SKY ARMY BEGINS Book 3 Ch. 14

     Jason knelt next to Tasha. She was unconscious, thank Notch. If she had been awake she'd be in a lot of pain. She had an arrow in her shoulder.

     "I need to get her space suit off." Cupquake said. "Jason, you might wanna turn around."

     Jason shook his head. "We're required to wear clothes underneath our suits."

     "Required?" Dawn asked. Jason sighed.

     "It's complicated..." 

     Cupquake shrugged and knelt next to Tasha. "Alright, Jason, if you're gonna stick around, make yourself useful. I need you to hold her in a sitting position for me." Jason nodded and did as he was told as Cupquake unzipped the back of the suit.

     Then he laid her back down and helped to pull it off of her. Jason had been right. Underneath her suit had been jeans and a long sleeved black shirt. 

     Cupquake sighed. "Before I can use the potion on her, I need to pull the arrow out." She said. "As soon as I do, she'll wake up."

     "Let me do it." Jason said.

     Cupquake looked surprised. "Jason, are you sure?" 

     Jason just nodded. "If I were you, I'd get away from her left arm."

     "Why?" Cupquake asked.

     "Because she's left handed." Jason said. Dawn and Cupquake exchanged confused glances, but Cupquake got up anyway and went to stand next to Dawn.

     Jason held his breath and wrapped his hand around the arrow's shaft. He quickly pulled it out. As soon as he did, Tasha's eyes flew open and her left arm instinctually swung at Jason's head, but he had been ready. He caught the blow and laid her arm back down on the ground.

     But there was one thing that he hadn't been ready for.   

     "Jason!" Tasha gasped and threw her arms around Jason's neck, tears streaming down her face. "It hurts..."

     Although surprised, Jason rubbed her back to try and comfort her. "I know... I know." He said. "But you're gonna be alright. I promise." Tasha didn't respond. She just sobbed into Jason's shoulder.

     Cupquake smiled and knelt next to the two. "Tasha, I need you to drink this." She said, holding up the potion. "Once you do, the pain'll go away." Tasha nodded and drank the potion obediently, as opposed to Jason, who you would have had to force the liquid down his throat.

     She immediately started to feel the pain recede. "Thanks Doc..." She said quietly. Jason smiled and helped her to her feet.

     "Where are your friends?" Tasha asked, looking around.

     The fact seemed to dawn on Jason as she said it. "I actually don't know..."

     He tapped his PCD. "Ty? Ty you there?"

     No response.

     Jason started to get worried. "Ty, are you there? Where are you?" Still nothing.

     He tapped his teleporter and concentrated on Ty. He disappeared from the cavern without another word.

•••

     The underground river rushed past the shore. Nothing inside it moved. There were no squids inside the river. Suddenly the surface was disturbed as someone burst onto the shore.

     Sky dragged the semi - conscious Aviator onto the gravel shore behind him. Aviator groaned and sat up.

     "Just... Jump... Huh...?" He asked, still trying to catch his breath.

     Sky smiled. "Either jump and get soaked or stay and get blown up by a hundred squids all at once." He said. "You alright?"

     "Yeah, I'm fine." Aviator sat up straight and stared at the water. Sky sat next to him.

     "What were you going to call me?" He asked. Aviator didn't respond. "It was Adam, wasn't it?"

     Aviator sighed. "Yeah."

     "How did you know that name?" Sky asked.

     "I knew you... And Ant... A long time ago. Back when you still went by your middle name. I was friends with the two of you for a few days when we were kids. Then the squids attacked our village. You and Ant were separated and I was kidnapped. I lived half my life as a squid's servant until Bajan busted me out."

     Sky smiled and patted his shoulder. "I knew I recognized you." He said. Aviator smiled back.

     "Sky, it's done." 

     "Speak of the devil." Sky said. He tapped his PCD.

     "What do you mean 'It's done'?" Sky asked.

     "I mean that Psych is dead." Ant said.

     "What? How?" Sky asked.

     "Well, for one thing, pretty much the entire squid population inside the base disappeared." Ant said.

     "Is everyone accounted for?" Sky asked.

     "Yeah. All... Eleven, apparently."

     Sky exchanged a worried glance with Aviator. "Aren't there twelve?" He asked.

     "Twelve?" Ant asked. "Only ten went into the base in the first place."

     "Right... We'll start making our way out... Sky out." Sky tapped his PCD again.

     "Jason, you copy?" Sky asked.

     There was a moment of hesitation.

     "Yeah... I'm here..." Jason said. He sounded almost depressed.

     "Jason, is something wrong?" Sky asked.

     "Not with me..." Jason said. "Sky, you should teleport to me..."

     Sky exchanged a quick glance with Aviator.

     "Alright. Sky out." Sky turned off his PCD.

     "Aviator, teleport to Bajan and help get everyone together. I'll meet you there in a minute."

     Aviator nodded. Sky tapped his teleporter and disappeared. A moment later, Aviator did the same.