Thank you so very very much to all of you that have sent me feedback. I appreciate it so much :) Here comes another chapter and once again one special person deserves credit and that is my beat reader Alice. You rock lady! As always keep those comments coming. Take care, swenglish.
To Hell and Back - Chapter 2
"No I'm telling you the Yankees won't win this time. They don't have that…that player… Shit…what's his name?" I watched as Don did his best to remember the player and couldn't help but smile when Larry swiftly came up with the name.
"You mean Derek Jeter?"
"Yeah, yeah that's the guy," my brother said, excitement filling his voice. "He's their top leadoff hitter and since he's injured I think that Damon from the Redsox will sweep the field completely."
"Don you might actually be right this time. The score results have drastically changed in the past few years and…." I listened to my former teacher going through the test scores as if he had studied it before. My brother seemed impressed.
It felt like a stone had lifted from my chest. Even though I knew that Larry and Don were great friends; I was actually a bit worried that their very different personalities could result in conflicts over the course of the weekend.. But it didn't look as if I had much to fear; not the way they seemed to connect on several different levels. Closing my eyes I leaned against the headrest. A headache had slowly developed during the drive that I tried to fend off. It probably developed because this is the first day off I have had in what seemed like months. There was emotional pressure associated with going on this hike. I had the uncomfortable feeling that at some point before we were to leave Don would call and cancel because 'something came up'. There seemed to be an awful lot of 'something came ups' in my relationship with my brother and it has led me to be sceptical when trying to plan something like this with him.
One memory in particular came to mind and that was when Don had promised to go with me to Disney Land. I was around nine and Mom and Dad couldn't go. My big brother had volunteered to take me and I remember being so excited. I even woke up very early, afraid that I would miss it and therefore sat and waited down the living room until Don woke up. Then when the final moment came Don got a phone call from his friends and I never forgot the expression on his face when he told me that 'something had come up' and that he couldn't go.
I was so disappointed that I wanted to cry. Thinking about it I think I actually did. When I found out that the something he had talked about was a girl I was even more upset. How could my brother do this to me? There was no limit to how betrayed I felt.
I don't remember if Don felt sorry for bailing out on the Disney trip but what I do know is that the next time he asked me to come with him I was very reluctant to go. At that time in my life I actually liked things that "normal" kids did and I think that was the last time I looked forward to something as simple as Disney Land.
"Hey Charlie, did you hear what I said?" It was my brother calling for me and I jerked.
"Oh sorry…No I didn't, what did you say?"
A bit confused I looked up only to see both Don and Larry staring at me as if I had grown another head or two. To my surprise I also noticed that we had stopped.
"Where there?" I asked as I sat up straighter in the seat.
"No." Larry shook his head. "We're stopping to get something to eat since its way past lunch time and it's important that we get food in our stomachs before going on this hiking trip."
I nodded. "Okay." Opening the door I stepped outside, feeling the blasting sun hit me on my back. It was a warm and sunny day and the temperature was in the low to mid 80's. Once outside I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"You okay, Buddy?" Don gave me a worried look. "You spaced out on us."
. That comment made me grin. "I'm always spacing out on you as if that would be something new."
Don smiled back but his smile didn't reach his eyes. "You'd let me know if something was bothering you, huh Charlie?"
"Yeah sure."
Feeling that this conversation was starting to be a bit too mushy I hurried inside the restaurant, sitting down in a booth.
"I gotta use the men's room." Don announced, as he put his jacket next to me. "You guys can order." With that he was out of view. Looking at Larry who seemed to be deep in thought; I was about to ask him what he wanted when my friend said, "I believe that I shall answer Mother Nature's call as well." He got up and followed my brother to the rear of the restaurant.
Sighing I picked up the menu scanning it. Even though I barely had anything too eat, being too nervous over this trip, I still didn't feel hungry. It was actually more quite the opposite. The headache that had come over me while riding the car was still there, persistent and as if that wasn't enough the area on my arm where the wasp or whatever it was bit me was starting to get red and swollen.
"Yeah right," I muttered as I scanned the area. "We don't have wasps, Dad!"
"That bites still bothering you?"
Don was back from using the restroom and as always he never let anything go undetected. It wasn't for nothing he'd become a special agent. Quickly I pulled down my long-sleeve. "No, not really. I think you're right. It's just a scratch." White lies never hurt anyone besides if I told Don that my arm felt really warm around that area he would probably throw a fit and the hiking expedition would be just another disappointed memory.
"I don't believe you. Let me see." Taking my arm he made an attempt to pull my sleeve up when the waitress suddenly appeared at our table.
"You want to order?"
Relieved at being saved by the bell I looked up quickly. "Yes please," I said, before pushing my brother away from me. The blonde waitress as well as my brother looked at me strangely but I couldn't care less. All I wanted was to go on this hike with my best friend and my brother and nothing was going to keep that from happening.
It didn't take long for the three of us to get our food and even though eating had seemed to be a good idea, especially since Larry was right about the importance of nutrition before going on a hike, I seemed to lack the appetite.
"Is that all you going to eat?" Don asked when I had pushed around the meat in the gravy long enough.
Looking up I saw his concerned expression. "Yes, I'm full." Feeling that I had to make up an excuse I added, "Dad made sure I ate a big lunch before we left."
Don frowned. "He did?" There was doubt in his eyes.
"Yes." Feeling that it would be appropriate to find an escape I turned to Larry. "What direction did you say the restroom was at?"
After getting a thorough description of the path, I got out from the booth hurrying out of sight. Once in the restroom I pulled up my sleeve again and examined the "bite." It was defiantly a bit red and swollen and it itched a little. Wetting a paper towel I pressed it against the "bite." It stopped itching and once I finished my business I walked into the restaurant only to discover that my company had left and was waiting in the car for me.
Without a word I jumped in the back and we rode off. I have no idea how long we had travelled when I felt a hand shake my shoulders; roughly.
"Come on Charlie, wake up…we're here" Once again I found myself peering up at my big brothers concerned eyes.
Blinking several times I tried to focus on the surroundings. "Oh I most have dozed off," I apologized.
"Dosing might not be the right term to describe the activity you've been engaged in." Larry stated and I started to laugh when my brother filled in;
"No snoring like a pig would be a better term for it."
"Sorry." I sat up straighter in my seat and did my best to swipe the cobwebs away that clouded my brain. For some reason I felt so incredibly tired and the headache that had plagued me all day still lingered.
Don had already hoisted out our backpacks and he was in the process of putting his on, with the help of Larry. I watched, a bit amused as my brother seemed to tangle himself up and the cuss words were falling like raindrops in a thunderstorm. Good that Dad wasn't here to hear the language that he was using.
"It's already 6.15 pm; you think we should stay here or start hiking?" Don asked.
Part of me wanted to stay while the other part wanted desperately to get going. "I say that we go. That way we will be on our way when it's time to set camp."
Larry agreed with me, and soon we we're on our way.
Normally it would've been an easy hike for me, but walking only intensified my headache and I started to sweat profusely. Panting I did my best to keep up with the others but it proved to be a hard task and after an hour I felt the need to sit down.
"Wait," I panted as I hunched down on the ground. Instantly both Don and Larry were at my side.
"Hey little brother you can't keep up with me?" Don never spared a moment to spite me. It didn't help that I happened to mention to him that my muscles were more suited for hiking than his and that I could mathematically prove it. Now I regretted those words.
"Didn't you say that you could mathematically prove that you were better suited to hiking terrain like this than I am?" He gloated with pride. "I think you seem to forget that I'm a well trained special agent with the FBI."
Larry looked a little confused at both of us and I sighed. "It's nothing, Larry. Just something that's between brothers." Feeling that I had to defend myself I added, "Besides the reason for me sitting down is not that I'm tired, it's because I want to check out the map and see where it's best to camp." This wasn't entirely the truth but they didn't need to know that.
"Okay." Hunching down beside me they looked at the map. I pointed out the trail we should take and after that we were off again.
It felt like an eternity before we would reach the place where we had decided to settle down for the night. It was already dark and putting up the tent in the darkness didn't seem to be the easiest thing to do. Both Larry and Don claimed that they were hungry and they lit up a fire aiming to barbeque sausages. I on the other hand wasn't hungry at all.
Besides having a headache there was a hint of queasiness in my stomach and all I wanted was to lay down to rest. My arm hurt a bit too and there was an annoying itch that made me scratch my arm all the time.
"Don't scratch," Don said when I had been rubbing the offending area up and down, hoping to find relief.
"What?"
"I said don't scratch. You'll get marks."
Ignoring my brother I continued to scratch; it itched too much to stop.
"Charles, is everything all right?" Larry was by my side now.
"Yes." I nodded. "I just got bitten or rather stung by this wasp and it itches a little." No need to make it worse than it already was.
"Oh let me see." He rolled up my sleeve and shone a flashlight towards my arm. "It looks really red."
"Mmm." I couldn't agree more. The bite was fire engine red and there was a small white blister in the middle of it. "Strange," I commented as I continued itching. "That wasn't there before…"
"Let me see." Don was at my side again, peering at the bite. "It looks like that time when we had the chicken pox," Looking at Larry he frowned, "You can't get it twice can you?"
"Statistically you can contract chicken pox twice but it's a higher probability that you have been contaminated with a similar Varíella virus that…" I stopped listening to Larry when Don said, "You're right it was probably a wasp. My high school friend Joe once got stung and it looked something similar to this." Frowning he asked, "You have any other symptoms?"
I shook my head. "Nope." Lies, lies, lies.
"Good well let's eat then. I'm starving."
Sitting down next to the fire I wrapped my arms around my legs, watching my fellow companions eat. It was nice beside the fire especially since the evening was a bit cold. Closing my eyes I listened to the talk about astrophysics and I must confess that I felt a bit surprised that my older brother was so engrossed in a topic that was so far away to what he usually discussed.
"You sure you don't want anything?" Don asked when I had been sitting silent way too long in his book. "It's very good." He had popped a beer taking a large swig. "You want one of these?"
"Nah." The mere thought of food or beer made me sick to my stomach. I swallowed hard. "Thanks but I think I'll pass." Standing up I brushed my pants off. "As a matter of fact I think I'll hit the sack. It's been a long day and the time I spent working on this last case is finally starting to catch up with me." Yawning I proved my point. Both Don and Larry gave me a weird look but they didn't object.
After getting ready for bed I crawled inside the sleeping bag. My arm itched very badly and it seemed to be more swollen than it had been an hour ago. Pulling the sleeping bag tighter to my body I tried to get some warmth since sitting outside had made me a bit chilled. Rolling to my right side since my left hurt too much, I did my best to fall asleep.
It wasn't easy since both the headache and the nausea lurked inside of me and for a moment I feared the worst. Had I had fallen prey to a flu bug? It would be so typically me. In the past whenever we would go and do something fun I always become a recipient to one nasty germ or the other. Mom used to say that it was because of my immune system being too sensitive to stress and something as simple as a fun outing could cause havoc with it. Frankly I was a bit surprised that this flu bug hadn't reared its ugly head earlier since going on this hike was something I had looked forward to for a whole year.
Groaning I rubbed my temples. Whatever was in my system would hopefully be gone by tomorrow and even if it wasn't; I was determined not to tell Don or Larry. They would only be worried and then the trip would be cancelled. Besides we were in the middle of nowhere and walking back was defiantly not an option. Not now.