. "One of the boys is hurt. We're going to need a stokes stretcher. Have a four-wheeler ready for transport and call ahead and have a medical team waiting . . . and have someone let their dad know that they've been found."
"Yes sir." One of the other Rangers answered and picked up the radio.
As the first two Rangers made their descent, Josh gently tried to wake Drake. "Come on Drake. Help is here. We're going home!"
"Home." Drake mumbled.
"Yeah brother, home."
The two Rangers stopped just above the boys location. "Josh, I'm going to send a harness down to you, I want you to buckle into it and then we're going to have some guys help get you to the top of this ravine, OK?"
"What about Drake?" Josh asked, looked back to his brother.
"We need to get you out of here first so we can focus on your brother, OK?"
Josh nodded and quickly buckled himself into the harness as it came down to him. He pulled on the helmet that the Rangers sent down and tugged on the line twice, indicating that he was ready. "OK guys, ease him up!"
After Josh was safely at the top of the ravine and out of his harness, he watched, helplessly as the Rangers lowered the stokes stretcher down for Drake.
Walter had packed up everything in the camp, lingering over Drake's tent for a few minutes before pulling up the tent stakes and carefully folding the old canvas up and placing it in the duffle bag Drake kept it in.
He was just closing the back of the Jeep when a Park Ranger pulled up behind him. "Mr. Nichols?"
"Yes. I'm Walter Nichols."
"Your boys have been found. There's a rescue in progress, but they should have them back to Ranger Headquarters within the hour if you'd like to come up there and wait."
"Yes!" He piled into the Jeep, nearly forgetting his sprained ankle and followed the Ranger back to the log cabin headquarters.
"So, they're OK?" Walter asked eagerly as he entered the building with the Ranger.
"One of them is injured. I don't know how badly."
Walter had paused at the door and was letting the news sink in as he heard the Rangers radio crackle to life. "Tom, is Mr. Nichols there yet?"
"Yeah, we just walked in."
"Good. His son wants to talk to him."
Tom handed the radio to Walter. "It's one of your sons."
"Son." Walter said, holding his breath for the response to reveal which of the boys were injured.
There was a long pause and then Josh's voice came through loud and clear. "Dad! Dad, Drake's hurt."
Walter felt tears stinging his eyes as he heard his son's voice. "How bad is he Josh?"
"Pretty bad, dad. He had a bad gash on his forehead and a bump behind his right ear. He's been in and out of consciousness for almost two hours and I think he may have a broken rib."
Now there was silence on Walter's end.
"Dad! Are you still there?"
"I'm here son. Are you on your way back yet?"
"No. They're having a little trouble getting Drake up the ravine." Josh's voice cracked as he spoke. "He's going to be OK, right?"
"You know Drake." Walter half smiled. "He always comes out OK."
"They've got him up! I've got to go!" Josh let go of the radio and then there was silence.
Tom patted Walter's arm. "I'm sure he'll be fine."
Walter nodded and pulled out his cellphone.
"Hello." Megan answered.
"Hi honey, it's dad. Let me speak to your mom."
Megan could hear the worry in Walter's voice. "Dad, what's wrong?" She asked.
"Honey, please let me talk to mom."
She handed the phone to Audrey. "It's dad and he sounds worried."
"Walter?"
By the time she answered, he was having trouble holding back his tears. "They found the boys."
"That's wonderful!" Audrey shouted, but then calmed, sensing too that something wasn't right. "But . . .?"
"Honey, maybe you should get someone to watch Megan and head up here." He wiped the tears from his eyes as he spoke.
"What is it?"
"I haven't seen him yet, so I don't have all of the details, but . . . Drake is hurt."
Audrey nearly dropped the phone as the words rang in her ears. "Drake is hurt . . . Drake is hurt . . . Drake is hurt."
"Honey?"
"I'm on my way." She said quietly and then shook herself out of her stooper. "Wait! On my way where? Where are they taking him?"
Walter turned to Ranger Tom. "Where will they be taking Drake?"
"Mercy Hospital. It's about 40 miles from here."
"Mercy Hospital. They're telling me that it's about 40 miles from here." Walter relayed.
Audrey took a deep breath. "Is Josh OK?"
"I talked to him a minute ago. He sounds tired and very worried about Drake."
Audrey nodded. "I'll see you soon." She cried into the phone. "Walter, take care of him, OK?" By the time she hung up the phone her tears were flowing freely.
Megan sat on the opposite end of the couch. "I'm going with you."
"Honey, your brother is hurt and . . . "
"Mom, I'm not a baby and if Drake is hurt I want to be there too, with the family."
Audrey nodded. "OK. Let's get us each a small bag packed and lets get going."
The four-wheeler carrying Drake on the stokes stretcher led the way from the ravine back to Ranger headquarters. Josh was sitting in the front seat, his hand clinging to Drake's hand. "Come on Drake, you have to wake up."
"They're coming." Ranger Tom announced to Walter as he leaped into action, making sure that the Paramedics were ready to stabilize Drake, if need be and to transport him as soon as possible to Mercy Hosptial.
Walter cringed as he saw his step-son's bruised body. "He's been out too long." Josh said quietly as he felt Walter's arm slip around his shoulders.
The paramedics quickly evaluated Drake's condition and started an IV of saline to help re-hydrate him.
"Josh?" Another paramedic asked.
"Yes." Josh replied.
"We'd like to check you over too. Why don't you and your dad both plan to ride in the squad with us. I know you want to be with your brother."
Josh nodded and allowed the paramedic to take his BP and check his heart. "Did you fall too?" She asked.
"No. I lowered myself down after Drake fell."
"It's a good thing you were there." She said, as she checked Josh's eyes.
"How is Drake?" Walter asked.
"He has a concussion, a pretty bad one. His left arm is broken and there's a good possibility of broken ribs as well, but we won't know that for sure until we get him to the hospital and he's x-rayed." She looked up as one of the paramedics working on Drake nodded to her. "He's awake now." She smiled at Josh and Walter.
Walter nearly tripped over himself getting to Drake's side. "Son, are you OK?"
"Tired." Drake said softly. "Where's mom?"
"Mom and Megan are going to meet us at the hospital as soon as they can get here." Walter said as he removed a stray piece of hair from Drake's face. "You're going to be fine, son."
"Where's Josh?" Drake mumbled.
"I'm right here." Josh said softly, taking Drake's extended right hand.
"Don't leave me." Drake whispered and fell unconscious once again.
"Not a chance, brother." Josh whispered, holding Drake's hand tightly. "Not a chance."
To be continued . . .
