Scars Of Time

Distant Thunder

Lucy and Rufus walked along the shoreline, searching for clues as to whether or not their friends had survived the Pulaski disaster. The shoreline was littered with debris from the ship. There was little else that had washed ashore.

Rufus shouted to Lucy over the storm, "We should head back!"

"Not until we find them!" Lucy replied, determined.

Rufus sighed. He understood why she wanted to see this through, but with the storm getting worse, all they were accomplishing was the potential to hurt themselves. He also knew that there wasn't much he could say to dissuade her from doing what she had so clearly set her mind to.

When the storm was beginning to become too severe, Rufus suggested, "We should find some shelter!"

Lucy was about to agree when she spotted a man running down the darkened road towards them. Rufus saw her attention was fixated on something; he turned to see what had captivated her. The two watched as the individual neared.

The moment the man was in view, and with the help of the lightning that illuminated the night, they saw that it was Wyatt. Lucy released a happy gasp, running towards him to meet him halfway. Rufus followed close behind.

Lucy embraced Wyatt the second she was in range. He held her against his chest, heart pounding from his run. He released her, giving Rufus a quick hug before asking, "What are you guys doing here?"

"Looking for you and Tenley," Lucy stated. She glanced about, not seeing the doctor. "Where is Tenley?"

Wyatt said, "I told her to stay put until I could find help."
Rufus raised an eyebrow. "You told her to stay put?" When Wyatt seemed confused, Rufus added, "And she listened?"

Wyatt thought for a moment. She most likely didn't listen, as Rufus implied. He sighed. "Okay, I'll go back for her and you guys find us a ride home. I want to leave this all behind us."

"Wait," Lucy said. "What happened out there?"

Wyatt quickly explained, "They were responsible for the disaster." He didn't specify who 'they' were. He wasn't sure if it was Rittenhouse or Bloodstone, but all he knew for certain was that the boat might not have ever sunk without their interference. He began questioning moments in history, moments like this, where you grew up thinking history happened one way, only to discover that what you were taught was the result of time travelers.

He turned and started back down the road to where he had left Tenley. He hoped she had listened to his order to stay put, otherwise, he'd have to scour the darkened woods for her.

Your mother sends her regards.

The words echoed within Tenley's mind as she lay there bleeding out. She knew that stomach wounds inflicted by gunshots were essentially ticking time bombs. If it wasn't treated in time, she would lose feeling in her limbs, start to hallucinate, before she bled to death. Time was crucial. Right now, time was not on her side.

She could feel herself weakening. She was already drained of energy from her swim to shore; not to mention the fact that she had survived a sinking. Her pressure on her wound was beginning to loosen, allowing the blood to seep out more.

The rain was starting to let up from a heavy downpour, turning into more of a light rain. The winds were easing up, the thunder was more distant. What Tenley feared was that maybe the storm hadn't moved on, but that she was losing her hearing, which would make her situation and chances of survival even slimmer.

Footsteps approached her rapidly. She couldn't bring herself to look. She feared it might be Jack coming back to finish what he had started. When the footsteps stopped suddenly next to her, she felt hands on her body. She turned her tired gaze over to see a terrified Wyatt looking down at her.