The 122nd
Chapter Eleven: Valiant
Bryan crept ever slowly toward corporal Landon. Bryan could see and hear Landon breathing. Bryan approached Landon swiftly and he saw the pain in Landon's face. His eyes were closed and as Bryan searched his body, he saw multiple barbs on Landon's body. They were on his legs and his chest, and Landon had lost a lot of blood as it is. Landon was barely conscience and Bryan wasn't sure how long he could last. Bryan looked around at the other corpses as he stood over Landon and realized no one else was alive. Landon finally opened his eyes to look at Bryan and when they locked eyes, Landon managed to give him a faint smile that made Bryan's heart sink.
A distant hiss was heard from within the cave, but it seemed far. Bryan knew they were still in there so he began to lift up Landon and attempted to drag him back to the ledge. Landon yelped in agony and Bryan quickly laid him back down. Landon's wounds looked pretty severe and Bryan knew he would have to bandage him up at least a bit if he were ever to make it out of this cave. Captain Bryan feared that his presence here would not go unnoticed for long, so he hurried quickly as he began to remove the barbs on Landon's body with his hands. He didn't have any cloth at all to apply to the wounds and he wasn't going to scavenge the dead for their clothing. He decided it would be best to remove at least a few barbs on his chest area to allow him to be carried on his back. He took of Landon's helmet, unfastened his vest, and removed his shoulder-lamp. He then gripped the barbs and pulled them out quickly as Landon winced in pain.
Bryan had removed three barbs on his chest. He didn't know what these barbs were but he placed one of them in his left pocket along with his radio, which he had turned off when he was at the drop-ship. He lifted Landon again and placed him on his shoulders. He knew Landon was bleeding badly and his time down here was running out. Bryan hurried back to the ledge and whispered to Landon "Ready for this?" Landon made no response and after a second, Bryan placed Landon on the ledge so that his back and his head lay on the upper level and his legs hung on the edge of the ledge. Bryan grabbed the flare, tossed it above the ledge, and jumped onto the ledge.
As Bryan got to his feet and lifted Landon again, he heard another hissing noise. It was longer and closer this time. Bryan quickly grabbed the flare as he lifted Landon by his stomach and began to make his way back up and out of the cave. Whatever had happened to the remaining two privates, Vernas and Sawyer, was still a mystery, but at this point his time was running out and he needed to make his way back out of the cave. He needed to hurry. He didn't care any longer that the creatures were in the cave again. He only cared about saving Landon's life. Landon appeared unconscious as Bryan went back up the spiral pathway. He heard the hiss one last time before it faded away with the echo of the cave. Captain Bryan hoped the creatures would all get slaughtered. Bryan breathed heavily with the weight of Landon on his back. Unlike Jake who he carried up by his shoulder and who had partially walked back with him, Landon was being carried on his back. He wasn't light either. Bryan exhaled as he carried Landon back up the spiral pathway until he reached the choke point again. Just like last time, Bryan carefully positioned Landon on his back and slowly squeezed through the tight space. Bryan could still see the drop-ship in the distance. Bryan was tempted to tell the corporal how good of a job he was doing, but this was as bad a time as ever to tell him something so trivial. Bryan chuckled to himself at the thought and adjusted Landon on his shoulder once again as he briskly headed back out into the rain.
The storm was growing more severe. Lightning was in the sky and the thunder roared very loudly. The rain was like a torrent in Bryan's face and his partially damp uniform was now completely soaked again. Bryan heaved Landon across the stormy, open plain with heavy rain and winds strong enough to blow away his inventory were they not secured in his pockets. Back home on Earth, this would be hurricane weather. Bryan saw private Brandon this time on the ramp of the drop-ship trying to stay dry. It didn't take long for Brandon to spot the two of them venturing forth toward them and as soon as he saw the two, he looked behind him at private Rob and private Tom who immediately ran toward the captain and took Landon off his shoulders. Bryan inhaled deeply and exhaled in relief. He dashed quickly toward the ramp and into the drop-ship. Private Brandon followed him. Once they were all inside, Bryan slammed the button to close the ramp and he said in an aggressive voice "We're leaving - now!"
A distant hiss was heard from within the cave, but it seemed far. Bryan knew they were still in there so he began to lift up Landon and attempted to drag him back to the ledge. Landon yelped in agony and Bryan quickly laid him back down. Landon's wounds looked pretty severe and Bryan knew he would have to bandage him up at least a bit if he were ever to make it out of this cave. Captain Bryan feared that his presence here would not go unnoticed for long, so he hurried quickly as he began to remove the barbs on Landon's body with his hands. He didn't have any cloth at all to apply to the wounds and he wasn't going to scavenge the dead for their clothing. He decided it would be best to remove at least a few barbs on his chest area to allow him to be carried on his back. He took of Landon's helmet, unfastened his vest, and removed his shoulder-lamp. He then gripped the barbs and pulled them out quickly as Landon winced in pain.
Bryan had removed three barbs on his chest. He didn't know what these barbs were but he placed one of them in his left pocket along with his radio, which he had turned off when he was at the drop-ship. He lifted Landon again and placed him on his shoulders. He knew Landon was bleeding badly and his time down here was running out. Bryan hurried back to the ledge and whispered to Landon "Ready for this?" Landon made no response and after a second, Bryan placed Landon on the ledge so that his back and his head lay on the upper level and his legs hung on the edge of the ledge. Bryan grabbed the flare, tossed it above the ledge, and jumped onto the ledge.
As Bryan got to his feet and lifted Landon again, he heard another hissing noise. It was longer and closer this time. Bryan quickly grabbed the flare as he lifted Landon by his stomach and began to make his way back up and out of the cave. Whatever had happened to the remaining two privates, Vernas and Sawyer, was still a mystery, but at this point his time was running out and he needed to make his way back out of the cave. He needed to hurry. He didn't care any longer that the creatures were in the cave again. He only cared about saving Landon's life. Landon appeared unconscious as Bryan went back up the spiral pathway. He heard the hiss one last time before it faded away with the echo of the cave. Captain Bryan hoped the creatures would all get slaughtered. Bryan breathed heavily with the weight of Landon on his back. Unlike Jake who he carried up by his shoulder and who had partially walked back with him, Landon was being carried on his back. He wasn't light either. Bryan exhaled as he carried Landon back up the spiral pathway until he reached the choke point again. Just like last time, Bryan carefully positioned Landon on his back and slowly squeezed through the tight space. Bryan could still see the drop-ship in the distance. Bryan was tempted to tell the corporal how good of a job he was doing, but this was as bad a time as ever to tell him something so trivial. Bryan chuckled to himself at the thought and adjusted Landon on his shoulder once again as he briskly headed back out into the rain.
The storm was growing more severe. Lightning was in the sky and the thunder roared very loudly. The rain was like a torrent in Bryan's face and his partially damp uniform was now completely soaked again. Bryan heaved Landon across the stormy, open plain with heavy rain and winds strong enough to blow away his inventory were they not secured in his pockets. Back home on Earth, this would be hurricane weather. Bryan saw private Brandon this time on the ramp of the drop-ship trying to stay dry. It didn't take long for Brandon to spot the two of them venturing forth toward them and as soon as he saw the two, he looked behind him at private Rob and private Tom who immediately ran toward the captain and took Landon off his shoulders. Bryan inhaled deeply and exhaled in relief. He dashed quickly toward the ramp and into the drop-ship. Private Brandon followed him. Once they were all inside, Bryan slammed the button to close the ramp and he said in an aggressive voice "We're leaving - now!"