The Tribes, Chapter 23

Pride sat at the edge of the clearing, away from the blazing evening campfire and listened silently as Sparrow – one of the Eco Tribe’s scouts – gave a detailed account of the battle at the bridge between one of The City Tribes and the Robed Tribe. Pride easily identified the Robed Tribe as The Brotherhood, and knew that they were serious trouble wherever they were found. This was the first time a Brotherhood raid of any real size had been made this close to the Eco Tribe’s regular range. Pride wasn’t as sure about The City Tribe, although he suspected they might be Shiprats. Even though Pride had limited experience with other Tribes, his experiences were more numerous than the other members of the Eco Tribe. Members of his Tribe preferred to steer clear of other Tribes whenever possible. From the description Sparrow gave of The City Tribe members, it certainly sounded like they were Shiprat scouts. Pride knew that the Shiprats were the most technologically advanced Tribe around and possibly in the whole world.

Sparrow’s report of what he witnessed caused a stir among the assembled Eco Tribe. Several voices were raised urging Eagle, the Chief of the Eco Tribe, to move from the area to a more remote location. There were some others who just as loudly argued that the Eco Tribe be prepared to take steps to neutralize any outside incursions into the heart of their territory.

In the darkness that surrounded him, Pride sighed sadly and shook his head. He knew all too well that the Eco Tribe had the skills and methods to make strangers disappear forever if they chose to do so. They had learned from experience about naturally occurring poisons and how to use them effectively. They also knew how to camouflage themselves so that they were undetectable even to someone standing only a foot away. But, Pride knew that such a reaction would work only against accidental incursions of small numbers from other Tribes. He knew that if The Brotherhood chose to move into this area, it would be in large numbers.

Pride allowed the arguments to go on and on for about an hour – letting each side raise their arguments and counter-arguments, their words flying back and forth across the campfire. Pride’s mind drifted back in time to the time before The Bad Times – back when he was still the gangly, dark-haired son of wildlife vets who specialized in the care of big cats, back to when he was still known as Martin Reese. That identity was getting harder to remember, but strangely, he could still recall the lessons about living off the land that he had learned from his parents and their naturalist friends. He even had vague memories of spending a whole summer in Africa living in tents. In those days, he had dreamed of being either a vet himself, or a naturalist. The one thing he had never considered was becoming the co-leader of a Tribe.

Pride shook his head sadly. As chief scout and co-leader of the Eco Tribe, Pride was responsible for the safety and well being of the others. He had never sought that kind of responsibility, but as the Tribe formed and grew, it was gradually thrust on him, partly because of his knowledge of living off the land and partly because of his age. Pride sighed again – he was only seventeen years old. He wondered how that could be old enough to carry the responsibilities he carried. Of the thirty members of the Eco Tribe, only Eagle was his age – most of the other Tribe Elders were two or three years younger, and some of the Tribe members were still only kids.

When the arguments began to get personal, Pride stood and moved out of the shadows. As soon as he entered the circle of firelight, all discussion stopped as the participants turned their faces in his direction. Taking a place where everyone could see him, Pride stared quietly at his Tribe members for a long time before speaking.

Pride began by identifying the Robed Tribe as The Brotherhood and described some of the atrocities they had committed that he knew about. He let that information sink in before sharing second-hand stories he had gathered from others during his travels.

“This Leader and his followers are bad news wherever they go,” Pride said. “They’re like locusts stripping everything from a place and destroying what they can’t take away with them.”

“So what?” Asked Moss, one of the older teens with deep green dreadlocks. “Let them take everything from the cities and towns. That doesn’t concern us – we live off the land.” Several others echoed his sentiments.

“That’s kind of true – for now,” Pride agreed. “But, don’t forget that there are things that we scrounge from the towns and cities – things we can’t make for ourselves.” Pride pointed to the long hunting knife hanging from Moss’ belt. “Where do you think that came from?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “That came from a sporting goods store in a town. And remember, about half of our medical supplies – things like bandages and ointments – have come from the cities. So, The Leader and his followers are a potential threat to us just on that score alone.”

“So that’s a good reason for us to move away from here,” argued Mustardseed. She turned from side to side looking for support, her dark yellow braids swinging with the movements.

“And where would we go?” Pride asked reasonably. “We could move out into the desert, I’m pretty sure no one would want to follow us out there anytime soon. But, I’m not sure most of us would survive for too long.” He paused dramatically. “Hell, I don’t think any of us would be able to live long out there.”

“What about the mountains?” Mustardseed countered.

“Good idea,” Pride nodded. “There is sure to be a lot of food and water up there. But, what about the weather, have you thought about that? Winters can be pretty rough – just the snow and cold alone can wipe a community out. I’m not even talking about the possibility of avalanches that could take all of us out in seconds.”

“He’s got a point,” Sparrow said. “I came down from the mountains. Lots of kids went up there during the Bad Times to get away from the craziness going on most other places.” Sparrow looked around sadly. “Most of them are dead now – froze or killed by the wild cats and wolves up there. It didn’t take the natural predators long to add a new item to their menu.”

“So we don’t have no choice but to hide,” Moss said.

“There is another choice,” Pride said slowly. “Most of you might not like it, but it is a choice we should consider. From what Sparrow said, I think the other Tribe from The City were scouts from the Shiprat Tribe – they’re the most technologically advanced. I’ve had dealings with the Farm Tribe and they’re affiliated with the Shiprats. The Farm Tribe is made up of good people – kind of like us, they live off the land.”

“And because the Farm Tribe associates with these Shiprats, that means the Shiprats are automatically good?” Eagle spoke for the first time, her voice soft and gentle.

“Of course not,” Pride laughed. “But, through the Farm Tribe I’ve come to know a little something about the Shiprats … and everything I’ve heard about them is good.”

“But, they use technology,” Moss spat.

“That doesn’t mean they’re bad,” Pride said. “It’s how they use technology that matters … and it seems that they use it to make life better and not worse.” Pride waved a hand around him. “In case you haven’t noticed, we use technology too.”

“Do not!” Shouted Mole, one of the younger Eco Tribe members. He was about eight or nine and had earned his Tribe name through his love of digging.

“Of course we do,” Eagle pointed out. “We use pulleys to lift heavy things up into the trees – that’s technology. We use levers and wheels to make our work easier – they’re all part of technology.”

“Eagle’s right,” Pride said. “Of course, the technology we use is more primitive than what the Shiprats and Farm Tribe uses. But, it’s still technology all the same.”

The Eco Tribe went silent as they realized that even though their technology was simple and even crude, it was still technology and their anti-technology stance had to be reevaluated in light of the new information they now had. Some of what Pride did make sense – most of the Tribe members accepted, however reluctantly, that outside contact was not only inevitable from time to time, but might even be desirable. Moss thought longingly about being able to eat peaches in the winter. The Eco Tribe's ability to preserve food began and ended with drying it out. They lacked the equipment to can food at present.

Pride moved out of the circle of firelight to allow the Tribe to speak freely among themselves. Even though he and Eagle were the accepted leaders of the Tribe, decisions were reached by mutual agreement. Either the majority of the Tribe agreed on a course of action, or the action was abandoned. As he wandered from the clearing, Eagle appeared as if by magic by his elbow.

“Do you really think this Brotherhood is a danger to us?” She asked.

“Immediately? Probably not,” Pride said. “Unless they run across one of our Scouts as they move or scout around themselves, I think they’ll ignore us for now.”

“But later?”

“Once The Leader achieves whatever it is he’s set his immediate sights on, I think they’ll come after us and anyone else not already under his thumb,” Pride said. “You know I range further than anyone else in the Tribe. I’ve seen firsthand the results of The Brotherhood swarming through a town. Anyone they can’t enslave, they torture and kill. Food they can’t use is destroyed. They leave devastation in their wake.”

“Uh huh,” Eagle grunted. “And, you really trust the Farm Tribe?”

“They’ve been honest in all their dealings with me,” Pride said. “I don’t think they’ve told anyone else about our Tribe – at least, I asked them not to do that. So far, I haven’t seen any evidence that they’ve betrayed that confidence.” Pride made his way to one of the smaller cooking fires and helped himself to a cup of acorn coffee, grimacing at the bitter taste. “There’s something else I didn’t mention….”

“What’s that?” Eagle asked.

“The Shiprats have a real hospital and medicine,” Pride said. He held up a hand before Eagle could protest. “I know we’ve got a lot of good herbal medicines and remedies, but we’re treating illnesses on a hit or miss basis. It would be nice to have someplace we can turn if someone gets really sick again, or seriously injured.”

“You mean like Hedge,” Eagle said sadly.

“I didn’t say that,” Pride said. The loss of the youngest member of the Tribe still rankled. He had fallen in a small brook while playing and slashed his leg. Within days, the open wound had become infected and he developed a high fever. Despite their best efforts with the herbal medicines at their disposal, Eagle and Pride had been forced to watch as the youngster wasted away and died screaming in pain.

“And if they vote to stay away from Outsiders?” Eagle asked.

Pride shrugged and grinned. “Then, officially I’ll follow their wishes.”

“And unofficially?”

“I’ll continue my contact with the Farm Tribe and hope that good will works in our favor if we need it,” Pride said. He looked back through the darkness to the glow of the conference fire. “I wonder how long it will take for them to make a decision one way or the other.”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Eagle laughed. “They could go on for weeks.”

Pride grinned and nodded. She was right – decisions in the Eco Tribe were not reached lightly, especially important ones. They were discussed and discussed and then discussed even more. Every angle was studied and argued until the majority was comfortable with the final decision.

As expected, the Eco Tribe took their time discussing the benefits of revealing themselves officially to Outsiders. After two weeks, they were no closer to coming to a final decision than they had been on that first night. They had discussed in detail the benefits and drawbacks of aligning themselves with any other Tribe and were coming closer to clarifying their issues in their minds, though. Of course, during the day, the Tribe went about their normal routines and discussed issues only at night around the communal campfire.

Discussions were in their third week when an unforeseen event made them meaningless. During a routine scouting trip, a scouting party from the Robed Tribe had surprised Sparrow. Unable to conceal himself in time, the Brotherhood scouts tried to capture the Eco Tribe scout. He managed to wriggle out of their grasp and take to the woods, hoping to leave them far behind him. Dashing through the woods, Sparrow leapt high over a clump of bushes and found himself falling into a ravine and landing with a stabbing pain in his upper thigh and lower belly.

Looking down, Sparrow saw that he had impaled himself on a jagged piece of a branch on a rotting log. Stifling the scream that was building inside of him, Sparrow tried to pull himself from the branch. It took three tries before he was able to free himself. He gasped both from the incredible pain and from the amount of blood that gushed down his leg, soaking his trousers. Holding the wound closed, Sparrow made his way away from the log, seeking a place of concealment.

Within minutes, Sparrow was hidden in a tight crevasse, wads of moist moss pressed against his open wound to staunch the flow of blood. He waited silently, hardly breathing as the Robed scouts crashed around in the woods searching for him. If he didn’t know that he was seriously injured, Sparrow would have been laughing silently at how inept those hunting him were. They stomped around missing all the signs Sparrow had left behind in his haste, looking in all the wrong places while he was at times only a few inches from their feet.

Sparrow waited for nearly an hour after the Robed scouts had left the area before carefully climbing out of his hiding place and slowly making his way back home. His return journey took much longer than he had expected. The loss of blood made him dizzy and weak, causing him to veer to the right as he stumbled along. By the end of the second day, Sparrow was dragging his left leg behind him as he hobbled along, supporting his weight on a thick branch that he used as a walking stick.

By midday of the third day, Sparrow sank to the ground and gave up hope of returning to the Tribe. His mind was wandering as a fever gripped him. His mouth was bone dry and his lips cracked. He sank wearily to the ground, knowing that once he was down, he’d never rise again under his own power. He deliberately didn’t try to conceal himself, hoping that his Tribemates would eventually find his body.

For the first time in days, Luck smiled on Sparrow. Less than an hour after sinking to the ground, Moss, Skunk, and Condor discovered him and quickly rigged a litter to carry him back to the Eco Tribe encampment, shouting for help as they approached the camp.

At the first cry for help, the entire Tribe gathered around the litter. Eagle and Pride knelt on the ground by the litter and methodically stripped Sparrow of the layers of clothing he wore, ignoring the obvious injuries. Once they had satisfied themselves that Sparrow didn’t have other, potentially more serious injuries, they turned their attention to the wound in his groin. What they found was not one wound, but three separate ones.

One deep wound was a puncture in Sparrow’s upper thigh. Another wound – this one, a jagged gash – ripped along the scout’s lower abdomen between his thigh and scrotum, and the third wound was a deep puncture directly into his scrotum. Pride examined the injuries carefully. What he found wasn’t reassuring – all were oozing foul-smelling greenish-white pus and were warm to the touch.

“Sparrow’s in bad shape,” Pride announced, looking hard at each Tribe member. “He’s going to die just like Hedge did unless we get him outside help.”

“Who can help him if he’s that bad off?” Moss asked.

“The Farm Tribe can,” Pride said. “Or more importantly, they can instantly contact the Shiprats. I understand they have a working hospital.” Pride stood. “This is one time we don’t have the luxury of arguing. Moss, you know the road by the trestle bridge on the river?”

“Yeah, I do,” Moss replied.

“Good – you’re in charge of getting Sparrow there by this evening. I’ll meet you there with a vehicle that can get him to the Farm Tribe. Eagle will go with you and the stretcher bearers while I go ahead and warn them to get prepared.”

“I don’t like going to Outsiders,” Condor said. Several others nodded in agreement.

“Look, do you want Sparrow to die like Hedge did?” Pride asked. “Who wants to take responsibility for the pain and suffering he’d going to experience until that happens?” Condor hung his head in shame. “I didn’t think so,” Pride grunted. “If we want to give one of our own a chance to live, we don’t have a choice. We have to trust the Outsiders.”

“Okay, but the doctor or whatever it is the Shiprats have has to come to the Farm Tribe,” Condor countered. “At least the Farm Tribe sounds like they’re our kind of people.”

“I’ll do my best,” Pride promised. “You know I can only make promises for myself, not for others.” He turned to Eagle. “You’re in charge now.”

“I’ll come with you,” Condor offered.

Pride smiled. “I appreciate that, but I can move faster by myself,” he said. “Besides, Moss is going to need your strength and knowledge of the shortcuts to the river road to get there as quickly as possible. I should be waiting for you on the road by the trestle bridge – if I’m not, just hold there and I shouldn’t be long getting there.”

Pride traveled along paths that were hardly more than animal trails faster than he’d ever used them before, leaping over deadfalls and gullies recklessly. He resisted the urge to sprint, knowing he’d use himself up too fast and end up exhausting himself. Instead of making for the road, he headed straight across country for the back farm lanes. He figured he’d reach the farm quicker that way and was half hoping that he’d find one of the Farm Tribe in the fields with the tractor or farm truck.

Pride was panting, every breath burning his throat and lungs, as he reached the outer fields of the Farm Tribe. He paused briefly, scanning the horizon hoping to see the exhaust of the tractor and hear the familiar putt-putt of the cranky engine. When neither was evident, the Eco Tribe co-leader again began steadily running towards the farmhouse, ignoring the burning in his muscles and lungs. He was halfway across the fields when he heard the steady thrum of a motorcycle. Fumbling for the rawhide thong around his neck, Pride brought a hand-carved whistle to his lips and gave it three sharp blasts, waited for a few moments and blew another three blasts. Pausing again, Pride grinned gratefully when he heard the sound of the motorcycle engine racing towards him.

Ben had barely stopped the motorcycle before Pride gasped out his problem. The young black didn’t catch most of Pride’s breathless story, but he caught enough to know that there wasn’t any time to waste. He jerked his thumb to the back of the bike and as soon as Pride’s arms were wrapped tightly around his belly, opened the motorcycle’s engine full bore as he blazed across the fields. By the time they reached the farmhouse, Pride had regained enough of his breath to be coherent as he explained the nature of the emergency to an ashen-faced Luke and Lucy.

Pride was stunned when Luke rushed into the farmhouse and lifted a phone from a hook on the wall, frantically turned a crank and then barked into the receiver. Pride hadn’t considered the existence of a working phone as even a remote possibility. He had fully expected one of the Farm Tribe members to take the motorcycle all the way into The City for help.

“How long ago did the accident happen?” Luke called.

“Not – not sure,” Pride gasped. “Coupla days at least, maybe as much as a week.”

Luke relayed Pride’s words into the phone, nodding as he received a reply. “They want to know if infection is apparent.”

Pride wearily nodded his head. “Bad infection,” he confirmed. “Real bad infection.”

Luke came out of the farmhouse. “They’ll be here as fast as they can get everyone gathered up,” he said reassuringly. “How long before your people reach the old trestle?”

“Gonna be at least a coupla more hours, at least,” Pride said, mentally calculating the distance the litter-bearers would have to travel to reach that point. “They won’t be able to move as fast as I did, or take the quicker shortcuts, either.”

“Okay, we won’t trust to the ambulance getting here first,” Luke decided. “I’ll get Ben and Henry to take the truck out to the rendezvous point.”

“Thanks, I’ll go with them,” Pride said, rising from the table.

“You’ll sit your ass down right there and get something to eat in your belly, first,” Lucy ordered. “There’s more than enough time for the truck to get out to the trestle long before your Tribe shows up. You’ll have something to eat, drink, and rest a bit before moving on again.” Pride didn’t even have a chance to object before Lucy disappeared into the kitchen and began preparing plates of thick smoked ham sandwiches, bacon sandwiches, accompanied by stacks of freshly sliced tomatoes, potato salad and freshly cured pickles.

To Lucy, food was a necessary part of the problem-solving process. Besides providing nutrition, Lucy instinctively knew that heaping servings of food provided comfort and a sense of security. As soon as she had the table under the covered breezeway loaded down with platters of sustenance; Lucy rang the emergency bell, calling the Tribe back to the farmhouse. Once the impromptu meal was finished, Lucy knew that most of the regular farm chores would be ignored in order to prepare for whatever lay ahead of them. Only the necessary things like feeding and watering the animals and milking the cows needed to be finished – everything else could wait for the next day.

Riding in the truck out to the trestle, Pride was thankful that Lucy had insisted that he and the others eat first. He felt refreshed, his energy renewed. At the same time, he found it strange to be sitting in the cab of a truck again – just a day ago; he would have been willing to bet that he’d never ride in a motorized vehicle again. The ride gave Pride an eerie feeling – the sound and feel of the vibration of the truck’s motor was familiar and well remembered. Even the creak of the springs and rattle of the tailgate chains brought back familiar memories. At the same time, however, the ride seemed to accentuate just how drastically the world had changed.

In the old days, there would have been other vehicles on the road – some headed in the same direction, and some moving in the opposite direction. Now, the road was empty and desolate. The lack of other vehicles where there should have been some was slightly unnerving. Pride was glad when they reached the trestle and he could concentrate on waiting anxiously for the arrival of his Tribemates.

Ben turned the truck around to face the direction from which they’d just come, while Henry moved over to the old railroad bridge and took up watch. He ran a hand through his shaggy, strawberry blond curls and grinned over at Pride.

“Everything’s gonna be okay,” Henry called. “Once your friends show up, we’ll have Sparrow loaded onto the truck and back to the farm before you know it. The Shiprats will be at the farm by then and they’ll fix Sparrow right up. You’ll see.”

Pride wished he could feel half of the confidence the Farm Tribe had in the people from the Shiprats Tribe – but he remembered all too well how terribly Hedge had died a year earlier. Sparrow’s injuries were even more extensive than Hedge’s had been. He tried to banish his fears and draw on the confidence of both Benny and Henry.

“Uh, shouldn’t you be watching the other side of the river?” Pride asked Henry, trying to get his mind on other things.

“Why?”

“In case the Brotherhood shows up over there,” Pride said. “I know it’s probably not likely, but it might happen.”

Henry grinned. “Yeah, I suppose it could,” he agreed. “But, even if that happens, they ain’t comin’ across this bridge. And, if they try – well, let’s just say they’ll all be going for an unexpected plunge into the river.” Henry and Benny both laughed at the look of confusion on Pride’s face. “C’mere, lemme show you something.” Henry led Pride out onto the bridge, stopping him before they reached the middle. “See them splotches of tar there and over there?”

Pride examined the tracks ahead of him and finally noticed the spots of tar. To him it didn’t look abnormal at all.

“We put them there to warn us not to go any further,” Henry explained. “Jack’s got an alarm rigged to the highway bridge a couple of miles back. Anyone comes across that bridge and opens the gate sets an alarm to ringing at the farm.”

“Okay, but what’s that got to do with this bridge?” Pride wanted to know.

“Well, this bridge is another way across the river,” Henry explained. “Me, Luke, Benny, and Martin went to work on this bridge to keep anyone from crossing it uninvited.” He pointed at the tar splotches. “Those marks show us where to stop – go four more feet and the ties will give way under your weight. The four of us hung suspended and sawed most of the way through the ties. The ties should take the weight of one or two people – but the Brotherhood usually travels in packs. Get maybe three or four people out there and the ties’ll give way and SPLASH! Into the drink they go.” Henry’s easy grin turned self-conscious. “Probably sounds pretty cruel, but we’ve got to have some way of protecting ourselves.”

“Not at all,” Pride said. “In these strange times, it makes a lot of sense.” He didn’t bother adding that the Eco Tribe had even deadlier traps along the obvious approaches to their compound hidden deep in the forest. Simple survival dictated that extreme precautions were sometimes necessary.

*****

“They’re here!” Little Jeremy shouted, running up the farm lane from his watch post, his long blonde hair trailing behind him. “The ambulance is here!”

Lucy came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel and watched as the heavy hearse-bodied ambulance bounced along the rutted farm lane, Ryan waving from the window of the driver’s side as the huge vehicle stopped. She smiled and waved as Dal climbed out of the passenger side, then her hands flew to her mouth. “Oh my God!” She said softly as Jack emerged from the vehicle behind Dal.

“What’s the matter?” Luke asked coming out of the Pump House. Then he saw Jack – he didn’t know whether to cheer or cry. Jack, who had never carried much weight on his bones, had lost quite a bit of weight and looked almost emaciated. He moved a little stiffly, as if he wasn’t sure of his footing. Still, Luke reminded himself, the last time he had seen Jack, the young inventor was on death’s doorstep and nobody really expected him to live.

“What’s the matter?” Jack called as he approached. “You both look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He grinned and the old twinkle was there in his eyes as he took Lucy’s hands in his own. “I look a lot worse than I really am.”

“It – it’s just that you look so different, Jack,” Lucy stammered.

“Yeah,” Luke added quickly. “Remember we’ve never seen you with short hair before.”

Jack’s grin widened as he ran a bony hand over the nearly half inch of light brown hair that almost hid the horseshoe-shaped scar on the left side of his head. “Selene says when I get half inch or so, she’ll dye it back to my old color. I like that better.”

“I tried to make him stay behind,” Dal said, coming up onto the breezeway. “But, there’s just no reasoning with him sometimes.”

“Dal’s just being an old woman,” Jack teased. “He did a fantastic job saving my life and still doesn’t quite trust his work.”

“Well, I’d like to make sure all that work I did lasts for a long time,” Dal countered good-naturedly. He looked around. “Where’s the patient?”

“Benny and Henry are with Pride at the trestle bridge waiting for Pride’s friends to meet up with them,” Luke explained. “They’ve taken the truck out there.”

“How about Ryan and I take the ambulance out there?” Dal suggested. Ryan agreed with that idea. “Jack can stay here and you guys can get caught up.”

Jack made a wry face and turned to Lucy. “What he means is he thinks I should rest some more,” he joked.

“Well, it wouldn’t hurt,” Lucy said, the mother hen in her coming out.

“Okay, okay,” Jack raised his hands in submission. “I know when I’m outnumbered.”

*****

Pride’s mouth hung open in shock when he saw the huge Cadillac ambulance slowly approach the trestle and turn around. The bright red paint and all of the chrome gleamed like the giant vehicle had just come out of a showroom. For the first time, he began to think that there really was hope for the world. He watched in wonder as a short young man with dark tan skin and thick, black wavy hair climbed out of the ambulance from the passenger side while a tall, muscular fellow with a bleached crewcut slid out from behind the steering wheel.

“Dal! Ryan!” Henry shouted. “How’re you guys doing? How’s Jack?”

“You can ask him yourself when we get back to the farm,” Dal called.

“Jack just refuses to stay down and rest,” Ryan laughed.

Over the course of the next hour, after Ben had made introductions all around, Ryan proudly showed Pride the ambulance and the equipment it carried. Ryan was quick to explain that he wasn’t one of the people with medical abilities, but he was equally proud of the fact that he was the one who maintained the vehicle and kept it waxed and shining like new. Ryan was still opening doors and drawers when Henry gave a shout that the rest of the Eco Tribe was approaching.

Ryan and Dal sprang into action like a well-trained team without looking up. Ryan smoothly slid the gurney from the back of the ambulance and had it ready to transfer Sparrow from the litter. Dal grabbed a supply chest and opened it up, pulling out a pair of latex gloves. Only then did either of them look up to realize just how right Henry had been – the entire Eco Tribe had made the journey with Sparrow’s litter.

Benny couldn’t help giggling a little at the situation. He didn’t know which side was more surprised – the Eco Tribe at the sight of the gleaming ambulance, or the Shiprats at the sight of the whole Eco Tribe appearing as if from nowhere.

Dal recovered first, calling for Moss and the other litter bearers to transfer Sparrow to the gurney where he immediately began examining Sparrow’s wounds. He did his best to keep his face impassive and neutral. The injuries were bad and seriously infected. For the first time he was glad that Jack had come along.

“Okay, once I get an IV going, we’ll get him strapped down, then pick up Jack at the farm and head straight for the ship,” Dal called to Ryan.

“You mean go into The City?” Moss asked suspiciously.

“Well, yeah,” Dal answered in surprise.

“No – no way,” Moss replied.

“What the hell’s going on here?” Dal demanded. “Your friend is hurt badly and needs the facilities we have at the Queen Mary.”

“We’ll go to the farm,” Moss repeated. “But, no way we’re letting you take Sparrow to The City.”

“We don’t have the things we need at the farm,” Dal protested.

The others moved protectively around Moss in silent mutual support, hovering near Sparrow. Eagle stood regally tall behind her Tribe, her staff held like a scepter.

“We know you mean well,” Eagle said kindly, but firmly. “But, you have to understand that we left The City behind and have no wish to return to it. We realize the cost may be high sometimes, but that is the price we’re willing to pay.”

“But this is crazy,” Dal argued. “Do you want your friend to die?”

“No, but we’re also not willing to take him into The City against his will – even at a time like this,” Pride said simply. “The others know that Sparrow has sworn never to return to The City – any city.”

“Okay, okay,” Dal gave in. “Let’s get him to the farm … Jack’s there, maybe he can explain the situation better than I can.”

Ryan and Pride lifted the stretcher into the back of the ambulance as the Eco Tribe loaded onto the back of the truck. Shaking his head, Dal climbed into the back of the ambulance to sit across from the stretcher. Pride sat next to Dal, pulling the heavy hatch closed behind him as Ryan started the engine.

“Gun it down the road,” Dal called up to Ryan. “It’s pretty smooth sailing – once we hit the farm lane, take it easy so we don’t bounce him around too much.” As he spoke, he wrapped a blood pressure cuff around Sparrow’s arm and began pumping it up.

“Gotcha,” Ryan agreed.

“You really can’t help him at the farm?” Pride asked, his voice low and full of concern.

“I don’t know,” Dal said. “I know he has a better chance at the ship. We have all the equipment and supplies we need there. We don’t carry everything in the ambulance.”

Pride didn’t say anything more; he just nodded and bowed his head as if in silent prayer as the ambulance raced down the highway. Ryan kept a steady speed down the empty road, smoothly slowing down as he neared the farm lane.

*****

Jack watched as Ryan guided the heavy ambulance gingerly down the lane. The vehicle had hardly come to a stop when the side hatch opened and Dal jumped out to hurry over to Jack.

“We’ve got real problems,” Dal said without preamble. “This Eco Tribe won’t let us take one of their injured members back to the ship’s hospital.”

“How bad is he hurt?” Jack asked, walking as quickly as he could to the back of the ambulance.

“It’s bad,” Dal said. “He impaled himself on a tree or log or something like that. He’s got several deep punctures – loaded with dirt and debris, by the way – and they’re all in the groin.” Jack stiffened. “And,” Dal continued before Jack could ask, “infection has already set in.”

Jack nodded and climbed into the back of the ambulance, leaning over Sparrow. His bright eyes took in the IV line that Dal had already started; nodding his approval, as he gently laid a hand on Sparrow’s forehead. The young Eco Tribe member was burning up. Jack moved his hand down to Sparrow’s thigh and found that it was even hotter to the touch.

“Dal tells me we can’t take your friend back to the ship,” Jack said over his shoulder to Pride, staring down at the festering wounds. “We’re better situated to help him there – he needs medicines we don’t carry in the ambulance.”

“Could you have the medicine and other things you need brought out here?” Pride asked.

Jack sighed. “We could, I guess,” he admitted. “That’s IF we really had to do that – but, I’d prefer to take your friend straight to the ship.”

“Returning to The City – any city – is not our way,” Pride said. “Many in our Tribe don’t even want any contact with the outside world….”

“But, you don’t feel quite as strongly on that count,” Jack interrupted.

“As much as I’d like to withdraw totally, that’s not realistic,” Pride said simply. “Sooner or later the outside world will either accidentally overlap or deliberately intrude on our world. I think it’s better to at least have some contact with Outsiders – maybe that way they’ll understand us a little.”

Jack leaned back and ran a hand back and forth over his short hair thinking matters over furiously. Then he sighed and turned to face Pride for the first time. “Okay – we’ll do it your way this time,” Jack said.

“You can’t be serious!” Dal exclaimed.

“We don’t have any choice,” Jack said reasonably. “Think it through. If we try to take this guy back to the ship by force, we’re going to have a fight on our hands, right?”

“You certainly will,” Pride confirmed. “The Eco Tribe would never allow that.”

“So, we either treat the patient here, or we let him die,” Jack said to Dal. He turned to face Pride. “And, he will die without treatment. There’s no question about that.”

Before Dal or Pride could say anything, the farm truck carrying the rest of the Eco Tribe trundled down the lane. Benny jumped out from behind the steering wheel and hurried over to Jack and Dal.

“What’re you guys still doing here?” Benny demanded. “I purposely flooded the motor and then pulled the choke to keep us chugging along so you could take off before we got back here.” He glanced over his shoulder at the gathering Tribe. “They’ll never let you go now.”

“Jack decided to treat Sparrow here,” Dal said in resignation. “And he’s right. We can’t force the Eco Tribe to accept things they’re against. They’re compromising their beliefs to come this far, I guess we have to compromise a little in return.” Dal turned to Jack. “So, what’re we going to do?”

“First, we’re going to contact the ship and get Bray to bring us the things we need,” Jack said. “Amber and Selene can help him find the right supplies. He can bring that old field operating table Sasha found at the Armory…”

“Operate?” Pride asked in panic.

“Look, your friend is going to lose one testicle for sure – probably both,” Jack said frankly. “He might even lose everything between his legs.”

“Is that really necessary?” Pride asked, feeling sick in the pit of his stomach.

“If you want him to live it is,” Jack said. “Look, his left testicle was a write off the minute he impaled himself – the accident itself destroyed that.”

“Okay, I can accept that,” Pride said. “But, you said he might lose both or even everything down there. Why?”

“Because the infection has spread so far,” Jack explained. “There might already be irreparable tissue damage – at least beyond our abilities to repair. Take a good look at his penis – the side is already a bad shade of green. That might just be blood pooling below the surface of the skin….”

“But, it might mean the tissues are dying,” Pride said, his voice quavering.

“Exactly,” Jack said.

Jack and Dal huddled together with Luke and Lucy working up a list of the supplies they’d need brought from the ship as Pride wandered over to his Tribe mates and explained the situation. The news stunned the rest of the Tribe. Eagle stared across the distance to where Jack sat at the table under the breezeway. From what she saw, she wasn’t that impressed by the way Jack looked. He was short and skinny. He looked almost frail. Pride, however, seemed to trust the Shiprat and she trusted Pride. Still, she had reservations about him as she followed Pride to the breezeway to meet Jack.

Jack spun around to face Eagle as Pride introduced them. She almost gasped at the large U-shaped scar that was just barely visible through his short light brown hair. That explained the frail appearance. The next thing she noticed were his eyes – they were deep blue with amber flecks in them and very, very gentle. They shone brightly with intelligence and more importantly; there was real compassion in them. Before Jack could even say a word, Eagle found herself trusting him.

Jack didn’t waste time with pleasantries once he and Eagle had been introduced. He explained Sparrow’s condition simply and the available treatment options. Eagle was surprised that Jack didn’t talk down to her as if she was stupid. He used plain language without dumbing it down at all, treating her like a fellow intelligent person.

“If that’s the only treatment available, then that’s what you’ll have to do,” Eagle said once Jack had finished. “I want you to know the whole Tribe appreciates your help and you’re willingness to meet our demands.”

“We don’t have any choice,” Jack said plainly. “We couldn’t take Sparrow away from here without starting a fight and more of us getting hurt. And, I’m sure as hell not going to walk away and let Sparrow die without trying to help. So,” he looked around, “this breezeway can serve as an operating room. We’ll have an operating table brought from the ship….”

“And lights,” Dal added. “We’ll need as much light as possible from the ship.”

“Right, good point,” Jack agreed. “And we’ll need as much screen material as we can get to keep most – or at least some of the bugs out.”

“We can help you there,” Luke piped up. “There are a couple of screen houses in the loft of the barn. We can get them down, rip them apart and get them nailed up to the roof here.”

Dal scanned the list of supplies he and Jack had drawn up. “Well, that’s pretty much it, I guess,” he said rising from the table. “I’ll ring up the ship and get Bray and Amber working on this right away.”

“What about Sparrow?” Pride asked. “Do we just wait until the supplies arrive and not treat him?”

“Treatment has already been started,” Jack explained. “Dal’s got an IV running to bring his fluid volume back up – that’s going to help him a lot. Then, we’ll start wrapping cold, wet towels around him to try to bring his fever down as much as possible. By then, the table should be moved off the breezeway here, and the screen material should be up.”

On the Queen Mary, Bray’s blood turned to ice when he got word that there was an urgent message from the farm. His immediate fear was that something had happened to Jack. He fought back tears as he raced up to the Radio Shack, and almost cried with relief when Dal reassured him that not only was Jack fine, he was in total charge of the situation. Dal quickly outlined the situation facing them at the farm and the unusual complications that had cropped up. Bray was forced to send for Amber and Selene when Dal began reading off the medical equipment they’d need sent out to the farm. To his surprise, both were hovering just outside the door – having the same fears that had originally faced Bray.

As soon as Dal finished relaying the supply list, the entire Shiprat Tribe went into action. Jordan and his shadow, Jordy, swarmed over the truck in the parking lot making sure it was gassed up, the tires were in good shape, and the radiator had water. Once they finished their inspection, Jordan drove the truck over to the gangway and had it ready to load supplies onto.

Brandon and Peter helped Bray locate powerful emergency work lights on stands and the wiring cables needed for them. Just to be sure the farm had enough power for the extra lights, Bray decided to add a portable gas-powered generator to the list of supplies Dal had requested.

In the ship’s hospital, Lars and Tai San assisted Amber and Selene as they methodically packed the medical supplies Dal had requested. Each box was carefully marked with a list of the contents while young Kip and Jonah painstakingly drew large red crosses on the tops and each side of the boxes with jumbo red felt tipped markers.

In just over an hour, the truck was loaded with the requested supplies and Bray was ready to climb into the cab for the drive out to the farm. He decided to bring Amber along with him in case Jack and Dal needed additional medical assistance. Both Peter and Brandon insisted on making the trip out to the farm. Peter knew that Jack’s patient would probably need moral support from someone who had had a similar experience. Brandon’s reason for making the trip was similar. He reasoned that the strangers might understandably be unsure of Jack’s ability. Despite his scarred appearance, he figured they might find some relief in knowing that Jack had managed to save his life when he would have surely died otherwise. Bray couldn’t fault their logic and waved them into the back of the truck. Moments later, they were pulling out of the Queen Mary’s parking lot.

Dal poked his head into the back of the ambulance where Jack was busy changing the cold compresses around Sparrow. “Just got word from the ship – Bray and the supplies left just a few moments ago. Amber’s with him.”

“Cool,” Jack said. “We’ll need her – she knows the routine as well as either of us do.”

“There’s something else,” Dal said.

“What?”

“Come out here,” Dal said enigmatically. “You won’t believe this.”

Curious, Jack climbed out of the ambulance and looked in the direction of the breezeway where Dal was pointing. He shook his head in disbelief – most of the Farm Tribe, assisted by the Eco Tribe were busy raising framed screen panels and screwing them into the framework of the breezeway to create a screen room. There were people on ladders, others on the roof, and even more on the ground helping to raise each screen panel into place. Jack was reminded of an old Harrison Ford movie where he played a cop hiding from killers in the Amish farm country. There had been a scene of a barn raising in the movie and there were people swarming all over the place to raise a whole barn in just one day. The action in front of him was just like that movie. He quickly wiped at the tears that welled up in his eyes for no good reason.

“I know how you feel,” Dal said softly. “Sometimes, I think the world hasn’t really turned to shit after all.” He wiped his own eyes and changed the subject. “How’s Sparrow doing?”

“His fever’s down a little bit,” Jack said. “His blood pressure’s doing better now that we’re replaced some of the fluid that he’s lost. I just wish we had some plasma or whole blood to give him – that would really do him a world of good.”

“We’ve got to work with what we have,” Dal sighed. “Um, about the surgery – how’s that looking?”

Jack frowned. “Not good – the left testicle is – well, that one’s a total loss,” Jack said. “I don’t have much hope for the other one, to be honest.”

“And – um, the other….”

“I don’t know,” Jack admitted. “I’m hoping his penis can be saved, but again – we’re going to have to wait until we actually start cutting before we know anything for sure.”

*****

The construction of the screen room had finished and Lucy, assisted by the smaller members of each Tribe were just finishing scrubbing everything down with bleach when Bray arrived with the supplies. Introductions were made on the fly, as the supplies were unloaded from the truck under Amber’s supervision. One of the first boxes off the truck contained the surgical clothing, soaps, and disinfectants the surgical team, herself included, would need.

Moss and Condor stopped Jack and Dal as they headed into the farmhouse to scrub up. “Pride and Eagle told us all what you’re gonna be doing,” Moss said. “There really isn’t any other options?”

Jack sighed. “It might look like we’ve got all the abilities of doctors back in the old days,” he said carefully. “The truth is – we don’t. Sure, the equipment is still there for us to use and we do. But, we just don’t have the same level of skill they had and it’s going to be a long time before we do.” He ran a hand over his head. “Back in the days of the Civil War, you know what the most performed surgeries were?”

“Nope,” Condor said. “I’d guess something to do with removing bullets or something like that.”

“Amputations,” Jack said flatly. “Bullets shattered arms and legs, infection set in and the doctors had the choice of cutting limbs off or letting the patient die – sometimes they died anyway. They weren’t even that good at doing an appendectomy – that was major surgery back then.” Jack shrugged. “It probably is again now. I don’t know – I haven’t tried that yet.”

“What’s your point?” Moss asked.

“The point is, that we’re at about the same level of expertise as those doctors back in the Civil War,” Jack said. “It’s sure as hell not the best solution, but it’s all we have.”

Brandon came up to the small group. As usual, the strangers tried to pretend not to stare in horror at his scarred face without much success. None of the Shiprats reacted like that anymore – he sometimes wondered if they even noticed the scars anymore.

“I see you noticed the scars,” he said amicably.

“We didn’t mean to stare, man,” Condor said lamely.

“Hey – no biggie,” Brandon said off-handedly. “I’m used to it by now. The thing you need to know is that Jack was able to put me back together when I’d have surely died. He did things even he didn’t think were possible – otherwise, I’d look even worse than I do now, and that’s a fact.” He turned his good eye on each of them. “Sure I still sometimes wish I was good looking – and, I was. Believe it or not, I was a hunk. But, I’d rather look like this than be dead and that’s another fact. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t thank God that Jack made me look like this, because in doing that, he saved my life.”

Condor shuffled around uncomfortably. “Well, I guess that says everything we need to know,” he said in embarrassment. He rubbed his groin. “Guess most guys would say they’d rather die than – than – well, you know….”

“Yeah, but it’s usually not the truth,” Brandon interrupted before an equally embarrassed Jack could answer. “Just ask Peter over there. He’s been through what your friend is facing. Ask him if he’d rather have his balls and be dead, or if he’s not grateful Jack saved him, too.”

“Um – look, Dal and I have to get ready,” Jack stammered, patches of color rising on his pale face. “Look guys, I swear I’m not going to do anything unless it’s absolutely necessary to save Sparrow’s life.”

Moss gave Jack’s shoulder a supportive squeeze. “You do what you gotta do,” he said huskily. “Seems to me if this guy says you’re okay, then you’re okay.”

Jack nodded quickly, his lips pressed tightly together as he hurried into the kitchen. Following close on his heels, Dal found Jack leaving on the table, crying softly. He quietly backed out of the room and found Bray. When Bray entered the kitchen, Jack was trying to choke back the racking sobs that were building inside him. He crossed the room quickly, pulling Jack tight to his chest and caressing Jack’s soft hair.

“Let it go,” Bray whispered, tenderly pressing his lips to Jack’s cheek. “It’s okay … just let it all out.” He could feel Jack’s shoulders heave in silent sobs and suddenly, Jack’s thin arms were tightly wrapped around Bray as if Jack were afraid Bray would suddenly vanish. Bray didn’t say a word; he just gently rocked Jack back and forth while rubbing his head comfortingly.

“They trust me to work miracles,” Jack moaned, his chest heaving. “Don’t they know I’m even more scared than they are?”

“No, they don’t,” Bray said softly. “And, they wouldn’t care if they did know. You’re the only hope they have to save their friend and that’s all they care about. You can do what they can’t. You can give them and the ones they love a chance that they can’t offer. And, that is a miracle.” He tenderly wiped the tears from Jack’s face. “I know how they feel. I felt that way when you were hurt. I was so scared I was going to lose you – Dal was so afraid to operate, but I didn’t care. He was the only one left who could even give me the slimmest hope of not losing you.”

Jack pulled away from Bray, rubbing hard at his eyes with the heels of his hands. Bray soaked a dishtowel in water and mopped at his boyfriend’s face.

“Shit, I’m being so stupid,” Jack complained.

“Yeah, you probably are,” Bray teased. “But, you’re looking at things from the wrong perspective – you keep worrying about what damage you might do. Don’t forget, the damage is already done – you’re the one who has the ability to offer your patients and their friends some hope for the future.” Bray took Jack’s chin in his hand and stared hard into his diminutive lover’s deep blue eyes. “Never forget – hope and the future are what our Tribe is all about. Without hope – any kind of hope – there is no future.”

Jack moodily brushed Bray’s hand aside as he turned away. “Okay, okay – I said I was being stupid,” he mumbled. “I just get scared sometimes and get a little crazy.”

Bray came up behind Jack and lightly kissed the nape of his neck. “That’s okay,” he said softly. “It’s one of the things that makes me love you so much. I have this thing for crazy people.”

“Thanks,” Jack murmured with the faintest flicker of a smile. “But, this crazy person needs to change and get scrubbed up.”

*****

Gowned, scrubbed, masked, and gloved, Jack, Dal, and Amber took up their places around the operating table. In the distance, the portable generator chugged steadily along sending electricity to the powerful work lights positioned around Sparrow. Outside the screened impromptu operating room the Eco Tribe stood or sat silently watching the scene before them.

Dal looked around and gave an involuntary shudder. “Look at them watching us,” he whispered under his mask. “It’s creepy.”

“I know,” Amber replied, glancing around. “They remind me of one of Sasha’s audiences when he’s doing his magic act. It’s like they expect Jack to pull a rabbit out of Sparrow.”

For the first time since his breakdown in the kitchen, Jack genuinely grinned under his mask. “If I do find a rabbit in there I swear I’m going to be a hell of a lot more surprised than they will,” he shot back. He took a deep breath and turned serious. “Let’s get down to business.”

“What do you want to do first?” Dal asked.

“Let’s get the infections drained first,” Jack decided.

Without being asked, Amber positioned a thick towel under Sparrow’s thigh, careful to stay out of Jack’s way as he picked up a scalpel and prepared to make the first incision. He started from the deep puncture in Sparrow’s thigh and drew the scalpel down towards his patient’s knee. The razor sharp blade only needed to be lightly drawn along the skin to make it part. A torrent of foul-smelling, thick, greenish-white pus gushed from the incision. The three Shiprats involuntarily took deep breaths as the pus poured out.

The early evening air carried the stench of the putrefaction to where the Eco Tribe waited. Eagle involuntarily put her hand to her face and leaned closer to Pride. “Oh my God,” she whispered. “All of that was in him.”

“Imagine how bad it must be for those three,” Pride whispered back.

“I don’t know how they can stand to be as close as they are,” Eagle replied.

Under the operating lights, Jack was already flushing the wound with saline solution to rinse away the remains of the pus. He glanced up at Dal and raised his eyebrows questioningly. Dal leaned over and examined the incision.

“I think we should pack it and leave it open for a couple of days,” Dal said. “Once we know the infection’s not coming back we can close it properly.”

“Good idea,” Jack agreed. “Pride said Sparrow traveled quite a distance after getting hurt.” He shook his head in amazement. “Man, I can’t begin to imagine the kind of pain he must have been in.” Jack tilted his head toward the deep puncture in Sparrow’s thigh. “Let’s get that opened up and cleaned out – then we can dress his leg and move on. You think you want to take on the puncture?”

Dal nodded in agreement and picked up a fresh scalpel and began dissecting the original injury. He couldn’t believe how deep the injury was – and how dirty. He found pieces of bark, leaves, and even small clumps of dirt in the wound – along with even more pus. The only good thing was that the branch that caused the injury had somehow missed the femoral artery entirely.

“This injury must have leaked a lot when you prepped him for surgery, Amber,” Dal observed.

“It did,” she admitted. “From the amount that came out while I was shaving him, I still amazed at the volume of pus he’s still got in him.”

“Well, by the time we’re done, we’ll have it all out of him,” Dal said, hoping his voice sounded more confident than he felt.

He finished draining, cleaning, and flushing the wound, then assisted Jack in packing it with surgical sponges and applying a dressing. Jack checked the IV bag and found Amber had already hung a new bag and was ready to switch from one to the other without being told. Knowing that able people like Amber and Dal teamed with him, Jack began to feel confidence welling up deep inside him.

“Okay,” Jack announced, “it’s time to take a look at his testicles.”

The three of them knew the left testicle was beyond saving and their visual examination only verified the fact. The branch that had ripped Sparrow’s scrotum open had literally torn the testicle in half. Jack worked quickly and smoothly to remove the destroyed testicle, shaking his head sadly at its loss. With the one reproductive organ removed, he turned his attention to the condition of the scrotum. The edges of the tear definitely had to be removed, but he decided that the rest of the sac could probably be salvaged – if he wanted to take the chance. He looked up at Dal, who seemed to read his mind.

“Let’s see what the other one looks like,” Dal said quietly.

Jack nodded and opened the right side of Sparrow’s scrotum. A small amount of pus leaked out, which wasn’t all that hopeful a sign. He took a deep breath and holding his breath, eased the right ball out of the incision. The testicle was pale and slightly swollen – what they saw wasn’t necessarily good, but it also wasn’t conclusive that irreversible damage had already begun.

“Give me an empty syringe,” Jack said, his voice quavering slightly.

Amber looked sharply over at Dal, but obediently handed Jack the syringe and watched as he gingerly pushed the needle into the testicle. Taking another deep breath, Jack pulled the plunger back to withdraw some fluid. It was a little cloudy, but it wasn’t totally opaque either – another maybe, maybe not sign. Under his mask, Jack chewed his bottom lip as he contemplated his options. He handed Amber the syringe for safe disposal and made his decision.

“Let’s take a look at his penis,” Jack said.

The two of them leaned closer and began a minute examination of the sex organ. At first they were exchanging very hopeful glances – most of the tissue seemed to be in a repairable condition. Then, Jack used another syringe to draw fluid from the underside of Sparrow’s penis where the tissue was almost black. Trying to pull the plunger back, he found himself facing much more resistance than usual. He cast a worried look to Dal.

“Looks like you need to cut,” Dal said.

Jack nodded and exchanged the syringe for a scalpel and gently cut the delicate tissue, which parted easily. They were greeted with a foul odor as thick, sludge-like greenish pus slowly oozed from the incision.

“Irrigate,” Jack said, staring intently down at the ooze. He watched as Dal flushed the area, silently praying that once the pus was gone that he’d see healthy pink flesh. But the tissue hidden by the ooze wasn’t the healthy pink he prayed for – it was pale and unhealthy looking surrounded by inflamed tissue on all sides. “What do you think,” Jack asked, his throat suddenly dry. “Try to trim away the dead tissue and suture the sides of the incision together and hope for the best?”

“You know what our choices are,” Dal said, feeling equally nervous. “We treat this guy as aggressively as possible and save his life for sure – that means amputating everything. Or, we take a shot that intensive antibiotics can control the spread of infection and possibly leave him with his penis and one testicle intact.”

“He’ll probably be sterile, though, won’t he?” Amber asked, indicating the swollen testicle.

“Yeah, probably,” Jack and Dal admitted together.

“But, he’ll be intact – well, as much as possible under the circumstances,” Jack said. “And, that might make a difference to him.” He looked down at Sparrow’s face, wondering what to do. “How’s his blood pressure, Dal?”

Dal checked Sparrow’s blood pressure and pulse. “Pressure and pulse are remarkably steady, Jack. His breathing is pretty good, too, by the way.” He stared hard at Jack. “I think he’ll be able to survive another operation in a day or so if it’s necessary,” he added, reading Jack’s thoughts. “The three of us are going to have to stick around to monitor him for a week at least.”

“That’s it then – we save his penis and testicle – at least for today,” Jack said decisively. “I just hope I’m making the right choice.”

“We’re making the decision,” Amber said firmly. “We’re all in it together – for what it’s worth, I think it’s the right choice to make.”

“Me too, Jack,” Dal said firmly. “We’ll keep a close watch on him and if we need to operate again, we will. It’s the right thing to do.”

“Thanks, guys,” Jack said and then went to work carefully trimming away the necrotic flesh, flushing the incision once more and then closing up the incision. Amber stepped in and insisted on placing the dressings, telling Jack and Dal to step out. As soon as Jack stepped away and pulled off his mask, Lucy and a few of the other Farm Tribe appeared at the door of the screen room.

“We’ve got a fire pit going on the far side of the barn,” Lucy said. “If you’re done, we’ll take care of the towels and things – get everything picked up and burned.”

Jack smiled and nodded gratefully.

*****

“Is he going to survive?” Eagle asked anxiously as Pride hovered just behind her.

“He’s going to live,” Jack said wearily. “At least for now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the infection had already started to spread through the whole area,” Jack explained. “To aggressively treat him and pretty much guarantee that he’ll live, I’d have to nullify him.”

“Nullify him?” Eagle asked.

“Yeah, totally castrate him,” Dal explained. “We’d have to remove everything between his legs.”

“You mean turn him into a girl?” Eagle asked in shock.

“No – he’d be a eunuch, but not a girl,” Jack said. “I decided….”

“We decided,” Dal corrected.

Jack nodded an acknowledgement of Dal’s correction and explained that the three of them had agreed to take the risk of trying to save Sparrow’s remaining testicle and penis if they could with an aggressive regimen of antibiotics. He said that Sparrow wouldn’t be able to be moved for the better part of a week or more, and that since he, Dal, and Amber were going to stay they’d be able to monitor Sparrow’s condition and perform the operation to complete the nullification if circumstances dictated it.

Pride stopped Jack as he turned to walk away. “Why didn’t you just go ahead and do the nullification surgery tonight?”

“I could have and probably should have,” Jack admitted. “Part of me wants to give him a chance of saving something down there – he’ll probably be sterile as it is,” Jack explained.

“And the other part?” Pride asked.

“Is selfish,” Jack said simply. “If I have to continue the surgery – and I might have to – I’d like to be able to explain why to Sparrow before it happens so he can prepare himself mentally.” Jack shrugged. “I kind of feel better that way.”

Ryan took the ambulance back to the Queen Mary that evening after a private conference with Bray. As he pulled away, Ryan leaned out the window, made a circle with his thumb and index finger and winked back at Bray.

“What was that all about?” Amber wanted to know?

“Nothing really,” Bray said airily. He looked around. Lucy had set up tables in the front yard heavily laden with food. Lanterns and blazing torches lit the area. “Have you seen Jack?”

“If he’s not hovering over Sparrow,” Amber said, “he’s probably found some corner where he curled up for a nap. He was pretty wiped out after the surgery – emotionally and physically.” Amber gave Bray a knowing grin. “I think he’d rest a whole lot better curled up in somebody’s arms, with his head resting against that person’s chest,” she added.

“Is that a fact?”

“Yeah, it is,” Amber said.

“Then I guess I’d better go find him,” Bray said.

A couple of hours later, Amber found Bray and Jack off in a corner of the barn where the Shiprats were staying. Bray had his back propped up against some hay bales, his muscular arms wrapped protectively around Jack's slender body, cradling his lover against his chest. Amber started to back away and look for another place to sleep when Bray lifted his head.

“You don’t have to go someplace else,” he whispered softly. “The hay here makes a comfortable bed.”

Amber looked down at Jack. “He looks so innocent and content right now,” she said fondly. “He must have been exhausted.”

“I found him off in a corner by the Spring House,” Bray said. “He was already dead asleep. He didn’t even wake when I picked him up.” He sighed. “I hate to wake him, but I know he going to want to check on Sparrow.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Amber said. “I just came from his bedside. Dal’s there for the night. Sparrow’s still asleep and doing as well as can be expected.” She reached down and ruffled Bray’s thick, chestnut hair. “He looks so content. Let him sleep.” She winked. “You look pretty content, too.”

Bray grinned. “I am.” He tilted his head forward and lightly kissed the top of Jack’s head. “Sometimes I think I’d be just as happy cuddling him like this as I’d be … uh, well – doing, um….”

“I know what you mean,” Amber said. She grinned puckishly in the dim light. “Of course, I’ll bet when you’re doing ‘whatever’ you don’t mind that so much, either.”

Bray waggled his eyebrows. “You’re right.”

******

The noise of excited voices abruptly pulled Jack from his slumber. He sat up with a jerk, waking Bray as he scrambled to his feet, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The bright morning light was streaming through the open barn doors below.

“Oh shit,” Jack fretted, looking around for his shoes.

“Relax,” Bray said. “Dal’s got you covered. You were worn out.”

“Something’s happening, though,” Jack said, his voice cracking. “Listen to those voices out there!”

“Jack, Amber!” Dal’s excited voice called from outside the barn. “Wake up! You’ve gotta get down here!”

Dal’s excited voice woke Amber who reacted almost exactly as Jack had by leaping to her feet in panic. Bray laughed and told them both to relax. Dal entered the barn, shouting up into the loft for Jack and Amber to get down into the yard right away. He refused to tell them what was going on to cause all the excitement. Finding his shoes, Jack hopped around on one foot frantically trying to slip a shoe on his right foot. Losing his balance, Jack fell backwards over Bray’s lap. Laughing, Bray helped Jack get his shoes on and pointed him in the direction of the ladder.

Jack half climbed, half fell down the ladder followed closely by Amber and raced across the barn floor as Bray took his time climbing down from the loft. Dashing into the yard, Jack skidded to a stop, his mouth dropping open in wonder.

“Holy shit!” Jack exclaimed, staring slack-jawed at the two huge Winnebagos that were parked there. Ryan, his broad, friendly face almost split in two by a huge grin waved from the window and pointed to the vehicles.

“I’m seeing it, but I’m not believing it,” Amber said, equally stupefied.

“Well, whatta you think of your home and hospital away from home?” Bray asked, coming up behind Jack and putting his arm around his lover’s neck.

“You arranged this?” Jack stammered.

“Well, me and Ryan,” Bray said smugly.

“But, how did Ryan manage to bring two RVs back here all by himself?” Amber asked.

“Oh, Lars should be around here somewhere,” Bray said. “I suggested something smaller, but Ryan’s the one who thought of sending two back here.”

The door to the first RV swung open and Ryan, his broad face wreathed in a gigantic smile, stepped out into the yard. He was surprised when Jack, Dal, and Amber surrounded him and smothered him in hugs.

“What’s all this about?” Ryan cried, unaccustomed to being treated like a hero.

“Just our way of saying thanks,” Amber said, planting a long kiss on Ryan’s cheek. “This is a wonderful idea you had.”

Ryan blushed, stammering that the idea was really Bray’s. Bray refused to take all the credit, pointing out that Ryan was the one who suggested creating a hospital vehicle – kind of a rolling medical center. Bray added that it was also Ryan’s idea to have Selene stock the second RV with medical supplies. Jack and Dal were eager to get moved right in and set up shop, but Lucy appeared and ordered everyone to start washing up for breakfast. She rounded up the youngest members of the Farm Tribe to help her start preparing. Eagle organized members of the Eco Tribe to help in the setup and cooking. Everyone, however, refused all offers of help from the Shiprats – insisting that they were guests of honor.

While everyone was preparing for the huge feast Lucy had planned, Jack went to check on Sparrow. He was pleased to find that Sparrow’s temperature was finally below 100 degrees. Pulling back the sheet, Jack checked his patient’s groin. What he saw wasn’t entirely encouraging – most of Sparrow’s groin was inflamed an angry shade of red. He removed the packing from the incision in Sparrow’s thigh and sighed in relief. The incision remained clean and free of pus – that was a good sign, and Jack reminded himself, about the only good one he’d seen. He redressed the wound and wandered back outside to the others.

Jack found Lars and Pride wandering around the yard deep in conversation. The two were engrossed in discussions of philosophical beliefs, herbal medicines, and survival techniques. He shook his head in amusement, wondering which one was more in tune with the mundane world and which was more in tune with the metaphysical one.

*****

After breakfast, Sparrow was carried out to the second RV. Selene had really outdone herself in setting it up as a mobile hospital. Checking through the supplies, he found that Selene had thought of everything and then some. The refrigerator was running and well stocked with bags of saline solution, antibiotics, cold packs, and other medicines. Each cabinet and drawer had been neatly labeled. Moving Sparrow into the RV was almost like moving him onto the ship.

Once Sparrow was settled into his new bed, Jack and Dal met with Pride and Eagle. Jack explained that while Sparrow’s temperature had dropped to an almost normal level, he was worried about the growing inflammation around the rest of Sparrow’s groin.

“So, what’s that mean?” Eagle asked.

“It means we might have to operate again and complete what we didn’t finish the first time out,” Jack said.

“It’s the only way to save his life?” Pride wanted to know.

“The only way available to us,” Jack admitted. “Back in the old days, there were all kinds of specialists who could have been called in who certainly could have done more than we can now.” Jack sighed and ran a hand over his head. “Even if we operate again, there’s no guarantee he’ll live.”

Pride nodded his head slowly as he digested Jack’s explanation. “But, we’re not back in the old days,” he said. “So we have to rely on the resources available – and from what I’ve seen, you and your friends are the best there is.”

“Pride’s right,” Eagle agreed. “Whatever you decide needs to be done, we’ll trust your judgement.”

Jack just hoped his judgement was good enough.

By late afternoon, Jack was beginning to doubt his judgement from the night before. Sparrow’s temperature was rising again and every effort to keep it in check met with failure. Checking the incision on the underside of Sparrow’s penis, Jack was disappointed to find that pus was beginning to leak from the incision.

“What do you want to do now, Jack?” Dal asked. “We can be set up to operate again in about an hour.”

Jack chewed his lower lip as he rubbed his head, thinking furiously. “We’ll wait,” he said finally. “For now, we’ll start the cold compresses again and increase his antibiotic drip.” He nervously chewed on his thumb. “And the cold packs – lets get one under each arm, a couple packed around his groin, and one on the back of his neck. We’ll try to force his temperature down and see if that can give the drugs a better chance to work.”

“That’s what we’ll do then,” Amber said. “As for the three of us, we need to start taking shifts. We won’t do Sparrow or anyone else any good wearing ourselves out. You and Dal go get some rest, I’ll take the first shift.” She gave the other two her sternest look. “I’m not going to take any argument from either of you. Get out of here and let me get on with my work. There’s going to be more than enough for the both of you to do later on.”

Stepping out of the RV into the bright sunlight, Jack found Bray and Ryan putting the finishing touches on a large red cross they had painted on the side of the vehicle.

“There’s another one on the other side and one on the back,” Bray said. “We wanted to get them done as a parting gift before going back to the ship.”

“You’re leaving?” Dal asked fearfully.

“He has to,” Jack said, fighting back the urge to beg Bray to stay. “It’s important that he and Ryan get back to the ship. They’re both leaders there.” He forced a chuckle. “Can you imagine how little maintenance work is getting done without Ryan there to supervise and get everyone organized? And, Bray’s needed to head the Tribe meetings.” Jack stepped up to his lover, hugging him tightly. “I’ll miss you,” he lowered his voice. “I love you.”

Jack and Bray spent their remaining time together wandering around the farm. Sometimes, they walked side by side, at others; they held hands or snaked their arms around each other’s waists. For a brief couple of hours, neither let anything else intrude into their private shared universe. Jack even seemed to ignore the windmill that turned the generator. He didn’t excitedly babble on about this or that improvement that he could make to the efficiency of the windmill or the generator. In fact, Jack didn’t really do much talking at all – he seemed content to just spend time alone with Bray.

Their brief time together ended all too quickly and Jack found himself standing by the side of the ambulance as Bray and the others piled in. Bray leaned out the window to wave as the ambulance bounced down the farm lane.

As the heavy vehicle disappeared from view, Jack turned and found that the entire Eco Tribe had surrounded him. All of them stared impassively at him. “We need to talk,” Pride said, his face serious.

To be continued …