Remember More

Chapter 15

REMEMBER MORE

CHAPTER 15

Back by the bottom of the hill, John was telling Yan to put the map away and go get him his wheelchair.

"But, sir…!" Yan tucked away the map. "Why on Earth would you need your wheelchair anyway? There's not even a path for it here."

"Just…just grab it, will you? And stop questioning me on everything…"

Shaking her head, Yan weaved around to the back of the Jeep and hoisted out the chair. She set it down. The ground was so soft here. It was obvious to her that John wasn't going to go anywhere in it. The wheels were going to get stuck as soon as he sat down.

She turned to him, now still sitting in the passenger seat of the car. "Sir…"

"Just bring it over here…" He waved her in.

Yan put her back into it and began to shove it over to where he was. "Sir, this is not going to work. Why won't you believe me?" She fixed it down in front of him. "Why can't you just let me carry you like back at the Sphinx?"

John shook his head. Muttering something, he held his arms out to her.

Yan eased over and lifted him into the chair. "And why do you have your shirt all tucked in like that in the front?" She stepped back. She scratched her head. "Aren't you hot?"

John sat up. "Well…! I…" He puffed out his cheeks. "So, now you have a problem with the way I dress too? Look here! At least…" He indicated her shirt. "…at least I'm decent and not walking around with…with my shirt all open and down…in the front and everything…and all sweaty…" He swallowed. He averted his eyes. Without thinking, he began to gently hammer his legs, like they were numb and he had to massage them to bring the feeling back.

Yan wiped her brow off for sweat. "Man, it's hot!" She gazed up into the sky with a squint. She turned to him. "Are you sure we can't take a break first? Go grab a drink? Get some lunch?" Edging right up to the chair, she leaned into his face and grinned at him. "Maybe take in some of the sights while we're at it?"

John crossed his arms. "Yan! I've told you a million times. We're here to find Jonas. We're not tourists. We have to keep moving…" He jabbed his finger up the grassy slope. "…or did you think that he would come bounding over the hill to find us if we just stood here?" He went on pounding on his leg.

Yan frowned. She looked down. "What are you doing?" She pointed at the pounding.

"You told me not to scratch." He continued hammering. "So now I'm not scratching."

Yan shook her head. Turning around, she bent over to get something out of her pack.

John kicked her. Right in the rump.

Yan stumbled forward, but she didn't fall.

She pivoted around to face him, with the heaviest frown you've ever seen hanging on a human being's forehead. She stared right into his eyes. "Did you just kick me?"

John's eyes were wide. He stared out at her. He blinked. He bent to stare down at his leg. "I think so."

Yan planted her hands on her hips. "And I thought you were paralysed. How did that happen?"

"Me too…" He shook his head. "…I mean…I don't know." He began pounding on his thighs again, trying to make one of them kick like it did just now, but they wouldn't.

Yan moved in beside him. She brushed his hands away. "Let me try." She felt around on his knee, then finding the right spot just beneath his patella, she gave him a nice, firm tap, but just once.