Hello! Tis I from the comments 😁 can I request more of the Hudson & Rex WIP? I assume it's Wilderness Peril? 👀
We were trading comments on an old drabble post of mine about "Stay Still" - which is still named that in my drafts folder, which means you get a BONUS for this ask because I'll include both this one and "Wilderness Peril. "😁
This is still very much a continuation of that drabble... or rather, I wrote a whole scene for it and then cut it down for the drabble I posted. Basic plot: Charlie and Rex are doing something yet-to-be (or perhaps never-to-be) determined, ground gives way, Charlie lands on a ledge down the side of a small cliff. It's possible this mental image was inspired by the scene in The Man From Snowy River when Jessica falls over the side of a cliff.
It's easily 1,200 words right now, but here are a couple of excerpts:
And then he slams into an outcropping.
The impact drives the air from his lungs and leaves him gasping for breath as spots swim in front of his eyes. His surroundings fade away for a brief moment before he quickly regains his wits.
Loose dirt and small rocks rain down on him from above, the small earthen avalanche he'd created still going for a few more seconds. Charlie instinctively throws up his hands to shield his eyes from the debris.
"Rex?" Charlie calls, wincing at the way even that hurts. The words seem to echo inside of his chest and head, setting both pounding even harder. He blinks, trying to focus, but the world continues to spin relentlessly. "Rex!" he manages, his voice a little stronger now—but getting the word out still feels as if someone is stabbing him in the side.
Rex barks again, pacing back and forth anxiously before he stops, tilts his head, and looks over his shoulder. Then, before Charlie can attempt to call out again, the dog glances back at him, gives one more bark, and darts out of sight.
"You're gonna be fine," Joe replies, hoping he's not lying. "Just hang tight. Help is on the way."
Rex whines softly, looking down at Charlie and then back at Joe. There's a coiled readiness to the dog's posture, and Joe quickly throws out a hand.
"Rex, sit!" he orders. "Sit!"
The dog whines again, giving Joe a look as if to say, 'But my partner's down there!'
For a brief, heart-stopping moment, Joe isn't sure Rex is going to obey.
I kind of forgot about this one, tbh. But it's inspired by that episode where there's a plane crash in the middle of nowhere and Sarah is injured and has to walk Jesse through emergency surgery (am I even remembering that plotline right?)... Apparently I started this document by quickly jotting down: "The one with the plane crash but CHARLIE has with internal bleeding in the middle of nowhere and one of the others has to operate on him"
The only thing I have related to a plot to go with it right now is: Plane crash, Charlie rushing to help everyone because everyone else is trapped/"worse off," suddenly can't stay on his feet anymore
And then these couple of scenes:
"Charlie?"
The sound of his name causes Charlie to look up—and then he has to swallow hard when the simple movement causes nausea to flare up in his gut.
He freezes, hoping whatever it is will pass.
It doesn't.
The trees sway around him and he stumbles to regain his footing as the world tilts unexpectedly.
"Hey!" Jesse's voice comes from somewhere close by. "Charlie, you okay?"
But Charlie can barely hear him past the way the ringing in his ears continues to grow louder.
"Charlie?"
"I'm fine," he says quickly, trying to wave off the concern—but his body immediately proves him a liar.
His knees buckle.
"I… I'm fine…" Charlie shakes his head and tries to push himself upright.
The attempt lasts all of one second. His face twists and one arm goes to his abdomen as he cries out in pain.
Jesse lifts an eyebrow. "You are… definitely not fine." Fear twists at his gut, but he tries not to let it show.
"Hey, hey, don't move," Sarah says quickly, putting her hands on Charlie's shoulders. "Stay still."
"I'm okay."
Sarah and Jesse trade glances.
"No, you're not," Sarah says firmly.
It looks like Charlie might argue again, but then he groans and presses his arm tighter around himself.
Sarah presses a hand against his wrist, mentally counting off the time. It doesn't take much to notice his pulse is racing far too fast. She swallows hard and looks back at Charlie's face.
He's unnaturally pale, sweat standing out on his forehead despite the cool air. Her gaze flickers back over the way he's guarding his abdomen, and the knot already forming in her gut grows larger.
"Charlie, how long has your stomach been hurting?"
The man lying on the ground hesitates, closing his eyes to breathe through another rush of pain, and Sarah feels her stomach twist desperately.
"Charlie."
"A while."
Jesse sucks in a breath.
The dread deepens even further. "Define 'a while,'" she prompts, already knowing she's not going to like his answer.
Charlie closes his eyes. "Since the crash." His voice is almost silent now, laced so deeply by unmistakable pain.
What happens next? You and I both want to know. 😆
