12 Chapter Twelve: Night Two
Chilam had set Damien and Sargent Storm in a small room above the medic area. Camo was checked upon every hour, and each time was the same. She's not any better. She might be worse. What Damien had begun to call, "Modern Day Medics" would say she's in critical condition, and he wanted nothing more than to be by her side, doing something, anything other than laying on an uncomfortable cot, staring at the wooden beamed ceiling and listening to his mind wonder about the what if's.
What if Camo loses her arm?
What if she never wakes up?
What if she blames him for not saving her in time?
What if she dies?
What if...
Annoyed, Damien shot out of bed and headed towards the door, but the clearing of a throat stopped him.
"Can't sleep either?" Sargent Storm asked.
"No Sir," Damien replied.
"Worried about her?"
"Very much, Sir."
He never turned around, never faced Sargent Storm, but he could tell the man was sitting there, head in his hands. It's exactly something he would do, something Damien would be doing himself if he didn't want to learn more about these Natives that could help Camo. He was willing to do anything. He would Not lose her.
Without another word, Damien left the room, walking through the small house, down to the medical room he had begun calling the infirmary.
Chiliam was sitting next to Camo on the small cot, pressing a cold cloth to her forehead.
Damien opened his mouth to ask how she was doing, but Chiliam beat him to it.
"She's no better. She is getting worse, but the Doctor says she is not."
"What can we do?" Damien asked, keeping his voice and face straight.
"We can do nothing unless we get her to the Cein." Chiliam said quietly, exchanging the hot cloth on Camo's forehead for a cold one.
"Where are they?" Damien asked, willing to go anywhere.
"They are deep in the Canyons far to the West." Chiliam said, getting up and looking at a wall covered in maps. She pointed to a darkened area. "There."
"Can I bring them to her?" He asked, studying the map.
They were easily a hundred miles away, and moving Camo would not be smart.
"No. They will not come. You must bring her to them." Chiliam said, returning to Camo's side.
"The Sargent is in no condition to travel." Damien said, signing and sitting next to Camo.
"Go alone with her. She doesn't have long if this bite is left as it is. We have no medicine that can heal her." Chiliam told him, packing bandages, food, and water in a cloth sack. "You can take the horse of your choice. You can ride with her, correct?"
"Yeah, I can." Damien said, taking the pack she offered him.
"Then go, quickly. The Doctor will awaken soon and you must be far away by then."
She handed Damien another, similar map, then, unexpected due to her size, she lifted Camo from the bed and headed towards the door.
The reaction, or rather, lack of reaction Camo made when she was lifted, really concerned Damien. His heart panged with pain and guilt.
I'll get you help Camo. Just hold on a little longer.
With that, Damien mounted the horse and Chiliam passed Camo up to him. Holding Camo against his chest, Damien could feel the heat radiating off of her. Holding her tightly, Damien nodded goodbye to the petite, dark skinned woman, and galloped away on a dusty gray stallion, into the west, away from the rising sun.
