When the World Came Crumbling Down

Chapter 5

Shane didn’t know what to do – the girl was bleeding badly, probably had a concussion, broken ribs, and internal bleeding. What was he supposed to do? He picked her up gently, cradling her in his arms. She moaned and whimpered despite his carefulness, probably in great pain. If only he had gotten to the bow and arrows sooner! If only she hadn’t been so stupid as to think she could beat the large man. Even though she had beaten him, they hadn’t held up their end of the bargain. She should have known they wouldn’t. And why hadn’t she run? Why had she kissed him? She was jarred then as he started running for his medical kit, still in Shadow’s saddle pack. She cried out and he slowed down. Defiantly some broken ribs. He would never forget the feeling of rage that came to him each time she was hit, and then … when the brother of the one man started to choke her…he wanted to kill him, and probably would have if the brother hadn’t thrown him off. He probably should have. The majority of the damage she had suffered came from him, because he fought dirty and had no qualms about hitting a woman. He wished he had shot him first, before he smashed her against that damned tree. Shane was surprised she hadn’t died from the beating she had gotten. One more hit and she likely would have. And from the way she had held the knife, he figured she was going to continue fighting. Which brought him back to why she had decided to fight in the first place? She gasped and opened her eyes then, looking at him with glazed eyes, as if she wasn’t completely there. “I-i-it h-hurts s-so bad,’ she said in between gasps. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth then, and soon her body relaxed. He knew she had passed out again. He was glad she had – the pain would be easier to bare while unconscious. Finally he came to the small clearing in the woods that he had left Shadow in – and there he was, looking curious and a little alarmed. Shane laid the girl down on his bed mat, which he had unrolled before he had heard her screams. The front of his shirt was soaked with her blood, so he took it off and wrapped around the wound on her head. He was worried about all the blood, but someone had once told him head wounds bleed a lot. Uncertain of what to do now, he dug the medicinal box out of the saddle pack. It was only a few necessities, nothing too major. Just a small bottle of aspirin, some fever medicine, a few pieces of cloth, a needle and thread, and some anti-bacterial ointment. Now he wished he had packed more – medical things weren’t something to skimp on. He got his jug of water out and began to mash a few pain killers to give her. He splashed water on her face and made her drink the mixture, and as soon as she had she was out again, as if she had never really been conscious. What if this was because she had a concussion? Was there anything he could do for that? He didn’t know. He just didn’t know – and there wasn’t anyone here that did. He ran his blood covered hands through his hair, frustrated and a little afraid. Afraid for her, the girl who saved him at her own expense. What had she said to him? She had said something about a camp…but where? He couldn’t exactly leave her here while he looked, and it wouldn’t do to be hauling her around, either. What do I do? What can I do? Come ‘on Shane, THINK!” he thought to himself, fighting panic. She moaned, and he bent over her, cupping her cheek in his hand. Her face turned towards it and she sighed, still mostly unconscious. He felt helpless, not being able to do anything for her. She looked so small and weak, laying there on the old blanket, beaten, battered, and bloody. Anger welled up in him, and if he wasn’t so against leaving her for any reason, he might actually go back and…no, he wouldn’t. He did need to get the bow and arrows, though. Not now…he couldn’t bare to leave her now, so vulnerable. What was he supposed to do? WAS there anything he could do? He lifted her head up to check on her wound – it looked like it had stopped bleeding, so he went and got the jug of water and began to clean the wound. It was a two inch gash, but he considered her lucky because it wasn’t smashed in. Only cut…when he had finished cleaning it he laid her head down on his last clean shirt – he figured she needed it more than he did right now. He fetched the only soft, edible food he had, worried that she might not be able to eat. It was a jar of black berries, some he had personally picked and preserved. When night began to fall and wolves began to howl, too close for comfort. He gathered some wood and started a fire, thinking that it would keep them away. Shadow pranced nervously and Shane began to wish he had gone back for the bow after all, even though he had a bow with him. He had made it himself, but it wasn’t nearly as good. The string was old hay twine, the wood uncarved pine. His bow was puny compared to the other one, and his was far too weak. He could only kill small animals, such as hares with his, while he knew firsthand the other one would kill large animals. It had seemed perfect when he had fashioned it on the prairie, but he knew that if the wolves did decide to attack the camp then the bow and arrows would do little besides make them mad. His arrows weren’t as good either. He stayed up all night, watching over her. Eventually, as the sky started to lighten with the coming dawn, he nodded off and slept peacefully, dreaming of an angel that had come to save him.