The rain continued to fall and I wanted to scream in frustration. I had no doubts that we'd eventually be rescued, but I was beginning to doubt that it would come in time. Mason's health was on a rapid downward spiral.
"Beach bunny," Mason said weakly, lifting his head slightly.
I moved from my perch by his leg and moved up by his head. Smoothing a hand across his forehead, I was dismayed his temperature seemed even higher.
"My leg," he said, more of a statement than a question.
I nodded. "It's infected and you're burning up with fever."
"I know," he said, sighing heavily.
"Did you know last night?" I asked.
"I've known for a while," he admitted.
"Why didn't you say anything?" I demanded.
"Because, it wouldn't have done any good to worry you unnecessarily. I was hoping this goddamn rain would stop before it escalated this bad."
"I need to get help," I said after a moment of silence.
"You'd get lost. You don't know these mountains," he said, dismissing my idea.
"Well, you do, and surely someone of your expertise can help out a novice like me," I said sarcastically before I could stop myself. I felt like a complete ass for giving him a hard time when he was so sick, but we had to do something.
He sighed, closing his eyes. "Your best bet would be to follow the mountain down. If rescue missions have been detached, they'll work a grid up the mountain, so you're more likely to run into search crews that way. The issue will be remembering how to get back up here to show them where I am."
His words took some of the steam out of my sails and I sank back on my heels. He was right. I was notorious for getting lost back home. So much so that my mom often told me I would give "absent-minded professors" a run for their money. I would defend myself, but she had a point. My mind often wandered when I was taking in the colors around me, fantasying about how I could re-create them on paper. This trait usually left me driving past destinations, making wrong turns and more often than not, winding up somewhere entirely different than I originally planned. This character flaw had never had any real repercussions since my mom bought me the most state-of-the-art GPS on the market. Now though, my terrible sense of direction could mean life or death.
"Here, you need to take these," I said, holding out the four precious Advil pills I had unwrapped earlier for when he was awake.
"We should save those," he protested.
"For what?" I scoffed. "Seriously, you're not thinking we should save them for me, I hope. For someone so smart, you sure can be a dumbass," I said, handing him the water bottle.
He looked at me through hooded eyes, obviously contemplating arguing, but either lacked the will or energy to do so.
I watched as he swallowed the pills and then drifted back into a fever-induced sleep. While he slept, I began to concoct a plan to save us both. I left our shelter briefly to retrieve the raincoat I had anchored to the roof. Dragging the soaking wet raincoat into the cave behind me, I set to work, tearing it up.
Several hours later, both raincoats were sitting in front of me in shreds. My hands were raw and chapped from tearing the material with my bare hands. I had used a sharp rock to help start my tears, but the rest came from my hands that now screamed in agony. My broken finger was throbbing so badly I was convinced a mini band was rocking inside it.
"Kimberly, what are you doing?" Mason asked me, turning his head to look at me.
Startled, I looked over at him. "How are you feeling?" I asked, reaching up a hand to smooth back his hair so I could feel his forehead.
The skin beneath my hand still radiated and I cringed that the Advil I had shoved down him hadn't done a whole lot of good.
"Don't worry, beach bunny, I'm fine," he lied with glazed-over eyes.
He let out a shuddering shiver and I realized the fever had given him the chills. I shrugged out of my jacket, ignoring his protests and draped it over him.
"Look, if I get cold, all I have to do is lie next to you. Your body heat is enough to warm up the whole cave."
"Are you saying I'm steaming hot?" he teased, chuckling slightly as I raised my eyebrows. "I'm kidding, but you should put your jacket back on, I'm fine," he repeated.
"Right, and I'm a graceful ballerina," I said sarcastically.
"You didn't answer my question," he said weakly.
"I'm getting things ready so I can save your sorry ass," I teased, trying to lighten the mood.
"With a wad of raincoat?" he asked puzzled.
"No, Mr. Negative, with these," I said, holding up several of the strips of raincoat I had torn.
"You're going to try to fly away with those," he guessed.
"No," I said, smiling at him this time. "I'm going to use them to mark the path I take," I added triumphantly.
"I don't think so," he said, all joking gone.
"Um, last time I checked, you weren't the boss of me. You're burning up with fever, can't move and your leg looks like it belongs in some horror movie."
"Yeah, well, you sound like a frog, you have a cough that would rival a sixty-year-old chain-smoker, and you just happened to destroy your only means of keeping yourself dry," he said with more energy than he had shown in the last twenty-four hours.
"Well, the rain is obviously not going to stop, and some stupid cold isn't going to dictate your health," I said, fighting sudden tears. "I'm sick of this whole situation. I miss sleeping in a bed, having cooked meals, hell, I even miss having a bathroom, but most of all, I'm scared you're going to die of some stupid infection. I just want to go home," I added, all fight going out of me as I laid my head on his chest.
"I know, beach bunny, I know," he said, rubbing my head.
"I have to go," I said in a muffled voice.
"I know," he said.
"I'll leave in the morning and I'll bring help back to you," I promise.
He didn't answer as he continued to rub my back. Eventually, he fell back to sleep, but I continued to lie on his chest. His heartbeat beneath my ear was reassuring. I was scared to death to leave him, but I knew it was our only chance. It had only been two days since our accident, but it felt like a lifetime.
I must have dozed for a while since Mason's touch startled me. Glancing out the mouth of the cave, I could see by the faint light that it was late afternoon. My throat felt like razor blades were playing a sick game with my tonsils. I took a small sip of water that only intensified the pain.
"Here," I said, helping Mason to take a drink before I handed him the last dose of Advil we had left, but he refused to take them.
"You should take those in the morning," he argued. "They're not doing me any good. It's like using a teaspoon to bail out a flooded boat, but they can make a world of difference tomorrow morning for you."
I wanted to argue with him, but I knew his logic was sound. Even if they took the edge off my aches and pains for a little while, it would be better than nothing. I slid the pills back into the torn package so they wouldn't get lost and picked up the empty backpack. I placed the bundle of raincoat strips into the pack.
"You should fill up the two good water bottles tonight so you can take them with you."
"I'm not taking all the water with me," I chided.
"What if you run out?"
"Then I'll open my mouth. I'm pretty sure the rain won't let me run out," I said, touched at his concern.
"You'll need to be careful on your trek down. It'll get steep in some places, so you'll have to skirt around until you find a shallower route."
I started to tell him he wasn't telling me anything I didn't know, but I could tell it was stuff he needed to say. He needed to know that he was helping. I patiently listened to his tips as he droned on. Eventually, he ran out of steam and I snuggled up against him.
The cave had once again become pitch black as another night settled on us.
"You awake?" I whispered, not wanting to wake him if he was sleeping.
"Yeah," he answe
red.
"What's your favorite memory?" I asked, needing to hear his voice.
He was silent for several minutes after I asked the question. I was beginning to think he had fallen asleep when he finally answered.
"The time my parents took me to the Grand Canyon."
"Yeah? Did you ride a donkey?" I joked.
"Actually, yes," he laughed.
"Ha, I was just kidding, but you really did?"
"Yep, I remember being like six or seven and my parents and I taking donkey rides down the canyon. My mom freaked because she was afraid of heights, but she still went anyway."
"I think I would have been like your mom. Heights scare the bejesus out of me," I admitted.
"I didn't know that, but you went with me on the hardest trail on the mountain. Why?"
"Because, I was worried about Alyssa," I said, only answering half truthfully.
"Was that the only reason?" he asked, sounding disappointed.
"No," I said, smiling in the dark. "You might've had something to do with it."
He laughed softly next to me. "Does Rick know you're afraid of heights?"
"Hell no, I wasn't about to admit that. I'm sure poor Rick freaked out when he picked me up at the airport only to realize I didn't have a lick of his outdoorsiness in me."
"You might be surprised. Believe me, if I was the jealous type, I'd be green with envy at how much he raves about you."
"Really?" I asked.
"Yeah, really. Do you always doubt yourself?"
"Ha, my doubts stemmed from you, Greeky," I said, snorting on a laugh.
"Greeky?" he asked, puzzled.
"Oops, I guess the cat's out of the bag. That's what Amy and I started calling you," I said.
"Is it some kind of weird slang for geek?" he asked, puzzled.
"If I tell you, we'd have to deflate your ego before we could get you out of here in order for you to fit," I teased.
"Ha-ha, you're a laugh a minute. You should start your own comedy club."
"Okay, okay, keep your panties on," I said as he growled beside me, making me giggle. "I call you Greeky because I thought you looked like some kind of Greek god when I first saw you," I said, thankful for the darkness of the cave to hide my blushing face.
"Hmmm, Greek god, I like that," he said, tightening his hold on me.
"Ha, I bet."
"Well, if I look like a god than you're a goddess," he said seriously.
"Right, maybe a paint-smudged one," I joked.
"Come on, it’s nice that you’re not stuck-up or anything, but you’ve got to know you’re hot."
“Well, thanks,” I answered, not knowing what else to say. We both went silent after that and eventually I began to get drowsy.
"Mason," I said quietly.
"Hmm?"
"I'm in like with you a lot," I said, letting my eyes drift closed.
He laughed softly. "I'm in like with you a lot too!" he said, placing a light kiss on my head.
Chapter 14
The next morning came as a complete surprise. I couldn’t believe I had slept through the night. Slowly untangling myself from Mason's arm, I sat up, startled to find he was awake also.
"You okay?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer, judging by the look on his face.
"I've been better," he answered weakly.
Shining the flashlight over his wound, I could see the infection was clearly spreading, which was why he was in so much discomfort.
"I'm going to get you help," I said, placing my hand to his head.
His fever was blazing, and his eyes looked cloudy, when he could even manage to keep them open anyway. I wiped my hand across the beads of sweat that covered his forehead. The thought of leaving him behind scared the hell out of me, but I had to do something.
He had already fallen back into an uncomfortable slumber as I gathered up my supplies. I placed a water bottle and one of the energy bars by his side, just in case, but I was doubtful he would touch either. I swallowed the Advil I had saved from the night before, praying they would help my pounding head and sore throat. Finally, just as I leaned over Mason’s head to give him a soft kiss on his lips, he opened his eyes, scaring the crap out of me.
“Hey, I'll be back soon," I promised, giving him one more kiss. He watched without saying a word. He looked so out of it, I wasn’t even sure he comprehended what I was saying. Taking one last look around to make sure I wasn’t forgetting anything, I crawled out into the ever-present rain.
At first, the rain actually felt kind of nice on my overheated cheeks, but all that changed after about thirty minutes. Without the protection of a raincoat, I was completely saturated and chilled to the bone. My hands throbbed painfully from being exposed to the elements, but I pushed on, stopping every twenty yards or so to tie another ribbon to a tree.
Stopping so often made my forward progress annoyingly slow and I began to feel disheartened. "Well, this was a great idea," I muttered to myself as I tied yet another ribbon to a towering pine tree. It has to been done though, came my inner voice of reason.
I continued forward, marking my path while fighting the urge to sprint down the mountain so I could get Mason the help he needed. Not that running was even a possibility since the ground beneath my feet was a murky mess from the never-ending rain. My foot sank an inch into the soil with every step I took. After tripping for what seemed like the hundredth time, I kept my eyes peeled to the ground, realizing this was as fast as I could go.
Midmorning snuck up on me quicker than I expected. I stopped for a break in front of a steep decline that was even more intimidating in my tired, soaking-wet condition. I perched myself up on a large rock and tucked my head down into my jacket so I could use my hot breath in between fits of coughing to warm up my ice-cold skin. All this hiking around was playing havoc with my breathing. My coughing had passed beyond painful and slid right into agony as each spasm made me feel like I was losing a lung. Every muscle in my body ached and I was so weary that just sitting became a fight to keep my tired eyes open. I let my eyes close for just a moment and slowly began to sink into a slumber when Mason's face appeared in my head, jerking me awake. I scrambled to a standing position and pulled out the last of the jerky and one of the energy bars. Still standing so my body wouldn't betray me again, I munched on my snack, willing myself to remain focused. Mason was counting on me.
Getting a little food and water in my stomach had me feeling somewhat better, but the steep decline in front of me was still worrisome. I looked around for a spot that appeared to be easier to descend, but straight down from where I stood looked to be as safe as any other. I tied a ribbon on a tree at the top of the incline and slowly began to walk down. The slanted ground proved to be as difficult to navigate as it looked, plus there was nothing to hold on to. After falling on my butt for the second time, I finally realized that walking sideways with my feet running parallel with the mountain made the trip down easier. Pleased with my success, I was just about to pat myself on the back when I stepped down on a rock that wasn't buried as deep in the dirt as I had anticipated. The rock rolled out from under my foot, making my ankle twist at an odd angle before buckling from under me. The sudden shift threw off my balance and I tumbled head over heels the rest of the way down, until I finally came to a grinding stop. Loose rocks dug into the sensitive skin where I had landed ungracefully at the bottom of the hill with my face firmly planted in the dirt.
I sat up groaning and coughing with new aches and pains assaulting my body. Something wet trailed down my left cheek and although I hoped for the best when I swiped it away, I can’t say I was too shocked when my hand came away blood-streaked. "Well, that's great," I muttered, struggling to my feet. Pain tore its way through my leg as my ankle buckled again, sending me back to the ground. "Damn it,” I yelled. “Could I please get a fucking break?" I hollered up at the overcast sky. "Not a big one, but just something," I continued to scream as a feeling of despair set in. We were going to die out here.
The hopelessness of the situation became overwhelming and I broke out in tears. After awhile the sobs turned to coughing as my lungs protested the extra workout the tears were causing. Trying to calm down, I took several deep breaths, letting the oxygen fill my lungs until I slowly began to breathe easier.
Once I had regained my composure, I pulled up the leg of my pants to check the damage to my ankle. Dark splotches of purple, swelled skin marred the surrounding area of my foot. It looked grotesque, but I was pretty sure it wasn't broken since I didn't hear a snap when it happened. Touching the swelled area lightly with my finger made me cringe. Even if it wasn’t broken, it sure hurt like hell. "Just a bad sprain," I said out loud, trying to reassure myself. "All I need to do is wrap it and I'll be good to go." The only problem was finding something to wrap it with. The torn strips of raincoat were all too short to really do any good.
The only idea I could think of was to use a piece of my shirt, so I shrugged out of my heavy, wet jacket and pulled off my flannel shirt. The cold rain pelted my bra-clad chest as I hurried back into my jacket, cringing from the wet material clinging to my naked skin. Using a rock to get me started, I tore both sleeves away from the shoulder sections of the shirt. My constant shivering made the job difficult, but I wrapped one of the sleeves snugly around my ankle, tucking the end down into the layers. I then tied the other sleeve in a knot around the wrap to hold it in place.
The makeshift wrap was bulky, but looked like it would hold, and at least I was able to maneuver my pant leg to cover it. Before I attempted to stand again, I searched the ground for a stick that could work as a crutch. I spotted one about ten feet away and slowly scooted myself closer to reach it. It was a painstaking effort to stand up and although my ankle protested my weight, the wrap seemed to be working. I hobbled back to my backpack and pulled out another strip of raincoat so I could tie it to a tree where I had landed.
Leaving my latest pitfall behind, I shuffled along, leaning heavily on my bristly crutch. It didn't take long for my hand to blister from rubbing against the wet wood, but I wrapped it with one of the bright yellow strips of raincoat and moved on. I was over this abuse, but I’d be damned if I was going to let the rugged wilderness beat me down.
Kiss Kiss Page 66
