Crash: Chapter four

Alvin and Simon stood in the dark woods talking. They had gone far enough into the woods to give the girls a chance to change into clean clothes and to properly dress Eleanor's wounds.

"Simon how are we going to get back?", Alvin put his back to a tree and crossed his arms.

Simon ran his hand threw the fur on top of his head and let out a sigh, "Well I think I remember the map well enough to find our way back. And if not all we have to do is find the cr....", Simon pause and his gaze dropped to the ground, "The crevice where we lost Theodore."  

Alvin grimaced at the memory, "Si... could he have survived the fall?", Alvin looked into his brothers eyes wanting to find hope.

Simon took a deep breath," Truthfully, yes he could have... but the chance that he did is so small that...", Simon trailed off.

"But there is a chance? Right?", tears began to form in Alvin's eyes.

"Possible, but not probable", Simon could not look at his brother.

The two stood silently for what seemed like an hour until Alvin broke the silence with a question, " When we do get to that ditch how are we going to get across with Eleanor hurt like she is?"

Simon placed his hand on his chin as he thought about the injured chipette, "Well that depends on how bad she's hurt. If she's not that bad then we could wait for her to get well enough to move. But if she needs to see a doctor we're going to have to make something to carry her with."

"Okay you guys can come back now", Brittany's voice rang out from the woods and the two brothers began to make their way back to the make-shift camp they had setup.

The two smiled when they breached the tree line. Sitting next to the campfire were Brittany and Jeanette who were now wearing clean and warm cloths. Eleanor laid with her back to the fire, she had fresh bandages wrapped around her head and on her arms where she had some cuts, she was also wearing a green sweater and sweatpants.

The brothers came over to the fire and sat down with the chipettes. "So whats the plan?", Brittany asked with high spirits now that they had been found.

"Well that depends", Simon said thoughtfully.

"On what?", Jeanette asked wrapping her arms around Simon's left arm.

"On Eleanor.", Simon looked to the blond chipette.

Eleanor turned her body so that she was facing the group, she winced slightly as she did so. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and she was holding her Theodore doll close, "What about me?"

"Well we need to figure out if we can move you or if we should wait for you to heal up enough so that you can move on your own", Simon spoke with a soft tone that was full of caring.

"How do we do that?", Eleanor watched Simon for an answer.

"Well I've read "Gray's Anatomy" a few times and some other medical books to get ready for med school. So I think I can examine you and find anything majorly wrong", Simon looked into her eyes reassuringly.

"But for tonight we should get some rest", Alvin reached for the back packs and unhooked the sleeping bags from them and set them up, he helped Eleanor slide onto hers and laid the one that was going to be for Theodore over her for warmth. The group got inside of their sleeping bags and fell asleep.

** The next morning**

"Okay you don't  seem to have any broken bones but you do have a few bruised ribs. Now I'm going to check for internal injures by applying some light pressure so tell me if it hurts okay?"

Simon gently began to press down on Eleanor's mid section, slowly moving his hand trying to feel for anything that seemed out of place.

"Ow!" Eleanor cried out.

Simon stopped moving his hands when he felt something odd.

He pressed down with a little more force and Eleanor screamed out in pain, "I'm sorry Eleanor."

Simon took his hands away from Eleanor and began to rub his chin as he thought,"Well that isn't good."

"What?", Eleanor asked, afraid of the answer.

The other three sat behind them looking on with worry waiting for Simon's answer as well. "Well I can't be sure as I'm not a doctor but I felt some pressure that might be internal bleeding and if that is the case we need to get you out of here now."

Alvin stood up, "I'll start getting the things packed."

"No I need you to help me make a stretcher, Jeanette, Brittany will you two go get everything packed up?", Simon's tone was urgent.

They nodded and began to pack up the sleeping bags.

"Alvin go and get the rope we brought, I'll go find some wood. Don't worry Eleanor we'll get you to a hospital A.S.A.P", Simon went off into the woods.

**Half and hour later**

Simon pulled the rope tight and looked over he and Alvin's handy work. It wasn't much but it would have to do.

They had found the strongest looking branches they could and tied them together and padded it with a sleeping bag.

"Eleanor are you ready?", Simon asked as he put his hands under her shoulders and Alvin carefully grabbed her ankles.

Eleanor nodded and braced herself.

"3...2....1", Simon and Alvin lifted her onto the stretcher. Alvin and Simon lifter the stretcher with Eleanor on it.

Simon looked over at Brittany and Jeanette who had manged to pack everything down into only two back packs.

"Everyone ready?", Simon asked. The girls finished getting the back packs clasped and nodded.

"Okay lets go", Alvin said from behind Simon. The group began to make the trek back to the crevice.

The hike back took longer then they had thought it would and by the time they got to the crevice it was almost noon. "We should stop for lunch when we get there", Alvin suggested.

"Good idea", Brittany agreed.

The sound of running water got louder as they got closer to the chasm. The group stopped about fifty feet away from the edge. Alvin and Simon gently put Eleanor down and sat down. Brittany and Jeanette pulled some sandwiches out of the back packs and passed them out. Simon looked for the log that they had used to cross, he saw it a little ways away from them, spanning the chasm.

The group finished lunch and began talking about how to cross. "Is there a way around?", Jeanette asked.

"Yes but its about two miles and we could get lost", Simon said.

"Do you think it will support three of us?", Alvin asked as he stretched out his legs.

"It will have to", Simon retorted.

The group all stood up and began to get ready to make the trip when they heard a rustling from the tree line around the gorge. They all turned to see what was causing the noise except Elanor, who was asleep.

"Tell me I'm not seeing things!", Alvin said as his eyes began to fill with tears.

"If you are then I am too",Simon said as he and Alvin began to run towards the source of the noise

They reached the injured, green clad, chipmunk and he collapsed into their arms and smiled, "Sorry for taking so long, but it was a long walk", his head fell limp as he passed out from exhaustion.