Chapter 4

After Ducky fell asleep, Jimmy sat staring at Tim for a few minutes. It was so strange to see him like this. It just didn't seem possible for Tim to be in such dire straits. It was like everything in the universe had been skewed to fit this strange set of circumstances...because Tim never got hurt. It wasn't that he was superhuman or anything. It was just that...he didn't get hurt. Now, he was. Not only hurt but possibly in danger of dying if he didn't get help. It was really disconcerting...as if...the fact that Tim could get hurt meant that anyone could get hurt.

Maybe Tim heard his thoughts because started mumbling again. Jimmy hurried over and sat by Tim, hoping to keep him quiet so that he didn't wake up Ducky. He got the rag wet and gently ran it over Tim's face. The fever wasn't dangerously high. Yet. ...but it was enough to give Tim extra discomfort.

"Are you thirsty, Tim?" Jimmy whispered.

Tim gave no coherent response to the question, but if Ducky was right (and he usually was), Tim was probably dehydrated and could use some extra water. They hadn't been able to get him to drink a lot during his previous awakenings. Carefully, Jimmy lifted Tim up and put the water bottle to his lips. If he thought about it too much, this felt really awkward. Tim was as weak and limp as a baby...and almost as helpless. He drank what was given to him and his eyes fluttered open once more. There was no recognition in them when they rested on Jimmy. That was also disconcerting. Very much so. His lips moved, but there was no sound.

"It's okay, Tim," Jimmy said. "You're safe here. ...at least I hope you're safe here. I hope I'm safe...I hope we're all safe. You know what? I just want safety for everyone. That's okay, isn't it?"

He looked at the windows. Anyone could see in here if they were so inclined. He reached over and turned off the flashlight, plunging the entire room into darkness. Tim was still leaning against him. It was so dark that Jimmy couldn't tell if Tim was still staring at him.

"What if they come after you?" he asked, not expecting an answer. "I don't know what I could do to stop them...and they'd be after us, too, since we're helping."

"Follow...me...yeah...flying...so...flying to..."

"Shh," Jimmy said. "Don't want to wake up Dr. Mallard."

For a wonder, Tim fell silent, but he was so limp that Jimmy had to check to make sure he was still alive. His heartbeat was fast, slightly irregular. Out of habit, Jimmy started counting. He couldn't judge the minutes exactly without being able to see his watch, but he was suddenly really worried about whoever had done this to Tim finding them and he didn't want to risk it. So he just relied on his general sense of how long a minute was and started counting Tim's heart rate.

"Over 80 beats per minute," Jimmy whispered. "What about your respiration?"

That was irregular, but he started counting again.

"Maybe 23 breaths per minute?"

No response from Tim...or Ducky.

"With the fever too..." Jimmy said softly. "Tim, you're getting sepsis...if you don't have it already. That's bad. I wish the rain would stop."

Tim stiffened again and mumbled.

"Can't...stop...bad timing...mad...only way..."

Jimmy furrowed his brow. It seemed like Tim knew a lot more about what had happened when his mind was all screwed up than it did when he was semi-coherent. It was just that he wasn't coherent; so he couldn't tell them what was going on. A no-win situation.

"Tim, what were you guys investigating?" Jimmy murmured. "A case? There was a case, right?"

A lot of mumbling, and Jimmy was disappointed. It seemed like there was nothing he was going to get. So much for his great idea...

"Guns...Navy..."

"Did someone steal weapons from the Navy, Tim?" Jimmy asked eagerly.

"Castle with...towers..."

"Huh?"

So much for that.

"Turrets...boom! Boom!"

"Okay...uh...that's great, Tim." Jimmy knew that delusions could take lots of different forms and were rarely consistent...but regardless of what Ducky had said, it was weird having someone he knew like this, especially someone like Tim who seemed so...restrained most of the time. Jimmy hadn't really seen Tim let loose and be goofy very much. Overly enthusiastic? Yes. Angry? Once or twice. Weird and delusional? Not ever.

"Falling...twisting in the air...boom...boom."

A thought struck him. "Is that when you were getting away, Tim? Were they shooting at you?"

"Keep...on the...making through..."

Jimmy sighed and felt around for the wet rag and then tried to see through the windows as he again tried to help Tim feel better. After a few more minutes, the mumbling stopped and Tim was both quiet and limp. Jimmy lowered him back to the floor and got up. Carefully, he crept over to the windows and peeked out into the night. The rain was still pouring down, and there was no sign of any movement out in the woods.

Still...what if they were coming? What if they did come? Jimmy had no idea what to do. It wasn't as though they could run to the car and drive away. It would have been bad enough if it had just been Tim injured like he was...but possible danger from pursuers? What was he supposed to do about that? Ducky hadn't even had any solutions for that kind of situation except to hope that it didn't happen. ...and hope wasn't going to stop bullets.

"That should be an adage," Jimmy said softly. "Maybe it will be some day. I should get the credit for it. Hope doesn't stop bullets."

For the next hour, Jimmy paced back and forth between the front and back windows, pausing in his trek to check on Tim. He'd been in the darkness long enough that he could see the shapes of Ducky and Tim on the floor. He didn't see anything outside. He didn't see any lights on the road. He didn't see any shapes in the darkness out in the forest. Jimmy felt like he was the only person in the world. Alone, abandoned...bereft.

"Mr. Palmer? Why is it so dark in here? Did the batteries die?"

Jimmy paused in his trek.

"No, Dr. Mallard. I turned it off. Didn't want anyone to see in here."

"Any sign of them?" Ducky asked, sounding a little amused.

"No...but that doesn't mean they're not there!"

Jimmy saw Ducky sit up but he couldn't discern any facial features.

"I'm sorry, Jimmy. I suppose I'm doing a little whistling in the dark. I can only hope that we survive the night and that Timothy will as well. There is so little we can plan on, not knowing where we are or what direction we must travel. Hope can help."

Jimmy walked over and crouched in front of Ducky.

"How? How can it help? If someone starts shooting at us, what good will hope do? I just don't get it!"

"In terms of being able to keep them from firing their weapons at us? Perhaps nothing...in fact, probably, there's no way it could help us in the event of someone shooting at us."

"Then, what good is it?"

"The same good that a positive attitude is for those who are struggling against cancer or other illnesses. Why should that make a difference? Who knows, but it does. So I will do my best to keep my hope, to keep my spirits high. The alternative is to despair, and I don't see that it will be of any benefit to us either."

Jimmy laughed a little.

"I'm sorry, Doctor. It's just that...I'm not used to feeling helpless. There's always been something I can do, but here...the car isn't working. Tim is hurt too bad for me to do anything. If any of those guys come after us...I don't know what to do. I've never felt like there was nothing I could do."

"I have," Ducky said softly. "And it's a horrible feeling if you feel that you must be able to do something in order to succeed. Desperation can lead to...terrible results. I learned that lesson long ago and now I try to remember the lesson so that I can avoid repeating those lessons already learned."

"That woman's brother?" Jimmy asked, after hesitating for a moment. He knew that was a painful memory.

"Yes, lad."

"Does everyone have to go through something like that?"

"Not necessarily. The lucky ones do not. In this case, you are not alone, nor friendless. Even if Timothy is unable to help us, we can know that he would were he able."

"I think he's developing sepsis."

Ducky nodded. "Yes, I feared the same. What he needs we cannot give him, but he is far from being in a hopeless state. Can we but last out the night, we will be able to..."

Ducky broke off suddenly.

"Did you hear that, lad?"

Jimmy froze and listened. At first, all he could hear was the rain on the roof.

"No...I..."

A very audible twig snapped.

"Yes."

Ducky sighed.

"I believe that we have reached that point at which hope may not help but it will not hinder. It is unlikely that they will not see and attempt to penetrate this dwelling."

Jimmy looked around at the darkness, defined by the walls of the small cabin.

"There's nowhere to hide."

"That would appear to be the case," Ducky agreed softly. "Which means that we are in desperate straits."

"Meaning?"

"What you think it means, Mr. Palmer," Ducky said didactically. "There are ample examples of it in military history. Here in this country, Custer's Last Stand. In Dutch, there is the verloren hoop or the 'lost heap'. It is often translated as lost hope. The Japanese very famously have the kamikaze attack."

"Um...Dr. Mallard, I'm not big on the idea of a suicide attack. I'd prefer the option of living."

"I wasn't meaning that specifically, Mr. Palmer. I simply mean that we are at our last chance. We must develop some plan in the likely event that we are discovered."

"But..."

Ducky got to his feet. "Mr. Palmer, how good are your acting skills?"

"Not very."

"Very well. Then, I will leave Timothy to your care."

"Huh?"

"We need a distraction, something to attract their attention. What better than someone stuck with a non-functioning vehicle?"

Jimmy leapt to his feet. "But, Dr. Mallard! What if they realize that–?"

"All the more reason for one of us to stay. Your job may be the more difficult, but I have no doubt that you are equal to the task. You are to protect Timothy and keep both of you from being discovered. No matter the cost, even if that cost be me."

"No, Doctor!"

"Yes, lad. This is not something that is up for discussion. You will remain with Timothy. I will go to our car. In the event that I am able to escape suspicion, I will attempt to get help to you. Otherwise, the burden will be on you. For that, I am sorry, but I know that Timothy will be safe with you."

Before Jimmy had time to think of any kind of protest, Ducky strode to the door of the cabin and slipped out almost silently.

Leaving Jimmy alone in the dark.