The Challenge: Fresh Meat 3

Chapter 10: Fighting Final

"Good morning challenegers, how did we sleep last night? Are we ready for stage 5 of my final. It looks like everyone survived stage 4 out here last night. Now Stage 5 is called under pressure. That's because you and your partner will be diving under water and swim across the river while being underwater. When you get across to your station you'll see a bag attached to the rocks under water. One teammate most untie the bag while the other waits on the shore to answer the puzzle using the pieces that are being released by their partner. The next 3 stages are timed, the team that finishes the next three stages the fastest will be our winners. Now be sure you know who is doing what job exactly so that when you get across one player gets out of the water. The diving teammate can't start getting the bag untied until the puzzle partner is out of the water. Ready set go," TJ yelled as he blew the horn I looked at CT and nodded. We both took off and I swam across the river bottom until I got to the rocks and went up for air. As I was getting air CT was surfacing to climb to the shore. As soon as I saw him hit land I dove under the water and started untying the bags of pieces. Once I left them free I realized that they were heavy and I have to pull them up to the surface. By the time I got them to the surface Derrek and Devin were both surfacing with their puzzle pieces. I handed them off to CT and sat down since I wasn't allowed to help him solve the puzzle. Not even five minutes later do I hear CT and Allyson both call for a check and both get it correct. The final has been close so far Louisa called for a check and TJ said it was correct before starting to explain our next stage. "For stage 6 you will be running across the jungle. As Stage 6 is called Jungle jamboree. Along the paths each team takes their will be puzzles to help your time and score out. BEWARE though not all the puzzles are solvable. If you get stuck on the wrong one you may just ruin your chances of winning this years final. CT and Katalina you will follow the green path, Devin and Allyson the red path and Derek and Louisa the yellow path. Good luck and get to moving," TJ said which caused us all to take off running. We had managed to get about half a mile through the jungle and to a puzzle board. I realized this puzzle board was spelling so we stopped. "Foresta pluviale," I exclaimed knowing the answer to the riddle in Italian but I couldn't remember the English words. "CT, what do you call a place kind of like the jungle but constantly raining in English," I said which caused CT to laugh and look at me. "Do you mean a rain forest," CT asked me. I looked to the judge as if confirming that as our answer and they nodded their heads and told us we were correct. I flipped our reward card over and saw that we get to take 5 minutes off our total time at the end. CT and I started running again and we could see the second puzzle when I tripped over a stump and heard something pop or break. I looked up at CT and hobbled over to him and I hopped while holding onto him as he walked to the second puzzle. It was a tangram so I let him solve it and he did it rather quickly and correctly. The reward for this one was to delay one team 2 minutes on the next leg of the stage of the challenge; which, would highly benefit us since I feel like I have broken something in my leg or foot and adrenaline is keeping me moving. I looked at CT and nodded as we started taking off for the third puzzle board while approaching it and hobbling I noticed it was a stick moving puzzle. "CT let's skip this one I don't believe we can pass it and we don't have to do all the puzzles they are just option to help boost us," I said as I flipped over the reward card and it said eliminate one team which I knew would be bad if other teams got it but you only got one chance to correctly solve that puzzle and I knew CT and I needed as big of lead as possible for the final stage that was coming next. We kept trekking along with CT running and me hobbling speeding walking behind him as best as possible we made it to puzzle four which was a math puzzle that we solved quickly and looked at the reward which said advantage to the first team that finishes this stage while completing this puzzle which made me excited. I could see the end of the jungle and knew we were getting close so CT decided to give me a piggy back ride all the way to the clearing. He let me down as we saw TJ but no other teams yet I hobbled over to TJ and then sat down as another team was coming out of the jungle. Not much longer the last team came out of the jungle. "Alright so none of my teams correctly solved the third puzzle so everyone is safe from being eliminated. CT and Katalina you will be getting an advantage as you were the first team to solve the last puzzle and first team to finish. You will also get 5 minutes off your final time and you have to give a two minute delay to one of the two teams. Devin and Allyson you will also being giving a two minute delay to a team. Derek and Louisa you will be getting five minutes off your total time," TJ said which made me nerves as I had found out that Derrek and Louisa were the team that finished right behind us. "Katalina and CT I'm coming to you to see what you are wanting to do," TJ said which made CT look at me. "I'm sorry Derrek and Louisa I have to give you our two minute delay just because you are so close to us and you finished right behind us. CT and I need all the time we can get right now," I said looking down towards my foot that's kind of hanging there. "Katalina what do you mean by you need all the time you can get right now," TJ asked while looking at me and I pointed to my foot and then he looked at it as it was black and blue already and looked really disgusting. Everyone noticed the painful look that was in my eyes as I was standing on one foot. "Devin and Allyson what would you like to do with your two minute delay," TJ asked to which Devin looked at me smiled and then looked over at Derrek and Louisa. "I'm sorry Derrek and Louisa but I can't give it them no matter what amount of money it is," Devin said to which Allyson agreed. "Alright Derrek and Louisa I'm sorry you will have a four minute delay. CT and Katalina you will have an advantage as to you will be climbing about 20 feet less than everyone else. For stage 7 our final stage is called Climbing Chaos. You will be free climbing the side of this mountain with your partner attached and this mountain is about 140 feet in the air. So it's really going to take a tole of you. Once you get to the top of the mountain its an all out sprint to the flag. CT and Katalina come with me to your start point. Everyone else let's get you harnessed up," TJ said as the safety team started to harness people and get them ready to start free climbing which is actually terrifying. "Hey little one. How bad is your leg or foot," CT asked me. I just looked at him and smiled in pain. "It's definitely broken and possible multiple breaks but I want to finish this final. I'm not walking away now. This stage of the final is mostly upper body with some slight legs needed I should be able to get up the side of the mountain. Once we make it to the top I will hobble my best to the finish line. We are going to cross that finish line even if I have to drag the broken body part all the way there," I said which caused CT to smile and nod. We were all harnessed up and making our way to our start position I hear TJ blow the horn so we start climbing. I know having a 20 feet difference is going to help but I don't know by how much. I keep climbing and I see CT get below me and I was confused so I looked down. "If your arms get tired I'll push you up the mountain. I'm not giving up on you because you aren't giving up on yourself. Keep moving I'll be right before you to keep giving you the needed extra push," CT said as I kept climbing up the mountain. I was approaching a marker that said 40 feet so I knew that Devin and Allyson would be a good ways up and Derrek and Louisa would have started by now. I passed the 40 feet mark and started to pick up my pace because I could see the 60 feet mark and it was motivating me to move faster. As I pulled myself up and placed my feet under me I could feel my foot give out on me so I grabbed the mountain with both arms and started to pull myself up faster because I knew I couldn't use my legs anymore. We were now at 80 feet and I was getting super tired. I felt CT lift me up so I could readjust my hands to a higher place and then I felt him lift me up again and again. I knew that CT wouldn't quit on me so I needed to start moving by myself again to prove to him that I was strong enough to do this. I saw the 100 feet mark and knew we had twenty more feet so I started pulling myself up again and relying on my arms to get my to the top of the mountain. As I heave myself over the top of the mountain I look down and see exactly how high up we are and how close Devin, Allyson, Derrek and Louisa actually are to us. As CT pulls himself to the top of the mountain Devin is pulling himself up as well. CT reaches for my hand and I start hobble running with CT by my side towards the finish. Right before we made it across the finish Devin and Allyson made it in front of us. I was upset at first but remembered that CT and I have the five minutes of our total time and may be okay. As we are congratulated by TJ for all three teams finishing the final the medical team takes a look at my foot. "TJ, we are going to need to fly her out of here. She has four breaks from what we can tell right now and some sever damage that could cause amputation if we don't get her medical attention as soon as possible," the medical leader said to TJ as they were landing a helicopter. "I will be announcing the winners of the challenge Fresh Meat 3 at the reunion so see you guys at the reunion," TJ said as I was loaded into the helicopter and the others were taken to the vans. I was flown to the hospital and producers and handlers from the house brought my stuff to me in the hospital. They flew me out and to a hospital in Baton Rogue since all the contestants would be returning to their homes. I had a major reconstruction surgery and was hospitalized a week before I was allowed out in a cat that covered from my toes to my knee. Who knew you could break your tibia, fibula, ankle joint and metatarsals by tripping over a branch in the jungle. Well the more you know I was being released from the hospital today and Tony was supposed to be picking me up. I heard a knock at the door and turned around to see none other than Tony standing in the doorway with Devin, CT and Derrek close by. I smiled and waved them in as I was getting out of my bed and grabbing my crutches. "I'm so glad to see you guys. I didn't know all of you were coming. Who planned this," I asked while smiling so big and looking at them as they all point to Devin. "I knew from the facetimes and texts that you were sad and wanted out of here so I asked Tony when he was picking you up and we all came out to see you," Devin said with a smile which made me laugh and hug each and every one of the guys. "Hey little butterfly you ready to get home and see your dad and your nieces," Tony said which made me smile and nod crazily. He laughed as we all exited my hospital room and went towards the parking lot to get into Tony's vehicle and go back to my house. Man it was going to be nice to go home. As I opened my front door I hear the words surprise being yelled at me and I see my entire challenge family that I got along with and my actual family there in my house. I turned to look at the boys behind me who all pointed to Devin I smiled, laughed and then pulled him into a giant hug with a kiss on the check. "You deserve it princess. You were so excited about everyone coming down to your place to observe and learn your culture and I knew it'd make you happier. I also wanted to come see you and go on that date but we can't until after the reunion which is actually tomorrow. You've been in the hospital for awhile now so they could fix you up you klutz," Devin whispered to me causing me to laugh and shove him making me lose balance and start to fall with my crutches but once again Devin grabs me and says me from eating it. "Thank you for everything Devin. I really appreciate it and I can't wait for after the reunion and getting to go with you on the next adventure in this journey," I said which made him smile. I moved further into the room to reunite with everyone and make even more memories and have the night of our lives, that was until the reunion starts tomorrow and they ask all the questions that they have waiting for us. But for now life was good.