Learning together (Closed for Led Astray)

[Led_Astray]

Oh hell...

"OK," he called quietly. "Found it. I'm on the way back. Don't worry about the gas... these old rigs use diesel, its much harder to ignite than petrol. We have time..."

I hope.

Whilst technically the words were true, there was no telling what sources of ignition there might be outside the vehicle... his words were mostly spoken to try and keep his patient calm.

He clambered back over to her, kneeled beside her, and smiled reassuringly.

Jesus, she's so pale.. she must have lost a lot of blood...

Rummaging inside the first aid kit, he was relieved to find some modern military field dressings.

"Ok..." he said, unwrapping a wad of sterile heamostatic gauze. "I need you to pull the T-shirt away now..."

 

[Asa]

Opening her eyes she tried to lift up to pull off the shirt and growled in pain. Slowly getting the shirt off she laid back down with a groan.

Diesel or not we should not breath this for too long

 

[Led_Astray]

"You are right, as usual..." smiled Adam, pushing the chemically treated gauze into the wound, each push of his fingers causing pain, no matter how gentle he tried being. At the moment, his thoughts were only on stopping the bleeding, and his mind glossed over the fact that his stunningly attractive boss was lying before him with no shirt on.

"This stuff contains a clotting agent, it should stop the bloodflow pretty quickly..." he added, ripping the seal off a Traumafix field dressing, and confidently bandaging it over the wound, applying firm pressure, then folded her arm over her body and with a triangular bandage created a simple sling.

He re-sealed the first aid kit and tossed it out of the back of the transport.

"Time to move... its going to hurt, I'm afraid. "

He crouched down, knees bent, at Raveena's uninjured side and lifted her uninjured arm around his neck, sliding his own arm around her shoulder blades and under her knees.

"On three? Ready..."

 

[Asa]

A slight growl at the pain as she was being lifted. Closing her eyes again she was beginning to feel rather tired. Normally she would have fought being carried but this time there was little fight left in her.

 

[Led_Astray]

Moving as gently as possible, Adam climbed out of the transport. He moved towards the treeline, his first priority to put a solid tree-trunk at his back, just in case the transport did blow.

"There... everything is going to be OK..."

But a slight tremble had started to creep into his voice. Now that the immediate need for action had passed, the horror of the situation had begun to catch up with him...

 

[Asa]

Don't worry I will get us through this.

She wanted to sleep bit tried to stay awake listening to him talk breathe.

 

[Led_Astray]

"I'm sure you will..." replied Adam, faintly, stumbling slightly as the adrenaline started to wear off. He staggered a little further, behind a large tree-trunk, and dropped to his knees.

Just as he became aware of the way the bare flesh of his chest felt against Raveena's equally bare midriff, the transport exploded with a dull Whummph

Even from behind the cover of the tree he could feel the pressure wave batter his body, but the thick trunk protected him and Raveena both from the worst of the blast.

 

[Asa]

Defendable shelter... or friendly locals to help us first... then communication... then medical

She rattled it all off then was out like a light.

 

[Led_Astray]

Tenderly, Adam laid Raveena onto the jungle floor, watching with concern as her full chest, clad only in her bra, rose and fell shallowly. He considered rolling her into the recovery position but the wound in her shoulder prevented that.

Trembling, he stood. Now the immediate danger had passed the shock and terror of the situation had caught up with him. If he didn't get Raveena to a doctor soon, she could lose the arm... or her life.

Nor was he safe himself. Half naked, not speaking the language, not equipped for a trek, no food or water... and in hostile territory, no knowing if any individual was friend or foe.

As he stepped back onto the road, he could see there was no sign of any of the other vehicles. The young photographer couldn't believe it... he and Raveena had been abandoned.

Numbly, he staggered back towards the burning truck, to see if anything could be salvaged. He stepped on something, and when he realised it was a charred human forearm, he fell to his knees and threw up, hard.

Stomach still heaving, Adam kept moving, searching. By a small miracle, the blast had thrown some of the contents of the load-bed clear rather than incinerating them, and he found the backpack he had earlier used to elevate Raveena's legs - or at least one identical to it. His jacket, torn and scorched but stil wearable, lay next to it. He also found the first aid kit that he had flung from the back of the transport, although he had to get uncomfortably close to the flames to recover it. And there - a canteen. Picking it up, he found it to be only half full, but at least it was some water...

Gathering up his meagre treasures, Adam hurried back to his unconcious employer, and dropped his finds on the ground next to her. As he laid his tattered jacket over her, she stirred...

 

[Asa]

Her eyes opened her head hurt her shoulder hurt and the trees were spinning.

Let me guess the transport blew up didn't it? Trees are spinning... head hurts... Sudden force of air and fumes... It will pass. We should get going and find some sort of shelter.

She thought she was trying to sit up but while her mind thought her body was moving it was a false message.

 

[Led_Astray]

"You noticed that, hmm?" replied Adam with a gentle smile. "Half of me thinks we should stay here, where we would be easy to find when the Princess's men return.

He shook his head.

"But being easy to find might not be a good thing, depending on who shows up first. But I think we both need to rest for a short while...

He carefully raised Raveena's head, and held the canteen to her full lips.

"Normally I wouldn't recommend you eat or drink but realistically its going to be a while before we can get you to a hospital and you've lost a lot of fluids..."

 

[Asa]

Sitting up a little with his help she tried to take a sip of the water. Her eyes open so she could look at him. Attempting to smile listening to him go through reasons and possibilities.

We will need shelter. The little village we passed through right before we got here... should get there

 

[Led_Astray]

"Good idea... they seemed pretty friendly on the way out. but before we move I'm going to see what we have that we can use."

He started with the first aid kit.

"We have some battlefield pain relievers... should help you without knocking you out..."

 

[Asa]

Good to hear what else.

She was never one to really ever give into pain or rely on medication for it but this was not standard pain. She watched him search through the pack she was trying to regain more control over her system and balance.

 

[Led_Astray]

"A tube of iron supplements... might be handy. That, protein and rest should help you replace the blood you lost, if you drink plenty of fluids."

He put them aside as he rummaged further in the medical kit.

"We could have done with a volume expander... but even if we had some, I'm really not qualified to stick you with an intravenous catheter..."

He closed the lid securely, then turned to the backpack.

"Oh... handy."

Strapped to the outside of the pack was a good sized blade. A machete or parang, he assumed, more for trail clearing that combat, but should be useful.

"A big jungle knife... for a start."

Then he began to explore the compartments.

"Some kind of Rat-packs... So we have food for a day, at least... A mini stove. Oh, a personal aid kit... not likely to be much in it other than more painkillers... Insect repellent - that will be handy... ugh..."

He paused.

"Used underwear... oh, a vest!"

He pulled out an olive drab sleeveless vest, and pulled it on. It fit tightly around his young body.

"What else... ammo, but we have no gun for it... A sleeping bag... oh yes!"

His voice became excited.

"A radio!" Adam announced, happily, pulling the device from the back. But as he held it up it gave a sad little rattle. he shook it gently, and it rattled again. Knowing it to be futile, he turned it on, but it was utterly dead and his face fell.

 

[Asa]

She was getting edgy and aggitated.

LETS just get going...

WIth that she tried to force herself to her feet with a growl.

 

[Led_Astray]

"More water first." replied Adam, firmly. "Use it to wash these down" he added, handing her some pills - a large gelatin capsule and two small brown tablets."

He hastily re-stuffed the backpack and then carefully, tenderly, helped Raveena to her feet.

"Take it slowly, Raveena. Not even you can win an argument with a bullet to the shoulder."

 

[Asa]

Grumbling she took the medicine and tried to take it easy. Watching him she moved to once more try to stand up so that they could get going however slowly he felt they should move. She could argue with the bullet in her shoulder or she could be nice to Phillipe son and listen to someone for once.

 

[Led_Astray]

As she stood, of course the jacket he had laid over her fell to the ground. With one hand on her good arm, he scooped it up and carefully draped it around her shoulders, reducing the amount of bare flesh on show. Then he shouldered the backpack.

"There... if you start to feel warm, I'll take that as a good sign, but you are still in shock... you shouldn't even be standing, but you are right, we should get going."

He linked her good arm through his, and without saying anything that would imply weakness on her part, he encouraged her to lean against him as they set off.

 

[Asa]

We need to get going... time to rest later.

She felt the jacket being draped over her shoulders and started walking slowly feeling him link his arm around her.

 

[Led_Astray]

It was hot... and humid. Adam began to sweat, not used to this sort of climate. he was getting thirsty, but knew that of the limited water they had, his injured companion needed it more.

He was also regretting not stopping to apply insect repellent... he knew he had been bitten at least once... but his priority, now, was getting Raveena to safety.

"How are you feeling?" he asked after they had been walking in silence for a while. "Let me know if you need to rest - don't push yourself too hard..."

 

[Asa]

I'm fine we need to keep moving.

She was determined and knew that she had to keep this "green kid" safe. Village first then worry about rest and health. Phillipe would be demanding she rest and sit and all of that but the need to get to shelter and safety would not be lost on him either. She realized that his son however had truly lived sheltered from all Phillipe had done to give them all the best. Nope no need to go there again and start another war with the kid. Too young to tell anything to anyways just like she could be too

 

[Led_Astray]

They walked on, Adam discretely helping Raveena whenever she seemed to need it, saying nothing to indicate he had noticed anything, knowing that even with a bullet in the shoulder, and having lost a lot of blood, she would hate to admit weakness.

In spite of the heat, and his thirst, and the insects, he was faring quite well. He'd always done his best to stay in shape, and was no stranger to long hikes... though not in a jungle...

He wondered if he should try to take his companion's mind off the situation her injury.

"Do you think we are safe to talk?" he murmured in her ear.

 

[Asa]

She paused listening around them for a moment then nodded.

Yeah we should be fine to talk whats on your mind?

She began walking again thinking the village did not seem this far away when they were headed out to the shoot.

 

[Led_Astray]

The shoulder straps of the backpack were digging into Adam's skin, resting as they did upon the bare flesh of his shoudlers. We would have been a lot more comfortable had it been a T-shirt in the bag, not just a vest...

"Well..." began Adam, pleased that she seemed alert, in spite of the blood-loss.

Tough lady... he thought to himself, but kept a firm grip on her arm in case she should stumble.

"I was just wondering how a world famous fashion adviser comes to know so much about surviving in a war-zone..."