I suddenly felt sick to my stomach and trapped, so I tried to move.
“Stop, don’t…” The man insisted quickly, motioning toward my ankle, “You shouldn’t put any weight on it.”
The sound of his voice, rather than his actual warning was what brought me to a halt as my eyes drew down to my ankle. For the first time, I noticed that a makeshift splint masterfully secured it.
I wasn’t quite sure what to think at that point. In a way, I was pleased to see that this man had taken such good care of me. Yet, I was distrustful. This man didn’t have to do anything for me. He didn’t have to save me, and he certainly didn’t have to patch me up like he did.
Considering recent events, even though I couldn’t recall it all with certainty, I was sure that I never wanted to be put in that situation again. Therefore, I knew I needed to be more cautious, which led me to wonder if the man had his own secret agenda.
It seemed strange to me that he just happened upon me, at the time of the attack and was a goodhearted enough individual to involve himself the way that he had.
I was usually someone who saw the best in people but right now, feeling utterly betrayed by my own instincts, it was hard for me to consider trusting anyone; even myself.
So, I quickly decided that I wasn’t going to be trusting this strange mountain man, until I had a good reason to.
“As soon as that heals, I’ll take you to a ranger’s office and get you some help. Okay? Unfortunately, it’s about a day’s walk and you need to give yourself some time to heal or you’ll never make it.”
I frowned, only half listening to the handsome, rugged stranger. The more I thought and the more he talked, the more overwhelmed and nervous I became. The more aware of my surroundings I became, the more the severity of the situation struck me and thus, the more fearful I was.
Although, I wasn’t afraid of the man, even though I knew I probably should be. After all, up here in the mountains, he could do whatever he wanted with me and no one would know until it was far too late.
I had already been through one version of hell and somehow survived. It terrified me that I was potentially barreling straight for another, this time with a bum leg and a lingering exhaustion that was somewhat paralyzing.
My brain was still too fuzzy to comprehend why I was so tired, when all I really wanted to do was jump out of my skin.
I tried to focus on the man in front of me, answer him like a normal human being but I was lost for words.
I had so many questions, most of which, I was terrified to know the answer to, but I couldn’t form words anyway, considering my brain was still far too full. I was tired and felt sick to my stomach, besides the obvious disgust I felt toward my situation.
I wondered briefly if it would benefit me to throw up, but I figured that wouldn’t do much good. Likely, it would make me feel worse.
“Are you okay?” The man asked eventually, bringing me back from my thoughts.
“Yes,” I managed to croak, realizing for the first time how hoarse my voice sounded.
“You’re safe here,” the man assured, and while I wanted to believe him, I didn’t. I didn’t feel safe anywhere and part of me feared that I never would again.
I didn’t tell him that though. For the moment, he was being kind and I didn’t want to do anything to discourage that, at least until I could figure out a way to escape.
A pain shooting up my leg caused my resolve in that thought to dampen, but I tried not to become too discouraged.
The man didn’t seem bothered by my lack of response however. Instead, he got up and poured something into a mug that looked like it was carved from a tree. It was a small mug, which I was thankful for when he handed it to me. I figured, through my rattled, slightly irrational state that if he was giving me something that was going to hurt me, at least I wouldn’t take much.
After the events of the past few…hours, possibly days, I was happy with not only the option to choose my own fate but a quick vehicle through which the end would arrive.
I could fight him, or I could drink whatever this was. It wasn’t much of a choice,
but it was something and so, I took it readily.
Downing the warm liquid, I was surprised to find it tasted like pine needles, with dark stalks following the tea-like substance that echoed this realization.
It didn’t taste good by any means and I made a face. It was earthy and tangy. I felt almost as though I was eating a pine tree air freshener.
When I locked eyes with the man, he didn’t react. He simply held out his hand for me to give him the mug back.
“This will help you sleep. It’s good for you,” he answered.
After getting over the initial taste of the tea, I felt a sense of warmth and a calming sensation surround me.