Tripwire

Tripwire

(Caveat: this a work of fiction; it took me weeks to flesh it out, make edits, change things etc. It probably sucks but I had fun writing this.)

One Saturday, I was out for a long walk. it was a fine, cool, Autumn day. The trees were especially resplendent with their fiery colors. Particularly, the maples. I drank in Autumn's beauty like a thirsty animal at body of fresh rainwater on a savannah. It was my favorite season; not the heat of Summer, nor the bone-chilling cold of Winter.

I smiled.

I had a sudden longing for a hot, crackling fireplace and some hot, mulled apple cider. Curled up under a wool blanket, with one of my favorite hardcover books and a nice, attractive guy. But, I didn't have those amenities or a nice guy at the cheap basement suite I currently rented. It was what I could afford with the job I had. Instead, I could curl up on my uncomfortable couch, alone. Damn, I thought.

A cold breeze suddenly blew in off of the Pacific Ocean and I shivered a little. I zipped my light jacket around my throat and tucked my knitted scarf inside the collar. I had knit my scarf with a worsted weight, pink wool blend yarn I had purchased at the clearance section at the local yarn store. The scarf was about six feet long and I had used garter stitch; a palate-cleansing knit. It was warm, soft and cozy.

Sometimes, I gave knitting lessons to walk-ins at the yarn store for store credit. I had an increasing yarn stash but collecting stash was its own hobby. At least, this what I told myself.

I was 22 years old; a tall, white and willowy woman. My hair was fine, dishwater blonde and lifted by the breeze and went everywhere. In aggravation, I attempted to smooth it back down. A fruitless endeavor; my recalcitrant hair always had a mind of its own.

I looked down at the beautiful leaves on the path and listened to the soft crunch under my sturdy hiking boots.

Suddenly, I heard a commotion up ahead. My heart skipped a beat in trepidation. I heard a shout; it sounded agonizing. Full of anguish. I started to breathe harder as my muscles tensed, ready to either enter the fray, or perhaps, run like Hell in the opposite direction. I hadn't decided, yet.

I heard a male voice scream, "HELP!" so, like the idiot I am I ran towards the direction of the screams. I noticed a tangle of bicycle and man off the side of the path. He was maybe 30 years old; some part of my woman's mind noticed he was very attractive and had kind eyes.

He spotted me and gasped, "my leg's broken!"

I broke out in a cold sweat; I was afraid to get closer and see his horrific injuries. I was sensitive and not good with gore. I gulped, nervously, and got closer. I looked down and felt sick. It was a bad break in his lower leg. I forced myself to stay calm as I crouched down.

"Holy shit! What happened???" I said.

"Someone boobytrapped the path; put fishing line across it right there -" he pointed to a section up ahead and I almost threw up. What kind of maniac would do something so sick?!

"I crashed into this tree -" he said, pointing at a thick, old cedar, nearby. I shuddered.

"I need you to help me untangle myself from my bicycle, please. My name is Benjamin." I stuck my hand out, "I'm Belinda, nice to meet you?" He chuckled.

I helped him extricate himself from his heavy mountain bike with great anxiety; I was fearful of making his broken leg worse and causing him severe pain. I was fighting tears every time he moaned.

Benjamin was breathing funny; increasingly pale and sweating. I thought, Oh shit! Is he going into shock?! I took my jacket and scarf off; I fashioned him a pillow and covered him up the best I could. I found a pouch attached to the top bar of his bicycle, opened it and found one of those tinfoil-esque rescue/reflective blankets, firmly folded up in a small ziplock type of bag. I opened it and spread it over Benjamin. I also handed him his sports bottle from the bottle cage attached near the bottom bracket.

"Get rid of that tripwire, take my bike, go find help, please!" I nodded my assent as I yanked the line down, uprighted his bike, mounted it, awkwardly. It was a little too big for me. Benjamin was probably at least 6'1 and I am 5'9. He has longer legs than I do.

I asked, "what else can I do before I take off?"

"Nothing; I'm going into shock and I might be bleeding internally. Go, now," He pleaded.

I felt like freaking out but instead I pushed off; stood up in the pedals and sped off as fast as I could. I remembered there was a food vending type of building a couple miles back the way I had hiked. They sold french fries, soda, hot dogs, ice cream, slushies, that kind of stuff. I knew they would be closing up for the season tomorrow and it wasn't open past dark, usually.

I knew time was short and I had to ride faster than I ever had, even than when I was a kid...on my BMX, racing downhill, fearless, wind whipping my hair. So many years had passed since then.

Breathless, wheezing, I arrived just in time! I dumped the bike, grasping my chest. My usually mild asthma was freaking out. I ignored it and sucked air in as deeply as I could and released a banshee scream. Every head near me turned to look.

"HELP! There's a badly injured man two miles that way down the path!" I pointed, wildly. One of the employees called 911 on a phone inside the little building.

A very strong-looking man, a little taller than me, ran up: "I'm a paramedic; let me take the bike. I'll grab my bag and go help him. What happened to him?"

"Some asshole tied a line across the path and Benjamin - his name is Benjamin - incidentally, struck it while riding this (I looked down at the bicycle), and crashed into a big tree trunk! His leg is broken and he said he's going into shock."

The man, who told me his name was Dave, roared off even faster than I had ridden.

I took off running after him; I was going to get cold without my jacket and scarf; I was a long ass way from home. It would take me almost two hours to walk home and that would be only two hours if I walked really quickly!

I jogged back to Benjamin's location; I arrived, panting and sweating. I realized it hadn't brought my inhaler, like the idiot I was. "Oh well," I thought.

Dave was working on Benjamin and I heard them talking. Benjamin was using some jargon I only half understood from watching a few episodes of some fictional hospital show some years earlier. Dave had made a makeshift splint for Benjamin's busted lower leg with sturdy sticks and both of their belts. I was mildly amused.

I said, "Hey, is Benjamin going to be okay?"

Dave told me he would be but he needed to get to a hospital right away.

I paled at this. We were a long way from a paved road. I wheezed and coughed.

Dave was looking at me; "are you asthmatic?" I nodded. "Sit here," he pointed near Benjamin and himself. I obeyed; I was feeling totally exhausted.

Benjamin and Dave discussed what to give me for my asthma exacerbation. Dave handed me an inhaler with a really nice spacer. I took two, long hits off it and coughed loudly. I leaned back against the tree trunk, with my eyes closed. I concentrated on controlling my breathing.

I opened my eyes after a moment and looked at the two, big, handsome men with gratitude. I then noticed Benjamin was starting to lose consciousness. I gasped, alarmed.

Then I heard the rumble of a small engine. Curious, I bent over to look around the big cedar tree and spotted a four wheeler. It was red. An older guy was confidently driving it towards us. I felt sudden hope.

The man parked close-by and I realized he was towing a wooden sort of trailer; probably for hauling a riding lawnmower, snowblower, shovel and other tools," I mused, to myself.

The man walked quickly toward us and introduced himself as Jacob; a park ranger. One of the kids working at the beach food/amenities building had ran to get him. Jacob started dragging a backboard looking contraption down. He and Dave strapped Benjamin to it and then told me to come help them carry Benjamin up onto the little trailer. Inwardly, I panicked. I wasn't used to this and I doubted my upper body strength. I snatched up my jacket and scarf; I was shivering. The temperature was dropping precipitously and I had sweat through my clothes.

Dave and I got the spot near Benjamin's feet and Jacob took the spot near his head.

We gingerly hauled the stretcher onto the trailer and Dave and Jacob strapped it down; secure for the bumpy ride back. They grabbed the bicycle and tied it to the back of the trailer.

I stood a couple of feet away; certain I would have to hike all the way back. I was becoming thirsty; I hoped the drinking fountains by the beach food building were still turned on. I waved to the men and made to set off walking back the way I had come, with a yawn. I was really tired.

"Hey, where are you going?! I need to keep an eye on you."

"Oh...." I said. I climbed up on the trailer and wedged myself in beside Benjamin. Dave was on the other side. I looked around to see if Jacob had a cooler or anything.

He noticed me looking around and grabbed bottled water he had stored in the console and handed one to me. I said, "thank you!" Before I chugged all the water in a few swallows. I was extraordinarily thirsty. I wiped the moisture from my mouth with my jacket sleeve and belched, softly.

I looked at Benjamin who looked terrible. I frowned. Dave and I looked at each other.

"How long does he have?"

"There's an ambulance waiting by the beach amenities; we'll be there in a few minutes," Jacob said, gunning the engine of his four wheeler.

We arrived right beside the ambulance. The paramedics ran to load the backboard with Benjamin strapped to it, onto their stretcher and quickly stuffed him into the ambulance.

I said to Jacob, "what about his bicycle? It looks expensive..."

"I'll lock it up in my secure storage building and look it over for damage, later," he said. Jacob took the bicycle and rode off on it.

I was relieved that Benjamin was in safe hands and went to a nearby drinking fountain. Oh yes, it was still flowing! I drank, slowly, closing my eyes in bliss at the sweet-tasting, ice cold water. I groaned in pleasure.

Dave strode towards me, "hey, what's your name?"

"Oh, I'm Belinda," I said, and put my hand out. Dave shook it.

"You're still wheezing, Belinda. Come with me," Dave gestured. I sighed in resignation. "I could just walk home and find my inhaler?"

"No, I'm taking you to the hospital and you need two more inhalations," as he pulled the spacer contraption and inhaler out of his striped, reflective bag. I took two more hits and then turned to get water from the fountain to rinse out my mouth. I spat, uncouthly, on the ground.

We walked to Dave's truck. Jacob ran up to us and offered to tag along. I was relieved; Dave seemed to be okay but I wasn't totally comfortable.

We all piled into Dave's truck. It only had the bench in the front; no rear seats. I took the "shotgun" position, leaned against the window and promptly fell asleep.

I took about 15 minutes to arrive at the hospital; I was out like a light. I had always been able to totally go to sleep in weird places. Especially if I was exhausted.

Jacob gently shook my shoulder. I groggily woke up, "Huh?" I said, disoriented.

Then, my vision cleared and the looming, sprawling hospital complex coalesced before me. I cringed; I said, "Do I gotta?" Like a little kid. I was tired and wrung out; I wasn't able to maintain my composure anymore. I sniffled, about to burst into tears.

Dave gently opened my door and carried me out. I felt his big, strong, chest cradling me. He smelled good; like pinecones and cherries?! I was confused.

I fell back asleep as he walked toward the ER, Jacob matching his step.

I was totally out; I didn't even really hear much more than muffled voices. I was placed on a hard, cold surface. I curled up like a big shrimp; cold. A blanket was placed over me and I drew it close.

I heard someone say, "Belinda? Wake up, Belinda!" In annoyance I groggily woke up, angry my slumber had been interrupted.

I yawned, hugely, my jaw clicking. I grumbled, "Why, Dave?"

Then, I realized it wasn't Dave that had spoken. An unknown man in a white coat was standing near my hospital bed. I looked around in confusion.

The Doctor, his name was William and he was an MD said, "we're going to give you a treatment to calm your asthma exacerbation, now."

A stern-looking nurse handed me the mouthpiece for a nebulizer. I sat and breathed through it with my eyes wide. The nurse gave me an IV; I was pretty anxious. There were a lot of weird noises, people shouting.

I finished with the nebulizer.

William said, "You saved Doctor Benjamin's life and his leg, too."

"Oh...? Oh wait, is he okay???"

"Yes, he is being taken up to surgery to stabilize his fracture so that his leg will heal correctly. He was treated for shock, too."

"Phew," I said, I visibly deflating in relief.

"Hey, some jerk tied a fishing line low, across the path which caused Benjamin to crash. Maybe the cops should be notified?"

"I'll go grab one; there's a couple in the waiting area," the Nurse said. She strode off, confidently.

A female cop arrived in the little room I was in and started asking me questions.

I told her everything I could remember. Then, I suddenly remembered seeing a sketchy guy ahead of me before I had started down the path. He looked mean, hard; angry. He had a hateful look about him.

I described the man, he was about 5'9 and very skinny, he was a smoker with a complexion darker than my pale one. He was dressed really weirdly.

The cop nodded, writing furiously in her ubiquitous cop's notepad.

She said goodbye and said she would be in touch.

I rolled over and promptly fell asleep.

I woke up over an hour later, alone. I rubbed my eyes and yawned. I felt an urge to get up and go find Benjamin and I wasn't certain why.

So, I slowly exited the bed and noticed my IV had been removed while I was asleep.

I carefully peeked my head out and no one noticed me. Emboldened, I quickly walked to the restrooms area; I had to pee so badly! I found a stall and relieved myself; I washed my hands and walked out into the hallway. I walked, briskly, toward the elevators.

I looked at the directory on the wall in confusion; shit, I thought, how will I find him?

A Doctor, at least, I thought she was a Doctor, noticed my confusion, "where do you need to go?"

"I don't know. I'm trying to check on Benjamin; he looked awful before. Just for my peace of mind," I said with a half shrug. She nodded, "fourth floor. Everyone knows what happened to him. Wait, are you Belinda? He mentioned you before he passed out in the ambulance."

I stared at her for a moment, digesting this information. "Yes, I'm Belinda," I said, as I stuck my hand out, assertively, for a handshake.

I turned and pressed UP for an elevator. One came, swiftly. I pressed FOUR once inside. The elevator arrived at my chosen floor and I exited, quickly.

I walked over to what I thought was the Nurses' station and waited, a little impatiently, for anyone to notice me.

I said, "ahem," and an older, stubborn-looking RN glared at me. I cringed a bit; certain she was going to tear me a new one. I gulped, slightly, in fear. Did I make a huge mistake coming up here? I thought to myself.

The nurse churlishly said, "Yes???" with a raised eyebrow. I suddenly felt a bit dizzy at her glare.

I said, meekly, "I came to check up on Benjamin. He looked so terrible! I was worried sick; we were so far from even a side road." Tears filled my eyes. "What if he hadn't been to able to shout for help or no one heard him?" I sat, suddenly, on the floor, with my face in my hands, trying to calm down. The senselessness of the whole thing was too much to bear.

Someone crouched beside me and put a gentle arm across my shoulders. A soft voice purred, "he's going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay."

With my vision blurry, I gazed up and saw Dave. I smiled. "You're worried about him, too?"

Dave nodded.

I dragged myself up off of the floor with Dave's assistance. Dave cocked his head at me, "wait, you got sprung from the ER already?" I blushed, "um, I kinda just left." I said quietly, not wanting any of the hospital staff to hear me. I was worried Dave was going to yell at me.

Dave chuckled, "you're sneaky, Belinda."

I laughed.

"Well, let me take you to Benjamin's room," said Dave.

I nodded enthusiastically.

We arrived at Benjamin's room and I felt queasy seeing all the tubes, wires and things. The machines near him beeped and made other disconcerting noises.

I looked at Dave in apprehension. "Oh, Belinda, he's going to be fine. I know this looks scary but it's all necessary and will help him recover. He's waking up; you should go talk to him. He mentioned your name a few times, by the way."

I nodded, "I'd heard."

I walked nervously up by the top of Benjamin's bed. He looked so...sad? I couldn't put my finger on it. That made me feel upset and I sniffled.

I brushed Benjamin's lovely hair away from his eyes and sat down on the chair beside him. Benjamin's eyelids fluttered; I noticed that he had long, lush eyelashes. No fair! I thought.

He opened his eyes and I said, "Hello, Benjamin." I smiled. He turned his head and looked at me; he looked surprised to see me. I nearly laughed at his expression.

"Are you okay???" He asked me. Then, I *did* laugh. "You're asking me?!" I said, as I gestured to his banged-up body and leg wearing a cast. He had some truly ugly bruises, cuts and scrapes, too. I shuddered. It must hurt like hell, I thought.

"You were having an asthma exacerbation; I was concerned."

"Oh, well, some Doctor named William fixed me up, I guess...?"

"Oh, he's a great Doctor, I work with him a lot."

"Ah," I said, "well, how are you feeling, Benjamin? Is your leg really going to be 100% back to normal?"

"Yes, I'll have to go to PT, though, later."

I nodded, this made sense.

"Well, I had better skedaddle before they come hunt me down, Benjamin," I said with a snort. I got up slowly and I realized, to my dismay, I was easily six miles from home, now, and it was dark out!

"Oh, damn!" I muttered.

Dave asked, "what's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing," I demurred. I was used to having to do everything for myself; no one else to rely on. I thought, no use whining, the sooner you start walking, the sooner you get home and can crawl into bed.

I said to Benjamin, "well, it was a weird way to meet each other but I hope you aren't in pain and heal quickly without anymore trouble. Oh, incidentally, Jacob secured your bicycle so you don't need to worry about it being stolen. I think I heard him say he will make any necessary repairs to it for ya; he feels responsible for your accident which is pretty stupid, if you ask me." I scoffed.

"Also, I gave my statement to some lady cop; I saw some creepy dude in the park who was ahead of me a long time before I heard you screaming. Holy shit, I wonder if he did it? Why?!"

"Well, I need to git; I have a long hike ahead of me and time's a-wasting." I dipped my head in deference to these two gentlemen who regarded me, in a befuddled fashion. I felt awkward and chuckled nervously. I turned and to my surprise I saw William and Jacob walking rapidly towards us. I noticed William had one of those weird, big hospital bags. It had my stuff in it. Uh oh! I thought.

I actually considered simply running the Hell away; down some flight of stairs and out some doorway; into the dark, cool night and get the fuck away from all of this. I was just done with this day; it was so stressful. A total nightmare I wanted to wake up from.

"You weren't supposed to leave, yet, Belinda." William said, sternly. I cringed, bracing myself for the inevitable tongue-lashing, "but you were alone and had to relieve yourself; worried about Benjamin, I get it," he said. My eyes went wide, "I was expecting you to yell at me," I said, quietly.