Alive and Alone (22 page)

Later that night, over supper, Banks looked at David and said, “You can have any two of the MRE’s tonight.  I know you like them and I expect our ride home to return any day now.”

“The snow will have slow down a might first, don’t ya think?”  Vittles asked as he picked up a MRE and dropped it in a large can of boiling water.”

“Yep, it’s not safe with us in the trees and them wanting to rescue us.  The aircraft commander was smart not to attempt it.  In a war, they would have come down, but they don’t need to do that for us.  We’re in no real danger and it’s just not worth the risk in lives.”

“Well, it might snow like this for a week, so we’ll have to go easy on the rations after today.”  David stated and then dropped his MRE’s in the water beside the other one.

Vittles gave him a light pat on the shoulder as he said, “A young jasper like ya needs more food than me or John.”

“He’s right though.  These rations have a high calorie count, so there is no need to eat more than one a meal at a time.  I gave the extra one to David tonight because it’s been a long time since he’s had a good hot meal,” Banks replied and then winked at Vittles.

With a fake look of shock on his face, the old trapper asked, “What!  Ya don’t think my cookin’ is a good meal?”

Everyone laughed and it felt good.

CHAPTER 17

“W
ADE
RESIDENCE
,
CATHY
SPEAKING
,”
Cathy said as she answered the phone.  She’d been preparing dinner and thinking of her son.  She prayed it wasn’t a telemarketer or she’d turn rude.  She was in no mood to be bothered right now.

“Cathy, Frank Wilcox, here.  I have some wonderful news for you.”

“What do you have? Did David return with the crew?”  She asked as her heart began to pound with excitement.

“Zee and his crew tried to rescue David today.  When they neared the location, they found the whole area socked in with low clouds.  They were even in radio contact with our P.J. on the ground and he informed them that all goes well.  Now, normally, they would have lowered a stokes litter or a forest penetrator for an extraction, but the wench didn’t work.  We left them with enough food and gear to survive almost two weeks, but I’m sure the weather will break before then.”

“They couldn’t land?”

“Zee wanted to land, but I refused to give him permission.  According to our maps, they are beside a river and it has a grove of trees near.  My concern was a rotor blade would strike a tree.  I couldn’t take the risk of losing a crew and I’m sorry.”

“Frank, it’s alright, I just wondered.  No, don’t risk the lives of your men, especially when David is fine.  They are both well aren’t they?”

“They told the pilot they picked up another man, but I don’t know where that could have happened, unless they met a native or a trapper out there.  They also have no special needs and that means to us they have no medical emergencies.  All they requested was more food, which we dropped to them.  Cathy, I’m very sure they are all well, warm, and now have enough food that we can relax a little.”

“Any ideas when they might be able to come home?”

“The weather shop is working that issue for me, along with the Chaplin. First break in the weather and we’ll go in again.  I promise you.  And, when this is all said and done, remember your David is one smart and brave boy!”

“He’s like his father,” Cathy replied and then fought back tears.

“Well, I’ve got to run and see the general, but I’ll give you a call as soon as I learn something.  I’m glad earlier you didn’t make the trip out to meet them.  It would have been a wasted trip.”

“I don’t see it that way.  Oh, once this is all over, I want to have your crews over for a meal.”

Laughing, Wilcox replied, “Watch my boys then, they all love food.  I’ll see you later Cathy and if you need anything give Carol a call.”

“Bye,” Cathy said and as she placed the phone back on the charger, she prayed, “Please God, let them get to David quickly.  I never realized what I had, until you took part of it away from me.  This I ask in the name of Jesus, amen.”

David awoke a little after midnight and wondered why.  Something must have aroused him. He listened, but heard nothing.  He raised his head and near the dying fire, he saw a small animal licking the MRE pouches.  Hoping to scare the animal away, he stood and moved near.

“Scat!”  He said as he walked forward.

The animal was a little bigger than a fat tomcat and in the poor light he was unsure what it was.  Probably just a raccoon, he thought as he kicked his foot at the animal's rear.  Instead of running, the creature turned on him and when he got a glimpse of its face, David knew it was a badger.  Sharp and long teeth punctured David’s right boot and he felt pain.  Before he could move, the animal had his legs and claws wrapped around the young man’s leg.

Pain radiated up his leg and growing terrified, he screamed for help.  

Banks, moving quickly, picked up David’s rifle, placed the barrel against the small animals head and pulled the trigger.  The sound of the shot was loud, but badger immediately stopped moving—dead.

“It isn’t dropping off of me!”  The young man cried out in fear, “It’s still alive!”

Vittles moved forward and began to peel the dead animals legs and teeth from David’s leg he said, “Badgers never let go after they get a hold good.  He’s a gone goose, but he’s got ya in a death grip.”

“You sure he’s dead?”

“Yup, as dead as last year’s Christmas turkey,” Vittles replied and then pulled the last claw from David’s leg.  Picking the dead animal up, the old miner walked into the darkness to get rid of the body.

Banks, who'd been waiting for Vittles to finish, now said, “Let’s build this fire up and take a look at your injuries.”  He added three logs to the dying flames and continued, “Pull that leg up and let me take a good look at it.”

The injuries on his leg were bleeding freely as Banks asked, “Your boot is torn, did he get your foot too?”

“I think he attacked my foot first.”

Banks unlaced the boot, removed a bloody sock and said, “Puncture wounds and they’re not easy to clean or treat.  The injuries to your leg are mostly rips, tears, and a few bites.”

David, who’d been thinking, suddenly asked, “What about rabies?”

“That’s another concern I have right now, but we’re putting the cart before the horse.  First, I need to clean these wounds, disinfect them and wrap them up good.  I don’t have a thing in the kit for rabies, so we’ll have to wait and see.  Did the animal act strange or see unusual?”

“No, not really.  I was just shocked that something that small would attack a human!”

Vittles had walked up, so he said, “Badgers are known for their guts.  They ain’t scared of a blame thing, includin’ Grizzlies.  Attacking you was nothin’ to the small guy and he was jus’ defendin’ his meal.”

“Do you think it was rabid?”  Banks asked as he wrapped the foot in gauze.

“Not likely, but we cain’t rule it out.”

“Now, it’s likely David, you’ll come down with a fever and some aches.  I can give you some acetaminophen for both, but that’s it.  While I have some morphine and codeine medications, they’re only for very serious injuries.”

“That acet-a-thing, what is it?”

“Sort of like aspirin, but it’s not.  You’ve had it before, I’m sure, when you had colds, fevers or small aches.”

“My dad gave me things in the past, but I never paid much attention to medicines.”

“Now, every morning we’ll change the bandages, put more antibiotic ointment on the wounds and you’ll be fine in a few days.  The puncture wounds are the ones to watch.  I tried to get some medication in the holes, only I’m not sure how well I did.”

Vittles, sitting by the fire with his never smoked pipe between his teeth said, “And, ya need to stay off your feet a few days.  If ya move too much, them wounds will start bleedin’ again.”

Turning to the old man, David pointed at his old pipe and asked, “Don’t you ever smoke that thing?”
Pulling the pipe from his teeth, Vittles replied, “I used to smoke it all the time, then ‘bout twenty years back I quit smokin’.  Now I just like the feel of the stem between my teeth.”

Banks handed David two white pills and said, “These are the pills I told you about.  Take these and then get some rest.  Vittles was right too, stay off your feet for a few days.”

After David was asleep, the snow began to fall once more and Banks asked, “What do you think about that badger?”

“I don’t think it was rabid, if that’s what you’re really asking.  They’re a moody critter in the best of times and what it did tonight is normal behavior for the little beast.”

“Sounds like David kicked a running chainsaw blade, doesn’t it?”

Snickering, Vittles replied, “Yep, they’re just like a chainsaw in a lot of ways.  A few years back I found two skeletons.  One was a grizzly bear and the other was a badger.  Some of the remains of that badger were on the bears face, holding its mouth closed, but the bear in anger or fear had killed the little thing.  It must have happened years before, except the claws and teeth of the little critter were still buried deep in the bear’s bones.”

“What gives them enough guts to attack a full sized grizz like that?”

“I ain’t got no idea, but the natives say there are only two things in the world to fear, one is a insane woman and the other is a badger on a good day.  I think they might have a point.”

Banks laughed and said, “I have lots of medical training, only it’s how to treat a gunshot wound, fix broken bones, deliver a baby, and many other things.  I don’t remember any in-depth training on rabies and I know there’s nothing in my bag to treat it.”

“Well, your job was mainly created to save downed aircrews in times of war, I’d imagine.  And, I remember you tellin’ us most rescues happen within 24 hours, so I’d suspect the need for rabies vaccine or training just ain’t there.”

“Overall you’re right, except during peace time we fly civilian rescue missions.  Even during wars, we’ll fly rescues here in the states if needed.  We’re committed to saving lives, under all conditions and anywhere.”

Grabbing the coffee can, Vittles said, “You’re deserving of the call sign, Angel One then.  It’s a special job ya got son, so don’t ya ever forget it either.”

Standing, Banks replied, “I’m off to my sleeping bag.  It’s only a couple of hours until first light, but I want to be up by then.  You can never tell when our ride home might show up.”

“Yup, I hear ya and I don’t want to miss the ride neither!”  Vittles said and then giggled like a little schoolgirl.

Morning came with snow flying all around and the temperature way below zero.  The shelter was cold, even with a blazing fire burning right outside the entrance.  The sleeping bags were rated to minus twenty, so Banks knew they were in no danger of freezing to death.

After a quick MRE for breakfast, Banks changed the bandages on David and then said, “Some inflammation there, but nothing to worry about yet.  The triple antibiotic cream I’m using should clear that up fairly quickly.”

Vittles, who didn’t put much faith in antibiotic ointments, said, “We’ll know by mornin’ if that cream works or not.”