My brothers and me. They have friends up here. I came along to get some down time.
She surmised that the people she heard earlier must have been them. She could have kicked herself.
"I think I heard you as I was walking. I avoided the noise and went the other way. That's right about when I tripped and fell."
"If you'd have come down by us, we wouldn't have bitten."
Jacki started thinking that him biting wouldn't be that bad....
She blushed again.
"Well, how are we going to get you back?"
He helped her stand and he put an arm around her side that had the injured ankle.
Before they started to walk, he smiled and said,
"You know who I am, but I have no idea what your name is."
Jacki laughed.
"My name is Jacki and yeah, I know who you are."
He put his arm back around her and they started to walk together. The incline back up to the cabin sites was a killer. Jacki was straining even with the help from Mark.
She didn't want to seem like a wimp, so she gritted her teeth and kept at it.
"Are you OK?" He kept asking.
Each time he asked, she'd answer with a quiet "Yes."
They were starting to get closer to his cabin site.
"Are you sure you are ok?" He had been watching her face and it was showing signs of pain.
"I am fine." She took a deep breath.
He decided to ignore what she said and stopped their trek. He steadied her and put her backpack on his back.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"You are in pain. I can see it. So this is what I am going to do. I am going to carry you for the rest of the way to my cabin."
She tried to hop away from him.
"No way in hell are you going to pick me up." She turned from him and accidentally placed weight on her bad ankle.
Several colorful words escaped from her mouth. She also ended up back on the ground.
Mark couldn't help but laugh.
She started to laugh and tears formed in her eyes. She was trying to laugh away the pain but it wasn't helping.
"My ankle hurts so bad!!!" She was frustrated, embarrassed and in extreme pain.
"Why didn't you stop me?"
"I didn't want to look like a wimp." She tried to wipe away the tears from her eyes.
"You’re not a wimp." He sat down next to her. "The only way I am going to let you go any further is if I carry you."
She cringed.
"Ok." She took a deep breath.
"Don't worry." he could tell she was nervous in addition to the pain she was feeling.
"I don't want to hurt you..." She quietly said.
"Hurt me? Sweetheart, I am six foot two. I can handle it. You're not that big. I'll be fine. I am more worried about you."
Jacki still felt nervous and embarrassed. She thought to herself, I shouldn't of have that big breakfast....
Mark soon had her in his arms and she forgot all about being nervous.
"See, I told you this is no big deal."
He picked her up like she was a feather. Soon, they came to a clearing in the woods and Jacki saw a campfire off to the side of a small cabin.
A guy was standing over by the fire and spotted them come out of the trees.
"Hey, looks like Mark found something in the woods...." The guy came over to them.
"Jacki, I'd like you to meet my brother Dan."
Mark walked her over to the table. He explained everything to Dan as they walked.
He put her down and bumped her ankle in the process. A few more colorful words popped out of her mouth.
"Sorry."
Dan knelt down this time and looked at her ankle. He grimaced.
"That looks horrible."
Another guy came out of the cabin. Jacki assumed that this was Mark's other brother Mike.
"Whoa. You go for a walk and bring back a girl. Maybe I should go for a walk?"
Everyone laughed. Mark did introductions again.
Dan spoke up.
"Let me go get ice. We need to probably get her to a hospital" Jacki made a face at the mentioning of a hospital.
Mark looked at her.
"I agree. That ankle looks horrible."
She nodded.
Her small hike had now turned into a giant adventure.
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