Down the line

Jade's stomach lurches as her feet leave solid ground and she speeds down the line - but after that first terrifying moment, the ride is surprisingly smooth and not nearly as bad as she anticipated. There's even a bit of a genuine thrill to the experience, flying down the hill at a fast but tolerable speed, the treetops whipping past her on either side. She dares to twist her neck around and look back, and sees that Kayo has made the leap and is a good thirty yards behind.

Piece of cake, she thinks. Of course, the hard part is when we get to the stream... I don't know if I'll have time to judge how deep the water is, and if I jump and break my back, then Kayo's not going to have time to change her mind! Dammit, what was I thinking, putting her life in danger like this?? I swore - on my father's life - that I would keep her safe, and I was so concerned about keeping her away from the rapists, it never even crossed my mind that she could die following me down this line! Now, there's no turning back... I just have to trust to luck.

The gap in the trees draws nearer, and the line begins to dip slightly under Jade's and Kayo's combined weight. Jade has to lift her legs up to pass over a tree that's just a little too tall, and hopes that Kayo is able to do the same. It's too close to the gap to look back and check - distraction at this point could be fatal.

A little further... almost there...

The stream flashes into view below. Jade has two seconds to make a decision. Deep water... there! But it's so small!

There is no time to second-guess. Jade lets go of the line as what she fervently hopes is the right place, just before her carrier passes over the tiny, deeper hole in the streambed. The sudden plummet brings a vivid flashback to her blind leap off the cliff -

-SPLOOSH!-

She hits the water feet-first and hits bottom a second later, her knees buckling to absorb the remaining impact. Without hesitating, she kicks off the bottom and to the side, to get out of the way of -

-SPLOOSH!-

The sound of a bubbled scream penetrates the water, and Kayo's body falls backward into Jade, knocking her into a large rock at the edge of the hole. The air is pushed from her lungs, but Jade fights against panic, puts her arms around Kayo, and once again kicks to the surface. The two of them break through, gasping, and Kayo bites off another scream.

"Are you all right?" Jade asks, the panic harder to hold at bay.

"No!" Kayo gasps. "M-my leg... oh God, it hurts so much!"

Jade's stomach lurches again, even harder than when she first jumped off the cliff, as she sees a crimson stain spreading in the water. She pulls desperately at Kayo, with strength she never knew she had, fighting to keep the other girl's head above water and pulling them into the shallows. Kayo screams again as her leg makes contact with the streambed; it never even crosses Jade's mind to warn her to be quiet.

What have I done?

Finally, Jade is able to get them both to a shallow enough point that the leg is above water - and then, she wishes she hadn't. Kayo's lower right leg is bent where no bend should be, and a sharp protrusion of bone sticks out just below the knee. Blood wells up around it and runs down into the water. Jade feels the three food bars she just ate threatening to resurface, and forces it back down.

"How bad is it?" Kayo moans. She props herself up on one elbow, looks down at the leg, and lets out a tiny squeak.

"You're going to be all right," Jade says, trying to be assuring. I don't know what to do with this! she thinks to herself. I have to stop the bleeding, but how can I apply direct pressure to that?

"It's my fault," Kayo whispers. "I hesitated when it was time to jump... I was afraid!"

"It's not your fault," Jade insists. It's my fault. "You said your family had connections in medical circles, do you know anything about how to treat this?"

"P-pressure... to stop the bleeding," Kayo says.

"How? If I press on that -"

"It will hurt," Kayo nods. "But I could bleed to death if you do not. Take the bandages from our kits... apply pressure to the sides of the b-bone. Try not to move the leg, the other end is still inside and it could c-cut a blood vessel." Her face has gone white. "I might... I might pass out. You have to keep the pressure on until the bleeding stops, no matter what happens."

"I understand," Jade says, pulling out the kits from their bags. "Kayo, I'm so sorry!"

"Please... do not be." A weak smile appears on her lips. "At least, I am getting off the island."

The pager! Jade realizes. I can call in an airlift for her - this is definitely an emergency! She finds the device in Kayo's pack, opens the protective cover, and pushes the button hard. It resists for a moment and then clicks down, lighting up red. Jade puts the pager aside and pulls out the first-aid kits, drawing out the pathetically small rolls of bandages and wadding them both up to hold in each hand. "Ready?" she asks.

"Mm-hm," Kayo grunts, and closes her eyes tight.

Jade hesitates only a moment before putting her hands down on either side of Kayo's shattered leg. Kayo represses a scream, her face going red with the effort. "You... have to press harder," she insists, her words barely understandable through clenched teeth.

I can't! Jade thinks, but presses harder anyway. This time, Kayo can't hold back the cry of pain, but Jade keeps the pressure on. The bandages are almost immediately soaked red.

"I'm so sorry," Jade sobs. "I'm so, so sorry Kayo!"

Kayo doesn't respond. Her face goes white again, her eyes roll back, and her head drops back into the water.

"Kayo? KAYO??"

She doesn't respond, but Jade can see that she is still breathing.

I have to save her, Jade thinks, pressing harder now that Kayo cannot feel it anymore. She can't die out here, not like this...

A splashing in the stream nearby goes unheard, but Jade notices when a shadow falls across Kayo's leg. She looks up, and sees a man standing above her, a tall black man who she hasn't seen before. The sun is directly behind his head, so she cannot make out his face.

"Please," Jade begs him. "Please, help me!"