CHAPTER 10

DAY 13

Saturday

AN: The reviews were down a little Sunday. Maybe people don't read as much fanfiction on the weekends? Maybe M-F posting schedule is better? Leave a review and let me know what you think of the story and the posting schedule.

I woke up Saturday morning to find the clouds had cleared out, and the sun was shining. After three straight days of heavy rain, it was about time. Since the ground was saturated, we trained inside and finished at noon. I'd been looking forward to kayaking again, but Finn had work to do in the garage and was against me going on the lake alone. I was a little stir-crazy, so I decided to get out of the cabin and go on a hike. I could always turn around and come back if it was too muddy. I gathered my backpack with everything I needed and set out.

I went east of the cabin to explore an area I hadn't been to before. I came upon a giant boulder on the bank of the lake and sat down. I thought about my weekly phone call with Hector last night as I ate lunch. He filled me in on things in Trenton and at Rangeman. According to him, it was boring without me. He said Ranger was still out of town, and no one knew when he'd return. After talking with Hector, I called my parents and told them all about my training and how beautiful it was here. I didn't get to talk to Grandma because she was at a viewing. I got off the phone feeling more homesick than ever.

I finished my lunch and headed further into the forest. I had my phone and the compass, so I wasn't worried about getting lost. Staying out of the mud, however, was my most pressing issue. I was about to turn back when I heard an unusual noise ahead. It sounded like… bleating? Was that Billy?

Whatever it was sounded like it was in distress. I made my way toward the sound, sliding in the mud as I walked. I heard flowing water, and once I broke through the trees, I saw a creek overflowing its banks from all the rain we'd had. The bleating sound came again, and that's when I spotted Billy, but I didn't see Judy anywhere. I figured that was why he was crying. He was lost. Unfortunately, he was on the other side of the creek. Was he stuck in the mud? No, his hooves moved as he stomped around, and his bleating became more insistent.

"I'm coming," I called out. Billy quietened as if he understood help was on the way.

It was the end of March, and the water was cold, so I walked along the bank, searching for a shallow spot to cross. I sat my backpack by a tree and sucked in a breath as I waded into the creek, soaking my boots and socks. The water deepened after a couple more steps. I froze as my jeans got wet up to midcalf. Turning into an icicle wasn't my idea of fun, so I got a move on. I was almost to the other side when I saw movement from the corner of my eye. It was Judy. She was submerged in mud up to her neck. It looked like the mud had slid down the hill and covered her. She was practically buried. I never would have seen her if Billy hadn't gotten my attention.

Her head hung down, and I was afraid she was dead. Then she jerked, struggling to get free, and let out a cry that sounded like a rusty hinge creaking open and closed. I startled, and I almost lost my footing. My heart was racing, and I knew hers had to be, too. I didn't know how long she'd been buried or if she was injured. I had to do something. I looked around for help, but there was only me.

I moved closer, and my feet sank into the mud up to my knees. I hesitantly reached out, afraid she would bite me even though I was trying to help. She lowered her nose until it almost touched the mud to let me know she wasn't a threat. I rubbed her head. "It's going to be okay. I know you're tired and cold, but I'm going to get you out of there." I tried pulling her by the neck but wasn't strong enough. Every time I made a little progress, the suction pulled her back down. It was no use. She was well and truly stuck. I needed help. "I'll be back," I told them. "I promise."

As I hurried back across the creek, my foot got mired in the muddy bottom, and I fell over, landing in the water with a loud splash. I sucked in a breath as cold water soaked my clothes. I quickly got to my feet before my body went numb. On the plus side… my impromptu swim washed most of the mud off of me.

When I reached the other side, I pulled my phone out of my backpack and called Finn. After ringing five times, it went to voicemail. "Damn it." The same thing happened when I tried calling again. There was no time to waste. "I'm going get help," I yelled to Judy.

I was at least a mile from the cabin. I ran across the uneven terrain as fast as I could. It was impossible to avoid sliding in the mud. I almost fell on my ass several times. Finn was in the backyard with the 4-wheeler running. No wonder he didn't hear his phone. And where did the 4-wheeler come from? It must have been in the garage. Maggie spotted me first and ran over, but I didn't stop until I was right in front of Finn. He had a panicked look on his face and turned off the engine. I couldn't speak. I bent over, breathing hard.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Judy's stuck in the mud." I huffed and puffed before drawing in another gulp of air. "I'm afraid Billy will get stuck, too. You have to come with me."

Finn frowned in confusion. "Billy? Judy?"

"At the creek." I pointed back the way I came. "The deer is stuck in the mud. I don't know how long she's been there, but I think she's hurt."

He nodded, and I could see he was taking me seriously, yet he remained calm. "How bad is she stuck?"

"Her head is sticking out of the mud, but the rest is covered."

"You're shivering. Get into dry clothes while I gather what we need."

I didn't feel the cold until he mentioned it. "There's no point in changing. I'll just get wet and muddy again."

He looked like he wanted to argue but decided against it. "We'll need something to wedge under her for leverage." He pointed to the pile of leftover lumber from building the obstacle course. "Pull out one of the larger boards. I'll put Maggie in the house and be back."

I dropped my backpack on the ground and looked through the wood. I found a 2 feet x 4 feet piece of plywood I thought would work, carried it over to the 4-wheeler, and turned around to find Finn running toward me. He was wearing rubber rain boots that came to his knees. He carried a plastic grocery bag, two rolls of rope, and a flannel shirt.

I had my arms around my stomach, shivering in my long sleeve t-shirt and wet jeans. "Here, put this on." He bundled me into his oversized flannel shirt, muttering something about not having enough sense to change into dry clothes.

"Thank you." I bit back a smile as our eyes met, and he quickly looked away.

He handed the ropes and grocery bag to me. "Put these in your backpack."

I followed directions but was curious. "What's in the plastic bag?"

"Tomatoes and carrots for your friends. They'll be hungry." His consideration was touching.

He approved my choice of lumber and held it under his arm while he got on the 4-wheeler. I got on behind him, hugging his waist with one hand and helping hold the lumber with the other as we took off. The wind on my wet clothes made me even colder, so I ducked my face against his back for warmth. When we got close, I straightened and pointed at the mudslide on the other side of the creek. "There they are! Right there!"

Finn turned off the 4-wheeler, and we looked across the water to see that Judy's head was hanging as if she was too tired to move, and Billy was having a fit. The little guy was bleating and stomping his hooves, something awful. He had to be so scared for his mom.

Finn let me dismount first, then repositioned the piece of lumber in his hand for a better hold after he dismounted. "Bring the rope and the food," he said as he waded into the creek. "Damn! That's cold!"

My feet were so frozen I barely felt the cold water. Our shoes sunk into the mud and made sucking sounds with each step. As we got closer, Judy began struggling with what little strength she had left. It was pitiful to watch.

Finn made soothing sounds to calm her. "Shhh. Don't worry, girl. I won't hurt you." She quietened and let him touch her head.

"How are we going to get her out?" I asked.

"A little trial and error and a lot of luck. Hand me one of the ropes." I did as he asked and watched him lean over the doe's back, sticking his hand into the mud to thread the rope under her belly and out the other side. She was scared and uncertain about what was happening and let out a sound that was a cross between a growl and a moo. He tied the two ends of the rope together. "Use the other rope and do what I did, but closer to her hindquarters."

I didn't worry about Judy kicking me since her legs were stuck. I got behind her, literally hugging her rear end, and slipped my hands into the mud near her back legs. My arms stretched so far underneath her that the side of my face rested in the mud, and my arms were submerged to my shoulders. I pulled the rope out the other side and tied it. "Now what?"

"Make sure the knot is tight, and then we'll pull at the same time. If that doesn't work, I'll drive the 4-wheeler across the creek, but that's plan B." I gave the rope another tug while he brought the board closer to the deer. "We'll slide this underneath her as we pull her out to keep her from getting sucked back down."

We braced our legs for leverage and started pulling. We gave it everything we had, and at first, nothing happened, but then Judy's head began to rise. Finn made more progress on his end because he was stronger than me. Doubling my effort, I dug my feet in and pulled harder. "I can't get my end up."

"Here. Let's trade." He handed me his rope and took mine.

The mud made a sucking sound as Judy was lifted higher. We almost had her whole stomach out when the knot I'd tied gave way, and Finn fell backward into the water. I had to bite the inside of my jaw to keep from laughing at the shocked expression on his face.

He took my offered hand. "Are you okay?" I asked when he was on his feet.

"Fine," he grumbled. I thought he would be an ass about the whole thing, but he smiled and shook his head. I threaded the rope under Judy's rear end again, and this time I tied the knot twice, making sure to yank extra hard. I certainly didn't want to end up on my ass in the water. He pulled on the front rope again, and we lifted her quite a bit. "Here. Give me your rope." He pulled both ropes at the same time. "Now, slide the board under her so she doesn't get sucked back under."

After a few minutes of tugging and pushing, she was entirely out of the mud and lying on the board, breathing hard. Billy touched his nose to hers, and she attempted to get up unsuccessfully. "Do you think something's broken?" I asked, worried.

He ran his hands up and down her legs. "I don't think so. I just think she's worn out."

I breathed a sigh of relief, and we backed away, giving her space to get up in her own time. She lumbered to her feet, took a few staggering steps, and almost fell over. She became sturdier after a few more steps.

"I'm going to put the food out." I laid the carrots and tomatoes on the ground, watching worriedly as Billy and Judy nibbled.

"There's nothing more we can do," Finn said.

I looked down at my arms and legs, covered in mud, and then at Finn. He was in worse shape than me. I started laughing. I don't know what I'd expected when I asked him to help rescue Judy. I wasn't even sure he'd agree, but he was filthy and wet and not complaining. Somehow Ranger always came out of our escapades clean as a whistle. I guess Finn wasn't so lucky.

I cupped my hands in the cold water and rinsed off most of the mud. Finn did the same. Before we crossed the creek to head for home, I stopped one last time to look back at the animals.

"They'll be fine," he assured me.

Back at the cabin, Finn sprayed the mud off the 4-wheeler. Our brief rinse in the creek helped, but we were still muddy. "Just spray me off, too," I said, not wanting to track mud into the cabin.

After giving me a quick spray to get the bulk of mud off me, he said, "Go on in and take a shower. I'll finish cleaning up out here."

Wet from head to toe, I was shivering and in no shape to argue. I went around to the front porch and took my shoes off before entering to avoid messing up the floors. Maggie wagged her tail, happy to see me, and looked behind me for Finn. "He'll be in soon," I told her.

I went straight to the laundry room, stripped down, and stuffed my clothes in the washer. I would wait to start it until Finn added his muddy clothes and wash them at the same time.

I stayed in the hot shower longer than I should have, but when I was done, I was toasty warm. Dressed in a t-shirt, yoga pants, and hoodie, I went into the living area. I didn't find him, so I stepped out on the deck to see if he was in the yard. It was later than I thought and too dark to see clearly. There was no sign of him out front, either. I went back to the kitchen and opened the lid on the crock pot, nearly swooning at the wonderful aroma. I'd worked up an appetite today, and this beef stew would hit the spot. Finn would probably want a salad, so I got busy cleaning and slicing the vegetables.

His hair was wet when he came into the kitchen, and he was freshly scrubbed. He was also wearing different clothes. "I showered downstairs," he said as an explanation.

"What did you do with your dirty clothes?"

"Left them in the bathroom. I'll deal with them later."

I reached under the sink and got a garbage bag. "I'd better get them and throw them in the washer with mine before the mud dries. It's the least I can do for all your help today."

After I brought his dirty clothes upstairs and turned on the washer, Finn had dinner ready. We ate together on the deck with Maggie. We left off the exterior lights because we didn't want to attract mosquitos. Still, enough light shone through the glass doors to illuminate the table and most of the deck, leaving the rest of the world shrouded in darkness. Looking out over the lake, I thought about the day and decided it had been a good one. It was just plain luck that I'd walked in that direction. If I hadn't, Judy would have died. And I didn't want to think about what would have happened to Billy without his mother.

"Do you want to go into town with me in the morning?" Finn asked.

My fork stopped halfway to my mouth. I wasn't ready to set foot inside a grocery store, nor was I ready to tell him why I didn't want to go with him. "I'd like to stay here if that's okay."

He frowned. He was offering an olive branch, and my refusal confused him, but he didn't push for an explanation. "Do you need anything?"

"Since a chocolate cake is out of the question, I guess I'm good," I said.

We finished our meals at the same time and sat back, bellies full. Far too soon, Finn got up and collected our dishes. I sighed, realizing I wouldn't get to relax after all. Cleanup was part of my duties.

I quickly sat forward, ready to take the dishes from him. "Stay," he said and carried everything inside.

"Just leave them on the counter," I yelled. "I'll clean up the kitchen before I go to bed." I thought he was calling it a night or going to the garage, so I was surprised to hear him come back outside carrying two bottles of beer. He handed one to me and sat back down. "Thanks. I didn't think I was allowed to drink alcohol during training."

"One won't hurt. And we deserve it after the day we had."

I took a long pull of my beer. "Do you think Billy and Judy will be okay?"

Even though he was in profile, I could see he was smiling. "How many forest animals have you named?"

"Only two." I laughed. "Now answer the question."

"I'm sure they're fine. She wasn't hurt."

I was still worried. "I'll head back out there tomorrow to make sure."

"That's probably a good idea."

"I'd like to go kayaking again."

"We can go tomorrow. I won't even make you fish for your super."

I snorted. Who knew he had a sense of humor?

"I just thought of something. When you go into town in the morning, could you get extra tomatoes, apples, and pears? I'll pay you, of course." One of his eyebrows rose in question. "It's for the deer. I want to make sure they have enough to eat."

He nodded, and neither of us said anything for a while, both content to sit in the moonlight.

"It's beautiful out here. I can see why you chose this place."

Several minutes passed before he spoke. His tone was contemplative, and his words were not meant for me to understand. "In many ways, this place chose me."

The sadness coming from him was almost tangible. There was a story there, but I let the statement hang in the air since we were mere acquaintances instead of actual friends. My eyes were getting heavy, and I yawned. I wanted to crawl under my blanket and let sleep take me away, but I still needed to clean the kitchen and transfer our clothes from the washer to the dryer. Ten minutes passed, or maybe more, and I still didn't move. I should probably get on that.