Blood Brothers
Chapter Six
They must be moving fast, Jason thought, faintly hearing the sounds of the other loggers in the woods behind him. They would catch up to him soon, and hopefully, he'd have found Josh by then. He felt certain they could convince his fair-haired brother to stay, regardless of who his parents were, provided they could find him.
Joshua didn't usually let himself get this emotional, but on those rare occasions when he did, he was an incredible force to be reckoned with. The emotion this time - Jason thought it would be called "hurt" - had cut through him just as deeply as it had his brother when he looked into those sky-blue eyes.
He'd left the Bolts' land several minutes ago, crossing onto the property of a friendly neighbor. At least, he thanked God, the neighbor wasn't the type to shoot at anything moving in the woods.
He held his own lamp high, looking for the reflection the meager light would make on the platinum hair of his brother. He almost fell on his face when his foot connected with something in the dirt and leaves that made a clanking noise.
Looking down, he could see the dim outline of the metal contraption. "Damn trappers," he whispered, kicking the thing intentionally this time. It was chained to a tree a few feet away, so it didn't fly like he'd hoped. It would have given him such satisfaction! He studied the area where the trap had lain; whoever set it had cleared away the leaves in a circle about a foot in diameter for the trap to set in. Now, the space was empty.
No. Not quite empty. Jason studied the spot, seeing the red there. There was a lot of blood. Some poor animal must've been caught in that trap. Perhaps it was still in it. He followed the chain to its end in the hope that perhaps the animal was still alive. Living with all these women has made me soft, he thought, remembering the injured rabbit that Candy had protected so fiercely when she'd first arrived in Seattle. Instead of getting them to start thinking like us, they're starting to get us to think like them!
There was no animal in the trap once he found it. He checked it for fur remnants in case one had been, but instead, found a small bit of brown cloth. It didn't take long to realize where it had come from.
"Joshua!!!!!" he called even louder, as he returned to the original site of the trap. If Josh was hurt by that trap, and he was conscious enough to pull himself out, from the looks of the blood, he should have left a trail of it. Sure enough, there were spatterings of the stuff every few feet which he was able to follow.
A mile or so back in the woods, Jeremy, Hutch, and Starsky heard Jason's wrenching yell. "Sounds like it came from that way," Hutch said, pointing.
"Yeah, I think so," Jeremy agreed.
"Should we call the rest of the men?" Starsky wondered, thinking of all the other loggers spread out in the woods.
"We'd better leave them where they are, just in case," Jeremy said, already heading off toward the source of Jason's shout.
"Oh, my God!" Jason gasped, finally getting a glimpse of near-white in the darkness. With his brown pants and red and black shirt on, the only thing that caught the light on Joshua's unconscious form was his hair. "Joshua!"
It only took a few of the large man's strides to bring him beside his brother. "Jeremy!!!" He called, hoping that his youngest brother was somewhere within earshot by now. "Jeremy, I found him!!!"
Jason knelt in the muddy leaves by Joshua, trying to pull his gaze from the man's face to the injury. It needed to be checked, fast. But Josh had done a good job at bandaging the injury, though it still bled profusely. Slapping a hand over the injuries, he pressed down hard, trying to stop the flow. Under his force, it did seem to ebb, and Jason breathed a sigh of relief and thanks.
"Jeremy!!" He called again. The fact that Joshua didn't react to all his shouting was scary; it meant he was totally out. And unless Jeremy heard him call, there was no way Jason could carry Josh back to help and keep the pressure on the wounds at the same time.
He was about to yell again when a smaller figure carrying a lamp came storming from the darkness. "Josh!!" Jeremy's voice seemed small and very frightened when confronted with the horrifying vision in front of him.
"Jeremy, it's going to be okay," Jason tried to reassure, not even noticing Starsky and Hutch standing behind his brother. "We'll get him back to town and he'll be all right."
"Let us help you," Hutch said, moving in toward Josh's shoulders while Starsky helped mid-body. "Don't let go of that pressure, Jason, whatever you do. Jeremy, support his other leg and lead the way with the lamp." It was an unusual feeling, Jason though, to be taking orders instead of giving them, but he was only too glad to comply this time. He knew he wasn't capable of being level headed where the safety of his brothers were concerned, and Josh was his brother, regardless of what the facts might say.
Starsky and Hutch were well used to dealing with people in emotional turmoil, and knew they had to keep the brothers' minds off of the injured man in their arms. "Jason, you'd better call your men on our way back. You've got the loudest voice." Starsky's recommendation was a good one, and Jason was only too happy to have something else to do. As they made their way out of the woods and toward their cabin on the edge of town, men joined them, drawn to Jason's voice like children to the Pied Piper's flute. By the time they arrived home, there was a crowd with them.
They laid Josh gently on Jason's bed, Jeremy quickly retrieving another blanket to cover all but the injured leg. "Swede, go get Lottie. Corky, you've got to ride to Olympia. Bring back the doctor - fast!!!" Jason's orders were clipped and not to be questioned, not that anybody would in this case. Both men left in a flash, although everybody knew it would take at least two days for Corky to get to Olympia and back.
"Jason, do you have a pair of scissors?" Hutch asked him, and Jason motioned to the small drawer in the kitchen. Hutch went to the leg, trying to pull the cloth from where it was sticking to the skin around the wound while Starsky got the scissors. "I need some warm water and clean cloths."
Jason looked up, concerned because Hutch seemed to be giving a lot of orders. "What are you doing, Hutch?" It wasn't accusatory or threatening, just questioning.
By this time, Hutch was using the scissors to cut Josh's pants legs at the knee. "It's okay," Starsky spoke for Hutch. "He had some medical training in school. He's the best we've got right now. I wish to hell Seattle still had a doctor!"
Jason nodded his head, accepting, and went to sit on the bed near Josh's shoulders, ready in case the man awoke. He hoped he would wake up. At some point he unconsciously put his hand on his brother's shoulder, somehow hoping to send some of his own strength through it to Joshua. Jeremy sat on the other side and mimicked the gesture, closing his eyes and whispering what seemed to be a prayer.
Somebody returned with the cloths and water just as Hutch began cutting away the makeshift bandage. "Ouch," he whispered in empathy, examining the deep puncture wounds on each side of the young man's leg. They were still bleeding, though not as heavily as they had been, and Hutch paused a moment to feel the pulse in Josh's neck, which was fast and thready. "He's lost a lot of blood and he's in shock. Somebody get more blankets - we've got to keep him warm."
Starsky went to fetch them from the other room. It made him feel useful, finally, since his own medical knowledge was limited. When he returned, he saw that the cloths Hutch had put on the wounds were once again red. The blond man uncovered the injuries again, this time taking a wet cloth and cleaning each puncture carefully. At least the sites seemed free of infection.
The crowd of loggers pushed in, trying to get a better view of what Hutch was doing, when Starsky decided it was just about enough. They'd been very helpful in the search, but now they - or Hutch, rather - needed room to work. "Thanks a lot for all the help, guys, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait outside or, preferably, at Lottie's. Right now, we need the space." He shooed the men out, who went understandingly enough, leaving just the five of them in the room.
Silence fell over the cabin as Hutch worked feverishly to get the bleeding totally stopped and the two remaining brothers tried to rein in their feelings. Jeremy was horror-stricken, while Jason looked like a caged animal. Starsky felt sure he would have gotten up and paced if he could figure out a way to do that without leaving Joshua's side.
It was almost an hour before Swede returned with Lottie. "Sorry it took so long," he apologized in his Swedish accent.
"I was taking a moonlit stroll," Lottie admitted, coming quickly to Hutch's side, leaning over Josh's leg. "What happened?"
"He put his leg in a trap," Jason said as Lottie watched Hutch's ministrations. "It was a big one too." It was all the explanation she needed, and once they adapted to each other, she and Hutch worked together as if they had for years. But still, it was another half hour before they were able to get the bleeding entirely stopped.
"Thank God," was Jeremy's reaction when Hutch made the announcement. The blond walked to the front of the bed and checked Josh's pulse again. There was no sign of his waking, and that worried him.
"Lottie," he said to the woman, "can I talk to you for a minute?"
Starsky, Jeremy, and Jason exchanged bewildered looks as the two whispered in the corner. It concerned Starsky that neither of them looked very happy. He saw Hutch say something, then Lottie nodded before they turned back toward the bed.
"Thank you," Jason said to Hutch, "for helping to save my brother." It was said as humbly as Jason ever said anything, and it surprised Jeremy to hear that tone from him.
"I'm afraid he's not out of the woods yet," Hutch said, cringing. "He's lost too much blood; he can't replace it fast enough. You two have to make a decision. You can wait and hope he replaces it fast enough to stay alive, or we can give him a transfusion."
Starsky could see how nervous Hutch was as the blond rubbed his sweating hands on his pants. It had been a long time since his pre-med days and they both knew it. He was working from memory, hoping that Lottie's knowledge would assist where his own failed.
"A transfusion?" Jeremy repeated. "What's that? Is it dangerous?"
"It's a way of taking blood from somebody else, and giving it to him. And yes, it can be dangerous," Lottie admitted. "He can't use just anybody's blood."
"The chances are much, much better that it won't kill him if it comes from a member of his family, so if you decide to have us do it, it'll have to come from one, probably both, of you."
"Kill him??" Jason sounded scared - another emotion new to him. "You're saying that he could die if he doesn't have the transfusion, but he could also die if he has it, is that right?"
"I'm afraid so."
Jeremy and Jason looked at each other, communicating in a way that was very familiar to Starsky and Hutch. Both knew what was on the other man's mind. Jason cleared his throat.
"Hutch, can I talk to you outside for a minute?" Jason's eyes were almost pleading, so Hutch nodded his agreement. He and Starsky left with the big man, exchanging nods with Lottie before going outside.
Leading on the fence in front of their cabin, Jason looked at the two strangers. No, strangers wasn't right. Friends. "You've proven yourself to me since you've come to town, and now I need to ask you something straight out. When I first saw you, I, along with everybody else in Seattle, was amazed at how much you looked like Josh. Since then, I've checked every family record I could put my hands on, and there is not one single example where somebody talks about Josh's birth or our mother expecting a baby when I was six or seven. Even I don't remember him being born; I just suddenly had a brother. What I need from you now is an honest answer. Is there any possibility that Josh could be a member of your family instead of ours? Biologically, I mean?"
"Well, I doubt . . . ." Starsky began, but Jason interrupted.
"Because if there's a possibility, the blood might be better coming from you than either of us."
"You make a lot of sense," Hutch agreed, laying a calming hand on Jason's shoulder, "but I'm certain there is no way that Josh could be my brother. My parents and I are from a long ways away. Further than you can even imagine." He knew, in his heart, that Josh was a Bolt, and he knew just as surely that they had to save him.
"Are they from Scotland? Our family started out there."
"No. We're from Norway." The story seemed feasible since they couldn't tell the man where they really originated. He seemed to think a moment more while Jason and Starsky, who had stayed silent up until this point, studied him. "If I just had a microscope," Hutch whispered, "I could tell for sure whose blood is okay to give to Josh." It seemed too much to ask in a town this small, though.
"What's a microscope?" Jason asked, confused.
"It's an instrument that enlarges very tiny things - so you can study them. Bigger even than a magnifying glass." Hutch provided the description, and it seemed to satisfy Jason.
"I know where there's one, as long as it doesn't have to be very new." This came from Lottie, who had slipped from the cabin and was standing in the doorway. "Aaron's got one from over a hundred years ago in his antique collection. I don't know whether you'll be able to get it from him, but you could try."
"We'll get it," Jason, Hutch, and Starsky all said ferociously and simultaneously.
"Stay here with Jeremy and watch over Joshua. We'll be back soon." Jason's orders were immediately obeyed by the woman, who went back into the house.
It was the middle of the night, but the three men didn't let that stop them as they made their way to Aaron Stempel's house. Jason pounded on the door ungently and then pushed his way in when a bleary-eyed Aaron opened the door a crack. He stood, slightly stunned, in his nightclothes as Jason barreled around the house looking for this "microscope" thing that Hutch had told him about.
"What's going on?" Aaron finally woke up enough to ask. "What are you men doing here?"
"We need one, and we know you have one. Now where is it?" Jason's tone was not gentle.
"One what?? What's the problem?"
"Lottie said it's in your antique collection . . ." Jason said.
"A microscope, Aaron," Hutch interrupted. "Lottie said you had an antique microscope, and we need one." Looking around the room, Hutch saw what he thought was the item on a high shelf. "There it is." He headed toward it when Aaron, finally fully aware, realized that they meant to take the treasured item.
"Now wait a minute!" Aaron said, stepping between Hutch and the shelf. "That microscope is worth hundreds of dollars - it dates back to the early 1700's!"
"Well, we need it, and I don't have time to argue!" Jason stepped between Hutch and Stempel, delivered a single right cross to Aaron's jaw, knocking him to the floor, and reached up to remove the item from the shelf. He spun on his heels and was out of the house before Aaron could get on his feet again.
Starsky came forward to help him. "I'm sorry, Aaron. He's just upset."
"Well, I'm upset too," the eagle-faced man muttered, massaging his jaw. "That's one of my prize possessions."
"Well, Josh has been hurt very badly," Hutch said to him, trying to ease the tension in the man. "We need the microscope in order to give him a blood transfusion. Please, don't argue with us on this."
"Well, why didn't he just say so," Aaron said, beginning to look concerned. "I would've given it to him myself if he'd just asked."
"I guess that's just not in his nature," Starsky laughed. When Aaron smiled back at him, they knew everything would be okay.
"I'm going to go get some clothes on. I'll be over as soon as I can." Stempel knew there wasn't much he could do, but being there for each other - no matter what - was what had kept this town together so far. So he'd continue with that.
Starsky and Hutch had to run to catch up with Jason, Hutch worrying that the big man would damage the valuable piece of equipment in his haste. "Why don't you give that to me," he finally said, easing the item out of Jason's hands. "I need you to find me a few very small dishes, some alcohol of some kind, and four knives with fine blades."
Jason nodded once before heading out for his search, Starsky and Hutch breathing a sigh of relief that they'd occupied the explosive man for a few minutes.
"Hutch," Starsky said when they were alone, "I know you know what you're doing, but do you really think Josh has got a chance?"
"If I can find a compatible blood donor - whether it's one of the Bolts or not - I think he does. I just pray that somebody in town has Josh's blood type, otherwise he won't stand a chance. We'll just have to hope someone does."
Starsky fell silent and Hutch could almost hear the thoughts going through his mind as the muscles in his face worked. Something was on his partner's mind, and it was important. "What's up, Starsk? And don't say nothing 'cause I know you better than that."
"Hutch, have you ever seen any of those science fiction TV shows?"
"Starsk, you know I don't get into those kinds of things!"
"I know, I know. But have you?"
"A few. Usually when you talked me into it. Why?"
"Were any of 'em about time travel?"
"I really don't remember. What are you trying to say?"
"I know we haven't really talked about what happened to us 'cause it just seems so incredible that it did happen. But somehow, we've gone back in time. Hutch, what we do here could change the future! We hafta be sure we don't do that!"
"That sounds like Star Trek, partner! I'm not changing the past. I'm just helping one man get better."
"Yeah, but what if he's supposed to die? What if by stayin' alive, he does somethin' that's not supposed to get done?" At Hutch's incredulous look, he tried to get through to him. "I saw this episode of Star Trek once. Dr. McCoy went back in time and saved a lady's life - she was supposed to get hit by a car - back in the years before World War II. He thought he was doin' the right thing, but she went on to form a pacifist organization whose petitions delayed the United State's entry into the world war. With the delay, the Germans developed the A-bomb first. And took over the world!!"
"I hardly think anything that dramatic will happen here, Starsk."
"But what if it does???"
"It won't. Besides, Jason said that Josh ran off because he found a letter he'd written about him maybe not bein' a Bolt. A suspicion that arose because of my presence here. So, buddy, the past has already been changed; we just need to change it back. And don't forget - we know he's supposed to survive. Remember the picture back home? He has to live in order to be an ancestor of mine."
Starsky worked that through in his mind for a minute as they walked back to the cabin, finally agreeing that Hutch was right and Josh was meant to live. And as long as they stuck to the knowledge of the period, they wouldn't do any harm to whatever time line was involved. "Yeah.... your ancestor...."
"What are you thinking?" Hutch asked him.
"I'm thinking about what happens to you if Josh dies. Would you still have even been born?" He seemed afraid that he'd lose Josh and Hutch in the process.
"I don't know. Time travel is new to me, and it's really starting to give me a headache! The only answer is to be sure Josh lives."
"I know you can do it, Hutch," Starsky encouraged. "Heck, all those years in school have to be good for something." Hutch nodded agreement, but he looked uncertain, and Starsky silently draped an arm over his shoulders..
I can't believe I'm actually in the 1800's talking about time travel!! Hutch thought. I'm a cop, not an astronaut!! I'd rather be getting shot at in an alley than trying to figure out how I ended up back here! But the one thing Hutch was was a survivor, and in 1977 Los Angeles or 1875 Seattle, he'd make it work because it had to work.
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