Camp Clearwater

  Chapter 20

  Jack to the Rescue

  “I need to go back and check on Jacob and C.J. I’ll just die if anything happens to them. I don’t know what to do. Everything is so messed up; nothing has gone the way I planned,” Cindi said holding back the tears.

  “I understand. Things don’t always go as planned, but I’m here to help,” said Jack.

  “I don’t even know you. For all I know you could be an escaped convict or something!” Cindi exclaimed suddenly feeling frightened of the six foot bearded man with the ragged clothes. She couldn’t help but notice he had deep scars on his forehead, eyes, and nose.

  “I mean you no harm, trust me. That girl found me and asked me to help,” said Jack.

  “How do we know that you didn’t hurt Maria?” quivered Cody. “Maybe you tied her up somewhere. I think we should try to tie him up before he tries to murder us,” screamed Cody.

  Cindi looked at Jack and though she didn’t know why, she felt like she could trust him, and that he was there just there to help. Scrutinizing Maria’s letter, she carefully looked again at the writing. It did look like Maria’s, and it sounded like something she would say.

  “Jack, could you tell us about yourself and help us understand why you’re out here in the middle of nowhere? How long have you been here?”

  “I’ve been here for almost two years.”

  “Why did you move here?” asked Jorgina.

  “It’s a long story,” he said.

  “We’ve got time even though we need to get back to Jacob and C. J.,” said Luna.

  “Okay, I’ll give you the short version,” Jack said. “A little over two years ago, I was heading on a skiing trip to Red River with my wife, Marlena, for our ten year anniversary. We’d planned to stay in a remote cabin. I asked her to scoot over by me, so I could put my arm around her. When we came to a sharp curve, I lost control of the car. We went over the side rail, and our car turned over. She was killed instantly. Part of me died that day too. I couldn’t go back to our home in Odessa, so I sold it and everything we had. I used the money to build my cabin in the woods. I just wanted to be alone. I couldn’t face the world after what I did to her.”

  “It wasn’t your fault,” said Sarah Beth. Then without thinking she asked, “Is that how you got all those scars on your face?”

  “That’s rude,” said Eugene.

  “It’s okay; don’t worry about it. Yeah, I got the scars from the accident. They are a daily reminded of what I did. I killed my wife because I was the one driving, and I shouldn’t have asked her to move closer to me. I killed the person I loved most in this world.” He started to tear up, and turned his back on the group who were huddled around him.

  The counseling side of Cindi came out. “I’m sure it was an accident, and I believe everything and everyone has a purpose. I’m sorry to hear about your wife, but if that wouldn’t have happened, then you wouldn’t be here right now trying to help save us. We really need help. Will you go with me to get Jacob? He had some deep gashes in his forehead and his arm was pretty banged up,” said Cindi.

  “Of course, I’ll go. That’s why I came…to try to help anyway I could,” replied Jack.

  Moaning, Sarah Beth said, “I don’t feel so well. I think my leg is broken.” Jack forgot about his own problems, went over, and looked at her. “I brought supplies to make a cast and some antibiotics. It’s not clean around here, but we will have to make do until we can get you back to my cabin.”

  Eugene watched Jack work as he disinfected her open wounds, moved the bones back in their proper place, wrapped her leg, and put it in a cast. He was impressed by Jack’s skill. Charlie also watched intently.

  “Here, take this medicine. It should help ease the pain,” said Jack.

  “I have some shots back at my cabin which will help you more but these pills.” Next, he went over to Jorgina. “Wow, your feet look like hamburger meat. I know you have to be in pain but it’s good Eugene put some herbs on them. That was the best thing he could have done considering the circumstances.” Eugene beamed with pride as Jack cleaned her wounds, then wrapped and bandaged them.

  Jorgina wasn’t nearly as tough as she had been the first day when she announced she didn’t want anyone to touch or mess with her. She welcomed Jack’s help and cried as she experienced relief. He also bandaged Cody and looked at everyone else’s scrapes and wounds.

  “You seem to know what you are doing?” said Eugene. “What did you do before you moved here on this mountain?”

  “I was an emergency doctor in a hospital. I quit my job and moved here after my wife died. I thought if I couldn’t save her, then I didn’t need to be practicing medicine anywhere,” he said with a faraway look in his eyes.

  “You can’t blame yourself the rest of your life. You can’t be that old.” said Cindi. She added, “I’m not trying to get personal, but it’s hard to tell how old you are with that beard.”

  “Yeah, how old are you?” asked Cody.

  “Thirty four,” he answered.

  “You look a lot older,” said Eugene.

  “Eugene, just shut up,” said Cody.

  “Quit it. I’m not having you guys arguing like you are in kindergarten. We have too much to do and remember we need to go get C.J. and Jacob,” Cindi remarked.

  She turned to Jack and said, “What do you think we should do? Should we all try to go together to the river to get C.J. and Jacob, should we try to move them here, or should we go to your cabin? I want everyone together.”

  “I don’t think we should try to move anyone right now. It would be too dangerous for them to put any more pressure on their feet and legs.” said Jack. “Let me get my four-wheeler, and I’ll come back for those who can’t walk. Would anyone want to walk back with me?” Jack asked.

  “What about C.J. and Jacob?” asked Luna.

  “They are the two strongest. I think they will be alright,” said Cindi although she wasn’t so sure. “Cody, Eugene, and Luna go back with Jack to his cabin. Charlie, you can go too if you want, and I’ll stay with Jorgina and Sarah Beth.”

  “No, I don’t want to leave Sarah Beth. She needs me, and it feels good to have someone need me,” Charlie said as he held Sarah Beth’s head in his lap. She drifted in and out of consciousness.

  “I understand, you can stay with me while the others go, and after we get everyone there, I’ll go back for C.J. and Jacob,” said Cindi.

  “Where exactly are they?” asked Jack.

  “They are by two rafts near the river.”

  “Were they yellow with black stripes around the top rim?” asked Jack.

  “Yes,” replied Cindi.

  “Then, those are mine, so I know exactly where they are. I’m sure I can find them. After we get everyone here back to my cabin, I’ll go get them too.”

  “I will go with you,” said Cindi. She looked at Sarah Beth who was totally unconscious and very pale. Jorgina looked like she was about to pass out also. “Go on guys, please be fast, but most of all, please be careful. I’ll stay here and wait until Jack comes back. Once you get to the cabin, whatever you do, stay there and don’t wander off. I can’t afford to lose anyone else. Do you promise me that?”

  They all agreed, and she believed they would keep their promise.

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