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One Thing After Another


By Deana Lisi




Things go from bad, to worse, to downright horrible when Ardeth and Rick go to a nearby
oasis to gather new falcons. Soon they’re wishing they never went at all...

Disclaimer: I do not own Ardeth Bay, (boo hoo)
anyone, or anything else from ‘The Mummy’, but Safti is mine.

This story is rated PG-13

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“Wow,” said Rick, as he looked around at the most beautiful oasis he’d ever seen. He and Ardeth had been riding for a few days, bound for this location.

Evy had gone to help take care of her ailing aunt in Wales, and Alex was away at school, so Evy had suggested to Rick that instead of moping around the house all alone, that he go see Ardeth and spend some time with his friend. Rick jumped at the chance.

“So this is where you get your falcons?” Rick asked.

Ardeth nodded. “The best ones are found here, they are the easiest to train.”

Rick wondered how the location of a bird would have anything to do with its ‘intelligence’.

“I don’t see any,” he said as they continued their ride further into the oasis.

“You will.”

Rick kept his eyes peeled, tried whistling to see if any would come. He suddenly saw movement to his right.

“There’s one.” He pointed to a tree, where a falcon flew out.

Ardeth watched it fly. “That one is too old,” he said.

Rick raised his eyebrows. Ardeth could tell the bird’s age just by looking at it? He was about to ask how he could tell when he heard a strange hissing sound. He looked down and saw a huge snake in his path.

He jerked the reins of the horse, nearly bumping into Ardeth’s.

“Whoa,” he said. “Anything else I should look out for while we’re here?”

“Just the pygmies,” Ardeth said.

“ ‘Just the pygmies’?! We come here to grab a few birds, and now you tell me we might have to kill some weird little guys?”

Ardeth looked at him, with a twinkle in his eye. “I am joking,” he said. “The pygmies here were especially dangerous, and have finally been eradicated from this place.”

Rick sighed with relief. “Good.”

Ardeth went on. “Except for the one that was never confirmed as being dead. It has been a long time, he is probably dead by now.”

Rick looked at him, trying to figure out if that was a joke too. “Oh well,” he said with a laugh. “I’m sure we can defend ourselves against one meager pygmy if we have to.”

********

Ardeth stopped his horse as they reached a stream. They’d managed to catch four birds, and they were taking their time now, enjoying the scenery.

Rick sighed. “Evy would love to see this. In fact, Alex is probably gonna kill me when he finds out I came to Egypt without him.”

Ardeth smiled. “He can’t get into any trouble if he isn’t here.”

Rick rolled his eyes. “Don’t I know it. He’d probably wish he was here to see this pygmy of yours, as if he hasn’t seen enough crazy things already,” said Rick, as he dismounted.

Lucky for him he chose that moment to do so, for suddenly they heard a wild yell, and the pygmy in question was flying through the air, going right over Rick’s horse. He ducked as it went flying over his head, smack into Ardeth, who hadn’t had time to draw a weapon.

They both fell from the horse, landing on the ground with a thud.

“Hey!” Rick said, pulling out his gun. He pointed it at the pygmy, but couldn’t get a good bead on him without possibly hitting Ardeth. He ran over, intending to yank the pygmy off his friend, when Ardeth flung the creature off him.

Rick shot it without hesitation, and ran over to Ardeth.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes,” the Med-jai said, out of breath.

Rick grabbed his arm to help him up, but Ardeth gasped. Rick felt something wet on his hand; saw that it was blood.

“You’re hurt!”

“It is nothing,” Ardeth told him.

Rick looked to the pygmy, to see the bloody knife it still held in its lifeless hand.

“It stabbed you, Ardeth! Let me see.”

Ardeth sighed as Rick pulled him up by his uninjured arm.

“Come on, sit over there,” Rick said, pointing to a grassy area beside the stream.

Ardeth took a step, and stumbled.

“Whoa,” Rick said, tightening his grip. “Take it easy, there.” He led Ardeth to the spot, made him sit against a huge rock.

Ardeth winced when Rick eased the sleeve off his arm.

Rick almost gasped when he saw the wound on his friend’s upper arm. “This is ‘nothing’? You’re bleeding like a slaughtered pig!”

Ardeth had to resist the urge to laugh at Rick’s statement. “I have had worse.”

Rick looked at the wound; it had to be a good six inches long, as if the pygmy had stuck the knife in and raked it downwards.

“I’ll bet,” Rick said, in reply to Ardeth’s statement. He ran back to the horses and got the first aid supplies. When he returned Ardeth’s eyes were closed but he quickly opened them when Rick neared him.

Rick tried to stop the bleeding, but it wasn’t working. He couldn’t believe how much blood Ardeth was losing so fast. With each passing moment it hurt more and more, and Ardeth realized that the wound was worse then he’d originally thought.

“Rick,” he said, through clenched teeth. “You’ll have to stitch it closed.”

Rick sighed, knowing that Ardeth was right, but nervous at the fact that he didn’t exactly have much practice in that area.

He grabbed a flask of whiskey he’d brought. “Here.”

Ardeth shook his head.

Rick made a face, held it out. “Drink this, Ardeth.”

“I can not, we are forbidden strong drink.”

Rick rolled his eyes. “Ardeth, you’re forbidden drunkenness, right? Drinking for pleasure. This isn’t the same thing; I can’t sew you up while you’re wide-awake! Don’t you realize how bad this’ll hurt?”

“Yes,” Ardeth said, softly.

Rick just looked at him for a minute, realizing that he meant that literally. What a life this guy has had, he thought.

He tried again. “Look, Ardeth, consider it medicine! I can’t do this otherwise.”

“You must,” Ardeth said, with a sigh, feeling himself growing weak from the blood loss.

Rick noticed, knew that time was running out. “So you won’t drink it, then.”

“I can not.”

“Nothing will change your mind?”

Ardeth shook his head.

Rick sighed. “Then there’s only one thing left for me to do.”

Before Ardeth had a chance to ask him what that was, Rick launched his fist into Ardeth’s face, accidentally knocking his head against the rock he was sitting against with an audible ‘smack’.

Rick’s jaw dropped. “Ardeth?”

The Med-jai warrior was out cold.

Rick tapped his hand against Ardeth’s face. “Ardeth? Wake up!”

Nothing.

Rick could not believe what he’d just done. He’d tried to spare Ardeth horrible pain, and most likely had given him a concussion instead.

As he worked on Ardeth’s arm, one thought ran through his mind. He’s gonna kill me…

********

“Ardeth? Ardeth, old buddy.”

Ardeth could hear his name being called, and he wondered why. Last he knew he and Rick had gone to the oasis to ‘recruit’ more falcons. He heard the voice again; more incessant. He realized it was Rick’s voice.

“Come on, Ardeth, open your eyes, will ya?” Rick sighed when his friend’s eyes remained closed. Ardeth had been out for nearly 9 hours, and Rick was out of his mind with worry, not sure if the prolonged unconsciousness was due to Ardeth’s blood loss, the crack on the head, or both.

Rick saw a slight twitch in Ardeth’s face again; it’d been going on for the past few minutes, and he’d been hoping it meant he was waking up.

“Ardeth? Please, wake up.”

Suddenly Ardeth opened his eyes, closing them again quickly with a gasp.

“Ardeth?” Rick said, touching his good arm. “Are you okay?”

The Med-jai Chief opened his eyes again, much more slowly. He found himself lying in the grass, not remembering how he got there. His head throbbed painfully, and sharp needle-like pain shot up and down his left arm.

“Ardeth?” Rick said again, concerned when he didn’t answer.

His friend looked at him, finally. “Rick?” he said, groggily, to the blurry figure looking down at him.

Rick felt a knot grow in the pit of his stomach when he saw that Ardeth was having trouble seeing. He held up his hand. “How many fingers do you see?”

Ardeth looked at him as if that was the dumbest question he’d ever heard. He squinted, tried to count.

“Uh,” he said, a word very uncharacteristic of him. “Three?”

Rick sighed. The correct answer was two. I can’t believe it; I really did give him a concussion!

“How do you feel?”

The Med-jai sighed, closed his eyes. “Like I was run over by a camel.”

Rick smiled at that, maybe Ardeth was all right after all.

Still sounding groggy, Ardeth asked, “What happened?”

Rick frowned, getting nervous again. “You don’t remember?”

Ardeth shook his head, and winced, regretting the motion.

“You were attacked by a pygmy, it stabbed your arm.”

So that’s why it hurts. Ardeth tried to move his wounded arm, and gasped in pain.

Rick held him down. “No, Ardeth, don’t move.”

Ardeth didn’t say anything. For some reason his face hurt when he talked and he suddenly remembered why. “You hit me.”

Rick nearly groaned. He didn’t remember getting stabbed, but he remembers what I did to try to spare him pain…although it didn’t quite work… “I did that so you wouldn’t have to suffer while I sewed you back together!”

Ardeth didn’t answer, closing his eyes drowsily instead. When he didn’t open them again after a minute, Rick gently shook him.

“Ardeth, don’t go to sleep,” he said, urgently. “They say people with concussions have to stay awake…”

Ardeth heard his friend, but his voice drifted further and further away….

********

When Ardeth woke again, it was night. He saw that he was in a cave, and Rick was sitting next to him, taking his pulse. He was staring at his watch, and didn’t see that Ardeth was conscious.

Ardeth closed his eyes again, the light from the lantern hurting them, increasing the throbbing in his head. Ardeth hated headaches; they made him unable to think clearly, unable to function normally. The Med-jai healers had not been able to come up with a good reason for them, other then the fact that as the leader of the Med-jai he was under continuous stress. Although, that is not the reason for this one, he remembered. He opened his eyes again; saw Rick looking at him, relief on his face.

“You’re awake,” said Rick.

Ardeth nodded—slowly this time. “You found the cave,” he said.

Rick nodded. “Yeah. Do you feel any better?”

Ardeth almost laughed at that question. “No.”

Rick sighed heavily. “I’m sorry I hit you, Ardeth—”

“No apology necessary.”

“Yes it is; I gave you a concussion, for cryin’ out loud!”

“But I understand why you did it.”

Rick frowned at his friend’s choice of words. “You mean you understand why I knocked you out. Yeah, fine. But I should’ve known you were gonna hit your head!”

“How would you have known?” Ardeth asked, wishing Rick would keep his voice down.

“Maybe because there was a huge rock right behind you?” Rick said, sarcastically.

True, Ardeth thought. He shivered, suddenly realizing how cold it was in the cave.

Rick frowned. “You okay?”

“A little cold.”

Rick jumped to his feet and ran over to the packs and supplies they had brought. He came back with a blanket, and draped it over Ardeth.

“Better?”

Ardeth was still cold, but he answered, “Yes,” anyway.

“Hungry?” Rick asked him.

“No.”

“You should eat something, buddy, try to get some strength back.”

The thought of food turned Ardeth’s stomach, probably an effect of the concussion, but he didn’t tell Rick that, not wanting him to feel worse then he already did about it.

“No, thank you,” he said. “But I would like some water.”

Rick ran back to the supplies and brought back a canteen. He held Ardeth up so he could drink it, and when he laid him back down Ardeth realized that there was something soft under his head. His jacket, he realized, seeing that Rick wasn’t wearing it. Hoping he hadn’t gotten any blood on it, he reached up to feel if there was a cut on his head. What he encountered was a huge lump.

He managed to bite back a gasp at the pain touching it had caused.

Rick noticed. He sighed again, tried to start a conversation.

“How’s you arm feel?”

“Like it’s broken,” Ardeth admitted.

“I should change the bandage. You can see my handiwork,” Rick said. He tried as gently as he could to remove the bandage, which was spotted lightly with blood, despite the stitches he’d put in it. He could see Ardeth biting his lip against the pain, and he wondered if the pygmy’s knife had put a slice or something in the bone.

“There,” Rick said. “What do you think?”

Ardeth found that even though Rick still looked blurry to him, he could see his wound pretty clearly. Apparently distance made a difference; he found that interesting. He looked in surprise at how long the wound was. It was red and inflamed and ugly, but Rick’s stitches didn’t look too bad, considering he didn’t know what he was doing. There appeared to be a few dozen of them, but his headache wasn’t allowing him to count.

“I am impressed,” he said.

Rick smiled. “Really? Thanks! It took me a while, I put in over 40 of ‘em.” He gave Ardeth a sheepish look. “I didn’t want to risk it bleeding anymore.”

Ardeth felt himself drifting off again, as Rick bandaged him up. He wasn’t sure if it was sleep or unconsciousness that was pulling at him and he tried to fight it, remembering what Rick had said earlier about concussions.

He opened his eyes; saw Rick looking at him worriedly. Ardeth hadn’t heard his friend calling his name.

Before Rick could ask if he was all right, Ardeth said, “Where are the birds?”

“Outside the cave, still in the cage.”

Ardeth realized that that was a silly question. Where else would they be? He saw Rick’s look of concern, knew he was thinking the same thing.

“I am trying to remain awake,” Ardeth explained.

“Oh,” Rick said. “In that case, I have a question for you,” he said, figuring that Ardeth couldn’t sleep if he was busy talking. “How in the world did you know that first falcon was too old?”

Ardeth frowned, not sure how to put it into words. He just knew.

“The way it flies,” he said. “Slower, with not as much energy. It’s face…looked older,” he paused, shutting his eyes tight against a wave of pain. “I am sorry, I can not think.”

Rick felt like a jerk again. “It’s okay, Ardeth, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be asking you questions, you need to rest.”

Ardeth sighed, wishing he could just go to sleep. He tried to read the time on Rick’s watch, but he couldn’t see it from there. “What is the time?” he asked.

Rick looked at it. “2am.”

Ardeth was surprised, thinking it to be no later then 9pm. He’d been unconscious for the better part of the day! No wonder Rick was so nervous. Ardeth looked at his friend; saw that he looked tired.

“I am sorry for keeping you up,” he said.

Rick shook his head. “Don’t be. It isn’t your fault.”

“Go to sleep, I will be all right.”

Rick made a face at him. “Are you kidding me? Would you go to sleep if you had a wounded man that might need your help?”

Ardeth shook his head carefully, not having the energy to answer. He could not keep his eyes open, no matter how hard he tried. He shivered again, trying not to make it obvious, and a minute later he was asleep.

********

Rick jumped, with a start, realized that he’d been sleeping. It was broad daylight, and he quickly looked over at Ardeth, who was still asleep.

He looked at his watch. Nearly noon! He scrubbed his hands over his face, sighing. It’d been a heck of a long night. At 5:30am Ardeth had woken up in a panic. Rick had to grab him when he’d nearly jumped up. He’d looked at Rick like he didn’t know who he was, and his face looked flushed. Rick felt his forehead.

“Ardeth, it’s Rick. Take it easy, you’re feverish, you must’ve had a nightmare.”

Ardeth had calmed down and simply laid there, disoriented, not saying a word. His fever wasn’t high, but the blank look on his face scared the crap out of Rick. Ardeth had eventually fallen back to sleep, and Rick found to his dismay that he had too.

He took the cloth off Ardeth’s forehead that he’d soaked with cool water; it was now dry. Rick felt his forehead and was relived to see that the fever hadn’t risen. He wet the cloth again, and replaced it. He was glad to see that Ardeth wasn’t shaking with chills anymore, the heat of the desert and the blankets still covering him having done the job. In fact, Rick saw that it was now quite hot in the cave, so he pulled the blankets off his friend.

Ardeth jumped when he did it, and opened his eyes.

Opps, Rick thought. “Ardeth? You awake?”

Ardeth blinked a few times, looking around. He finally looked at Rick, and said, “I…think so.”

Rick sat up straighter, studying his friend. “You okay? Do you remember last night?”

Ardeth closed his eyes. “Some of it.”

“Was I right, you had a nightmare?”

Ardeth opened his eyes again, and frowned, as if he didn’t remember. Then his expression looked surprised.

“What?” Rick asked.

“Yes, I did have a nightmare.”

Rick waited, but Ardeth didn’t continue.

“Well? What was it about?”

Ardeth seemed to hesitate before he spoke. “I was being chased by something.”

“What was it?”

Ardeth hesitated again. “An animal.”

“What animal?”

Ardeth sighed, wishing Rick wasn’t so persistent. “A camel.”

Rick sputtered. “A camel?! You had a nightmare that a camel was chasing you?”

Ardeth nodded, looking embarrassed.

“Why did it scare you? A camel?” Rick was trying not to laugh.

“It wasn’t…normal. It was…what is the word?”

“Rabid?”

Ardeth nodded again. “Yes, that is it.”

Rick couldn’t help it. He busted out laughing. “You dreamed you were being chased by a rabid camel!” he repeated, much to Ardeth’s dismay. “Did it bite you?”

Ardeth didn’t respond, still embarrassed over the fact that the dream had affected him in the way that it did. His silence made it obvious to Rick what the answer to his question was.

Rick saw the problem, and tried to stop laughing. “Ardeth, don’t feel bad, you weren’t exactly coherent, you developed a fever. Believe me, if I was in your condition, and dreamed I got bit by a rabid camel I would’ve been scared out of my mind!”

Ardeth knew he was right, and it did seem funny. He started to laugh too. The motion hurt his arm and head and he stopped, wincing.

As Rick came over to check the wound, Ardeth said to him, “I suppose you are going to tell everyone about my dream.”

“What, you mean Evy and Alex? Not if you don’t want me too, although I admit that it’ll be a hard secret to keep!” He made a face. “Ah, blackmail!”

Ardeth winced again, Rick wasn’t sure if it was because he’d hurt him or because of what he said. Ardeth looked at Rick, to see that he was joking.

Ardeth looked at his wound to see that it was no longer bleeding at all.

“It doesn’t look infected,” Rick said. “Thank God. How’s your head?”

“What is the word, ‘pounding’?”

Rick made a sympathetic face, nodding. He held up two fingers again. “How many?”

This time Ardeth could make it out. “Two.”

“Good,” Rick said, smiling. “Blurry?”

“A little.”

“Well, it could be worse,” Rick said, with a *phew *. “And that makes me feel better,” he said, smiling.

Ardeth smiled back, glad Rick wasn’t as upset at himself anymore.

“Will any of the Med-jai come looking for us when we don’t come back?” Rick asked.

“No,” Ardeth answered. “When I go for falcons, I am sometimes gone for many days.” He smiled. “This place is my…escape.”

Rick's eyebrows rose. It was nice to know that Ardeth had a place of solace, away from the everyday tension of leading the Med-jai.

“That’s great, this is a beautiful place. My question, though, is this: Shouldn’t I be trying to get you back home? I mean, you need real medical attention, medication against the fever and infection especially, not to mention painkillers.”

Ardeth nodded in agreement, tiredly closing his eyes.

Rick watched him, wondering how Ardeth was able to contain the pain he was in.

“Ardeth?” he said, softly, not sure if he’d fallen asleep again.

Ardeth opened his eyes.

“I’m trying to figure out what to do,” Rick said. “You don’t look in any way able to travel. Should we wait till tomorrow, or what? I’ll admit, what happened last night scared me. I was afraid your fever would get worse, and then…”

Ardeth nodded. “As you said, thank God it is not infected. But that doesn’t mean it will not become so.” He could see that Rick was thinking the same thing, and understood his urgency. But he felt so weak; he doubted that he could even stand. Maybe he would do what Rick suggested, and eat, try to get back some strength. He knew that he would need it in order to make the return journey through the hot desert.

“Let us see what happens today,” he said. “If I worsen, then we must leave. If not, then we will try tomorrow.”

Rick nodded, hoping that the day would pass uneventful.

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One Thing After Another - continued