An Apple and the Forestmen

"Ohmigawd, ohmigawd!"

Whitney heard the cries, but they felt like a dream, faint and distant.

"What did you do?!" She heard a voice that sounded like Lacey's as it neared.

"I-I thought they were kissing," a voice replied, sounding like Owen.

"Out on the fucking ice?! Austin, check on Sean! Oh, gawd, Whitney, please be okay."

"He's out cold, Lace. Shit, there's blood all over his leg," Austin informed her. Then, paling at the sight of the blood, he lashed out at the older guy. "What the fuck were you thinking, Nevin?"

"I--you said they--I saw them, and I don't know..."

"Didn't you hear the screams for help?" Austin questioned. "We saw Sean from up on the ridge as he dove under the water."

"Lace?" Whitney faintly said in her dream-like state.

"I'm here; I'm here!"

"C-cold, so cold."

"We need help; we need help now!" Lacey stated frantically as she tore her coat off to wrap around Whitney. "Auss, give me your jacket, and then go get help."

"I'm still not getting any signal."

"Run back to the main path. Rammy went to find our parents, go look too! Tell them the situation. Sean's mom's a doctor."

"Got it!" the football player said as he took off at a sprint on the ice, slipping but keeping his balance.

"For fuck's sake, Owen! Put your coat around Sean! And start pulling him back to the shore," the petite redhead ordered as she started to gently move her dear friend as well. She noted that Whitney seemed to have passed out again.

Sean woke up screaming in agony. Shooting up, he went to reach for his foot, only to have a hand stop him.

"No, honey, don't touch it," he heard his mother softly order him. "I know it must hurt, but we need to get it looked at first."

Flopping his back down again, Sean struggled through the pain to open his eyes. Once open, he could see the sky above and trees moving in and out of his sightline. He also felt his body moving as his mother walked/crouched next to him, tenderly gripping his hand.

"Where are we?"

"You're on the sled, sweetie," a voice that belonged to Gabriela said on the opposite side of his mother. "Finn and Jared are pulling you."

"Whitney?" he inquired through clenched teeth.

"You did a great job, honey," Bridget told him. "I'm so proud of you. Whitney's in front of us on the other sled with her father and Clive pulling her."

"We're all so proud of you, Sean," Gabby repeated.

"Now, Sean, we need to know how long Whitney was in the water?" Bridget questioned. "Owen's quite upset over hitting you and hasn't been much help."

Sean struggled to clear his mind enough to think back to what happened out on the ice. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion after Whitney went under. "Uh, ten minutes, I think. No, less. Maybe five or a little longer."

"Oh, that's a relief," Bridget remarked before raising her voice. "Sean said that Whitney was in the water for less than ten minutes, if not closer to five."

"Excellent. That cuts down on how much body heat she lost," a strange voice called back. "Her level of hypothermia will be lessened," the voice seemed to say softer to someone else.

"We worried that it might be at least twice as long," Bridget leaned back down to tell her son. "Luckily, we came across Ranger Slover on the trail. The forest service rangers all carry emergency thermal blankets. Whitney's in one now, raising her body temperature back up."

"R-Ranger?" Sean repeated through his own chattering teeth.

"Yes, he heard your cries from further down the lake. He's radioed ahead, and we'll have an ambulance waiting to get you two to the hospital. Everything's going to be alright, thanks to you."

Sean gave a short nod before the combination of pain and exhaustion caused him to pass out again.

"Okay, I'm nearing the Diamond place, Nelly. What's the ETA on that ambulance?" Zebulon Colburn, chief ranger for the Wasp Lake District, radioed back to headquarters as he made the final turn on the road to his destination.

The radio squawked as he waited for a response. After spending over twenty-five years of his career at Wasp Lake, Colburn knew every nook and cranny in and around the park. Many new rangers to Wasp Lake often became confused when locating some of the cabins scattered around the park, but Diamond Cabin wasn't one of them. Instead, it was probably one of the three or four most well-known structures, especially after burning down several years back.

"Chief?"

"I'm here."

"It looks like we have a problem with the ambulance. They just radioed in that there's a tree across Birch Road. They'll have to turn around to take a different route," the young ranger reported.

"Dammit, another one? That makes four trees so far that came down from that windstorm between here and Rattle Ridge on the main roads. Not to mention who knows how many around the park," Colburn remarked in frustration, banging the steering wheel with his palm. "That's why I don't understand what Boone was doing way out by Whistle Cove. He should've been helping Shane chainsaw that tree down by Wirchie's."

"Can't help you there, Chief. But Boone radioed in again, said they were about five minutes out from the cabin," Nelly Egger relayed.

"Well, with Roger injured, we're a man down. We need to clear those trees before the next front comes through in a couple of days," Colburn said, his mind working through all the work that needed to be done. "Get a hold of Young or Netland. Inform them they have two more hours to follow that lead, then get their asses back to the station. We're going to need their help."

"Copy that. Anything else, boss?" Nelly inquired as he slowed down near the Diamond driveway.

"Yeah, I'm probably--wait, who's meeting me here?" he asked, spotting another ranger SUV.

"That would be Vanoy, sir."

"The new girl? Alright, I'm probably going to have to drive the Diamond girl to the hospital. That ambulance added at least another twenty minutes to their drive time. Who knows how many other blocked roads they run into. Shit, it might have been quicker to send an ambulance from Honey Hollow at this rate. So keep me updated on that chopper," Zebulon informed her.

"Does that mean Boone's in charge, sir?"

"Ugh, I hope not," Colburn said in more frustration as he parked next to the other forest service vehicle. "Without Roger around, tell Young she's in charge until I get back. And send Duffy over here to help Vanoy." He gave a wave to his newest hire, who stood talking to a bear of a man that towered over her. Gawd, they look younger and younger every year. "Oh, Nelly; what's Vanoy's name again? Something odd, isn't it?"

"It's Apple, sir."

"Alright, thanks." Grabbing his cap, Colburn exited the vehicle. "Afternoon, Jefferson, it's been a while."

"Zeb," Jeff greeted the older man with a firm handshake. "What's this about someone falling through the ice?"

Chief Colburn glanced over at Ranger Apple Vanoy. The petite twenty-two-year-old, a fresh hire out of college last summer, had only joined the Wasp Lake District less than a month ago. Having dealt with new trainees regularly, Zebulon could tell she was nervous but eager to learn. At the moment, she toyed with a lock of copper-red hair that stuck out of her hat, worried that she told the other man too much.

"It's okay, Vanoy. Jeff, it's Harvey's daughter that went into the lake."

"Whitney?!" came another voice from the front porch. Colburn recognized the man as another of Harvey Diamond's friends that often visited. Although, he thought the man hadn't been that gaunt the last time he saw him.

"Yes, Whitney fell through the ice over near Whistle Cove. We're not sure how, but luckily another teenager managed to pull her out," Zebulon informed them, seeing the questions written across their faces. "I don't know much else, but Ranger Slover came across them and radioed in. They should be arriving any minute now."

"Fred, go grab some blankets from the hall closet," Jeff ordered the other man, who appeared shaken by the news.

Fred! That's his name. Fredrick Singer, the one whose wife died in that car accident about a decade ago. Come to think of it, the car slide on an icy road. Zebulon recalled as Jeff Lockett repeated his instructions again.

"Apple, get your emergency blankets out of your vehicle as well," Colburn ordered the redhead, who seemed happy to have a duty to perform. "We were supposed to have an ambulance on its way from Rattle Ridge, Jeff. Unfortunately, the windstorm knocked down multiple trees and power lines across the roads. We still don't have a good idea of what roads are blocked. It looks like I'll have to take her to the hospital in Honey Hollow in my car."

"All the way to Honey Hollow? Isn't there a helicopter that could help?" Jeff inquired.

"Usually, we'd request help from Rattle Ridge or Honey Hollow for a chopper. However, there was a pileup accident over on Highway 13. It sounds bad. They've been using them to ferry the seriously injured." Wiping his brow, Chief Colburn added, "Today might be the worst time for this to happen out here."

Jeff nodded as he prepared to respond further but stopped as several people appeared out of the woods. JoJo, Newt, and Skye all stopped in surprise to see the rangers there.

"Is everything alright?" JoJo inquired.

"Don't you know?" Jeff asked, getting a shake of the head from all three.

"Whitney fell through the ice," Mr. Lockett informed them.

"Ohmigawd! Is she okay?" Skye gasped in concern.

"We don't know for sure, but it sounds like one of your friends rescued her," Jeff said, nodding in JoJo and Newt's direction.

"Was it Jared?" JoJo squeaked out, staring in horror at his father.

"You three didn't hear or see anything?" Chief Colburn asked, stepping into the conversation.

"No, we didn't. We got lost and had to backtrack," JoJo explained, shooting a dirty look at Newt. The bookish teen didn't notice, still in shock over the news about Whitney.

Their attention shifted back to the way the three of them came as a man appeared on skis. Ranger Boone Slover, a well-built man of thirty-two years, waved to his chief as he came to a halt. A vain, ambitious man, Boone saw himself as the heir apparent to the chief ranger position at Wasp Lake, although Colburn had no plans to retire for at least a decade. Unstrapping his boots from his skis, Slover took his time walking over to the two men. He pulled off his hat for a moment, revealing a stylish black haircut to wipe sweat from his brow.

"Howdy, Chief. They're about two minutes behind me. Those sleds they're pulling the two of them on are a little tricky to maneuver on the hill over there," Boone relayed with a jerk of his thumb behind him.

"Two? I thought only the Diamond girl needed assistance."

"The kid that rescued her banged his foot or ankle pretty hard. Might be broken. He's got a good gash on his leg too," his subordinate informed him, causing JoJo to let out another squeak. "Oh, and the kid said the Diamond girl was in the water for ten minutes or less."

Chief Colburn nodded in relief. Having dealt with many cases of hypothermia in his career, he knew that less than ten minutes, while not ideal, was about the best one could hope for in these situations.

"Hey!" Boone exclaimed, peering past the two men. "Where's that ambulance? I ordered Nelly to call for one. Can't that girl do--"

"Enough, Ranger Slover," Chief Colburn cut him off in a stern voice that even startled Jeff. "Nelly indeed called for an ambulance after checking in with me, but there's been a complication."

"There they are!" Jeff shouted, rushing forward. JoJo and Skye were already well past him as they raced to see how Whitney and her rescuer were.

Colburn wasn't far behind them, meeting the lead sled pulled by the girl's father and the district attorney. Both men looked exhausted, with Clive Stratton wincing in pain.

"How's she doing?" the chief ranger asked, crouching down to examine the sleeping girl under the shiny, metallic blanket. At least Boone remembered to pack his emergency kit.

"Out of danger, but we need to get her warmer and to the hospital," a blond-haired woman, one that Colburn didn't know, explained.

"Bridget's right," a weary Harvey stated. "Is that ambulance here?"

"It got redirected over several blocked roads. It should be about twenty minutes out, but I don't think we can count on that timeframe. I'll put Whitney in my vehicle," Chief Colburn explained. "Perhaps the boy can wait for the ambulance. Ranger Slover mentioned that he's injured too."

"It would be best if he left right away as well. I've stopped the bleeding, but he's lost a fair amount of blood," the woman that Harvey called Bridget replied. "Could you request a helicopter?"

The chief ranger winced. He explained the major traffic accident and his belief that they should head to Honey Hollow rather than the slightly closer Rattle Ridge. The windstorm last night had mainly struck Wasp Lake and the area north to Rattle Ridge. Harvey paled at hearing the plan, but Bridget nodded in agreement.

"Honey Hollow Medical Center would be preferable for their care. Especially if Ridge General is getting the car accident victims," Bridget explained to Harvey, causing Zeb to wonder about her identity.

"Sean!" JoJo shrieked, seeing her best friend laying on the sled, his one leg covered in blood.

"Jeff, Jared, give us a hand with Whitney," Harvey said as he pulled his daughter over to the official-looking SUV.

"Any idea how she came to be out on the lake?" Zebulon asked Clive, pulling him to the side.

"No. It does sound like she argued with her boyfriend, but he said they weren't by the water," Clive relayed what he knew. "Owen's not making much sense, but from what I gathered, they were up on top of the bluffs, and she stormed off. He said he heard shouting, so he went down there and thought Whitney and Sean were kissing. He hit Sean damn hard too. Knocked him out."

"Jealous boyfriend? You don't think he could be lying?"

"As in he pushed her? I don't think so, but he did say they broke up," Clive recounted.

"Hmm, if they broke up, would he still stay at the cabin with the rest of you?" Chief Colburn inquired.

"Highly doubtful. His only real connection was dating Whitney. Why do you ask?"

"Might be best if you make sure he stays until we can hear from Whitney about what happened," the wise, old ranger suggested.

"My gut feeling says he didn't do anything. But we'll make sure he stays," the experienced district attorney stated. He's seen enough domestic violence cases to know outward appearances can be deceiving.

"So, how are we going to do this, Chief?" Ranger Slover asked. "If you're driving them to the hospital, I'm in charge in the park, right?"

"Wrong. You're going to be driving my vehicle while I sit in back with Whitney," Colburn said, getting a tiny bit of satisfaction in seeing the displeasure on his uppity subordinate's face.

"Actually, I think it's best if I stay with Whitney," Bridget announced.

"No offense, ma'am, but I spent six years in the army before joining the forest service," Colburn explained, "So I have some medical training."

"Well, I have plenty of medical training as well," she said, holding out her hand. "Dr. Bridget Tarver."

"Pleased to meet you, ma--Dr. Tarver."

"My son is our other patient; should we place him in your other ranger's vehicle?"

"I planned to have Ranger Vanoy stay behind. Perhaps we can fit him into my car as well?"

"We can put him in my SUV," Harvey announced. "I'm going to have to follow you anyways."

"Then it's settled. I'll ride along with Whitney and Ranger Slover. My son--Sean--besides injuring his ankle and foot, also suffered multiple lacerations down the side of his leg. I placed a tourniquet around his leg to slow down the blood loss. Maybe with your army background, you can handle that?" Bridget explained as Harvey tossed his car keys to Jared, who ran off toward the garage. "I just need to get my medical bag from my car."

"Here it is, Mom," Peyton called out from by the garage.

"Thanks, honey. It's best if you stay here. I'll call as soon as we know anything." Bridget told her daughter. Peyton appeared calm, but her mother could tell she was worried sick about her brother.

"Bridget, wait!" Sybil yelled, racing over while pulling a travel case. Behind her, Chastity carried another small case. "I don't know how well-stocked the rangers are, but take anything you need."

"Ma'am, I can assure you that--whoa, I've been trying to order those, but they're on backorder," Chief Colburn whistled after Sybil unzipped her case. Inside were packets of pharmaceutical and medical supply samples.

"I'm a sales rep, so I get the latest products," Sybil explained. "Take whatever you need."

While Bridget and Colburn cherry-picked supplies, Chastity slid over towards Harvey. Appearing ready to burst into tears, the Diamond Corp receptionist held it together to inquire what she could do to help.

"Uh, I honestly don't know," Harvey responded, appearing shell-shocked.

"Should I call anyone?"

"No, no, not yet," Harvey answered. Glancing around, his eyes fell on his daughter's friends huddled nearby, looking devastated. "You know what? There is something you can do, Chastity."

Happy to help in any way, the honey blonde perked up.

"It's what you do best," Harvey said, forcing a smile. Nodding over at the teens, he clarified. "I need you to help cheer up Whitney's friends. Can you do that?"

"Yes, I can, Mr. Harvey," Chastity nodded somberly, unable to hold back a sniffle.

"Okay, we're ready to go, Harvey," Bridget announced.

"I'll take good care of your son, Dr. Tarver," Chief Colburn promised. Turning around, he spotted his newest ranger standing off to the side. She looked lost, unsure over what to do as people scrambled around. "Vanoy!"

"Yes, Chief?" Her cute face looked back in awe at her boss.

"I'm leaving you here. Duffy will join you as soon as she can. But I'm going to need you to head out to Whistle Cove and write up a report on the incident. They taught you how to do one in training, right?"

The redhead ranger quickly nodded. "Let me get my map, sir."

"You sure you'll be able to find it, Vanoy?" Colburn asked, causing her to stop.

"Uh, I-I think so."

"I can go with her, Chief Colburn," a lean young man with short brown hair offered. "I've been out to Whistle Cove many times. I know the way."

"Thank you, Mister...?"

"Singer. Finn Singer."

"And this young lady is Ranger Apple Vanoy."

"Hi," they both said at the same time.

"You what!?" a voice shouted.

Chief Colburn turned to see a petite redhead staring in shock at a strawberry-blonde teenager.