The Ranch

Tih: The Mascot, The Leader (5)

The two are in mid-air. Tih's hand's land on Rohan's outstretched ankle. Tih turns his body above Rohan and kicks the man's stomach with both feet. Rohan flies down, Tih flies up. Rohan hits the trampoline and flies back up unsteadily. Tih grabs a metal pole above and swings around.

Tih does one rotation before letting go and speeding back down at an even faster speed. It's now that Tih remembers someone telling him not to let the man touch him.

Did it count if he was the one touching? Either way, from now on, it won't happen. The two fly towards each other. Rohan stabilizes himself for the next confrontation but Tih passes by him without grazing his skin.

Tih grabs the end of the trampoline as his feet land on it. The underside indents as the momentum from falling hits the trampoline. Tih grips the frame and Tih makes a condensed arc and flies horizontally. He bypasses a round of darts, flies through a ding of fire, and lands in a swing attached to a self-pulley.

Rohan quickly catches up. He's above the swing when he jumps down and grabs the rope attached to the other side of the pulley. The rope moves down as Tih's side moves up. It becomes a cat and mouse chase, but the mouse has the advantage.

Tih is just having fun. His methods of crossing the jungle's obstacles are unorthodox and Rohan has a hard time keeping up. He has to think on the spot to keep up. He cuts around obstacles, finds ways to skip any extra steps, or uses systema. He trails behind Tih like a shadow. So even though Tih is faster, Rohan still manages to keep up.

The cameras follow closely. Everyone watches the thrilling game with bated breath. The audience is at the edge of their seats. Simon D, Major Jax, and Private Scott had long spotted commenting.

The entire stadium is silent. Watching the match between the two islanders with admiration. No matter the age, ethnicity, religion, or viewpoints, the one thing everyone will accept is skill. Pure, simple skill.

And although many in the audience are faster, stronger, or smarter, they can all see the talent in the two and respect it.

The timer starts buzzing at it reaches the last ten seconds.

"Ten."

"""Nine."""

""""""Eight.""""""

More and more voices pick up the countdown until the entire audience is booming.

Rohan stretches out his hand to grab Tih. He manages to grip Tih's arm. The moment he touches Tih, Tih flinches and his head swerves to face the man. The man's eyes are no longer composed. Beads of sweat drip down his forehead. A huff of hot air escapes every second.

Tih looks at the man's hand holding him. Tih twists his own arm in an unnatural way to shake him off, but the grip is too tight. The man's muscles strain as they're turned to preserve his hold on the boy.

Tih tries another method. He puts his palm out and pushes the man's chest. Rohan staggers backwards by the strong shove, his foot slips off the beam they were standing on and he falls backwards, but not before pulling the boy with him.

""""""""""THREE! TWO!""""""""""""

He has the boy. He caught the boy. As long as he doesn't let go. Throughout the chase, Rohan has only had one thing on his mind. Catch the kid, that's your task. It kept repeating in his head. Catch him. Climb over this. Don't lose sight of him. The task consumed his thoughts until he forgot his original goal.

"""""""""""""""""ONE!!!""""""""""""""""""

Now he's caught the boy. He's almost completed his task. As long as he doesn't let go, he'll complete his latest task. And then...and then what? Another task? Then what's after that? This is his thought as his back crunches against the ground. Tih falls on top of him. His fall is cushioned by Rohan's body.

The place they fell from was three-fourths from the peak. He hit dirt ground. He landed on his back. His head hit the floor. He's not conscious.

Tih looks up after slamming into Rohan from the fall. He spots scarlet red oozing from behind the man's head.

Tih's mind starts going into overdrive. Red clouds start fogging up his eyes. A boar. Bloody people. A skin cucumber. An ear. A face. White, silky clothes. A smooth marble table. A hand in his hand.

Tih's head pulse, he forces himself to come back. He pulls out of his state, the red leaves his blue eyes. The memories forgotten once again.

Tih quietly looks at the man. Red. Red is bad. He's learned this from the people he's picked up in the mountains. He would take them to June. Yes. Take him to June.

Tih turns around and hoists the bleeding man onto his back. A disturbing sound comes from inside the man's back, but Tih doesn't understand that he shouldn't be moved at all in this state.

Tih's moves smoothly out of the jungle. He learns from the others that they don't feel good when they move too much. The blood from the man's head leaks down into Tih's collar. His hoodie becomes soaked. The man's hand is still gripping Tih. Anybody else's skin would be purple by now.

"CAPTAIN!?!"

"ROHAN!!" His members shout anxiously, wanting to run over. They try to push past the staff and head into the interior, but the staff won't let them. It would create too much pandemonium.

Everyone saw what had happened through the screens. The man had time to brace himself or to grab something else, but he didn't. They're confused as to why.

"Get a stretcher!" Simon D calls for the staff, but before they can bring one out, Tih hops up the obstacle course, jumps to the seating area, and jumps out of the colosseum.

Tih runs to the Central Market in less than a minute. Wind hits the two, drying the blood on Tih's clothes and the man's head.

Tih carries the large man into the building and sees June at the front desk. She spots Tih as well.

"I see you've brought another donation?" She jokes, but then sees the man's condition and quickly pushes herself up with a concerned expression.

"Oh dear, bring him in quickly." Her tone is serious, her frown increases when she sees the amount of blood. June heads to another room to grab equipment. She puckers her lips in thought.

Do they have the right tools? They can do simple surgeries, but the hospitals have high tech equipment, the latest devices, and the best staff.

She grabs a bunch of stuff from a storage room and heads into the usual room. Tih has set the man down, face up.

She would facepalm if it didn't waste time. Sheflicks her fingers," Turn him over." Tih does as instructed.

June takes a pair of scissors and cuts through the military shirt. She looks at Rohan's head and takes a wet towel and hands it to Tih. She squeezes his hand gently," Press this spot like this." She points to the bleeding area on his head.

June checks the man's body. Limbs, torso, head, and makes a conclusion. She transfers him to a metal cocoon with a gel liquid inside and closes the hatch.

She looks at Tih calmly," He's dying. Internal bleeding. I can't do anything...." she pauses," .... he has a chance if you go to one of the large hospitals, but it's pricy."

Those hospitals aren't any normal high-end ones you'd see outside. These are the island's best hospitals. The equipment was invented here. The staff trained on the island. They might even be able to bring a person back from the dead...well, not yet. But as long as they have even the faintest of heartbeats, they can save them.

Tih hands Jane the old man's ID card. Kai said something about paying for a base with the card. So he can "pay" with this, right?

She looks at the card. June takes the card and checks the balance, because she doesn't believe her cute, naive Tih understands how much it'll c-

Her eyes bulge at the number on screen. Her eyelashes flutter with short intervals as she processes the number. She calms down and her lips press into a firm line.

June bends down, her tone low and flat, "...Tih, look at me. You don't know this man, and the hospital fees there are really, really expensive. He might not be grateful for this. Are you sure you want to do it."  She stares into Tih's clear, unmovable eyes. He stares right back.

June hesitates, then sighs,"right...let's get on with it then."