Twilight and Shadow

by

Numb3rsfan

Chapter Three: Stroke of Luck

Laurie did in fact somehow manage to get the bus moving but to her it was like trying to drive a whale; steering was difficult and slowing the bus down...nigh impossible...and the actually shifting in to the different gears...lets just say that the sound of grinding gears was played at least twice every minute.

Shirley was still seated right behind Laurie; her arms wrapped around herself and her head leaning against the window; vacant eyes staring straight ahead. Danny was with Keith, who hadn't moved since Laurie had started to drive, and Tracy...she was sitting in the third seat to the right; knees brought up to her chest and her head buried in her knees; looking like a human ball.

If the situation wasn't dire, Laurie would of actually liked the driving experience...somewhat. At least Danny wasn't yammering on and on about what a terrible job she was doing; she knew it and she was sure Danny knew it too.

"Laurie, hurry! Keith's getting worse!" Danny said. Dimly, Laurie could hear Keith murmur, "I'm all right." It was obvious to Laurie that Keith was just trying to be brave for the sake of the family unit but the truth was he wasn't okay; far from it. His life was in danger and without some anti-venom he would probably die.

Laurie gulped when she saw a tight hairpin turn up ahead. The turn was very sharp and at her present speed she'd just end up flipping the bus. Easing her foot off of the pedal, she applied the brakes, feeling the bus start to slow down. Even so she misjudged the distance to the turn. Hands working the steering wheel frantically Laurie managed to not flip the bus over, but the bus ran off the road, crashing through some bushes before running almost full steam in to a boulder.

The speed of the impact was enough to jar Laurie's neck so bad that she yelped in pain; a whiplash quite possible. Hand going to her neck, Laurie grimaced; trying to rub the kink out before turning in her seat to check on the others.

Somehow Shirley still remained upright; still quite obviously in shock. Tracy was on the floor crying because of the crash and Danny...he was on the floor literally gripping Keith's shoulders and holding on to one of the boxes that contained the heavy speakers with his free hand.

"Everyone alright?" Laurie asked. She rose up from the seat, ignoring the steam that was coming from the outside of the engine. She went first to her mother, studying the older woman closely. Shirley looked unscathed except for her vacant eyes. Losing a child, especially your youngest was hard but the fact of the matter was that Shirley couldn't stay like that forever; she had four other children that still needed her. However it was clear to Laurie that Shirley; her mother had basically shut down; her mind still trying to process the latest events.

Rising from her seat beside Shirley, Laurie went two seats down and knelt on the floor next to Tracy who was balling her eyes out; shaking like a leaf. "Tracy, everything's going to be okay." Laurie soothed, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder. Tracy lifted her tear stained face to look at her sister. Those calm looking eyes and the comforting hand was more than little Tracy could stand, so without a word she just flung her small arms around Laurie; not letting go.

Tracy was a young lady, but even so she wasn't a baby. Sighing, Laurie forced herself to pick up her sister; cradling her against her thin chest. Still kneeling on the floor, Laurie shifted a little to get a good look at Keith and Danny. Keith was sweating bullets; eyes shut yet wracked with pain all the same. Danny was white a sheet, obviously scared out of his mind. His quick thinking had been the only thing that had kept Keith from sliding down the isle when Laurie had crashed the bus.

Now what were they going to do? Shirley for all accounts would be no help. Tracy couldn't be left alone and Keith...he was still injured and fading fast and the nearest hospital was still at least thirty five minutes away; and that was driving! Who knows how long it would take to get there on foot!

Inside Laurie was panicking, not really sure what to do. She was half tempted to have just her and Danny carry Keith towards the hospital but that would mean leaving Shirley and little Tracy behind. Something like that would be very traumatic to a young girl like Tracy and Laurie didn't have the heart to do something like that. Driving the bus was out of the question; the front end was smashed and steam was still pouring from under the hood; the smell of boiling coolant filling the air.

Biting her lip, Laurie looked from Tracy, to Danny, to Keith and then to her mother. She had to make a decision; Shirley couldn't make it for her.

"Alright, this is what we are going to do. Danny, you and I are going to carry Keith. Tracy you are coming with us but you will have to keep up. I can't carry both you and Keith. Okay?" Laurie asked.

Even as she felt her sister nod her head, Danny was shaking his head. "Laurie, the hospital is miles away, we'll never make in time!" he exclaimed.

"Danny if there is a chance that Keith'll hold on till we get there then we have to take it. Now I am going to need your help. I can't carry him on my own." Laurie said.

She saw in Danny's eyes that he saw Keith as good as dead but he eventually nodded his head; the agreement to help sealed.

Letting go of Tracy, Laurie rose to her feet, turned around and went back to the front of the bus, opening the door to the outside. Returning to Keith, she knelt down and grabbed his legs while Danny grabbed Keith's shoulders.

On the count of three they lifted their brother in to the air and carried him out of the bus; Tracy guiding their steps until they were outside.

"Okay now...we have to hurry, come on." Laurie said, picking up the pace; forcing Danny to half jog to keep up. "And hope we find a car!" he shot back.

Danny knew that only a passerby would be able to save Keith's life. If they had to make the trek on foot it would take hours if not days to get there and by that time the venom would of already run it's course. Besides, it had been at least fifteen minutes and already Keith was slipping away from them.

"All the more reason to hurry!" Laurie replied.

Tightening her grip on Keith's legs, Laurie trudged on with her sister right beside her. As she walked, Laurie tried to block out the tragic events, not wanting to think about them but that scene with Chris losing his grip on the wood kept playing over and over in her mind; the scream echoing like a gun shot.

Chris sounded so scared and when that scream so abruptly cut off...it was like the ending of a bad 'B' movie.

Laurie didn't realize she had tears running down her face until Tracy pointed them out. Being unable to wipe them away, Laurie just put on a brave face for her sister. Breaking down now wasn't going to happen; it couldn't. Keith and the others were depending on her to see them through; and she would...she had to!

They walked for what seemed like hours; the hot sun beating down on them. Keith had stopped sweating and had gone limp; thankfully he was still breathing but he was very very pale and his skin was cool to the touch.

Even as she continued to walk, Laurie knew that Keith wasn't going to make it. They were taking way too long and he was just slipping away from them. At least he was unconscious and not in pain...or was he?

"Laurie! Laurie look!"

That was Danny. Lifting her eyes back to the road, Laurie saw a middle aged man placing a tire iron back in to his pickup truck. It was one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen; perhaps...just perhaps they had found a ride.

"SIR!" she yelled, hoping to get the man's attention but the man simply began to move towards the driver side door, acting as if he hadn't heard her yell.

"Come on Danny, we have to hurry," Laurie said to her brother, and with renewed energy the three kids began to run towards the truck.

"WAIT MISTER! HELP!" Laurie yelled at the top of her lungs. She saw the man open the driver side door before pausing, turning to look in their direction.

She saw the quizzical look on his face turn to a look of surprise and worry. The man jogged towards them, obviously concerned.

"What happened?" He asked as soon as he had caught up to the kids. "Please you have to help our brother! He's been bitten by a rattlesnake!" Laurie said to the man.

The man took one look at Keith before picking the teen up, putting Keith over his shoulder. "Follow me." he said.

Glad that they had found someone that would help them, Laurie, Danny and Tracy followed the man to his truck. Once there they found out that the man was an off duty firefighter paramedic from LA. Standing side-by-side, the three kids watched the paramedic put Keith in the truck and take a quick set of vitals before setting up a canister of oxygen; hooking up a mask to the canister and placing the mask over Keith's mouth. That was the most he could do because the paramedic had no other equipment with him; no IV's no nothing except the air canister.

"Come on get in, let's go." The paramedic said, ushering the kids in to the bed of the pickup since it was only a two seater to begin with. Danny, Laurie and Tracy needed no further encouragement. Danny jumped up in the bed and helped Tracy up; Laurie following once her two younger siblings were in.

With the three kids secure in back and his patient also secure up front, the paramedic jumped in to the driver seat, fired up his truck and roared off towards the nearest hospital. Time was of the essence; Keith was slipping fast. Even the paramedic was fearing that his patient would die before they reached the hospital.