Day 13: 4026 (Book total: 12756, NaNo Total: 115375)

Ooops. I thought I posted at least one of the last two days. Obviously just too caught up in the writing-- which is odd because this one is not going all that well. Oh, not badly, but just fighting me in many ways. I think it's going to end up one of those 50k character studies that I eventually take apart and write a real story using a character or two.

Snippet:

"Yeah, I think so," Davis said, looking around. "You know, I'd feel a little better if we'd seen a sign of anyone at all... alive. I'm used to spending time in the wilderness, but at home you couldn't go more than a day in any direction without finding a small settlement. Why is this world so damned deserted?"

"Good question," Georgia said. She nodded off to the right and they went with her that way, a little distance off the path again. "The world may not be the most pleasant I've ever seen, but there's good food, and if they clear some of this damned growth out of the way, it would be an okay place to live. Providing you could kill of the baslis population. Is that what's holding them back?"

"I don't know, but if it is, I think I'll volunteer to be part of the group that comes in and helps clear it up," Feather offered.

They both laughed. He hadn't expected it, even with the little joke. But it was good. Georgia had found them a good camp site, too -- a little hallow near a nice brook. He stood there for a moment, looking around and trying to decide what to do first --

"Sit down, Feather," Davis said. "Just sit down and stop acting as though you have to take command of everything. We can fix the food. We can get the camp set up. I think it was enough that you got yourself here."

He wanted to argue. Instead, he agreed, found a tree and lowered himself, wincing at the movement. It had started to hurt far worse the last hour or so. He should have called a halt before this. And he knew it when he saw Georgia run the scanner over him and frown.

"You should have said something, Feather," she said with a little shake of her head. "I don't have much left in supplies, but I could have given you something that would help. There's no reason you have to suffer more than you should."

"Ah. I --" He stopped and leaned his head back, fighting a headache as well. "It's pride, you know. I'm supposed to be very good at this work. I don't like being helpless."

"So far as I can tell, you aren't helpless," Davis said. "You spotted a couple traps today. You kept moving, even injured."

"I'm slowing us down."

"A little. Do you think it matters? We'll manage a little slower better than I would have managed dead very well." Davis stopped and frowned. "You saved our lives. You do remember that part, right?"

"I --"

"Don't argue with me," Davis said and looked a little annoyed. "I know what you did. Georgia knows. That's the final word on it. We're going to fix things here at the camp. You rest. It is safe for him to rest, isn't it?"

"Not only safe, but wise," Georgia said. "The stuff that's still in his system is mutating a little. There are pockets of the poison around his lungs, though. That could be a problem. Feather, I'm going to sleep next to you tonight. I'm going to keep the scanner on. That way if anything happens, I'll know."

"Sounds wise," he said in agreement.

"You're more cooperative when you're resting," Davis said. "I didn't think we were ever going to get you to take a break."