Chapter 43

Copyright 2011 Banzai Ben and Amazing Anastasia

Present – Ben – Travel back to the bunker

I just finished killing that damn Eastern Brown Snake. Stacy fell out of the tree by the snake, woke up, saw the snake, and passed out again (damn women and their crazy fears about snakes and bugs) so I pick her up to move here away from the snake. I suddenly hear a hell of a noise as something crashes through the bushes behind me. It's got to be the damn rhino again and he's caught me flat-footed - no weapon and my hands full of Stacy.

I turn and prepare for death (and hope it's quick) when Bo flies out of the bushes and begins to stomp the hell out of the snake. I've never been so happy to see any horse and shout, "Well you're a sight for sore eyes! Where the hell have you been?"

He nickers and comes over beside me. I see he's missing his saddle, is all lathered up and smells just like horse sweat - only horse sweat squared! But it doesn't matter to me. He's back and with him here we just might make it back to the bunker. I ask him, "Where the hell is your saddle?"

He shakes his head and I figure he lost it escaping from the dead lion. I move over to a different tree to set Stacy down on the ground. Then I go back, ignore his smell (difficult to do!), hug the hell out of his neck and praise him, "You're the finest horse I've ever known."

He nickers and noses me...

Present – Stacy – Travel back to the bunker

I wake up and hear a horse and hope it's Patches. I open my eyes and see Ben and Bo are having a 'together moment.' I look closer and see Bo is covered with lather and is shaking a bit so I go into teacher mode, "Ben you need to take care of Bo."

Ben turns towards me, smiles and offers, "I am. I'm telling him what a good horse he is."

I fight my way to me feet even though it hurts like hell, suddenly become concerned and demand, "Where's that scary snake?"

Ben is still praising Bo (I wish he praised me like that) and replies, "Bo stomped the hell out of him."

I'm stand beside Bo, reach over, scratch him and say, "Thanks Bo, I didn't want Ben trying to make chili out of that nasty snake." Bo nickers and nuzzles Ben some more.

Now it's time for me to give Ben some more horse instruction. I explain, "Ben, Bo worked very hard getting back here, possibly too hard, and that's why he's so lathered up and is shaking. You need to wet a rag with cool water and wipe him down with it."

Ben complains, "Stacy you're the one that wanted to keep the horses so I think it must be your job. Besides we don't have enough water."

I respond, "No Ben. Bo's your horse and you need to sacrifice your water to do this."

Ben counters, "Okay then you need to get back up in the tree with the rifle and stand watch. And remember while you're doing that, snakes can climb trees."

I look over where the dead snake is and grimace. Not only would it be very painful to climb up in the tree again, it wouldn't keep me safe from the snakes...

Present – Ben – Travel back to the bunker

I'm not sure of all the details, but I'm damn sure Stacy froze when she saw the snake because it was entirely too close to us by the time she alerted me. Plus she was distracted as hell while I was repairing the rifle – that reminds me, I need to go and look at the rifle. I walk over, take one look at it and I'm pissed. Bo in stomping the hell out of the snake, just happened to knock the rifle over and stomped the hell out of it too. I want to take what's left of the rifle and beat him to death with it, but he did come back to us. Most horses wouldn't do that and we certainly need him. I will just ignore the rifle for now. Where was I? Oh yeah, Stacy's SA has been questionable so I need her to wipe down Bo while I make sure there are no more surprises in this circus from hell. Yeah I was a bastard to capitalize on her fear of snakes, but even though this is Texas, we are still in a war.

I watch Stacy think and she finally admits, "Well, I'm too sore to climb a tree right now. So I will wipe down Bo while you stand watch. But I am still using your water."

It's good to know that sometimes things still work out for me. I grab the Winchester (thank God Bo didn't stomp it to hell too) head over to the tree and climb up into the lower branches. Stacy comes over and says, "Ben did you forget something?"

I look at her and answer, "I don't think so."

She points, "I need some water out of your pack and that neck scarf you're wearing."

I inform her, "Just so you know, this is water for both of us and it's all I have left. And you're sure not getting my shemagh! It's been through hell and back with me. Use something else to wipe him down."

Present – Stacy – Travel back to the bunker

Ben is back to being his disagreeable self and actually uses my fear of snakes to get his way. If he hadn't saved me (my pain is a constant reminder of that fact) I would be mad at him. So I relent and say, "Fine I will use my shirt and just enough water to get the job done."

I almost remove my shirt when Ben surprises me by throwing his neck scarf at me and says, "What the hell, it's not like I can't wash this. Go ahead and use it. Here's the rest of our water too."

I look up at him, smile and say, "Thanks Ben." Then I wonder why he changed his mind. Oh well, Grandmamma was right, men are a wondrous mystery...

Present – Ben – Travel back to the bunker

Stacy begins to take of her shirt and I sure as hell don't want that to happen. So I give in and let her use my shemagh to clean Bo. It needs to be washed anyway and if Guy hasn't taken over the bunker and the generator is still working, then I can wash it there.

That presents a problem I hadn't thought about: What if Guy has taken over the bunker? How in the hell will we know he did? Even worse, how in the hell will we ever get his fat fucking dope smoking ass out of there?

I make sure not to let this troubling issue distract me while Stacy wipes down Bo.

Present – Stacy – Travel back to the bunker

I begin to wipe down Bo and notice something. Now that I'm not really scared, my back is really sore too. I reach my arm around, feel a bandage there and wonder what the frack has happened back there. I guess I need to ask Ben about it later. Bo is sure liking his rub down so he moves and noses me. I talk to him, "Thanks for coming back, I really wish you had brought Patches back with you."