Ok, well here is chapter 2…. finally. Between work, family and band practice I haven't had much time. Besides with inches of snow on the ground up here, it's kinda hard to write about rain! Keep it 'tween the ditches! Jordy
Luke didn't try to sleep that night. He was too worried about Bo. It had been over eight hours since he had found Bo, and his cousin was still unconscious. Luke hadn't felt any broken bones in Bo; though he was bruised all over his body and had several deep cuts on his head and torso. "He needs a doc bad," thought Luke, resting his tan hand on Bo's forehead. It was hot to the touch.
The wind shrieked as the storm intensified. Luke sighed audibly. He was the one who usually had a plan for everything, but now… well, he didn't know what to do. He had to find help, but there was no way he was going to leave Bo, all alone and hurt.
"It ain't safe t' stay here," muttered Luke as the roof rattled overhead, "but it sure ain't safe t' leave." He took a cloth and dipped it in a bowl of water, blotting his cousin's face in an attempt to reduce his fever.
"We sure found ourselves a good mess this time, didn't we, Bo?" asked Luke as he got up from his chair beside the bed and looked out the window. It was pitch black outside… he sure wouldn't be able to figure out where they were tonight. Luke turned back to Bo and dripped some water onto his parched lips. He then settled himself in the hard wooden chair and waited anxiously for morning.
Luke hadn't meant to fall asleep, but being weak himself he dozed off shortly before dawn. A clap of thunder woke him four hours later. He rubbed the stiffness out of his neck and looked at Bo.
He had turned pale except for his cheeks which were flushed from the fever. His breath was coming in short, labored rasps.
"Bo? C'mon, Bo, ya gotta wake up, cousin…" began Luke, taking Bo's hand in his own. "Bo… Bo… c'mon, Bo."
Luke's eyes were filling with tears in spite of himself and he gave a long squeeze to Bo's warm hand before getting up and hobbling to the window. At first he saw nothing but trees and was turning away when something caught his eye. Further through the woods, there seemed to be a line of trees shorter than the rest. Luke instinctively knew it was a water source of some kind. "Where there's water, there's bound t' be people sooner or later," he reasoned to himself. He glanced over at Bo. Whatever was out there would have to keep waiting, at least for the time being.
Luke's stomach growled reminding him that he couldn't remember when he ate last. He limped to the cupboard and opened the door. To his relief, there was a small supply of canned foods. They, along with the fishing pole in the corner, would hopefully feed them until help came, or until they found their way home. He took a couple cans of chicken soup and set it to cook in the pot on the fire.
Luke was just about to dish himself up some soup when he heard Bo gasping for air. He dropped the spoon, and forgetting all about his sore ankle, ran to Bo's side.
"Bo!"
Luke tilted Bo's head back to allow more air into his lungs. Bo's face was turning blue.
"Bo! Don't do this, cousin. Stay with me, Bo! Stay with me!"
Don't y'all hate suspense?
