All at once, they understood…
Chapter 2
If four of them were staring, that meant the scream could have come from only one place. Lucas. After a moment that felt like a lifetime, Haley, Nathan, Brooke, and Peyton sprinted toward the sound's origin.
Brooke arrived on the scene first, nearly tripping over Lucas, who was curled up on the ground. His eyes were wide, his jaw clenched. His hands gripped his right side, where a deep red stain was quickly spreading. In his left hand, he grasped a stick, about two feet in length.
"What...?" Peyton asked, as she, Haley and Nathan skidded to a stop behind Brooke. "What is that?"
"I think it's an arrow," Nathan said. "But where..." He swallowed, knowing the answer to his question before he even asked it, "Where is the rest of it?"
Brooke knelt at Lucas's side, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Lucas," she said softly, "I need you to let me see it. Can you let go?" Lucas groaned, but obliged, releasing his grip as his four companions leaned in for a clear view.
"Oh God," Haley said. She turned away immediately, retching. Peyton moved to comfort Haley, as Brooke and Nathan peered into the wound.
"The tip of that arrow has to be in there somewhere, but this hole is pretty deep," Nathan said. Brooke nodded in agreement.
"Lucas, can you press down on it again? We need to stop the bleeding, ok?" Brooke said, as calmly as she could muster. She and Nathan stood, turning to Haley and Peyton.
"We've got to get him to a hospital," Peyton said, a shaking Haley clutching her arm.
"No shit, Sherlock," Brooke replied bitterly. "Way to state the obvious."
"Could we please hold off on the catfight until my best friend is not in danger of dying?" Haley said, tears beginning to run down her face.
"Guys, I'm not dead yet. I can still hear you," Lucas said from the ground, his voice strained. It was the first time he'd spoken, and it was a bit of encouragement to those gathered around him.
"You're not going to die, Lucas," Haley said. "I don't know why I said that...I'm so stupid..."
"Hales, don't beat yourself up," Peyton said. "But we really have to do something for Lucas. Soon." She glanced at her cell phone. "I've got no service out here. Does anyone else?" The other three checked their phones as well, but to no avail. This piece of pristine wilderness was untouched by the influence of man, and as a result had no cellular towers.
"I guess we'll just have to take him to the hospital ourselves," Brooke said, matter-of-factly. "Nathan, can you get him to the car?"
"Yes. I mean, no. I mean..." Nathan stammered. "What I mean is, I can get him to the car, but it won't do you any good. It won't start."
"Could things possibly get any worse?" Brooke said, to no one in particular. And at that very moment, it started to rain...