NOTE: this original scene is during the lightening storm. Instead of them pulling over and hiding out by the rocks covering, the car flips and Donovan is the one who gets hurt. When I decided to have Ruth escape on her own, having both a motorbike AND an ATV race/crash felt too much. I also change the injury to Ethan to build greater emotion and connection with the siblings.
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The ATV started to slow down, but then Ruth felt the weight shift. The tires dug deep into the sand and suddenly Wes and Donovan were below her as the ATV did a handstand.
Not again! Ruth held onto the strap above her head. She reached out for Ethan and held onto his shoulder. The car felt in mid air for too long until it completed it’s rotation and landed on its roof. The ATV rocked Ruth them around like ragdolls. Sand and rain flying around everywhere and Ruth couldn’t tell what was up and what was down. When it was finally over, Ruth opened her eyes slowly looking around. Her hair hung straight up. Her bottom wasn’t touching the seat, but rather the straps held her suspended upside down. Ruth tried to take a breath in, but couldn’t. The strap constricted her lungs. She couldn’t breathe. Looking around, she scrambled to find the buckle release.
“Hold on let me help,” Ethan was already below her outside the ATV. “Grab hold of the bars below you and put your feet in front of you. I’m going to undo your strap.” Ruth did as she was told, ready to brace herself for the fall. As soon as the strap loosened, Ethan grabbed hold of her before she crashed to the ground. Outside the ATV the storm raged on. The wind swirled about them and the rain drenched Ruth’s aching body. Ethan grabbed Ruth’s hand and led her away from the vehicle. “Stay here. I’m going to help the others.”
When Ruth looked back at the vehicle, through the rain, she saw Wes crawling out, but Donovan wasn’t moving. Her hand flung to her mouth and she almost followed after Ethan, but another bolt of lightning stretch down with a sizzle. Ruth stumbled back and fell into the sand. Quickly she scrambled up again and ran toward Donovan. Was he okay? He needed to be okay. By the time she reached them, Wes had undone Donovan’s strap and he and Ethan pulled the unconscious body out of the ATV, dragging him far enough away from the vehicle in case lightning were to strike.
“Is he alive?” Ruth asked, scanning his chest and stomach for signs of breathing. With rain and hair in her face she couldn’t see. Ruth pushed her hair away from her face, smearing tiny grains of sands across her burnt cheek and it stung, but she ignored it. She knelt beside Donovan and placed her ear close to his mouth. She couldn’t feel a breath. Ethan felt for a pulse on his neck.
“He’s alive.”
Ruth shook Donovan gently. “Donovan, can you hear me?”
He groaned, slowly moving his head from side to side. There was a long cut across his forehead flowing with blood and quickly swelling.
“Donovan are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he groaned. Ruth sat back on her heels and sighed. He was alive. He was okay. They’d be okay.
Wes pointed to Donovan’s stomach where blood seeped through his clothing. Wes lifted Donovan’s shirt to reveal a deep cut across his abdomen. “That looks bad. It probably needs stitches.” Wes elbowed Ruth in the arm. “You can do that, right?”
“Me?” While Ruth was acquainted with cuts and burns from the kitchen, she never had to deal with a cut so deep it needed stitches. That’s what the medics were for.
“Yeah, it’s like sewing. Ain’t you women supposed to all know how to sew.”
Sure Ruth learned to sew a button or a hem line but not a human.
As Donovan came to, he pushed himself up, but quickly lowered himself back down holding his head. “I’m dizzy.”
“Yeah it’s that cut on your head.” Wes tossed Donovan a handkerchief to press against the wound. “C’mon woman, sew him up.”
“With what?”
“You ain’t got something in that satchel of yours?”
Ruth dug a shaky hand into the satchel. Even if she found something, could she do it? Could she sew him up? The thought of it made Ruth’s stomach roil.
A hand laid over her forearm and she stopped her searching. She looked up at Donovan, his eyes soft and reassuring. “I trust you. You can do this.”
Ruth bit her lower lip. Could she though? Inside her satchel Ruth pulled out a fishing hook she didn’t even realize she had. Talia really did think of everything. “I have a hook, but we need something strong enough to go through his skin and hold without breaking. I don’t have string like that.”
“Sure you do.” Wes pointed at her neck. Ruth’s hand went to the necklace with the kola nut made out of tiny shells held together with a strand of dried sinew. She’d fashioned it years ago when Talia first arrived. She and other Kitchen Kats had similar necklaces made of different materials signifying their friendship. She couldn’t take that off. It was too important. But so was Donovan. The blood drained from his face leaving him pale. With his eyes closed she couldn’t tell if he was unconscious again or not. Ruth took the necklace and slipped it off. Ethan handed her a knife. Ruth hesitated a moment. I’m sorry. Then she cut the sinew. Pulling the charm off she stuck it in her bag. She then pulled out of her bag the small vile of circumacia and handed it to Wes. “Have him drink some of that. It’ll dull the pain. Reaching back into her bag she pulled out a small lighter. More lightning lit the sky and the melody of wind and thunder continued. Hopefully she could keep the lighter lit long enough to sterilize the fishing hook. With Ethan and Wes around her to block the wind and rain, Ruth held the hook over the tiny flame until it was nice and hot.
She turned to Donovan who was watching her expectantly. Her hand shook so hard she thought she’d drop the needle. Wes moved to the other side of Donovan. He grabbed his bandanna and rung the water over Donovan’s stomach and then wiped away the blood as best as possible. But as soon as he did, more blood replaced it.
“Work fast,” Wes said.
Ruth hovered over Donovan’s stomach, staring at the open wound. It wasn’t very long, but it was deep. The smell of blood assaulted Ruth’s nose. She leaned away squeezing her eyes shut. I can’t.
“You can do this Ruth.” Ethan reassured her. “Just pretend it’s your dolly back home needing her arm sewn back on. You did that dozens of times. And you can this.”
Ruth turned back to Donovan. Gritting her teeth she took the needle and pressed it against Donovan’s skin. The skin indented by it didn’t pierce through. Ruth pushed a little harder. Donovan sucked in a breath and Ruth quickly pulled back.
“I’m sorry.”
Donovan shook his head. “Just do it.”
Ruth leaned in again and pressed the needle into his skin. This time it poked through. Ruth carefully curved the hook so it came out the other side of the cut. She kept pulling until the hook was out and the sinew following. With each new poke it got a little easier. All she had to do was not think about what she sewing together. It’s just fabric. Just fabric. Finally she reached the end of the cut. She tied off the sinew and cut the excess. Her hands and fingertips were covered in crimson blood. Human blood. The spell was broken. The reality that she’d just sew together Donovan’s skin sunk in. Her hands shook as she stared at the blood on her hands. She tried to take a slow deep breath to calm herself, but all she smelled was blood. Her stomach lurched and she quickly turned away before dispelling the contents inside.
A calming hand rubbed Ruth’s back, but really it just made her embarrassed. “Look at me.” Ruth looked at her brother. “You did great. I’m Serious.” Ethan grabbed Ruth and pulled her in for a hug. She relaxed into his hug. Ruth was proud of herself for overcoming her fear and helping Donovan, but also overwhelmed by it all.
Ruth let out a laugh. Small at first but then it grew louder. A full belly laugh that gave way to tears. Suddenly she didn’t know if she was laughing or crying.
“You okay?” Ethan asked, pulling her away so he could look at her.
Ruth nodded. “Yeah. Today was a lot, but look at what I accomplished. It’s crazy.” Ruth laughed again. Ethan gave her an incredulous look.
Maybe she was crazy, but it felt good to laugh and cry and let all her stress wash away for the moment.
It was a miracle to find the ATV was still able to run once Ethan and Wes got it flipped on its wheels again. The rain was gone and they were left with damp sand, soaked bodies, and a clear sky filled with tiny jewels.
As they drove toward the capitol Ruth stared at the night sky, breathing deep the wind. It eased her stomach and her nerves. The tiny stars above twinkled like glitter. In one section of the sky there seemed to be a unique glowing ribbon of green and yellow that she’d never seen before. Ruth watched the ribbon softly move to and fro as if controlled by a gentle breeze. The dancing colors mesmerized her, as if in a trance. It was more beautiful than the occasional shooting star that streaked the sky with it’s glittering dust. The night sky calmed her, and held memories of family, goodness, and peace. It reminded her that her parents were out there under the same sky, waiting and hoping for her return. And somehow, even now, as she looked at the dancing ribbon of color, Ruth believed that there was something bigger than herself, bigger than this world out there. Something created that sky. Maybe it was Joan’s God. The same one she prayed to for protection. She didn’t know for sure, but deep within her she felt it. She wanted so desperately to believe that whatever it was that created this beauty was the same thing that protected her, and maybe even care about the people on this earth. Because anything that could create something as glorious as the sky had to be good.