Chapter
6
By Julie
I don't know
for sure how long I sat in that freezing cold cockpit, just watching Kevin and
Nick sleep, but eventually, my teeth were chattering from the cold. Nick's head
was still resting on my leg though, so I didn't want to move and wake him up.
After awhile,
AJ peeked his head in. "Brian!" he hissed when he saw me. "What
are you doing in here? How did you get all the way over here?" he asked.
"I sorta
hopped in," I said, managing a smile.
"Man,
it's freezing out here," AJ commented, watching his breath form little
clouds. "Come on, you need to get back there where it's warmer," he
said. He reached out his hand. "Come on, I'll help you," he said.
"What
about Nick?" I asked. "I don't want to wake him up."
"Who
cares? He can sleep again in the back of the plane. Besides, you both could get
sick out here," AJ reasoned.
"I think
Nick already is getting sick," I said. "I'm pretty sure he has a
fever."
"Well,
that's all the more reason to get back there!" AJ cried. He went over to
Nick and nudged him.
"Come on,
Nicky," he said. "Wake up." Nick moaned in his sleep and stirred
a little. Then he slowly sat up.
"Where am
I?" he asked, blinking up at AJ.
"You're
in the cockpit of the plane. But you have to go to the back now. You'll freeze
out here," AJ replied.
"Okay,"
Nick mumbled, staggering into the back and flopping down into one of the seats.
"Now,
Brian, it's your turn. Come on," AJ said, extending his hand. I took it
gratefully and groaned in pain as AJ helped hoist me up. I leaned heavily on
his shoulder as he helped me hobble to the back and lie down on the ground. He
wrapped a blanket around me. "There you go," he said, patting my
shoulder.
"Thanks,
Bone," I replied, smiling at him. He grinned back and went to check on
Kevin.
Howie woke up
a few minutes later. "Hey, Bri," he said, when he saw me lying on the
floor. "How are you this morning?"
"In
pain," I muttered.
"Let me
see your leg," Howie said. He lifted up the blanket so he could see my
leg. "Bri, I have to roll up your pant leg, okay?" he told me.
"Okay,"
I said, groaning. This would hurt. And sure enough, it did. "OW!" I
howled.
"I'm
sorry," Howie apologized. He studied my leg, then looked up gravely at me.
"I think I'm going to need to cut your pant leg," he said. "It's
swelling too much. I wonder if there's a first aid kit around here anywhere. I
need to wrap it too."
I nodded and
watched as he dug through piles of spilled bags and blankets. In the meantime,
I was curious about my leg. I grabbed onto the seat next to me to help pull
myself up into a sitting position. My ribs and stomach protested, but I managed
to sit up anyway.
I gasped when
I saw my leg. It was black and bluish and had swelled to nearly twice the size
of my other leg. I didn't see any bones poking out, but it seemed to be bent at
an odd angle. I was sure it was broken.
A few minutes
later, Howie found the first aid kit. "You shouldn't be sitting up,"
he said when he saw me. He eased me back down. Then he took out a pair of
scissors and carefully cut off my left pant leg around the thigh. Then came the
painful part. All he had to wrap my leg with was an Ace bandage, not a real
cast. He tried to be careful and gentle as he wrapped it, but it still hurt
horribly. I winced and clenched my teeth, trying not to scream. My eyes filled
with tears. A few minutes later, Howie had wrapped my leg tightly. I just lay
back and tried to relax and get the pain off my mind.
"Hey, do
you want some Tylenol?" Howie asked. "I found some in this first aid
kit."
I wanted some,
but if Nick was getting sick, I thought maybe I should save it for him. Or
maybe for Kevin, when he woke up. If he woke up. I tried to push that thought
out of my mind.
"No,"
I replied. "I'll be fine."
"You
sure, man?" Howie asked, studying my face. "You look like you're in a
lot of pain."
"Trust
me, I'll be fine," I said adamantly.
"Okay,"
Howie said with a shrug. He put the Tylenol back in the case. "I'm going
to go see how Kevin's doing, okay?" he asked.
I nodded and
closed my eyes as he headed to the front. I wasn't really tired, but sleeping
seemed to be the only way I could get rid of my pain for awhile. Plus, when I
was asleep, I could forget this horrible situation we were in.
***
