"Why are you even here? I thought you were with Daniel?" Veronica continued saying.
Cedric let out a shaky breath as he tries to sit up from his position while a ghost of a smile falls on his lips. "You call Creed by his name too?"
"Mr. Ford!" she sharply called him out when it seemed like he's not taking her words seriously.
"What? If we want to make our relationship believable, you should practice calling me by my name," he said nonchalantly as if everything's fine while he rests his back on a nearby rock when he successfully sits up in position.
"This is not the time to joke around." she shook her head in dismay before sighing in exhaustion, "Can you stand?" she asks trying to change the topic.
"I'm not sure."
With his reply, she nods her head briefly, "-then please stay here. I'll go look for help." she turns her back on him to stand but Cedric tugs her hand to him, stopping her from getting up.
"Hold on. Lucas saw where we fell so they're probably on their way down now. Let's stay here and wait for them."
"-but" she tried to argue before noticing something unusual. "You're hot," Veronica uttered in concern.
Cedric's shoulders shook while he chuckles in amusement. "Are you complimenting me, Ms. Renarth?"
She ignored his previous statement with a smack to his shoulder before quickly moving her free hand to touch his forehead, "You have a fever…" she trailed off realizing how grim their situation has become.
Cedric closes his eyes as soon as her palm pressed on his skin. "Cold…" he mumbled and Veronica's train of thoughts halted.
She pulled her free hand away from his forehead but was suddenly stopped by Cedric's. "Don't. It feels good," he claimed but she removes it anyway a bit embarrassed with what he said.
Gaining a sense of calmness once again, she began, "I need to find us a way out of here. We can't let you stay in here for long." she let him know of her thoughts as she stands on her feet, inhaling sharply when she felt the strain on her arms for the effort. She needed to find a way out for them fast since who knows if his injury is a lot worse than it looks like.
It was hard to see the area since it was high into the night and the moon was their only light, but Veronica still tried to take a good look at the place where they fell for the first time. They were surrounded by trees while the uneven ground was pitted with rocks, roots, and old twigs. Only this time, the ground felt smudgy beneath her feet because of the rain.
The mixed smell of wet earth, wood, and the mustiness of moss on rocks, rotting leaves, animal scat, and others more lingered her nose while the rain continued to fall as it hit the canopy of leaves above their heads. Winds rustled through the dried fallen leaves on the ground and the hum of insects joined in the patter of rain.
It seems like they fell on the side of the mountain-covered forest. She observed. The trees slowed their fall and should be one of the reasons why they're not dead yet. The slope they slid onto wasn't also as high as she expected it to be, so they could get off the fall with just superficial wounds and scratches. And maybe a few broken bones…
"It's dangerous, Veronica," Cedric said after a while of silence. He must have already come back to his senses. He too attempted to stand but Veronica was able to stop him midway.
"Don't force yourself. We don't even know how severe your injuries are." She reminded him.
"I'm starting to feel okay." he insisted but Veronica was not having it so she helps him sit and rest his back against the same rock he used earlier.
"You're not okay." she glares at him as she stands up in place, "You almost died saving me."
"You feel like a different person compared to when we first had our conversation. You seem quiet and spineless back then that I thought you hit your head during the fall for the sudden change." He laughed weakly before wincing in pain for the movement.
"How I acted before was me being polite to someone I've wronged. It's my fault for changing places with the one your cousin hired to act as your fiancée. I shouldn't have done that. But you shouldn't have done something like this either."
"Are you angry?" Cedric asks in disbelief, "-other people are normally grateful to the one who saved them."
Veronica lowers her gaze to the ground after swallowing to try and ease her dry mouth. "This is different. You came after me and almost died doing it."
He scoffs in response and held on to the rock behind him to also stand. "And what's the problem with that?"
She too scoffs at him in shock, "Don't you value your life?"
Cedric stared at her darkly, "Then I'll ask you the same question. Don't you value yours as well that you think you're not worth saving?"
The two exchange heated gazes before Cedric continued, "Fine," he began breaking eye contact. "-if you're so adamant on saying that I shouldn't have saved you then I want you to know that I don't want to see anyone dying before me again so let's just say that it's me being selfish for saving your life. You're welcome."
Biting her lip, she retorts back, "Thank you but I don't want anyone to die because of me ever again either."
"Then don't go getting into an accident in front of me-"
Their argument ended when Lucas's voice reached them, "Are you guys okay?!" he said through a small handheld megaphone while riding an open-door helicopter.
Light shone down on them and Veronica had to cover her eyes for the sudden change in lighting. A team of men wearing rescue gear rappels down the slope where they fell after.
***
The travel back up was harder than she anticipated but the rescue team did their best to make it comfortable and as soon as they reach the surface, medics gathered around her and Cedric to tend to their injuries.
"If it makes you feel better, I don't regret saving you at all." he last said as he gets taken away by a stretcher. Unlike her, Cedric seemed to have received more damage so he had to receive medical attention immediately. Thus, he's being taken back to the city through one of the helicopters on standby.
As her arm has just finished being bandaged, Lucas walks his way inside the medic tent with a relieved smile on his face. "I'm glad you and Ced are okay."
"Thank you for worrying." she slides to the side to make space for him.
"If only you have seen it, Roni. When Cedric ran to get to you and then you both disappeared right before my eyes." Lucas shook his head as if he can't believe it himself either. "I was thinking how I'll tell my grandmother if anything happens to him. She's her favorite grandson."
Lucas's attempt to make the mood lighter made Veronica feel even guiltier for arguing with Cedric earlier. The rainfall slowly came to a stop as Daniel walk over to them.
She adjusted the towel covering her before standing up to greet him. He motions his hand for her to stay seated as he also sits on an empty chair in front of her.
"Is there something wrong, Mr. Creed?"
Daniel takes off his glasses, wiping the foggy lenses before putting them back on. He then flashed his pearly white teeth in a smile, his expression obviously bearing good news. "We found them."
_to be continued_