Sabotage by C. G. Cooper

crash. It was possible. Vince had seen it before. You got hurt, yet all the adrenaline coursing through your body helped mask the pain so you could ignore it. Then when the adrenaline left your body, the injury became apparent. He didn't want to press Karl. He trusted him too much, but if there really was something wrong he needed to know now.
     
    The voyage had been relatively calm and safe up to that point, but as they closed in on civilization, there was a much higher risk of being seen, and all four of them needed to be at their best to get through it. Vince was sitting right in front of the grandfather piloting the craft.
     
    The colonel leaned close so only the old man could hear him inquire, "Could we head to shore soon? I think maybe we should all get some rest."
     
    The man nodded his understanding, and then Vince felt the boat veer left ever so slightly. Karl must have sensed it too, because even though he sat grumbling to himself, he turned to Vince and asked, "Where are we going?"
     
    Vince pointed to the shore and announced, "I figured we might want to hunker down and get a little shuteye for tomorrow." Karl seemed to mull it over, as if he was deciding whether to agree or throw in a veto, but in the end he just nodded. Off the boat he continued to be sullen and withdrawn.
     
    Once they were on shore, they carefully concealed the boat. The four travelers shared a single MRE from Christian's backpack. While Vince felt like he could have eaten four of the damn things, Karl only took small nibbles of the orange pound cake. It appeared it took every ounce of energy he had remaining. This was usually the time when Karl Schneider was cracking a joke or giving his boss a hard time, but he just sat there, nibbling away, avoiding eye contact.
     
    But still Vince had to trust his friend to tell him if he was in real pain. Some guys just went into a sort of hibernation mode to let their bodies heal on their own, and now that he thought about it, he’d never even seen Karl injured, so he didn't know the man’s telltale signs. Some men showed it on their faces, others in the way they walked or talked, and still others shut down, although that didn't happen often in the elite confines of Delta.
     
    Vince awoke to an overcast sky which barely allowed the sun to peek through. He rolled over in their hiding spot to see Karl's face. He was asleep, but that wasn't what concerned Vince. His chin was red, like he’d dipped it in a bowl of paint, and there was blood dripping from it.
     
    Vince shook his friend awake and when Karl didn't snap back to reality like he usually did, he continued to shake Karl until his eyes opened. It was quite visible to Vince that Karl was struggling to regain his bearings.
     
    Vince handed him a bottle of water. "How are you feeling, partner?"
     
    Karl snagged the water and chugged half the bottle before he realized what he had done to their limited supply. He handed it back apologetically. "What time is it?"
     
    "Quarter after ten," Vince answered, "How did you sleep?"
     
    Karl pinched the bridge of his nose, "I've got the damnedest headache. I can't remember the last time I was this dehydrated."
     
    "You've got something on your chin," Vince said.
     
    “What?" he reached down to touch his chin, the blood sticky on his fingertips. Karl's eyes darted from his fingers, to Vince, and then back to his fingertips.
     
    "How badly are you hurt?" Vince inquired.
     
    Karl ignored the question, trying to wipe the blood off on his shirt sleeve. When he was done, he still looked like a kid who had tried to drink too much Kool-Aid, and it spilled over, leaving behind a red stain on his skin.
     
    "Are we hanging around here until nightfall?" Karl asked.
     
    "Don't be a stubborn ass,” Vince demanded, "If you're hurt just tell me, okay?"
     
    The two men locked eyes. Karl was the first to look away. "I'm fine, okay?"
     
    "No you're not," Vince pressed. "Unless you tried to make out with a rock