Cascadia's Fault

Trees for the Forest

Caz looked back at her own two bodies again that were being held by the two Johnnys. She squeezed her eyes shut and fought down the need to puke. Taking deep, even breaths, she shoved at Johnny's chest, muttering, "Put me down, this is embarrassing."

CJ moved so he was standing in front of them with another woman who was wearing one of the camp t-shirts. Caz saw that CJ was coming just short of hopping from one foot to the next, something he did when he was excited or worried, which made heat prickle up her neck. The woman wasn't even looking at her, yet, but was talking with Johnny and Jem. Caz knew she was in trouble when she realized she hadn't been following any of their conversation.

...and that she was still not standing on her own despite her demand to be put down.

The earth rumbled again, and the guy she remembered speaking from before started calling out directions, reminding everyone to listen for the tsunami siren and blah blah blah. Really, she just wanted to go and throw up in peace. She had to actively work to not jerk her head back or puke once the camp counselor woman started poking at her head and shining a light into her eyes.

"Okay, let's see if you can stand," the woman ordered.

Caz huffed out her relief even as her stomach tried to heave again. It took every ounce of self-control she possessed to stand without weaving and bring the woman into focus. She followed the directions to first track her finger then follow the light. So maybe she was supposed to go toward the light. Caz sensed rather than felt Johnny at her back.

It was good to know that she wouldn't fall and embarrass herself further.

"Now, what's your name?"

"Caz Okami."

"What day is it?"

"Monday, June 2nd."

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

Caz felt herself squint and actively tried not to, "Four."

The woman nodded, "Okay Caz, I'm thinking you probably have a mild concussion but without a CT scan, we won't know for sure. We don't get great cell service out here in the woods, but until Nils gives us the all-clear, we're stuck in the wilds. We'll call your parents and you guys can make the decisions about what you want us to do. I'm Joan, the camp medic, so I'd be driving you to the nearest hospital in Newport."

"I don't want to go to the hospital."

Joan smiled and flipped her long braid back over her shoulder, "Well, that's a conversation for later. Just relax for now and enjoy the scenery. Hopefully, the walk back will be a lot less adventurous than the scramble up."

Joan peered around the couple hundred students and staff lounging around the clearing at the top of the hill. "I think in the ten years I've been with the camp this is the first time it's hit close enough to the beach requiring us to evacuate to our first meeting site."

"You said there are tsunami sirens?" Johnny asked.

"Oh, yes, and they're tested regularly. The state does let us know when the test is happening, so we don't all go running for hills. Taking high ground was just a precaution, no sirens were triggered, so this was still technically an inland quake. The ones we really have to worry about happen offshore."

Joan patted Caz on the arm and murmured that she would be back to check on her in a bit before she walked off to settle down a group of boys who were starting to get into some pushy-shovey. Jem and CJ found a clear spot for them to wait for the all-clear. Johnny helped Caz sit down, and she didn't have enough pride left that she couldn't admit – at least to herself – that her legs felt like melted butter. She leaned against an old maple tree, tiredness dragging at every piece of her. It probably was a concussion, but a CT scan wasn't going to fix it, and neither was spending another two and a half hours in the car to have them say it was a concussion.

"Man, Caz, you flew," CJ announced, "I mean, you're standing there, and then...bam! Johnny, I've never seen anybody move that fast in my life. Caz, you shoulda seen it! Johnny was standing there catching bags, and then ... whoosh ... you never even hit the ground, sis. It was awesome," he said with a satisfied sigh.

Caz felt every ache and pain beating a staccato through her brain but managed to flick a glance at her rescuer, "Congratulations, you now have your very own minion."

Johnny flashed a half-smile, "Cool, I've always wanted one. Can I make him get me coffee every morning, 'cause let's face it, making coffee before having coffee is a chore no one should have?"

"I'm not sure if that's how it works, but at least you now have a chance he won't kill you off once he talks you into playing Earthdawn with him."

"Bummer, because the coffee thing would have been awesome."