Red and Blue: A Crankiplier Story

Chapter 39

"I'll go!" Ethan yelled.

"Go now, my bike is under that tree. Get a first aid kit from the cabins."

Ethan bolted instantly. He saw Robert taking off his flannel vest and passing it to Kyle. Ethan picked up the bike and jumped on. Peddling as hard as possible, his heart raced and he felt anxiety set in. Mark was hurt! Just like he was when he twisted his ankle. Instead of Mark helping Ethan, it was the other way around. He felt his leg throb as he continued to peddle and remembered the crate hitting it. He couldn't look down or stop so he just kept going. It was mainly uphill from here.

Just keep going! He screamed in his head.

The adrenaline kept him riding. He saw the cabins ahead and sped up. The moment he was close, he jumped off the bike and ran into a cabin. The faint smell of B.O was in here. He tore open a cabinet and grabbed the first aid kit, checking if everything was inside. He grabbed a drink from the tap and ran back outside, jumping on the bike and speeding down the hill. He only passed one person and they saw him before he even saw them and they were in the trees. He was gulping air in by the time he got back to Mark. Mark was still on the ground with Kyle holding Robert's vest to his forehead.
"I've got it!" Ethan screeched jumping off the bike and running over to the group. Some other kids were staring from a short distance away, some with interested looks and some with concerned.

Ethan watched as Kyle checked the cut and washed it out, making Mark wince. He put some antibacterial on it and then gently placed medical tape on the gash.

"It wasn't deep, thankfully. Mark's going to be okay. If you go down to the lake, please don't let him put his head under the water. It's lucky the crate wasn't sharp on the corners like on the sides or we'd be in a lot more trouble." Kyle said.

"Ethan, let's bring him to the tree and let him rest." Phil recommended.

"That was fucking insane..." Dan muttered.

"DAN!" Phil exclaimed.

"What? I can swear if I want."

"I know you can and usually I wouldn't care but right now isn't the time."

Ethan rolled his eyes and made eye contact with Robert who was holding back laughter. "Phan away." He giggled, picking Mark up with only a little bit of struggle.

"You're stronger than I thought." Ethan commented.

"If you think that I don't work out, you're stupid." Robert joked. "Also, he's way shorter than me and light. Luckily you're both midgets or you'd have a hard time kissing."

Ethan blushed then laughed as he let Robert walk Mark down to the tree. Ethan sat down in a comfortable position in between the roots as Robert put down Mark next to him. The others sat on other parts on the tree.

"Are you making fun of my shortness?" Mark mumbled smiling.

"Yes, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"Hey you're short too." Dan pointed out.

"Well, I bet in ten years you won't be able to fit through doorways." Ethan insulted.

"Dick..." Dan mumbled.

Everyone laughed, easing the tension.

"I've been through this before, except it was a lot more severe." Mark stated.

"What? When?" Ethan asked.

"Well, me and my brother Thomas we're having a who-can-jump-further-down-the-stairs-contest, I was gonna win... but I tripped and smashed my head on the stair below me." Mark explained.

"Yowch." Phil muttered.

"All I'm saying is that I'll be fine." Mark said as he closed his eyes. Ethan let Mark move himself onto his lap.

"How was the ride?" Phil asked.

"Tiring. If past me did that, I would have had a heart attack and died, but because of Mark, I'm fit and a lot more healthy." Ethan smiled down at Mark, moving a little bit of his red hair away from his forehead.

"Hey! Blue hair with Mark!" Kyle shouted throwing a water bottle over to the tree where Ethan caught it with one hand. It was one of those cheap plastic ones that you could buy in bulk. He chugged half the bottle gratefully and passed it to Mark who took slow sips from it.

"Thanks!" He shouted.

"What's going to happen to Kyle?" Ethan asked. Since he'd spend most of his time asleep in the cabins or sometimes joining the others in activities, he didn't know how injuries worked or how they were handled.

"He's going to have to report what happened. Luckily there were no deaths here so he'll be fine and the activity will stay right here. Robert explained.

"Good." Ethan sighed."

"We should wait now." Phil said.

"Agreed." Dan replied, leading his head on the stump of the tree and closing his eyes. "I could use some more sleep." Ethan saw Phil move under Dan's arm and Dan placing his head on Phil's shoulder.

Ethan traced his hand through Mark's hair in a soft, claiming motion, knowing that if Mark was calm, he'd be okay soon.

"Half an hour?" Robert asked.

"That's all we need." Ethan agreed staring out into the trees.