Better Times - Facet II

Spavin rushed through the tight tunnel mechanically, spurred forward by his two protectors. His mind kept trying to focus on what he had seen inside the cave. He could hear the grunts and growls of the tribe of people as they devoured the carcass of their fallen comrade. He fought to push the thoughts from his mind and to focus on his path. He bumped his head against a low hanging boulder and stumbled, barely able to retain his balance as the two Scout Guards continued to urge him onward. Finally, the full brightness of the sunlit outside world engulfed the trio. As soon as they were clear of the tunnel, Ahrnld took the lead so that Spavin was between him and Brdn. Ahrnld fumbled in his robe, searching for his shaded goggles. He had dropped them during his episode with the barbaric people they had met. He harbored no thoughts of retrieving them. He kept moving forward across the jumbled crater floor to follow their inbound route in reverse. Brdn found his goggles and did not miss a step while positioning them over his eyes. He was immediately behind Spavin and frequently looked back to see if they were being followed. He saw a trickle of blood running from beneath Spavin’s floppy cloth hat and the long, shaggy mane at the back of the taller man’s neck. “Leader Spavin, you are hurt. Ahrnld, we must stop.” Spavin refocused. “I am okay. Let’s get clear of danger before we stop.” He had no further desire to confront the people from Cheyenne Mountain or his shame. The trio kept moving until darkness made travel unsafe. The journey under escort by the four naked men had been done mostly at night and even the Scout Guards’ dim light vision and Spavin’s night vision goggles did not provide adequate visibility to establish and recognize landmarks. They had to stop and rest. They had not slept for more than thirty hours. They found a small spring to replenish their water containers and decided to camp near it. Spavin located an area along the road scar that could not be attacked from above by the primitives. He set out the intruder detection devices while Ahrnld erected the tent. Brdn, against his better judgment, built a small fire at Spavin’s request. When the camp was set and secured, Ahrnld insisted that Spavin allow him to check his bloodied head. Ahrnld winced empathetically when Spavin responded to his touch on the gash. The hair around the wound was matted with dried blood and required careful separation. “Leader Spavin, I am sorry but I must clean the dried blood so I can better see the wound. Your hair is so heavy and long that I am amazed the rock could penetrate it.” Spavin laughed even though he knew Ahrnld did not intend the statement as a joke. “Do what you must. I have a first aid kit in my backpack. It has some antiseptic cleaner that you can pour on the cut so it doesn’t get infected.” Brdn found the kit while Ahrnld continued to clean the hair around the gash. The moon’s light was sufficient for the former cave dwellers to see. Spavin instructed Scout Ahrnld how to apply the antiseptic wash and winced against the burning sensation on the open wound. The cut was barely more than an inch long but, as with any scalp wound, it had bled profusely. Untangling the hair and cleaning the clotted blood from it caused more pain than the original hit had. Spavin knew that he would be fine but he wondered if the cut would heal faster if it was stitched. He had adhesive strips that could be used to hold the edges together without stitches but to do so would require the hair to be shaved away around the wound so the tape could adhere. “This is very bad, Leader Spavin. I can see your bone exposed.” Ahrnld was concerned and showed the area to Brdn. Ahrnld’s concern answered Spavin’s question. “As long as my brains aren’t showing, I’ll be okay.” The look on Ahrnld’s face reminded Spavin that humor was often lost on the pragmatic former cave dwellers. “I have strips in the kit. They are made for just this sort of injury. Here, let me show you how to use them. Also, you will have to use my knife to cut the hair away about an inch or so all the way around the cut. The blade is sharp enough to shave.” He handed his ABS knife to the smaller man. The bright moonlight revealed the concern on Ahrnld’s face. “Don’t worry. It will work.” He reset himself so he would be comfortable while Ahrnld worked. “Okay, do it.”