Sanem started to feel the night's chill and shivered. Can of course, noticed immediately and offered her a spare sweatshirt he kept with his gear. She thanked him as she was swallowed up in the huge garment. It almost came to her knees. He chuckled at how dwarfed she became, but it pleased him (on a very carnal level) to see his clothing on her. "Have you thought about how long you want to stay, Sanem?" She shrugged, "How long I want to stay isn't necessarily relevant. I'd love to stay all night, but really should get back before morning."
"Ok, Let's sit for a bit, then I'll pack up and we can be ready to go in about an hour if that's ok?" She nodded and sat in the camping chair, raising her knees into the sweatshirt as Can paused at the fire, stoking it a bit before sitting back down. She leaned back in her chair, resting her head as she watched him intently, noting how the glow of the fire lit his face and highlighted the reds in his beard. When he spoke, he left his gaze on the flames before him, "Hypnotic, no?" Sanem left her gaze on his face, "Very."
He gave a soft smile, still caught in the fire's dance. "I could stare into the flames all night," finally shifting his eyes to hers. She didn't look away. They remained that way, as magnets locked to the other's pull for several beats. It seemed the heat from the fire was no longer needed. "Can Bey..." He gave her a look, reminding her... She smirked as she leaned forward, releasing her knees from his shirt, correcting herself, "Can... " He couldn't quite tell where this was going - he just knew he wanted it to continue, "Yes, Sanem?" She wasn't sure why she felt so bold, yet relaxed at this moment but, she realized she'd just made a decision. He was not the Bad King. She placed her elbows on her knees, leaning further forward. "Are you my albatross?"
He swallowed hard... really not expecting that to come up. He visibly flinched and she started back-pedaling in her mind at a hundred miles an hour - Why did I even ask him now? Is it because of our moment today back at the office? I have definitely lowered my defenses now... he is so disarming. I just feel safe with him. She knew the answer to that first question but hadn't really admitted it yet. She wanted it to be him. But she'd seen him flinch...
Can flinched- feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket. Do I check my phone, or ignore it and delve into this wondrous possibility dangling before us now? I said we would leave in an hour... it's not enough time. "My phone, sorry!" Sanem thinks, well, I hope that is why he flinched. Can takes his phone out to see who's calling, expecting it to be Emre again, fully prepared to ignore his call but- what's this?! He glances back at Sanem saying, "Police," and answers the call. "I'm listening! - This is Can Divit... Yes, he is my brother- what's happening? What?! When, is he alright?! Yes, yes of course, I'm coming- what hospital? Ok- I'm on my way, maybe 45 minutes, I'm at a campsite right now... Thank you!"
Sanem had started packing up what she could when she heard him say 'is he alright?' She had folded up the chairs, roughly rolled up both sleeping bags, collected and stacked their dishes and dumped the tea and left over water to squelch the fire, wetting it sufficiently all by the time he had said 'thank you.' Can hung up and turned to Sanem who was busy quickly, but calmly tearing down whatever she could. He took a second of admiration and gratitude before starting in on the larger tasks, speaking while he worked. "Emre was in a car accident and is in the hospital." Sanem asked if he knew how serious? "Not sure, but they said he'd had surgery and was in stable condition." She finished kicking dirt to smother the last of the embers saying, "That's a relief... what else can I help with? I don't want to get in your way."
He was breaking down the tent- he paused to hand her a bag, "Put all the dishes in this, then come back to the tent." She took the bag, "Tamam," did as instructed and returned. "Good, now take this bag, and follow me as I go around the tent- I'll hand you the stakes as I pull them and you put them in the bag, good?" She took the bag, "Got it." They fell into step with each other as if choreographed, syncing with the other's movements and intentions and they were packed up and hiking back to the truck within 15 minutes.
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Emre was more cognizant now, having come out from under the anesthesia. He could hear distant beeping and blinked his eyes open. There was a nurse checking his vitals and IV levels. She glanced down to see his open eyes and smiled softly, "Merhaba Emre Bey... just rest, and don't try to talk yet. I'll send the doctor soon to check on things." He blinked his understanding and closed his eyes again, drifting back to a medicated sleep.
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He could probably make it in 12 if he ran it, but it was probably another 20 minutes to the truck with Sanem in tow. He was at a brisk walk, putting her at a light jog to keep up. He wanted to get there as quickly as possible, but knowing Emre was stable allowed for some time. He told Sanem, "Tell me when you need to rest tamam? I know it's a fast pace and my legs are twice as long as yours so it's double the effort for you." She had kept up well enough but knew she was essentially dead weight for him, "I'm okay for now- I promise I'll tell you if I struggle... I'm just sorry I'm slowing you down Can Bey." He saw that coming, "Please Sanem, don't apologize- I'm glad you're with me. I might have panicked if I'd been alone, but having you there gave me something to do with my thoughts... Really- thank you so much, Sanem."
She surprised him with her endurance thus far. They only had 45, maybe 50 meters to go and he was just now starting to feel the effects of the accelerated pace - she was finally getting winded. "I'm <gasp> so sorry <gasp> Can Bey <gasp> I need <gasp> a break..." They slowed and came to a stop. "I told you - no apologies." She doubled over, leaning on her knees with her hands. "Sorry," she panted, giving him a smirk and a wink. He scoffed at her pointed apology and took a bottle of water from his pack, "Here you go." She stood, taking the bottle from him, "Thanks," she drank a couple of swallows and handed it back. He took a swig and offered it back to her one more time. She took one more gulp and handed it back, "I'm good, we can start walking again."
He placed the bottle back in the side pocket of his pack, apologizing, "I'm so sorry to torture you on our first camping excursion-" then joked, "If I didn't have the gear, I'd offer to carry you." She scoffed, "Ha! A real man would offer to carry me anyway," she quipped, starting off ahead of him. "Oh-ho! Ouch!" he called after her, "Straight shot to the ego, wow!" She was laughing at herself by the time he caught up with her. "Sorry, I couldn't resist- you left a perfect opening." He chuckled, "Fair enough." He checked his surroundings and realized they only had about 30 meters to the truck, and he knew he could drive the truck a few meters closer to the trail once he got there. She started to become winded again so he made the suggestion to go on ahead and drive back to get her. She held two thumbs up as she slowed to a stop again. He tossed her the water bottle after taking a swig and started jogging. After a minute of two, and finishing off the water, she started walking again. He appeared with the truck not 10 minutes later.
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Emre heard the beeping - waking him again. This time the doctor was there, looking over his chart, then stepped up to him with a small flashlight he shined in his eyes. He heard him tell the nurse, "normal dilation- no sign of serious trauma. Page me if anything changes and the next attending will check him again on their rounds to make a determination of admitting or not. Has his family arrived yet?" A female voice said she would check the waiting room again. Can wasn't here yet? Has he really written me off after our argument? He felt he needed to check his phone, but as he made a movement to sit up or roll to the side, his whole body was wracked in agony and he moaned involuntarily. Both the doctor and the nurse laid a hand on him, the nurse asking the doctor if they could up the drip on his pain medication. "Yes, let's up him to 8 milligrams for now and go to 2.5 milligrams on the sedative to help him sleep."
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He came around and opened her door, but then stopped her from trying to get in for a minute, "you should give your legs a good stretch - otherwise they'll cramp right up almost as soon as you sit." She gave him a 'what the hell?! you need to get to the hospital!' look and he deciphered it well enough. "Yes, I know my brother is in the hospital, thank you very much... I'm not heartless- I do want to get there, but his life is not in danger- he's stable so, this is worth it, believe me. I don't want to have to stop on the way to let you out because of the killer charlie-horse that will surely strike if you immediately sit after that leg workout." She nodded, holding up her hands in surrender, "Ok, ok... I'm stretching!" She took off her hip-bag and handed it to him as she bent forward to stretch her hamstrings. He set her bag in the truck, calling back to her, "a good 30 seconds each time- hamstrings and quads, then calves."
She chuckled at his prioritization while she stretched. He grabbed another pair of water bottles, placing them from his pack to the cup holders in the front seat as she finished. "Ok coach- ready to go!" He jeered at her, "you'll thank me, you'll see," helping her up into the truck. He shut her door then got in himself, grabbing his seat belt, "You need me to do yours again Sanem Hanim?" He'd said it with a grin, which she returned, clicking her belt into place, "Thanks, I've got it this time Can Bey," she snickered. He chuckled in response, put the truck into gear and pulled away.
After a brief silence as they re-hydrated again, she turned the conversation in a more sincere direction, "Can Bey, I'm sorry if anything I said or did on the way was insensitive. I was just trying to keep things light since our progress was slow going." He held up a hand in protest- "AllahAllah Sanem! It was the best approach for the situation, really... You kept me distracted... I mean- you helped me to focus on the task at hand of getting us both safely out of the woods rather than on worrying about Emre... Thank you again Sanem- for being here, really."
She scoffed, "It's the least I can do... I mean, I'm really only returning the favor, when you think about it." He looked at her and smiled a little, "It's kind of ironic isn't it?" She thought she took his meaning, but didn't offer to verbalize the slightly awkward subject of his brother and their earlier encounter. Instead she just pursed her lips, raised her eyebrows and gave a subtle nod. Jan caught it and wondered if she was opposed to any discussion about the day's earlier happenings since she hadn't said anything. He'll test the waters... "So, there are things I apparently am not aware of with my brother... " She remained quiet for a moment, then, "I take it the two of you have not been close."
He nodded, "We were separated with our parent's divorce so hadn't been raised together, which was hard... but- recently, I thought we had maybe started to bond again... Perhaps I've been mistaken." She turned to look at him, trying to read his face. He continued, thinking back on the incident earlier at the agency. "I don't know what's in that folder, but I was more concerned with how he was treating you when I arrived." Sanem reached over and touched Can's shoulder, "He needs you now... that's the only thing that matters at this moment Can." He glanced over at her, acutely aware that she hadn't added 'Bey' to his name just then. Progress.