Switchback

by Danika Stone

  He moaned and his eyelids fluttered.

  “Sorry. I don’t have a sling, Ash,” she said. Vale frowned down at him, then reached for the two backpacks. From Ash’s she pulled out his bandanna, but it was far too small to work as a sling. He had a long-sleeved shirt there too, but Vale had no scissors to cut it with. She set it aside. Vale turned to her pack. She grabbed the first aid kit and laid out the contents. “Tape! That’ll work!” She took a long loop of the tape, moved it around his neck, and wrapped it securely around his wrist. It was a simple tether, but it prevented his arm from flopping. “That’ll keep it in place for now.”

  Happy with her progress, Vale checked the water again and found it bubbling. Bandanna in hand, she soaked the fabric in the boiling water and carefully washed away the worst of the soil and blood from Ash’s face. The skin underneath it was bloody and raw. Vale’s stomach tightened, the uneasy feeling of being completely out of her depth returning. She dried the skin with Ash’s spare shirt—the cleanest material she had—then opened up the antibiotic ointment and spread it across the side of his face. She picked up the gauze pads and compared the size. They were far too small to cover the abrasions. And even if she used all of them, there would be a large patch of exposed skin left over. The bandanna was soaking wet. Frowning, Vale stared at the contents of the pack. Got to think outside the box.

  Her gaze drifted from one thing to another, and then—

  “The pads!” Inspired, Vale unwrapped the first of the three menstrual pads that she had brought with her. She held one up to Ash’s face. “Perfect size!” She lowered the pad down to the broken skin—happily seeing that it covered everything from temple to cheek—then taped it securely in place. Vale giggled to herself. Ash looked like the Phantom of the Opera. “When you’re roughing it, you’ve got to use what you’ve got to use.”

  Vale sat back on her heels and flinched as her ankle throbbed. Busy with Ash’s injuries, she’d almost forgotten it. Her gaze returned to his face. That was as much as she could do for his wounds for now. She’d need to talk to him to figure out where else he was hurt. Vale leaned over him.

  “Ash? You awake yet?”

  He didn’t answer, but somewhere beyond the firelight, a branch broke. Vale jerked around. The woods were dark, but the sense that something was there in the shadows stayed with her. Worried, Vale tossed wood onto the flames until the campfire danced with light.

  Another branch broke, and Ash moaned in his sleep. Vale glanced nervously around the safe perimeter of firelight. This place had water, food, and wood, but it was not a secure campsite. The watering hole drew animals from the entire valley.

  “I’ve got to get you into the shelter,” she said. “I’ll stay up and keep watch.”

  As carefully as she could, Vale caught hold of Ash’s belt loop and the front of his shirt and dragged him into the lean-to. He groaned but didn’t wake. She crawled back out again, grabbed his coat and laid it on top of him. Ash’s face was sweat sheened, and he’d begun to shiver. The anxious feeling that had started with the sound in the woods grew until it filled her chest.

  This is bad. Really bad.

  She tucked Ash’s coat around him, then unzipped her own and added it on top. On that, she placed the emergency blanket. His teeth were chattering so violently that Vale went outside and pulled several pine boughs from the wood pile and laid them over his legs. The needles weren’t much for insulation, but it would have to do.

  Clad only in her T-shirt, jeans, and boots, Vale crouched by the fire, shivering as the night grew cold. The forest was indifferently silent, the animal that had frightened her now gone. Vale glanced toward the shelter where Ash slept. He should have woken up by now. A wave of frustration rose inside her, and tears blurred her vision. She rubbed them angrily away. There was nothing she could do. Not anymore.

  As the moon rose, Vale checked a jagged stump of wood for ants (there were none) and then tossed it into the fire. It would last, she knew, for many hours. Vale shivered. Need to get some sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.

  If a bear came, it came. For now, she needed rest.

  Vale crawled inside and lay down under the two coats at Ash’s side, staring across the jackets at his ravaged face. This wasn’t like it had been when they were in school together—talking and joking—this was time to analyze, to consider what needed to be done. Ash was hurt. He might die. And there was nothing Vale could do about it except keep going.

  I’ll figure out how to save us both tomorrow.

  * * *

  Ash awoke someplace dark and quiet. Confused, he tried to move, then fell back as a wave of agonizing pain caught him completely off guard. His shoulder felt like fire, his chest caught in a vise. He lay still, fighting for each breath. When he was motionless, the myriad agonies inflicted on his body receded into the background. Staying still was the key.

  Not dead, then, he thought. Well, that’s good.

  Ash breathed in shallow pants. He was chilled and damp, his body racked by shivers. When his pain faded enough that he could manage, his lashes fluttered open and he struggled to focus. The room where he lay was completely dark, the air icy. Somewhere—in the distance—he could hear wood snapping. Where am I? No one answered.

  Ash’s thoughts were slippery. He couldn’t remember what turn of events had brought him to whatever place this was, but it felt bad, and he didn’t know why. Confused, he forced the memories into order, pulling them back like a tangled thread. He could remember the mountain and something about a Builder Craft hammer. He could remember his sneakers slipping on the foothold and him falling … but little else. Even thinking about that left him exhausted, and he let his eyelids droop closed once more. Think about it later. So tired …

  When he woke again, there was a flicker of light in the darkness. The air had grown warm. He squinted in confusion. A short distance away from a rough half-circle doorway, a cheerful fire burned, casting its warm golden glow on Ash’s body. He lifted his head, then hissed in pain. He lay inside a homemade shelter, a bed of pine needles softening the hard ground under him, two jackets over his chest and more pine boughs over his feet. He twisted his neck, searching the shadows.

  “V-Vale?” he said.

  A shadow blocked the open side of the shelter. “Ash? Did you say something?”

  “Y-yeah.”

  “Oh thank God you’re awake.” He couldn’t see her face, but he could hear the relief in her voice. “I was getting worried. You’re hurt … bad.”

  “You should see the other guy.” He tried to laugh, but a stab of pain shot through him and it came out as a yelp.

  “Try not to talk too much,” Vale said. “I’m pretty sure you’ve got broken ribs.”

  “Er … yeah.”

  The shadow in the doorway grew in size. Vale crawled up next to Ash, frowning down on him. She wasn’t wearing a coat anymore, and her cheeks were bright pink like she’d been running. “I wrapped your ribs as best I could while you were passed out,” she said. “But let me know if I did it up too tight.”

  “It’s fine.” Ash coughed and tears filled his eyes. Now that he was awake, the full effects of the damage had returned to his awareness. Even his throat hurt. “Thirsty.”

  “Hold on,” Vale said. “I’ll get you something to drink.”

  She left the shelter, and Ash’s head tipped to the side, watching her go. Details from yesterday returned. He’d made it back to camp, but it had changed in the hours he’d been away. For one, this shelter was bigger than the one that had been knocked down the night before—perhaps twice the size. There was room for someone to sit up and move around. Plenty of room to stretch out. For another, the fire was far closer to the entrance. Heat bounced down on Ash, warming him. He was unpleasantly hot, and he shoved the jacket down with his good arm.

  She fixed the camp while I was gone, he thought. Guilt crept through him. Should have told her where I was going before I left. He closed his eyes, fighting down the urge to cry. Tea
rs weren’t going to change anything.

  He was interrupted by the sound of Vale returning. She climbed into the shelter, and a warm scent rose alongside her. Ash’s stomach growled. Vale leaned closer. She had her water canteen in hand, but the liquid it held was a deep red, something bobbing on its surface.

  “Wh-what is that?”

  “Chokecherry soup,” she said, then laughed. “I’m going to warn you, though: It’s bitter. And I don’t have anything else to offer. But it’s better than water for filling your stomach.”

  “Chokecherry?”

  “It’s not as bad as it sounds,” Vale said as she scooted nearer. “Just lie where you are. I’ll hold it to your lips. It’s not very sweet, but it’ll fill you up.”

  Ash nodded, and Vale brought the metal canister to his lips. The scent of berries—sharp and tangy—hit him, and he could barely stop from slurping as the first bit of liquid reached his tongue.

  “Slow down,” Vale said. “Just go slow. All right?”

  The soup was little more than crushed berries and water, heated over the fire, but to Ash it was the best thing he’d ever tasted. The liquid was bittersweet—like unsweetened cranberry juice. He drank greedily. Vale pulled the jacket back over him and tucked it in the way his mother had done when he was little. He was too busy drinking to complain.

  Vale cradled the canteen until he paused for breath. “How’s that?” she asked.

  “Good.”

  “Ready for more?”

  Ash nodded, and little by little, he drank the rest of the chokecherry soup. His stomach was full for the first time in days. He was warm. And though the pain was there, it no longer drew all his attention at once. Vale lifted the water bottle away from his lips and wiped a stray dribble with the sleeve of her shirt.

  “I’m going to stoke up the fire again,” she said. “It’s still a long time till morning. You sleep.”

  Ash sighed rather than answer.

  When he woke again, Vale was inside the shelter, crawling around him. She lifted the side of the two coats and slid in beside him.

  Ash turned. “Vale?”

  “Sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “Oh, well … that’s good, then.” Vale lay down next to him, her face blending into the shadows. For a long time she lay in silence.

  “Thank you,” Ash whispered. He reached out for her with his left hand, groping blindly in the dark. “For helping me tonight. I mean it.”

  Under the coat, Vale’s hand found his and squeezed his fingers once before letting go. “No problem, Ash. That’s what friends are for. Right?”

  “Right.” Ash took a shaky breath. His throat ached, and unshed tears burned his eyes. There was so much more he needed to say to her. “Vale, I—”

  “Shhh … It’s late, Ash,” she said. “We need to sleep. We can talk more in the morning.”

  “All right.” Ash felt her move up against him, and he closed his eyes. “’Night, Vale,” he whispered.

  “G’night, Ash.”

  And in the shelter, the two friends slept.

  * * *

  Vale jerked awake as something bumped into her back. The transition from slumber to panicked alertness was immediate, and her arms pinwheeled in terror. One fist smacked down on something large and warm.

  “Ouch! Vale! Watch it!” Ash yelped.

  She sat up, struggling to orient herself. “Wh-what happened?”

  Vale squinted through the shelter. In the watery predawn light, little had changed. Outside it, the fire burned steadily. The forest around them was silent.

  “I … I tried to get up.” Ash coughed, then winced at his ribs. “It didn’t work.”

  “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

  “I wanted to do it myself.”

  Vale ran a hand through messy hair, pushing it off her face. Now that she was awake, the need to leave the valley was present once more. “Why?”

  “’Cause I thought I could do it.”

  “Ash, your collarbone is busted. And from what I could see last night, I think your shoulder was dislocated too. You’ve got to take it easy, or you’re going to make it worse.”

  “I know that—I just—I didn’t want to ask you to—” Ash groaned.

  Vale’s eyes widened. That sounded like pain, and that scared her. “Seriously—what’s going on?”

  “I need to GO, okay?! And I didn’t really feel like asking for help.”

  Vale went from indignation to sheer horror in less than a second. He needs to pee, obviously! “Oh God,” she gasped. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry, I—”

  “Stop talking and help me! I think I’m going to wet my pants.”

  Vale crawled around him, appearing on his other side. She pushed the coats away, and Ash shivered. “I’ll help you sit up. Ready?”

  Ash nodded.

  “On the count of three,” Vale said, sliding her arms under his armpits. “One … Two … THREE!”

  Ash yelped as she pulled him into a sitting position. “I need—to get—outside,” he said. “Please. I—I can’t hold it anymore.” He crawled one-handed from the shelter. It was still relatively dim in the valley, though a faint smudge of pink marked the clouds along the eastern horizon. Dawn was on its way.

  Vale scrambled out after him. “Just wait a sec!” She caught hold of him under his arms. “Get your legs under you, Ash,” she ordered. “I’m going to help you stand up.”

  “On three?” he asked as he got his feet in position.

  “Uh-huh. Three.” Vale’s grip tightened. “One … two … three!”

  Ash choked back a scream as she pulled him to his feet.

  “Did I hurt you?” she asked. Ash’s face was grayish under his tan, beads of sweat on his forehead. “I’m sorry, Ash. I tried to be careful, but—”

  “Gotta go.” Ash took a step and wobbled, but Vale caught him before he fell.

  “C’mon,” she said. “I’ll walk you. Let’s move a little bit into the trees.” Her voice dropped. “But not too far.”

  “Fine. Just hurry.”

  Ash staggered away from the shelter, Vale tucked under his side. She helped him go as far as she dared, then pulled him to a stop. Ash yelped like a dog who’d been kicked.

  “No farther,” she said. “Here is fine.”

  “But I need to pee.”

  “There’s a bear in the valley,” she said.

  “A bear?!”

  “Yes, and I had a run-in with him yesterday. I don’t want to risk another one.”

  “Fricking crazy!”

  “Yeah. Tell me about it.” Vale stepped away from him. “You good from here?” She stepped back, but didn’t leave. The last thing I need is him falling down again!

  “I, um…” Ash tried to undo his jeans with his left hand, but his scabbed and nail-less fingers wouldn’t work right. “Ugh!”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” He jerked angrily at the button of his jeans. It didn’t budge. “Come ON!”

  “Seriously. What’s the problem, Ash?”

  “I—I…” He let out a high-pitched laugh. “I ripped off a couple nails. I can’t undo my jeans.”

  There was a long pause. “Are you kidding me?”

  Ash glared at her over his shoulder. “Do I look like I’m kidding?”

  “No…?”

  “I know this is awkward, but I really need to pee!”

  “Right.” Vale’s cheeks burned bright red. Awkward doesn’t even come close to this! She cleared her throat. “I can undo the button and zipper for you. But you have to do the rest.”

  He nodded grimly. “Fine. Do it.”

  Vale stepped closer, her voice wavering with panic. “You’d better never tell anyone about this,” she growled. “Promise?”

  “Got it.”

  “Seriously, Ash. You breathe a word and it’s Friends Off.” She shook her head. My God, what’ll Mike do if he hears?

  �
�Yes. I get it, Vale. Now hurry!”

  Terror prickled Vale’s chest. “Promise me, Ash! You never said you—”

  “I promise, okay?” he yelped. “Now hurry up! I feel like my bladder is going to explode.”

  “Fine.” Vale fumbled the button and jerked down the zipper with trembling fingers. Her cheeks burned as she stepped behind him. “You’re going to have to do everything else yourself,” she said in a choked voice. “I’m … I’m not going there.”

  “Thanks. I’m good,” Ash said.

  Vale heard Ash groan. For a second she thought he’d hurt himself, but a moment later, the tinkling of urine began. He sighed loudly. Hearing it, Vale giggled. At least that’s in working order.

  “What’s that?” Ash glanced over his shoulder. “Why’re you laughing?”

  “Sorry,” she said. “I’m—I’m sorry I laughed, you just sounded so … happy.” She bit the inside of her cheeks to keep from grinning.

  “Relieved is more like it,” Ash said. “Seriously, Vale. At this point, I honestly don’t care.” He grunted and Vale heard fabric rustle. “All finished, I just—” There was a long pause. “I … I need a hand with the button again, if you’re cool with that.”

  “Uh … yeah. I can do it.” Vale averted her eyes as she reached for the button. Just pretend it’s not Ash. Look at the trees. Look ANYWHERE else! Her fingers finally got the button in position, and she did it back up. “There you go.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You need help to walk back to the shelter?”

  Ash took a step and winced. “If you could spot me, that’d be great. I’m not feeling so hot right now.”

  “Spot you?”