Author's Note: Okay, so the concept of this fic is a tad unusual, but fanfiction is kind of a playground, so I decided to run with it. Hope you enjoy it!
As a reminder, I'm not a medical professional, so I do what I can with what I can find on the interwebs. I'm also not a survivalist or a member of the military, so forgive my mistakes; I can only do my best. Wishes of safety and health for you all!
Chapter 1
It was a quiet morning. The air was crisp and clear, and the birds had yet to sing their songs. Darkness blanketed the earth; it was still early, and out in the woods, it was far from any city lights.
The team was unpacking Adam's truck, quietly teasing each other in the reverent silence. Chuckles drifted between the trees as packs hit the dirt and jacket zippers zipped higher.
On a whim, the five of them had decided to go backpacking together. None of them knew who'd presented the idea first, but it didn't matter. They'd all jumped at the chance to spend some time together in the nearly untouched wilderness.
Maybe it was because it felt a lot like a mission. Even stateside. Maybe it was because they could easily keep an eye on each other. Either way, this felt right. Natural.
"My bet is Amir gets tired first. Those short, little legs," McG joked, checking his boot laces.
Amir leveled a look at the medic, slinging his pack over his shoulder. "We'll see who gets tired first."
"I don't know if Top will have any fun, since there probably won't be any danger to throw himself into," Jaz scoffed. Adam smirked, shaking his head as he stuffed a few last-minute items into his pack.
"I guess I'll have to find some," he answered without looking up.
Jaz laughed, punching him in the arm. "Not funny. Not even a little."
"Let's get this show on the road. We've got a long journey ahead of us," Preach urged, already geared up and ready to go. Typical Preach.
The rest of them rushed to secure their packs and prep for the long hike, moving efficiently and purposefully. With one last check to make sure they had everything, they locked up the truck, and Adam led the way into the woods.
"Feels weird to think we don't have an objective other than 'hike in a large circle and enjoy nature,'" McG commented, looking up at the dim sky.
"I'm looking forward to actually taking in the scenery for once," Amir replied, bringing up the rear behind the medic.
Preach smiled, eyes catching on a particularly tall and regal tree. "I'm glad we're here for recreation and not for battle. It's nice to leave the rifle behind."
Adam allowed himself a grin at the front of the line as he picked his way through the brush. It was comforting to be around his team again. When they were stateside, it was odd not to see them every day. Made the days feel . . . empty.
So this was nice.
Behind him, his team bickered and teased, even as the sun rose and washed over them. He stayed quiet, simply listening as it grew warmer and warmer. They stopped for a moment to strip off pullovers and jackets, then immediately went back on their way.
And as they chipped away at the miles, no one complained. No one even slowed down. They just enjoyed each other's company in the pleasant silence of the woodsy wilderness. Out here, there weren't any bombs or gunfire or aggressive shouting. There weren't even tinny voices in their ears. Just singing birds and rustling leaves with the occasional babble of a brook.
"Little quiet up there, Top. You aren't getting tired already, are you?" Jaz asked, smoothly pulling him into the conversation.
"Me? Tired? Never," he shot back, not missing a beat. He knew she was hyperaware of him at any stateside get-together, and he could see why. He knew he wasn't the same when they were "home." He was quieter. He felt more out of place. Most of the time, he was good at tucking it away from his team's curious eyes, but even he couldn't keep up the deception indefinitely.
"Come on, Jaz. Top's practically the Energizer bunny. The man's never tired," McG laughed. It was casual. Practiced. But Adam could see it for what it was: a concerted effort to recreate the normalcy Adam was used to.
He wished they didn't all know just how much he struggled on this side of the ocean. It seemed unfair. But he appreciated their efforts all the same.
The day wore on, sprinkled with meal and water breaks and peppered with natural team banter. It was a perfect day. And as they settled in a clearing and set up camp, Adam couldn't help but think how lucky he was to have a team that got along this well.
Gathered around the campfire, they swapped stories under the glittering sky of stars. Adam laughed with the rest of them, feeling more like himself than he had in weeks. He'd needed this. And he had a feeling they all knew that.
He vaguely wondered if this whole trip was a ploy to help him feel more at home.
It made him feel a little guilty. But at the same time, it was touching they cared enough to take the time.
They chatted deep into the evening, telling forgotten tales and jokes. Even after a full day of hiking, it was near midnight when they finally went to sleep.
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Adam awoke with a start, immediately sitting upright.
Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his breaths came faster and more desperate. A nightmare. Always a nightmare. Of something going wrong. Of things that had gone wrong. Of every haunting memory or idea he'd ever had.
Looking around, he was glad he hadn't woken anyone. From years of hardship, he'd learned how to keep his nightmares hidden away from everyone else. He was quiet. Well-practiced. No screams. No thrashing. Just fearful silence in the wee hours of the morning.
He hastily wiped at his forehead, closing his eyes to compose himself. Light was just starting to bleed into the sky, the sun still hidden behind the horizon. Adam looked at his team. They were all sound asleep; they probably wouldn't wake for some time.
Taking a slow, deep breath of crisp morning air, he carefully extricated himself from his sleeping bag. He could use a morning walk.
Silently, he slipped on his boots and tightly tied the laces. With another glance at the team, he stood, hastily retreating into the cover of the trees.
He was still reeling from his nightmare, snapshots of awful images pervading his thoughts. Without a path in mind, he walked onward, trying to exorcise the darkness from his brain. He vaguely wondered how long it would be before his team noticed his absence.
Adam's breathing slowed along with his pace the longer he walked, and his mind cleared, quickly becoming more composed. Normally, he had the privacy of his own room to recover, but out here, he just had to depend on the haven of trees. He didn't know how long he'd walked—it felt like it'd been ages. Still, it did wonders.
Feeling more put together, Adam stopped, releasing a huff.
Then he heard it. The crack of a branch. The crunch of leaves.
He looked to his right.
And stopped.
A black bear stood several yards away, her cubs behind her. She watched him warily, eyes already growing darker in the dim light of the morning.
Adam hastily thought back to his days as a young boy scout. What was he supposed to do if he saw a bear?
Clawing at his memories, he dredged up what he could. Talk calmly, move sideways, make it clear you're human.
"Hey, bear," he said carefully but loudly, slowly raising his arms as he stepped to the side. One step. Two steps. "I was just on a walk. I'm not here to hurt you or your cubs." Three steps. Four steps.
The bear took a few steps of her own.
Adam stopped, anxiously drawing whatever information he could remember.
If she attacked—would she attack?—he was supposed to play dead, right?
No. Not with black bears.
No, with black bears, you escape to a safer area. But if there isn't a safer area . . . you fight.
Shit, how do you fight off a bear without weapons? He swallowed.
Steadily, the bear came closer, her posture stiff and anxious.
It didn't look good.
"Hey, bear. I'm not here to hurt you," he repeated. "And I'm not here to hurt your cubs."
Her ears flattened and a deep rumbling reverberated from her chest.
Despite everything, Adam forced his breathing to remain slow and calm, and he desperately hoped for a decent outcome. Bears didn't usually attack, if he remembered correctly. So maybe . . . maybe it would turn out all right.
Not today.
In an instant, her posture tightened to something dangerous and aggressive.
And she charged.
Adam didn't have enough time to run. He saw a flash of teeth in an open jaw before her massive weight hit him square in the chest. Pain exploded in his right shoulder, and he let out a cry, which sent her into an even wilder frenzy. Claws bit into his other shoulder and his right arm, and for a moment, Adam didn't know what to do.
Fight back.
Frantic, he kicked at her softer underbelly and started pounding at her face and muzzle with a fisted hand. She reared back, surprised, and he took the opportunity to jump to his feet and face her head on. She came at him again, and this time, he slipped to the side, gripping her fur with his bloodied left arm as he struck her hard in the muzzle. Upset, she stood suddenly, sending him to the earthen floor.
He screamed as jaws clamped down on his side, and he felt himself being lifted up in the air. Pushing past the haze of pain and disorientation, he sent a hard punch to her face, hitting her solidly in the eye socket. Stunned, she dropped him, and he felt himself rolling down a hillside. Rocks bit into his skin, bruising bone and flesh.
And then the ground fell from underneath him, and he was falling.
Attempting to protect his soft organs from the inevitable impact, he curled up loosely.
Then he hit the ground. Hard. One arm taking the brunt of the fall as the rest of him hit the rough terrain with a loud thud.
He could hear the crack before he felt it.
Then his forearm was on fire.
He cried out, too overwhelmed to identify where the pain was coming from. For a moment, he just laid there, growling angrily in pain as he rolled to his back. He gasped, greedily gulping air as his body struggled to breathe in the excruciating agony.
Brain still whirling, he looked up, his vision spinning. The drop had to be something around fifteen feet. He hadn't even seen it coming.
But how could he when he was being mauled by a bear?
Adam didn't see any sign of the bear, and he hoped she'd ran off with her cubs after he fell. In this state, he couldn't fight her off. He probably couldn't even walk.
Still trying to get a hold on his surroundings, he looked down at his arm.
There was no bone. No blood. But his skin was already starting to purple around the pulsing agony.
His ears started to ring, and the pain seemed to fade to the background.
His mind drifted, and he couldn't even remember where he was.