Summary:\u00a0 It’s a stagecoach trip, and everything goes right.\u00a0 Right?<\/p>\n
Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0 (1,740 words)<\/p>\n
Stagecoach<\/strong><\/p>\n Joe sat up, looking around. \u201cWhat was that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGunfire, what do you think it was?\u201d Adam said, his heart lurching in fear as he leaned towards the window to get a better look.<\/p>\n The stage lurched sideways and raised voices could be heard just outside the door. Adam felt a hand on the back of his shirt followed by a hard tug. He tumbled backwards in the seat as the sound of gunfire erupted again. He made a grab for Joe, but he missed when the stage tilted onto its left wheels \u2013 knocking him and his brother into the wall.<\/p>\n The stagecoach tilted precariously on its wheels for an eternity before slowly falling onto its side, slamming against an outcropping of rocks.<\/p>\n ***** Stifling a moan, he sat up and cradled his throbbing head in his hands. Every time his heart beat an answering echo passed through his abused body. He didn\u2019t think there was a part of him that wasn\u2019t a bruise or a cut. Adam carefully rolled onto hands and knees, trying to catch his breath and not give into the nausea.<\/p>\n Moving gingerly, he stood up, leaning heavily against the rock wall in front of him. The splintered remains of the coach he\u2019d been riding in with Joe blurred in and out of focus for a few dizzying minutes.<\/p>\n Oh, god, Joe! Adam turned too quickly and the world swam before his eyes. He took deep even breaths, trying to calm the desperation that had taken up residence in his heart. He let go of his purchase on the stone and took in his surroundings. The bodies of the driver and guards lay a few feet to his left, just beyond the wrecked carriage. The luggage was scattered about and looked to have been thoroughly searched. He was glad to see there was no immediate sign of the robbers nearby. The horses were nowhere to be seen.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe!\u201d he called out, his voice sounding weak to his own ears. He turned and didn\u2019t see his brother behind him either. He swallowed thickly as he realized the only place left for his brother to be was in the wreckage. He climbed onto the side of the coach, his silent pleas to God for Joe to be alright becoming a mantra.<\/p>\n Peering into the darkness, he could barely make out a crumpled form against the opposite side. \u201cJoe!\u201d<\/p>\n The figure below him didn\u2019t move. Adam clambered down, praying he didn\u2019t bring the remains down onto him or his brother. He let his hand rest on Joe\u2019s neck, searching for a pulse and praying he would find one. After a moment, he let out sigh of air he hadn\u2019t known he\u2019d been holding. A pulse was there, slow but there. Any sign of life was better than none, he thought to himself. A gash ran along the hairline on Joe\u2019s left side, blood still seeped from the wound and continued to run down his brother\u2019s face. Adam felt for broken bones. The ribs on his brother\u2019s left side gave a bit but, other than that, there didn\u2019t seem to be anything else broken.<\/p>\n Sighing to himself, Adam considered his predicament. He wasn\u2019t sure how he was going to get Joe out and not cause more injuries. Not knowing how far they were from the way-station, he didn\u2019t want to make things worse than they already were.<\/p>\n His vision suddenly dimmed, and he leaned against the roof of the coach, praying he wouldn\u2019t pass out. \u2018Slow, even breaths,\u2019 he repeated to himself. After a few minutes, Adam\u2019s head began to clear and the nausea abated. Adam steeled himself and pulled at the limp form in front of him. Even unconscious, Joe groaned low in his throat. Swearing to himself, Adam muttered apologies to his brother.<\/p>\n The weight of Joe pulled at his already abused muscles, sending tremors of pain throughout his body. Adam tugged his brother upright and, hoping he wasn\u2019t causing more damage, draped Joe over the edge of the coach where door should have been. His ragged breathing drowned out any other noises as he rested his aching head against the floor of the coach. The world blurred and he fought not to lose consciousness.<\/p>\n With trembling hands, Adam clamored up and out of the carriage. Steadying himself, he finished dragging Joe out of the wreckage. Adam was terrified that one of Joe\u2019s ribs could have punctured his lungs. He gently lowered Joe to the ground, the rock wall and stagecoach providing a bit of shade from the setting sun.<\/p>\n Adam began sorting through the remains of the luggage; he hoped to find something that could be used to bind Joe\u2019s ribs and head wound. The findings were paltry to what he needed but he wasn\u2019t about to complain. Further investigation of the area yielded two full canteens, and Adam sent up a silent \u2018thank you\u2019 for the miracle of water. He knew they could last a few days without food, but there was no way to survive in this heat without water.<\/p>\n He bound Joe\u2019s ribs as best he could and used some of the precious liquid to wash the blood from his brother\u2019s face. He couldn\u2019t let himself think about the possibility of not getting help in time. Surely, once they were overdue, someone would come for them. Given how much gold had been on the coach, if they were five minutes late, surely there would be a posse out to search for them.<\/p>\n The sun had long set by the time Joe opened his eyes. A fire burned in the edge of his vision, the smell of burning smoke assailing his nose and making him want to gag. His head pounded with a slow, nauseating roll. When he tried to take a deep breath, he couldn\u2019t contain the sharp gasp at the pain simply breathing caused him.<\/p>\n At the sound, Adam\u2019s face appeared over him, worry etched into his oldest brother\u2019s face.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, you back with me?\u201d Adam asked, trying not to hope too hard that Joe would remain awake. Several times his brother had appeared to wake up only to have the green eyes shut a second later. The first time it had happened, Adam was sure he\u2019d watched Joe die in front of him.<\/p>\n Joe seemed to have trouble focusing on the face in front of his eyes. Everything looked as if he were standing in the middle of a heavy mist. He started to go back to sleep, but Adam\u2019s hand gently shaking him kept him awake.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d he asked, trying to make his voice work properly. His throat felt as if he\u2019d tried to swallow an entire desert. He felt his head being lifted and cool water in his mouth. Swallowing readily, he drank as much as Adam would allow before the canteen was removed.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s enough for now. The last thing we need is for you to get sick again on top of everything else,\u201d Adam said, putting water aside. \u201cThe coach was robbed, and the stage went out of control. It slammed up against those rocks. The gold\u2019s gone, so are the horses.\u201d<\/p>\n It took a moment for the words to sink into his muddled brain, but finally Joe asked, \u201cWhat about the others?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey didn\u2019t make it. It\u2019s just us, and I have no idea how to get us out of this one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWalk out\u2026we\u2019ll walk out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure if you\u2019ve noticed but you\u2019re not exactly too steady there.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe smiled at the words, knowing it was the only way his brother would let himself show worry he felt. \u201cJust my head and ribs. Legs are fine. We\u2019ll walk out together.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded his head in agreement. He knew there wasn\u2019t much choice left to them. He\u2019d already had to use half of one canteen to clean wounds and small sips of water while waiting for Joe to wake up. The meager amount left wasn\u2019t enough to last them until rescue. He\u2019d been trying to figure out how far they were from the station and, as best as he could tell, they were over a days walk away. There was no doubt it would be hard, especially as hot as the desert was sure to get.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n The day dawned as bright and hot as Adam had predicted. He had passed out not long after Joe the night before and, having stiffened up during the night, was now moving like an eighty year old man. Every muscle protested the slightest movement he made, pain still lancing through his brain, and he couldn\u2019t imagine how hard this trek would be since Joe was in the same shape he found himself in.<\/p>\n Adam moved carefully about the small camp. He let Joe rest a bit longer while getting their meager gear ready for the hike across the hard-baked earth. Gingerly kneeling beside Joe, he called softly to his brother.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, come on. It\u2019s time we left.\u201d<\/p>\n For a minute, he didn\u2019t think Joe would wake up. He let seconds tick by before calling to Joe again, this time a bit louder.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe! We really need to get out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n The worry he\u2019d felt the night before came back full force. What if Joe couldn\u2019t wake up? His fears were allayed as Joe began to wake up, albeit not as fast as he would have liked.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, it\u2019s time for us to move out. It\u2019s not going to get any easier.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe started to nod his head in agreement but realized what a mistake that was seconds later as someone with a hammer started banging on the inside of his skull. His stomach lurched at the sensation, and he couldn\u2019t do anything except turn away from his brother while he retched. He could feel Adam\u2019s hand on his forehead, giving what support he could.<\/p>\n Adam reached behind him for the canteen and passed it to Joe. \u201cHere, rinse your mouth out and take a couple of small sips. We\u2019ll get going as soon as you\u2019re ready.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m ready as I\u2019ll ever be. Let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ~The End<\/p>\n
\nWhen he opened his eyes, Adam couldn\u2019t tell how much time had passed. All he knew for certain was that it had been daylight when they\u2019d been attacked, and it was still afternoon. He hoped that meant he\u2019d only been out for a few minutes rather than a few hours.<\/p>\n