Chapter 13

Shatner coughed up some water, his mind was groggy and he didn't know where he was. He moved a little bit. Damn, he fell asleep. Why would he do that? He was wet, he was soaking wet! He tried to awake, coughing up even more water; it tasted salty. His glasses were still on his head, which was good.

He was floating, he was floating! Oh my! He tried to move. His mind was racing, and he still couldn't think straight. Was that a shore? Was he near the shore? Where was everyone? His mind was racing.

Off in the distance, he could hear someone yelling something. He couldn't make out what was being said. He tried to move. He was soar as HELL! All their damn traveling.

Nate stood over him. Nate grabbed Shatner by the collar and shook him. Nate was yelling something, but it could not be heard. He was tugging Shatner by the collar, and Shatner could feel waves, and then…. Sand…. Sand beneath his feat. Then, like some sort of terrible shell shock, he came to, suddenly.

"Let's Go, let's Go!" yelled Nate, "Up the beach, let's move IT!"

'Wha?" was all Shatner was able to say, but as he tried to get up the force of Nate dragging him kept him down.

Shatner decided to try and help by pushing with his legs, especially when he began sliding on sand, and the waves were splashing up against him. Risking a look around, Shatner covered his eyes and tried to spot everyone.

Charles carried a backpack on his back, and he dragged two others through the sand, keeping his head low and almost running across the beach. Iawn fired at some unknown enemy, yelling different random commands to no one in particular. Leo was lying on the beach, he seemed to be dazed, or severely injured.

"What?" asked Shatner, then he grasped around, finding his rifle and weapons and backpack all with him, and then he tried harder to stand, "What happened? Where are we? Are we under attack?"

Pandora rushed up next to Nate, and grabbed hold of Shatner and helped pull him up.

"How is he?" asked Pandora.

"He seems to be responsive," said Nate, "We need to find out what happened to the others. Is that Leonard kid alright?"

"I Don't know, I can't find fecku," answered Pandora.

"Who?" asked Nate.

"Kevin! I can't find Kevin!" answered Pandora again.

"Dammit, we need to find him, we can't lose him!" yelled Nate.

Shatner had enough, and as soon as Pandora let go, Shatner made a fist, pulled back, and hauled off, catching Nate right in the side of the face. Nate wheeled back, giving Shatner enough time to stand and look around, raising his rifle, trying to figure out what was up. Nate held his hand to his mouth, checking for blood.

"What… the HELL man," said Nate, "After I saved your life and all…"

After examining the area, Shatner lowered his weapon, and total confusion took over. They were on an empty beach. Charles had collapses with the baggage he had, and slowly walked back for more. Pandora knelt over Leo, who was beginning to come to. Iawn reloaded his rifle, but besides the shots he had been firing Shatner could not hear or see any return fire.

"What… is going ON HERE?" yelled Shatner, looking around, "Iawn, stop firing that stupid GUN!"

"Well…" said Nate, he pointed to a sign not far away that read "Normandy" in English, and he smiled and answered, "it appears we just had D-Day."

Morning light filled the sky, and even a slight fog began to set in. Shatner looked around, and his head began to come back together.

"What… how… where the hell is the boat?" Asked Shatner.

"Ah… yes… well," answered Nate, "You see…"

"Oh my God!" exclaimed Shatner, watching as the tired, worn body of Kevin rose from the sea, and it gasped for breath.

"Oh…" said Nate to himself, "There he is… not dead…"

"The… LAND," yelled Kevin, "The…. Sand and the water and the rock and…. LAND!"

Shatner and Nate stumbled back down the beach, into the water to help Kevin out. Kevin seemed dizzy, disoriented. They began helping him up the beach.

"Where's…. where's the boat?" asked Kevin, then he began to get angry, "Where's the boat, guys. Where's my father's f***ing boat!"

"Yes, well… there's a thing," said Nate, "Your boat is… no longer… with us."

Looking around, Shatner realized pieces of red, painted wood were floating in the water, and when he turned around, he noticed what was left of the boat was perfectly perched on a very large rock.

"You," said Kevin, and he lunged himself at Nate, "You… bastard…. You… UGH!"

Shatner tried to hold him back, and Nate took a step back with his hands held high, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"How… could you…. You BASTERD!" yelled Kevin, almost kicking and screaming, "That boat was my fathers! What am I supposed to do now, what am I supposed to do NOW?"

Nate sighed, and shook his head from side to side. He looked around, and noticed his Fedora washing up on the shore. He was sure to grab it and replace it on his head, smiling. Then he sighed, his smile fading, and he turned to whatever else needed to be done.

Shatner brought Kevin farther up the beach, and an old Bench sat there, and Kevin and himself sat on the bench. Kevin began to tear up, and lightly, tears began crawling down his cheek.

"What am I supposed to do now?" asked Kevin, "I can't return home. And If I could, how can I face my father? I lost his boat, I lost his boat…"

"No you didn't," said Pandora, arriving with Leo under his arm, "It's right over there."

Kevin followed Pandora's pointed hand right towards the boat, and he almost died all over again.

"What the… WHY! Why… Why?" asked Kevin.

"I have no idea," said Shatner, "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault… I should have known, I should have never…"

"Yeah," said Kevin, getting really upset, "This is terrible, this is absolutely terrible!"

Iawn and Charles came over, with several things they had collected from the crash. Nate wasn't far behind, but was a little hesitant on rejoining the group. Kevin spotted him, and pointed angrily, but didn't rise from the bench.

Nate seemed to wince, especially when all the gazes of the others turned to him, and he stood awkwardly, soaking wet.

"Why?" asked Kevin, in a broken voice, "How… could you?"

"I left you alone for a minute," said Shatner.

"I… I don't know how to explain it," said Nate, looking ashamed, "I just… it was…"

"How could you?" said Shatner, "I mean… falling asleep at the wheel?"

Nate's face froze, and he looked shocked. Then he let out a sigh, almost a laugh, before continuing.

"Asleep… fell asleep," said Nate, then he got more serious at the death glare from Shatner and said, "I Do not know how to ask for forgiveness… I mean… I was just irresponsible."

"Damn right," said Shatner, "What if someone had gotten killed?"

"I would never have forgiven myself," said Nate.

"You… destroyed my father's boat," said Kevin.

"I'm sorry, won't happen again," said Nate.

"Damn RIGHT it won't," yelled Kevin, getting almost hysterical, "It's a little hard to sink it again when it's at the bottom of the bloody ocean, now idn'tit? I mean, you couldn't raise it from the grave and resink it now could you?"

"Oh, you'd be surprised," said Shatner.

"I would," said Pandora, "But at least we all came out OK again."

"Third time's the charm," mumbled Shatner.

"How am I going to get home?" asked Kevin, "How am I going to explain this to my dad if I do?"

"We'll… get you another one," answered Nate.

"Another boat?" said Shatner.

"Anther one…" said Kevin, almost dreamlike.

"A… bigger one," said Nate.

"A BIGGER one?" asked Shatner, in complete shock of what Nate was saying.

"Where are we going to find another boat?" asked Pandora, sounding a little edgy himself.

"I'm sure we could find a battleship," said Charles from where he knelt, "My dad was in the Royal Navy."

"We could get an OIL TANKER," suggested Iawn, "That's really big."

"Or a cargo carrier," mumbled Leo, "Those are big, and might have some helpful items… like illegal immigrants!"

"Or, just another big boat," said Nate, "A fishing boat…"

"Two," said Kevin, suddenly.

Nate jumped, but he shook his head and nodded, "Ok… we can find two… we can find a whole fleet when we reach the Mediterranean."

"And I want a reward," said Kevin, "I want supplies… I want tools… I need things to bring back to Whales. Helpful things. Anything. I want you to help gather them and fill the two boats."

Nate began to nod slightly, and he looked to Shatner and everyone, "We willing to be heroes again?"

"We'll help you," said Shatner, "But remember, we need to get to Africa, we're not backtracking."

"Africa?" said Nate, "Africa isn't going anywhere… we don't need to-"

"Oh, hell no!" yelled Shatner, standing, "During the course of this whole trip, I have been shot at, I've been walked, I MIGHT be radiation poisoned, I've crashed in a plane, I've been walked more, I've been ambushed by devil children, I've eaten rotten fast food that might have poisoned me AGAIN, I've been ambushed again, I've been celebrated, and I've almost DROWNED and STRANGLED you after almost being drowned, stabbed, strangled, or beaten to death by the ocean. I am NOT going to give up on this f***in' trip NOW! How can I? I mean…"

Shatner stopped for a second, and Nate through his hand up in an effort to stop him, yelling "Don't say it!". But he was too late.

"This whole trip, couldn't GET any worse," said Shatner, "And after all we've been through, There's no WAY I'm turning back. Just… no WAY!"

Nate seemed to cringe, and looked around, awaiting rain or something. Shatner rolled his eyes, and he shook his head.

"Ok, I understand," said Kevin, and he scowled once more, "I guess now I'm on this silly little adventure."

"Alright," said Shatner, standing up and facing everyone as a group, "Welcome to France, everyone. Now, All we need to do is cross France without ANY trouble, and make it to the Mediterranean. Now, we don't have any known connections for the WWBC from France itself. So… We don't know what's out there besides the fact that it did get hit at some point and a lot of fighting and bombs were dropped here."

"Because France is just a big frickin' target for the world to shoot at," said Nate, almost smiling.

Shatner shot him a glare, before continuing, "Anyway, let's be very careful. This is not England, and this is definitely not Whales. We don't know what's out there, or WHO'S out there, if anyone. Let's be very careful about anywhere where it looks like radiation has become a problem and let's get through this as quick as possible."

"Maybe we should get a car," said Charles.

"Or a Truck," added Leo.

"Or a TANK!" said Iawn.

"Oh…" said Nate, smiling and thinking a little.

"No, no tank!" said Shatner, then he thought a moment and said, "We should keep our eyes out for a working vehicle. I want to spend as little time as possible in this country so let's find a way to get THROUGH it."

"Good," said Nate, "So let's make our way to the nearest town and get out of here. When we reach the Med., we'll get Kevin his boats and supplies and make our way to North Africa."

"Ok," said Iawn, "And shoot any Frog we see along the WAY!"

"Yeah!" came a chorus from the three Brits and Kevin. Pandora and Shatner seemed a bit confused, but Nate smiled, and pretended to cry a little.

"I am so proud of them," said Nate.