Campfire Road

The Nested Trap

They arrive in a dark den of a shelf cave overlooking blue gray clouds, the lighting is from dying mushrooms all over the cavern ceiling.
The smell is both the good and bad smells of a skinwalker's garden, but also dank, underground death and rot.
The only air movement feels of the breath of alge so they know they are connected to the main Northpoint tunnel system.

They've only two breaths to take it in and a horn blows down in the clouds.
The rock about them explodes and white lightning sends all but Timothy back to the shire tunnel.

Eric panics, "You left him behind!"

Collin fusses as he pulls the rock from his arm, "Wasn't me.
"Takes more time to add yourself to a transport.
"He just sent us."

Jake rages, "Fuck!
"Hawkeye was trying to tell me."

Walker points at Collin, "His jealous bullshit distracted you."

Collin tries for his stone face as Jake looks on him in disapproval, but the youth's tearful eyes just make him look defiant.

Jake has a slow breath, "It can't be helped now."

Jake squats to look over Hawkeye to be sure he's undamaged and hide the lump in his throat.

Collin whimpers once low and deep, then black lightning takes him away as black lightning brings him and Timothy back.
They are both dusty and Timothy has a small cut on his cheek.
Collin steadies him at arm's length.

Timothy clears his throat, "Thanks, Collin, that was big of you."

Collin coldly tells him, "I didn't do it for you."

Collin moves from him and white lightning brings his medical kit.
He squats to tend the golf ball sized whole in his arm, with his back to them.

Timothy reports, "The whole shelving blow out.
"He snatched me out of free fall.
"I'd've been dead in about forty seconds."

Eric blows air and tells him, "Ya were.
"He went back in time for you."

Timothy fusses, "Time travel can't be done.
"The math on that is ridiculous.
"Collin, tell them there's no such thing as time travel."

Collin doesn't look to them, but they can hear he's licking his mental wounds, "There should be no such thing as time travel, but this space is owned by Hell, so if it fucks your karma, it exists."

Jake takes a knee to see his wound, "Let me see."

Collin huffs, "It's a bloody hole.
"Nothing to see.
"I've sewn my arm back on before."

Jake hooks his chin to turn his face to see his eyes, "Didn't mean your surface scratch.
"Meant the bruises I put on your pride."

Collin bites the excess from the wrap, "It's fine.
"I needed an attitude adjustment anyway.
"I was being a spoiled baby and distracted you on quest.
"I deserved that rock in the head."

Jake looks over his very professional bandaging, "Was my responsibility.
"I'm sorry you got hurt.
"Thank you for correcting my losses back to zero."

Collin gets a grip of gauze pads and a tub of gel witch hazel.
He sends the rest away.
He walks about them giving out the gauze and adding the gel.
They each thank him and apologize.
He flatly tells each his welcome, except Timothy.

When he gets back to Jake, he puts a bit of the gel on the pads and wipes the blood from the back of his ear, "We have lost our surpise value."

Jake lets him tend the minor wound that's probably already closed, "Doubt we had any after getting Hawker and Edward.
"How do you think we should go in?"