Night Shine

Aftermath

  I lay still where I lay in front of Nikki. How I went from beside him to in front of him. I'm not sure. I examine myself. I'm belted in a piece of the plane protrudes from my chest. Better me than him. It didn't hit anything vital. I slowly pull it from my body with little effort. I'll live. Straining I listen for signs of human life a heartbeat. All I hear is Mr Sixx's and some other woman's as it slowly stills. She has bled out. I couldn't help her. I rip my seat belt loose and reach for my only living companion. I unbuckle and lift him to his feet. He's awake but dazed. We slowly trudge our way out of the wreckage me practically carrying him.

"Did I just see you pull a piece of metal out of your chest?" He asks confused.

"Of course not don't you think that would kill me. " I answer.

"I guess I was just seeing shit I did hit my head and fuck it aches and my leg." He mumbles.

Once clear of what was left of the plane I lower him down near a tree.

"I have to go back. I won't be long." I whisper.

I don't want to go back but I have to check again if there is anyone else alive.  Getting closer all I smell is death. I hear no hearts beating, no sounds of breathing. Standing there I grieve for them even if I knew none of them personally. I hate it but I have to Scavenge. I find the blankets Nikki and I were using. Finding a lighter that had slipped from somebody's pocket and a gossip mag I was relieved. I could at least start a fire. I also found a carafe I hope it will hold up against open flame so I can boil water. It's almost dark and even in summer it can get cold at night in the Rockies. I head back to Mr. Sixx. I don't want him to freeze after surviving the crash. He's injured a broken leg, a concussion. No heavy bleeding internal or out. Just a lot of scrapes and bruises. I'm still not sure how we survived.

He's passed out when I get back. I lay a blanket out and place him on it. I had eased his pain by helping his body to release endorphins his own natural pain relief. Now it's time to check the damage. I feel his head first there is blood and some swelling. I see it in my mind the skull mending, the swelling going down and the skin closing. Then I check out the leg. I'm glad he's asleep as I set it. I'm not sure how I do it but after it's set I urge the bones to begin to heal. I use strips of my shirt and some wood pieces from a trashed serving cart as a leg splint. Not half bad improvising if I do say so myself.  After covering him I begin to examine myself. I am healing the wound in my chest is slowly closing. My ankle is broken it had been agonizing to walk on it. It's not healing right. I steel myself for the pain. Taking a deep breath I re-break it biting my lip to muffle my scream. It slides back into place and immediately begins to nit together. I had been bleeding internally. My body has already taken care of that. Now I'm tired and the calories it's taking to heal my body is leaving me ravenous. I need to hunt soon. I can't leave him alone the smell of his blood will bring scavengers. I'm not sure I could run on my ankle yet anyway. I choose to curl up next to Nikki and sleep letting my body keep him warm as we heal. I can take better care of us if I don't hurt myself further anyway. Damn I'm really hungry. Closing my eyes I try to sleep.

Nikki's POV

I open my eyes to daylight. A fire burns near me. Water in one of the planes serving containers sits cooling. The woman is nowhere in sight. My head doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would. My leg is splinted. She's resourceful. I jump as Nicole comes silently out of the trees. She's lost her shirt all she's wearing is a sports bra and jeans. Her boots are missing too. I notice she's caught a rabbit. She has it skinned, skewered and over the fire in a matter of minutes.

"You seemed to be in your element out here." I grin.

"You could say that." She Smirks then her expression changes to grief.

I look to the plane.

"Just us?" I ask.

"Yes just us." She answers.

I guess she's feeling the same survivor's guilt. I'm glad to be alive. Why only us though?

"Have any ideas where were at?" I ask.

"Somewhere in the Rocky Mountains" she answers vaguely.

"Well if we were on course hopefully it won't take them long to find us."

Nicole's POV

Hopefully not I'm coming into heat soon. Not that I would mind, but we both have people we belong to.

"Where'd you learn your survival skills?" He asks with a smirk.

I guess this is a better conversation then talking about the dead and the fact we are lost. So I answer

"From my father it was part of my home schooling."

"Home schooled why?" He questions.

"My family didn't believe in mixing it up with outsiders." I wince a little I almost said pack.

"Were you raised in a cult?" He raises an eyebrow.

"No I wouldn't call it that." I laugh for the first time since last night.

"Then what would you call it?" He cocks his head.

"We're different it is easier to live apart as our own community." I shrug. It's the best I can explain without telling him we turn into wolves. That we use to protect humans till they began to fear us. Then turned on us.

"Sounds like a cult to me." He huffs. "Is that why you're not happy about your wedding. Are you being forced?" He gives me a sympathetic look.

"No I'm not being forced, but it is an obligation to my people." I answer quietly.

"You shouldn't marry if you're not in love." He states softly.

"The meats done let's eat I'm starving." I say changing the subject. I don't have that option.