Chapter 26: Old Memories

Nunuk broke the silence “I don’t know if I should thank you or scolded you”

“I can’t blame,” Tom said, teeth still chittering, looking down “That second time now your daughter at that.”

“Indeed, but she chose to save your sorry ass and when she needed you in return. You didn’t let her down, at least I hope not. That was very honorable, there might be hope for you yet. Judging by the state you were in when we dragged you out it wasn’t easy either. Even if you are part fish”

“Well, I no fish” Tom said, chuckling a bit. Then going dour “Thank you”

“I would appreciate it if you stop trying to kill my huntresses though” He couldn’t argue with that.

“I try. Promise” As Nunuk laid down her head on her lifeless daughter, Tom couldn’t help but feel like this wasn’t going to be a happy ending after all. It was almost like she was in a coma and she hadn’t returned to consciousness with heat. She may end up stuck like this, that was not acceptable, even if she lived. What she needed was a boost, a jump start if you like. Perking up he went. “I got idea!” and stormed out into the rain as well as he could, wrapped up in furs and blankets.

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The news hadn’t been good, when Esmeralda had returned alone she told the others to get blankets, furs, and things for a fire. Apparently, Dakota and Tom had fallen in the big lake to the north. The water was ice cold and the lake was deep.

Sapphire had begged Shiva to take her, as everyone scrambled to find the necessary things. She eventually relented, carrying Sapphire to the makeshift camp set up under Archeon's wings. The venerable old dragon, owing them quite a bit after that rescue. Sapphire had arrived just in time to watch Tom approach the shore pushing Dakota on a crate. The others had waded out into the icy water to help him out. They ended up dragging him out of the water along with the crate he had managed to get Dakota onto. Whereupon he fell asleep on the grass almost immediately.

Nunuk insisted he would be fine, he just needed to warm up she thought. So they had stripped him of the wet clothes and wrapped him in furs and blankets and placed him beside the fire.

Dakota was in far worse shape, she was barely breathing and only Nunuk managed to even find her heartbeat. Her lungs were full of water, which they needed to get out somehow. They had resorted to holding her in the air, head downwards. The sheer amount of water that came out staggered Sapphire. She wouldn’t have considered what she saw possible to survive. But then again there was every chance it wasn’t

They had then wrapped her up too, along with some hot stones from the fire, trying to get her back up to temperature. After that Nunuk had ordered them to leave her alone, only Rachuck and Anchor had been allowed to stay. It was clear the old lady didn’t know if her daughter would make it through the night.

As they sat waiting Tom had come hopping out, still wrapped up in the furs and blankets, teeth clattering wildly, but he looked excited. Was this good news? Then he demanded a stick and began drawing on the ground.

it was a weird symbol, just across on a circle? Wait, she had seen that before, on his little bag with healing supplies.

“Big one go get now!” He demanded. Esmeralda, Fengi, and Jackalope were back on the wing before he finished the sentence, having figured out what he was after. The stuff he had given Sapphire was potent, maybe it could even bring back someone from the brink of death. Sapphire allowed herself to feel a little hopeful again.

The round trip only took about 10 minutes. The others returning with everything they could find with that symbol on it, from Tom's little pile of stuff. In the meantime Tom had managed to re-wrap his little cocoon, so he could sort of walk. He looked like an idiot but he didn’t seem to care whatsoever.

Tom began going through stuff till he found a little glass bottle with what looked like a yellowish liquid in it? And a small glass tube with a piece of metal at the end?

“Bingo” he exclaimed, clearly excited, almost giggling in fact.

He then rushed back to Dakota, the others following behind, eager to see what the crazy human was gonna try next. Nunuk wasn’t pleased by the disturbance but relented to the excited Tom.

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Tom kneeled down next to Dakota opposite of Nunuk, Showing the old lady the syringe he had gotten, along with the small vial of adrenaline he had. He had kept this stuff for ages since his time in the army and replenished every now and again. Or perhaps a little more often than that, but you never knew when it would come in handy. It could brighten those dull nights too, even if it had been quite a while since he had last needed that.

“Adrenaline, it help” Tom tried, Nunuke seemed more than a little skeptical.

“What does it do?”

“Give boost” Tom knew that wasn’t the best explanation. Nunuk looked down at her daughter, still only barely breathing and not responsive. Clearly concerned.

“Low dosage” Nunuke agreed, Tom agreed on that. Following Kiran and Sapphire’s experiences with the stuff he had brought, he would start with a quarter dose. He just crossed his fingers this wouldn’t instantly kill her. From his fights with the guard, it did seem they produced adrenaline, fingers crossed it worked the same way.

“Quarter”, Tom said nodding. He drew out the adrenaline and stabbed Dakota in the thigh.

Nunuk seemed very surprised but the quick motion prevented her from stopping him “what did you do?” She exclaimed clearly distraught.

“Injection” Tom went, he was really hoping this wouldn’t kill her or there would be hell to pay.

Tom then began to pump on Dakota’s chest, he needed to get the blood flowing. Nunuk cried out “what are you doing? Stop!”

“Pumping blood necessary” Tom just kept going. He wasn’t gonna lie again dammit.

Anchor came over, pulling Tom off Dakota by the shoulder

“What did you do!” He shouted at him. The others watched from around, clearly very upset Shaking Tom “What did you do to my wife!”

Nunuk arched down trying to hear a heartbeat, clearly concentrating intently as everyone held their breath. Dakota took hers.

As her eyes shot open, pupils dilating, she got up with a start nearly knocking Nunuk over in the process, she began violently looking around hyperventilating, she almost seemed to vibrate.

“wha, what? Water dark cold so cold” Everything clearly rushing back to her “Where am I, what happened? Why am I burning! Where is the fire!” She was clearly completely out of it. As she began to look around her eyes looked like a cat ready to pounce.

As Anchor let go of Tom, Tom just picked up the little glass bottle and kissed it laughing. Good old adrenaline. Good thing he hadn’t gone for a half dose though. He had never seen somebody react like this before.

As Dakota tried to grasp what was going on, she looked at her mother and wrapped her arms around her, beginning to cry uncontrollably into her shaking badly.

“I was gonna die mum, I was gonna die! What is going on!? Where is the water!?”

“Now, now little one. It's all right, mother is here. The water is long gone.” Nunuke consoled her daughter who just kept sobbing.

The others gathered around to look but gave the family some space. Rachuck went to console his sister, Anchor just gave Tom a hug instead. Well, at least the dude stopped shaking him, was all Tom could think. Staring around at the scene, not quite sure what to do now. The big guy let Tom go, going over to his wife instead to help.

“What was that stuff?” Jackalope came over, asking curiously, glancing at her still crying commanding officer.

“Adrenaline” Tom just answered and shrugged. “Military Drug”

“You just keep coming up with surprises. Got any more of that?”

“Came prepared” Tom just chuckled. “Won't lie again” Oh why did he say it that time. Goddammit

“Lie?” Sapphire went from behind him. Tom shrank, “long ago, no talk.” He just knew this was gonna come up again late now.

“You lied to us? You promised no lies.” Sapphire continued sounding equal parts confused and accusing.

“No, not you” Goddammit him and his stupid mouth, fuck it might as well get it over with. Just like visiting the therapist back home. Get it done, move on. He’s done it many times, this was no different.

“I promised friends long ago, Everything gonna be fine. They all gonna be fine, No one gonna die! It was lie.” Tom sagged down almost curling up into a ball. It had been too long since he had last gone through this.

“It was not fine, none were fine, Vigo die first, then Jack, then Sam, then Morten they all died. Just because, I in truck and they on truck. Bleed to death, one by one. Nothing could do.” It all came rushing back to him now. He was back in the crater the IED had created. Trying desperately to save his friends who had been blown to pieces. Those things were his responsibility.

“They all died! I lie to all!” It was finally time for Tom to join the crying party, as he just broke down where he sat, bawling into the blankets. He remembered all too well what followed. The convoy had come to a halt, everyone else dismounting to take up positions and then they just sat there while his friends died.

He felt Sapphire sit down beside him “I not even scratched!” As she wrapped her arms around him bringing him in he just continued sobbing, “Then ambush came. They kill Smith too. So I kill them!” Tom’s voice turned hard. The others just held the line, taking shots of opportunity. Cowards the lot of them.

“I kill them all! We had adrenaline, I used. We had machine gun, I used. We had grenades I used” His jaw clenched at the memory. He had a truckload of equipment literally and his commanding officer was dead. Now it was their turn. He started by lobbing grenades wildly then he grabbed Morten’s machine gun and went for it. Sprinting into the surrounding buildings. He hunted them with a vengeance, killing anyone he found.

He felt Sapphire stiffen a bit as he continued “I kill till no one stood, I Hunt till no one ran. Fire, reload fire, Reload. I shoot till barrel melt! They kill my friends, I kill them!” Tom held up his right hand removing the glove, shoving the scarring from where he had held the MG3 by the barrel firing from the hip. he didn’t even remember the pain, just the smell of bacon “I used all. Fight till could no more. Click Click Click” He remembered his despair when his gun finally ran dry, he had used every belt the squad had carried, and both spare barrels. He was hit multiple times and bleeding, but the enemy had fled. He had collapsed to the ground, closing his eyes for the last time he had hoped.

“They shoot me too. I lay bleeding, I die with friends I thought, as should have. Just like friends. But no! I wake up safe. In hospital. Alone! Not fair!” He just shouted out at the world and returned to crying. “Not fair!”

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Sapphire just sat there not sure what to do. She had no idea what half the things Tom were talking about were, the sobbing didn’t help with his broken Draconic and quite a bit was clearly English or something else. It was clear he had been through some hard times before though. He hadn’t lied to them. He just couldn’t bear the thought he might have lied to Dakota telling her she would be okay.

The rest of the little camp just stared at Tom, even Dakota had snapped back to reality for a moment. Seeming to realize just what Tom had gone through to save her.

The guy had not just cracked. He had snapped like a twig and gone on a rampage to avenge his fallen friends. Hoping to die beside them and he had failed in his task. Saphire just kept hugging the crying human not sure what else to do. Fengi and Jackalope came over to join in. folding their wings around the little ball of misery. As he tried punching the ground and screamed out in anger at his past failure. Sapphire was honestly afraid he would break his hand or something.

“But this time you didn’t lie, you didn’t lie Tom” Sapphire repeated hoping to calm him down. It did seem to do the trick after a while. Then either that or he was too exhausted to continue, as he just returned to sobbing.

“No. Will not again, never again.”

They sat in silence Dakota had come to her senses still clearly terrified and on the verge of tears. She was complaining about the burning sensation in her body and just how sore her lungs were. She was still acting as if she was beside herself with excitement, even if that was clearly not the case.