Wild Dreams

by Dawn Pendleton

  As much as I wanted to just tell her she was being dumb, I knew it would mean more to her if I showed her. So I told her enough to make her question herself and I planned on doing whatever was necessary to get her to believe me. She was worth the effort.

  When Tyler complained of stomach pains, I knew he was in trouble. We had to get back to civilization. Fast. I had the basic equipment to make a stretcher, I just needed branches strong enough to hold him. I scoured the jungle until I found two long branches, each about three inches around. I trimmed the attached branches off and then went to work creating a stretcher.

  Nicole spent most of the time with Tyler, wearing the bandana over her face at my insistence. When she came out of the tent, she hovered, watching me very closely.

  “You’re like a modern day MacGyver,” she stated after watching me for a few minutes.

  I scoffed. “You’re a little young to remember MacGyver.”

  She turned her eyes to the trees. “My dad used to watch the reruns a lot.”

  Touchy subject. “Technology is a pretty amazing thing.” I didn’t want to say anything to upset her, but I knew I couldn’t just stay silent.

  “When I miss him, I watch it on Netflix. It brings back memories of sitting with him on our old couch, his arm around me as he dictated exactly what MacGyver would do to solve whatever problem. He’d seen every episode a few times, but I always thought he was the smartest guy – I mean, he basically predicted what would happen on the show before it even happened. I was awed.” She closed her eyes. “I miss him.”

  She didn’t cry. But the pain I saw in her eyes when she opened them was raw and it made my heart hurt for her. She was far too young to have experienced so much pain. Instead of trying to comfort her with words of condolences, I talked to her.

  “My sister, Rainey… She was so vibrant. Even at the end, when everyone was already mourning her, she saw the bright side of everything. I’ve lived a good life, she’d say. I used to get mad at her. She was only twenty-two. She was too young to die from cancer, of all things. I wanted to tell her she hadn’t lived, that there was so much she hadn’t experienced in life that she deserved to experience. But I never could. She was so happy, so in love. Baker was the reason she kept on, the reason she fought so hard. Her doctors gave her a short time, but she managed to hold on for months. It was impressive and terrifying all at the same time. And then, the day before she died, she asked to speak to me alone.” I stopped, not sure if I could voice aloud the secret I’d been keeping for so long.

  I felt Nicole’s hand on my shoulder, her attempt at comfort and relief flooded my body. I could talk about Rainey, about what she kept hidden. “She told me something that might have ruined her husband. She’d been in remission until a few weeks after they started dating. And when the doctors diagnosed her again, she didn’t even think about the effects on her body. She wanted more time with Baker. But then after they got married, she realized she was pregnant but had already started to miscarry before she could even enjoy it. She kept it to herself. She begged me not to tell anyone, because she knew her secret would kill Baker. She swore me to secrecy. She did tell me that eventually, when Baker had healed, she wanted me to tell him, as gently as I could. It’s been a year and a half, and I can’t tell him. I’m scared to death it’ll kill him.” My confession was one I’d kept to myself for so long. It weighed on me almost every day.

  Nicole was silent and her hand fell away from my shoulder, so I looked up at her. Tears ran down her face.

  “I didn’t tell you to make you cry,” I said.

  “I know. But it’s so sad. You’ve had a huge loss in your life and it makes me sad for you.”

  I stood. “I’m not the only one who had a loss. Losing your parents was far from easy. But look at you: strong, resilient… You know who you are and you own it. Me… I feel like a shell of my former self.”

  “Death isn’t easy on anyone. And everyone deals with it in their own way. I have a feeling you still have some issues to deal with, more than you even want to admit,” she suggested.

  “You’re probably right. But right now, we can’t dwell on our problems. We’ve got to be strong for Tyler. He needs us to get him the treatment he needs.” I also didn’t want to talk about death anymore. Talk about depressing.

  “Agreed. Can I help?” she asked, looking at the stretcher.

  “It’s almost done.” I bent down to test the bonds. I used paracord to attach the tarp to the sticks. I tugged at the knots, hoping they would hold. “Do me a favor: lay down on this.”

  She did as I asked and I picked up one end to lift her. She slid to her feet as soon as she was vertical. “Good. We have to test it to make sure it will hold. I want you to run at it full force.” I held the branches, one in each hand and the ends on the ground.

  “Ready?” she asked.

  “Yep.”

  She hit the tarp faster than I expected, but I managed not to let myself fall. The bonds held under her weight, but that didn’t mean anything. Tyler had at least sixty pounds on her. If the bonds broke while he was on it, he could be seriously hurt.

  She peeked her head around the tarp. “Will it hold?”

  “I think so. Let’s get him on it,” I suggested. I wanted to test it further, but I knew we didn’t have the time. Tyler needed help.

  Nicole helped me carry the stretched into the tent and roll Tyler onto it. Together, we lifted him up and his weight didn’t break the paracord or the tarp, which was good. We had decided the best option was to put the makeshift mask on Tyler instead of Nicole and me sharing it whenever we approached him, so Tyler’s mouth and nose were covered, in case whatever was wrong with him was contagious.

  We set him on the ground gently so we could pack up the tent. We worked fast and had everything packed up in less than ten minutes. It had to have been a record. Strapping on our packs, I had Nicole tie Tyler’s pack to mine so it sat on top of my pack. Then we picked Tyler up. Instead of walking backwards through the jungle, I put Tyler behind me, holding the branches at either side and slightly behind me. It was uncomfortable, but my discomfort didn’t matter. My friend’s life was at stake and I would die before I let anything happen to him.

  Nicole and I hardly spoke except when absolutely necessary. We were both too amped up, too worried about Ty. We made it to the Jeep in record time, both of us sweaty from the heat. We got him in the back seat, buckled him in and I dumped some water over my head before we set out. I needed to cool off. Nicole did the same and it took all my energy and will power not to look at how her wet t-shirt fit snugly around her breasts, her nipples hardened by the cool water. I jumped in the driver’s seat and waited for Nicole to get in the Jeep. She wasn’t far behind. I started it up and off we went, hopefully saving Tyler’s life.

  * * * * *

  The ride was long and when Tyler fell asleep, we thought he might be feeling better. We were wrong.

  “I’m gunna throw up,” he proclaimed a few minutes later. I stopped the Jeep and Nicole jumped out to search the rear of the Jeep for something for him to get sick in. She managed to find a bucket and flung open Tyler’s door and handed it to him.

  We continued on as Tyler puked his guts up. He had to have some kind of stomach flu, which only made me more worried that Nicole or I would get it, too and then we’d be royally fucked, stuck out in the jungle. Once we got back into an area I knew I’d get cell service in, I pulled out my phone, turned it on and called Leanne.

  “We’re heading back,” I said quickly once she answered. “Tyler’s sick. Like really sick. He’ll need a ride to the hospital.”

  Leanne was nothing if not efficient. “Got it. Symptoms? I’ll call the hospital.”

  “Fever, headache, stomach pain, vomiting,” I explained.

  “Jesus, sounds like a flu bug.”

  “I thought so, too, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s hardly had anything to drink and now he’s emptying his stomach in the back seat of the Jeep, so he’s d
ehydrated.”

  “Okay,” she started. “Come here and I’ll have a medical escort meet you. What’s your eta?”

  I glanced at the clock on the Jeep stereo. “An hour at least.”

  “Sounds good. See you when you get here,” she said and hung up. She was good at her job, but she also knew what a sickness could mean in the middle of nowhere. The nearest hospital was a few hours away. They had medical teams close by, but they could be busy; there was no telling how long it would be before Tyler actually got to the hospital.

  I tossed my phone in the cup holder and looked at Nicole. “She’s going to have a medical team meet us.”

  She let out a sigh of relief. I didn’t really think there was anything to worry about.

  Sixteen

  Nicole

  The medical team was waiting when we got back. They transferred Tyler into their emergency vehicle and tried to tell me I couldn’t come.

  “She’s his cousin and the only family he has,” Dallas announced in front of the crowd that had gathered. “She goes with him.”

  The guy who had said I couldn’t go looked intimidated and rightfully so. Dallas was a force to be reckoned with. Finally, the guy nodded and gestured for me to get in the vehicle. I turned to Dallas.

  “I’m sorry,” I started.

  “Why the fuck would you be sorry? This certainly isn’t your fault.”

  “I know. But it’s messed up the trip and I still feel responsible. So I’m sorry.” I stared intently at my feet.

  He put a finger under my chin and lifted my head until I was looking directly at him. “Don’t ever be sorry. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

  I gave him a half-smile and then he pushed me toward the door. I climbed inside, thinking he would kiss me, but he didn’t. We weren’t exactly in a good place. Sure, he took care of my cousin, and probably saved his life with the stretcher and his quick thinking, but he was Tyler’s friend, and it wasn’t like he’d let someone die on his watch. How he truly felt about me was still unclear.

  I closed the door behind me and took my place next to Tyler. The medical team already had an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose and an IV in his arm. I stared at him, praying he’d be okay and thinking about how many times he’d been there for me.

  Cheer practice ran late and I didn’t get home until after eight at night. I was exhausted, but I loved cheer. I’d gone to cheer camp every summer for years. I wanted to take my squad to the championships this year. If we were good enough. Things were looking bright for us as I started my senior year of high school.

  My boyfriend was the captain of the baseball team, which was convenient, as he came to all the football and basketball games through the fall and winter to see me cheer. I adored him, even if he wasn’t a football star. I knew how the stigma went, which was partly the reason I dated him. He wasn’t who anyone expected me to date. I didn’t like to follow the rules.

  I pulled into the driveway and saw my cousin, Tyler, leaning against his old Chevy truck. He looked worried as I got out of my Honda.

  “Hey, Ty! How’s college life?” I asked, giving him a bright smile.

  “Nic, where have you been? I’ve been calling you for over an hour,” he muttered impatiently.

  I pulled my phone out of my bag. It was dead. “I guess my phone died. My bad. What’s up?”

  “Get in the truck,” he suggested, opening the passenger door for me.

  I didn’t ask why. His somber expression told me I probably shouldn’t be too anxious for the news. I climbed onto the bench seat, dropping my bag on the floorboard. I waited for him to go around the truck and get in, my mind racing.

  He started up the truck but still wouldn’t say anything.

  “Tyler, what is it?” I asked, my voice shaky.

  He closed his eyes and slammed his hand against the steering wheel. “It’s your parents.”

  Dread filled me. “What about them?”

  He gulped. “They’re hospitalized, Nic. They were in a car accident. Some asshole driver crossed the double yellow lines and they are both in critical condition.” He glanced at me to see my reaction, but I felt nothing.

  I cared – I loved my parents more than any seventeen year old kid should. In fact, we never fought, never argued; I was a model student and daughter and they were proud of me, but the void I suddenly felt… I was lost.

  I didn’t cry. I gave Tyler a short nod to let him know I heard him, but other than that, I showed him nothing. I kept every emotion, and there were many, completely under control. I folded my hands on my lap and waited for him to take me to the hospital. I wanted to see them, of course, but I was petrified that I was about to become an orphan.

  Tyler shifted into Reverse and drove us to the hospital. He parked in the lot and walked me inside, right up to the third floor and into their room. The beds were separated and they both had a bunch of tubes coming out of their bodies. I stopped near the door and just stared. I knew as soon as I saw them that my parents weren’t there. The only thing keeping them alive were the machines.

  “Nicole, it’s okay. Come say hi,” Tyler encouraged me, his hand on my back.

  I looked up at him, the only person I had left in the world, and I let the tears fall.

  For the most part, I managed to stay strong on the trip to the hospital with Tyler. When we pulled onto a military base, I had a momentary freak out.

  “Why are we on a base?”

  The tech sitting next to me gave me a sad smile. “He’s military.”

  I blinked at him. “No, he’s not. Tyler’s never been in the military in his whole life.”

  “Unfortunately, that’s not true,” the tech said and then handed me Tyler’s wallet. I flipped it open, and there on the left side was his military ID. I stared at it, dumbfounded.

  How had he been able to hide it from me? And more importantly, why wouldn’t he tell me? I was practically his sister. I felt betrayed by his lies. I held it in, though, for my own sake. I didn’t want to lose it; I couldn’t.

  I didn’t say anything and the tech didn’t offer more information, so the rest of the ride was silent, not even a radio to break up the hushed interior. The driver pulled up to a hospital and Tyler was wheeled inside, with me following just a few feet behind.

  “Miss Griffin?” A young man in Army fatigues stopped me. “We need to ask you a few questions.”

  I nodded, but only because I knew I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t have military experience, but I imagined they would force me to talk to them if needed. I wanted to stay as open and flexible as possible, even if my heart was breaking.

  He led me down a long corridor. “I’m Sergeant Michaels. I just need to know about the events leading up to Tyler’s illness.” He stopped at a door that looked like every other door in the place and pushed it open.

  I went inside and saw it was some sort of interrogation room. There were two chairs, one on either side of a metal table, and I sat in one, ready to be questioned.

  “So tell me about the trip,” Sergeant Michaels suggested.

  I told him every detail I could remember, from the plane ride and running into Dallas to the leopard family and everything in between. Michaels took notes but remained silent while I spoke. Once I finished, he smiled at me.

  “Thank you for letting us know what happened. Once we figure out what’s wrong with Tyler, we’ll see about letting you see him. Until then, I’ll take you to your quarters.”

  I glared at him. “Excuse me? I don’t think so. I want to see Tyler right now.”

  “I’m sorry, that’s just not possibly at the moment. But he will be available soon,” Michaels insisted.

  I stood up, glowering at him. “Will you just tell me what the fuck is going on? I didn’t even know Ty was in the military and now you won’t let me see him!”

  He sighed. “Miss Griffin –”

  “Don’t you Miss Griffin me! I want to see him. Now.”

  His baby blue eyes met mine and I saw compassion th
ere. “I know it’s hard to understand, but we really can’t tell you anything except Tyler works for the government. He’s undercover and if I tell you any more than that, his cover is blown and we’re both fired.”

  I didn’t know how to respond. All those years… Tyler was lying to me? It didn’t seem like something he would do. But if Michaels was right, then Tyler was a liar. I couldn’t believe that about him. I refused to believe it. I needed to get things right in my mind.

  “Alright. Is there a phone somewhere I can use? I need to call the photographer I was working with.”

  “Of course. Right this way,” Michaels led me out into the corridor and into a small room with a phone. “You’ll have privacy here.”

  Yeah, right. “Thanks.” I picked up the phone and dialed the magazine, wondering what the hell I’d walked into.

  “This is Leanne,” she answered on the second ring.

  “Leanne, its Nicole.”

  “Nicole! Is Tyler alright? I’ve been so worried,” she started.

  “I honestly don’t know how he is. Some weird shit is going on and I don’t get it! Can I talk to Dallas? I think he knows more than I do.” Leanne was silent. “Hello? Did I lose you?”

  She cleared her throat. “No, I’m still here. Nicole, Dallas is gone. He flew back to the US less than an hour after you and Tyler took off.”

  Seventeen

  Dallas

  I didn’t expect to leave. It was part-choice and part-familial obligation. Less than ten seconds after Tyler and Nicole were safely tucked away and on the road, my phone rang.

  “Baker? It’s nice to hear from you,” I answered.