Bootstrap Colony (39 page)

“Great, just great.” Cassie
muttered. He turned to try to see her. “I said, I don’t think this was part of
the tour,” she said dryly.

He snorted. “Yeah, the roller
coaster ride was not part of the plan. Did anyone get a good look at what hit
us?” he asked.

“More importantly, is it coming
back?” Doc asked.

He looked to her. “Not that I
know of, I gave it a shock.”

She smiled. “My aren’t we a
pair.” She looked up to his hand clutching the blood soaked pad at his
forehead, then up at her own.

He chuckled. “Monkey see, monkey
do...” She chuckled. The chuckle turned into a hiss of suppressed scream as
something nudged her side of the car none too gently. A shape could be seen
outside, and then a massive eye. She gasped as the eye's pupil dilated. Cassie
began to shake crying softly.

“Quiet,” Mitch whispered, keeping
his hand near the switch. Another shape nudged his side of the car, and then
they could feel something hitting the hood. “Damn and only two charges left,”
Mitch said softly.

Doc looked to him. ”Wait then.”
He gave a small nod, feeling the ache. The loud grumbles and hisses outside
make Cassie cry louder. Her mother leaned over and reached behind, finding her
daughters hand clutching her own. “Its okay baby, just stay quiet and they may
go away.” Cassie let out a shuddering breath as the sobs ebbed.

“Crocs most likely,” Mitch
replied. The sudden squelch of the radio had him fumbling with the volume
control. Then Paul’s scratchy voice could be heard. It was clearer than before
and getting stronger by the second.

“We are outside, about one
hundred meters away. Whatever you do, don’t get out. There are crocs all
around.” They felt a smack as something hits the side again, then the blurred
sight of a massive scaly tail swinging over the hood. Another nudge and then
the giant shapes began to fade as they moved away. “It looks like they are
going back into the water,” Paul observed. “Yeah, there is a sauropod herd
approaching from the north, better make this quick.” They felt something
bumping the side, then the rhythmic shave and a hair cut two bits banging.

Mitch smiled. “Okay, I have you
hooked up to the winch; we are going to pull you further up the embankment and
away from the edge of the creek to get to you,” Paul said after a moment,
matching sudden jerking motion with words.

“Keep your hands and feet inside
the car till the ride came to a halt,” Doc sniffed. Mitch swore and popped the
truck out of gear and into neutral as they felt the wheels skating as they were
dragged through the muck. The wheels turned slowly, Paul kept up a slow
pressure.

They could just hear the whine of
the electric winch. “Boss it looks bad from the outside. Lisa is going to kill
you if that thing ever made it back to the garage.”

Mitch chuckled. “My truck, my
problem. Getting the other guy’s insurance was not an option,” he replied.
Cassie giggled, and then hissed in pain.

“Paul, Doc and I have head
wounds; Doc’s is pretty bad, definite concussion. One pupil is dilated more
than the other. Cassie has a wrenched knee, damage to one ankle, right ribs
cracked and broken, and her left shoulder is dislocated,” Mitch reported.

“I have a minor head wound,
broken left arm, banged up left knee, and possible neck injury.” The literary
of complaints made him sigh. “The truck isn’t the only thing that will have to
be in the body and fender shop,” he finished. Doc smiled wryly.

Paul waited a moment before
replying. “Ten four, passing it on to base. Maggie is here as medic. I am
putting a call into Jacklynn to get Nicole.”

Mitch frowned a little. “Can’t
Dora or Riley handle it?” he asked. Doc slowly shook her head, and then
groaned.

He flicked the transmit key. “Ah,
roger that Paul. Doc said good idea, possible internal injuries.” She groaned a
yes, closing her eyes as the jerking motion slowed. “Nausea?” he asked, voicing
his concern.

“Yeah, oh god I think I am going
to be...” Too late she barfed all over herself and then moaned.

Cassie groaned, “Great.”

Mitch looked over. “Normal,
perfectly normal.” He let out a long suffering sigh. “I don’t see any blood, so
that is a good thing,” Mitch said, breathing through his mouth instead of his
nose. Cassie sputtered a little, and then quieted.

The motion stopped and they heard
and felt a bang on the door. “Okay, you're up to us, we’ll get you out,” Paul
yelled. They can see the shadows of people around.

“Paul, keep an eye out for
predators,” Mitch yelled.

“Not so loud!” Doc groaned.

“Sorry Doc,” Mitch sighed
glancing her way. Paul banged on the hood.

Doc groaned again. “Cassie, try
the passenger side door.” The young woman did, fumbling at it with her good
hand before it clicked and swung open. A hand reached in and grabbed the edge
of the door then pulled hard. When it failed to move the hand retreated and was
replaced with a metal clip.

The whine of the winch was
overcome by the sound of metal groaning under protest. The door opened
grudgingly, and then the winch stopped. Maggie leaned in, giving them a once
over. “Hi yah folks. I have a couple people out here just itching to play
Doctor.”

Mitch snorted. “It looks like you
took some of their fun though,” Mags observed, smiling wryly.

“Oh don’t worry, when Lisa sees
this heap he will be even more banged up,” Cassie replied, and then groaned as
she tried to pull herself and her shoulder complained. “Damn, that hurt!” She
hissed a breath of pain.

Maggie chuckled. “Yeah, Lisa will
be pissed.” Mitch snorted. “Okay Cassie, let me see if we can ease you on out
of there. Oh, by the way, Jacklynn took off from Copper town an hour ago; she
was almost there when Pete called her to pick up Nicole,” Maggie said, voice
all business.

“Good to hear,” Doc replied,
sighing in apparent relief over that news. Maggie felt Cassie up, noting the
injuries. Paul was by Mitch’s window. He pulled at the door with a crowbar,
slowly it opened. Mitch fumbled with his belt and got it off.

“Paul, give Cassie a hand getting
out will you? She and Doc are worse off,” Mitch ordered. He waved the young man
off. Paul nodded, jogging around to the other side of car. Cassie scotched
herself across the seat, then eased into Maggie’s arms and felt Paul reach
across her hips as they pulled her out.

“Watch the ribs on the right
Paul,” Mags ordered. He grunted an acknowledgment. Mitch could hear Dora as she
directed them to ease Cassie onto a stretcher.

Paul returned to his door to find
Mitch half out of his seat. He pulled his right leg out painfully, and then
teetered as he tried to stand. “Bloody fool,” Henry said as he stopped him. Doc
pushed from behind.

Together they got him out of the
car, and more or less standing, leaning against the car. He sighed and then let
Henry help him away from the door, and Paul who was trying to climb inside to
help Doc out. Henry noted the splint and nodded. “Good work with that mate.” He
looked up at the head wound.

“It is a lot bloodier then it
looks,” Mitch replied.

“Right mate, head wounds usually
are,” Henry replied with a nod. Dora came over, flashed a light into his eyes
making him cringe.

She checked again, and then asked
a few questions. “It looks like you lucked out, no sign of a concussion. I am
not happy about that neck pain though.”

He waved it off. “Check Doc.
Triage Dora, triage.” She nodded, handed Henry a C-collar and then stepped into
the fray around the open door to help Paul.

Henry muttered, “What the bloody
hell am I to do with this contraption?” he demanded and fumbled with it. Mitch
took it in his right hand and then held it up to his neck. They got it on; he
winced and had Henry eased up when he almost choked him.

“Glad you got the ambulance,”
Mitch said. He pointed to the four by four.

“Yeah, Dora is going to keep an
eye on Cassie in it,” Henry replied.

“Good, she got pretty battered in
the back.” Mitch quickly sketched out what happened. Henry nodded.

“Well have you right as rain soon
enough gov,” Henry replied. “Least till Lisa gets a hold of you that is.” Mitch
snorted.

Henry eased him into a passenger
seat. Doc’s stretcher was loaded behind him, with Maggie keeping a close eye on
her. They loaded Cassie into the ambulance Hummer. The guards rigged the broken
hummer to tow behind the third vehicle, and then they got into motion back to
base. Mitch sighed, feeling the ebb of adrenalin and anxiety at a possible
attack ease and the knot in his chest recede. The sun had set a few moments
before, it was already getting dark. They were still twenty minutes from the
safety of the base.

At the base they pulled in just
as the plane landed. “Nice timing,” Doc muttered. Mitch looked up and smiled
wryly. Nicole pulled herself out of the airplane clutching her baby, and then
jogged to them.

Mitch grabbed Paul urgently.
“Paul tell her to slow down, no need to fall,” he cautioned. Paul yelled,
telling her to take it easy.

Nicole abruptly slowed, and then
slipped a little in a mud puddle. From then on she took it much more
cautiously. Paul pulled up at the garage door, illuminating an angry Lisa
standing with her hands on her hips. “I think I would rather have another
encounter with the creature,” Mitch muttered eying the angry teen. Paul and Doc
chuckled.

Paul helped unload Doc as the
second truck pulled up. Mitch pulled himself out, and then held himself up by
the door while Lisa came over. She planted her fists on both hips. “Just what
the hell were you doing? What passed through that tiny pin shaped thing you
call a head to go off gallivanting with one of MY trucks then bring it back
damaged!” Gone was the shy severely traumatized teenage girl Mitch thought
wryly.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. Lisa stepped
up to Doc, checked her over as Paul helped extract Cassie.

Anne came into the garage. “Oh
lordy lordy.” she said, flapping her hands then turned as Janet passed her.
They eased Doc’s stretcher onto the rolling one, then wheeled her to the hall.

“Go easy, she has severe motion
sickness!” Mitch called after them. “Lisa I am sorry, it wasn’t our fault. We
got ambushed on our way back. Honest,” he said. He started to motion with his
right hand.

A commotion behind him made him
turn as Paul stepped up beside him with a wheel chair. Paul got him to sit as
the third truck pulled through the inner gate, then turned. Lisa squinted into
the darkness. “Gotta go now bye!” Paul said in a rush and then swiftly pushed
his charge to the hall. An inarticulate cry of rage and horror followed them.
Paul smiled “Guess you’re in the doghouse till the end of time.”

Mitch chuckled. “Yah think?”
Mitch answered, covering his face with his good hand.

“Oh don’t worry; I am sure Maggie
will toss you a bone or two from time to time,” Paul teased. Mitch groaned.

In the infirmary Nicole handed
the baby off to an eager Janet, and then became all business. “All righty then
how are we?” She looped a stethoscope behind her neck, checked the head wounds,
and then stepped over to the sink. “Any sign of internal injuries?” she asked
over the water spray as she cleaned up.

“No, some minor swelling, but no
sign of a bleed. Doc may have some brain swelling though,” Maggie reported.
Nicole nodded as Dora handed her paper towels to dry her hands.

“She almost sounds disappointed,”
Mitch observed, looking at her warily.

“She always was a knife hungry
little snot,” Doc muttered. He looked over to her.

Then Cassie popped in with a
laugh. “Can you believe she wanted to do her own C section?” Dora looked at
Nicole in shock, as did Maggie.

Nicole shrugged. “Yeah but Doc
here hogged the entire honor, so I guess I get to have my revenge now,” she
replied with a mock evil grin. Doc chuckled. “How the mighty have fallen eh?”
Nicole asked, stepping to Mitch’s side.

“Keep an eye on him, he is liable
to wander off and do something stupid,” Doc called.

He groaned disagreement, but Dora
smirked and crossed her arms in front of her. “Yes you would!” she growled. He
shrugged then laid back as the other women agreed.

“Okay okay, but if you start
talking about gossip or feminine hygiene I am SO outa here,” he joked. Doc
snorted. Cassie gave a groan of disapproval; Paul watching from the hallway
chuckled.

“Wash your hands again Dora,” Doc
called from behind her.

Dora turned. “Huh why?” she asked.

Nicole didn’t even look up as she
flashed the light into Doc's eyes. “Because you just touched your arms,” she
admonished. She continued with the examination.

“Damn it. I forgot,” muttering
Dora complied.

“I say no more hooky,” Mitch
observed.

Doc groaned a little. “I second
that, your playmates play rough.”

Cassie snorted. “I am still
trying to figure out how I got roped into that trip, did anyone get the number
of the train that hit us?” Doc groaned.