“I’ll do it,” Calvin says.
I really want to smack him. “Like Little Bird says, we’re a family, Calvin. We’ll all do it together. You’re not the only one here with muscles. Brothers help each other.”
Calvin scoffs.
“Well, good brothers do. And I aim to be a good brother,” I say.
“I know you do, Zane. There’s not a bad cell in your body.”
I laugh. “I wouldn’t go that far.” I touch Calvin and Dante each on the head. “I’m going to check on them.” I shrug my rucksack off and take a fresh water bottle with me.
It’s dark and stale in the mud hut. But Calvin’s right, this place has a sadness to it. The type of sadness that leaches into your soul. Easton’s sleeping, and Haley’s sitting on Sam’s lap, her head resting against his chest.
“Hey,” I say softly. Easton opens his eyes, and Haley sits up. “How are you doing?”
“Better now that Sam’s not pouring acid on me. I’d like to get the hell out of here.”
Haley slides off Sam’s lap and sits next to Easton. “I think you should rest more.”
“I don’t want to stay here, not overnight, not again.”
I glance at Sam, and he gives me a sideways cock of his head. “You think you can walk?”
“Through the bamboo?” Haley asks. “Oh, no. We won’t have to go through the bamboo, since we’re not trying to get to Chicken Beach.”
“It’s not as bad coming down the other path.” Calvin’s in the doorway. “Even if you think you can walk, we should make a pallet to put you on in case that changes.”
“Agreed. We’ll be right back.” I kiss Haley’s cheek and nod at Easton and Sam. “Bamboo?” I ask Calvin.
“There’s plenty of it around.”
Carrying Easton down past the waterfall on our side of the mountain is a hell of a lot easier than the way up the other side, where every step I worried about him tumbling off the stretcher. “You doing okay?” I’ve got his head and Calvin’s got his feet, and most of the weight.
“I’d do better if you let me walk.”
“Calvin, I think we can let him try to walk,” I call ahead.
Sam has taken the lead with Penny on his back again, and Dante and Haley are behind us.
I’ve been watching the expressions on Easton’s face almost as much as where I step. The rocking of the pallet, with the difference in pacing between Calvin and me, causes him to grimace as his body is torqued.
“We’re almost there,” Calvin says.
“Calvin?” Haley calls. “Stop.” And he does.
“You want to walk?” Calvin lowers the stretcher to the ground, and I follow suit.
“I do.” Easton swings his legs around and I help him up.
“Let me know if you get tired.” I’m ready to grab him around the waist if I need to.
“I’m good.” Easton stumbles a half-step, and I reach out to grab him, but he rights himself before I have to. “It will be good to be home.” He laughs.
“Yeah, it will.” Home. It’s where your family is.
Chapter 12
Broken Mast
