Okefenokee

Rob reached the far side of the island without a sign of Junior. He wondered what happened to him. He looked up and down the coastal divide between wetland and the dry land where he stood. There wasn’t any easily navigable path along the divide. He thought to himself, he must have entered the forest. He listened for a moment. He would have little chance of finding him without sound as a beacon. He heard nothing but the wind brushing against the wetland grasses and birds singing.

He decided to go in a ways in case Junior was in trouble and needed help. He went to the right bearing north watching every step, listening for any clues. He came upon a narrow game trail heading back toward the wetland and followed it. It made its way on a peninsula jutting out alone into the surrounding water with no trees to provide shade, only small leafy plants. There were only a few yards of dry land on either side of the trail. Large biting flies were circling his face occasionally getting close to an ear sounding like an electric buzzer. Out of nowhere a large dark object attacked quickly from his left side before he could turn his head he felt a heavy blow against his side and fell to the ground.

It was a large bear who came out from the water’s edge. The bear growled ferociously and then mauled Rob with his teeth and claws at what seemed like lightning speed. Rob kept his senses not caving in the chaotic seconds that passed. He lifted his rifle and squeezed the trigger while trying to keep the barrel pointing somewhere in the bear’s direction. A loud bang sounded frightening the bear that retreated. By the time Rob gathered himself the bear was gone. He disappeared back toward the water.

Cyndi, “That was a gunshot!”

Junior, “Dad’s in trouble.” He immediately started moving toward the trail looking back at his Mom.”

Mom knowing she could not move as fast as Junior said, “Go, I’m right behind you.” She grabbed the revolver from the tent and took off running.

Junior ran along the trail as fast as he could. He came to the end of the trail at the wetland dead end and stopped looking both ways.

Rob was injuredbut got to his feet. He was shaking all over and could hardly hold the rifle which seemed so heavy. His heart was pounding from fear. He scanned the area not knowing whether he hit the bear, killed the bear or just scared it. There was no sign of it so he limped back on the trail. He was losing blood from several locations on his arms and leg but couldn’t tell how bad he was yet. He needed to get off the peninsula so he had more directional options should the bear return.

Junior frantically yelled, “Dad where are you?”

Rob heard the call of Junior’s voice and replied, “Over here, over here!”

Junior saw his Mom approaching and pointed north before spreading the vegetation and pursuing his Dad’s voice through the bush with Mom coming right behind him. They didn’t have to travel far before they found a bloody Dad on the ground. He was alert and looking toward them. He coughed out, “Careful, large bear, over there,” he pointed out to the peninsula.

Junior took the rifle in hand and protected them from another attack. Mom knelt with a worried look next to her husband to see how bad he was. It was hard to tell. He was covered in blood, but the bleeding had slowed as she didn’t see any area where blood was still pumping out. “We need to get you back to camp,” she said. “Can you walk at all?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe with your help I can make it back.”

“We don’t have a choice”. Cyndi helped him up carefully, “How is it standing?”

He was having trouble forming words so he shook his head affirmatively. He put his arm around her shoulder easily due to her lower height and they started to move.

Junior stood guard with the rifle. He had shot it several times and felt comfortable with its usage.

Rob was having trouble moving his one leg where the bear bit him on the left side. They slowly gained distance from the spot and where back on the trail. Junior was with them keeping an eye backward as they hiked back to camp. It took a long time because Rob’s leg was just dragging as if the bite damaged a muscle or tendon.

They put Rob on a cot inside the tent and Cyndi cleaned his wound with fresh water. The clawing done to his arms seemed superficial to her but she had no professional training in emergency care. The leg was another topic. It looked bad to her untrained eye. Rob was faint and Cyndi told him to rest while she continued caring for his wounds.

Junior stood by watching his Mom. He could tell it was bad by the look she had on her worried face. He had no experience of any kind with anything this dramatic.

Rob went to sleep and Mom and Junior sat at the picnic table. Mom said, “This is bad. The chance of infection is high.”

Junior, “What do we do then?”

Mom didn’t answer. She closed her eyes and put her head down on the table.

Junior felt real fright for the first time in his life. He wondered if his Father might die from this. He just lost his Grand Mother. What was happening to the wonderful family life he had not that long ago?

Hours later Rob came to and started calling for Cyndi. She ran to his side, “Yes dear.”

Rob asked in a low voice, “How are my wounds?”

“Your leg appears bad, how bad I’m not sure,” she said.

“Do we still have the antibiotics we brought with us?

“Yes, do you think they are still any good?”

He looked at her but didn’t speak.

Cyndi, “I know, we don’t have any choice. Let me get some for you.” She went to a box in a corner of the tent that she hadn’t been into in years and dug through. There were some medication bottles with labels. She came across the one she remembered. It was prescribed for her when she had an infected cut. It sounded like a good fit if it was still potent which she doubted being exposed to humid heat for years. She handed him a pill and a cup of fresh spring water.

Rob coughed, “Since we don’t know whether it is any good or not, it may be time to discuss plan B.”

“Plan B,” she said.

“Remember when we first arrived here. We talked about what we would do in case of an emergency.”

She interrupted him, “So you think we should go to town for what is needed and take the chance of being infected or running into other people?”

“It’s up to you and Junior to decide, but yes I think we don’t have any…,” he stopped trying to catch his breath.

She finished his thought, “choice, I agree.” She looked at Junior who nodded in agreement. “Should we both go?”

Rob, “Your chances of success will be much higher and safer together.”

“What about you? We can’t leave you here alone in this condition.”

“Your being here would be nice, but..”

Junior, “Dad, I can go alone and I will succeed. I just need you to tell me all about what I need to do, where to go and what difficulties might arise due to my lack of experience in that world.”

Rob, “OK. You will head due east and look for a series of tall trees in a certain configuration.”

Cyndi held up her hand showing what the tree silhouette would look like.

Rob, “We have two choices. At that landing there is an RV which can provide you some shelter if you don’t make it back by dark. There is a dirt road which will go for about a mile and turn into a paved road. Don’t turn on any roads. Two more miles and you will be near my house. It will be on the left side and has a single garage and a large shop in the back near one side. It will have a large McFadden encircled on the door. It was their last name which had never been used on the island.”

“That’s my name too,” Junior couldn’t remember ever using the name. “What is the other choice?’

“Look for the first marina landing, There might not be anyone there. I can’t help you with directions though. There are more unknowns but it might be easier to find.”

Cyndi “Will stick with the first plan.”

Rob, “There is a spare key around the back of the shop inside a fake gray rock. Pick it up and underneath comes off. I checked when we were there last, twelve years ago, and it was still there. This is another place you can rest or use for safety. Getting to town from here is going to be three to four miles but it’s easy to find. It will be straight in the same direction continuing as you came. There are a couple of bicycles and an air pump in the garage. If you can pump up the tire this maybe your best chance.”

Junior was excited about the task ahead, “What do you mean pump up the tires. I have never seen a tire, a real bike or a pump.”

Rob looked at Cyndi realizing her presence may be needed after all.

Cyndi, “I’m going with you Junior. Where are the medical facilities or drugstores located.”

“When you get to State Route (SR) 23, turn right. It will join with SR 301. That is the main drag through town. There are a couple of small medical facilities on both the north and south ends of town. I can’t tell you much about them. Take the revolver with you. You should leave right away.”

Cyndi put on the belt with the gun and holster, bent down and kissed Rob, “I love you. The guns are next to you. Hang in there till we return.” She set the rifle and shotgun next to the cot and the metal clanged together. He tried to look at them but failed to get his neck turned enough. “OK, I’ve got them,” he said.

Cyndi and Junior went to the dock and boarded the rowboat. Junior took hold of the oars and rowed toward the east. He had waited his whole life for an opportunity like this. To help his family.

Cyndi sat behind him in the boat but kept her eyes peeled for the marker. They progressed slowly through the water way maze for over an hour, but Cyndi didn’t see any tree formation in site that fit what they looked for.