Skye's heart started beating faster as the noise got closer. At this point, a chance run-in with someone from the colony seemed like their only remaining hope.

"Help us!" Syke screamed as loud as she could, praying it was friend and not foe riding the approaching rover. "HELPPP!" Skye screamed her head off, hoping her wails could be heard to the driver over the roar of the engine.

A young soldier from the colony rode into view. Skye ran over, flagging him down.

"Help, I need your help," she said. "We need to move fast, he's really hurt."

Josh had been all but unconscious beneath the tree for the past hours. His eyes stayed closed as they attempted to move him into the sitting position, though deep moans of pain escaped his chapped lips.

He was dirty, caked with dried blood and bits of earth, which clung to his sweaty body.

"Josh," Skye said, attempting to rouse her friend. "Josh!" she said louder, rewarded by an eye flutter. "Help is here, okay? You just have to make it to the rover and then you'll be home before you know it."

"Help me," she said, directing the solider to the other side of her battered companion. "Keep his ribs as steady as you can. Ready? One, Two, Three."

The two heaved Josh up and began

Josh didn't even try to mask his screams. His body wasn't sure what state of consciousness it was in, only that there was pain. Dull constant pain now mixed with fiery sharp stabs of it, thanks to the movement.

"Skye," he moaned.

"I know Josh," she said. "Almost there, I promise."

In the rover, Josh curled his body into Skye's, clinging to her. His eyes were too heavy to open and his breathing was panicky and hoarse.

The rover set off, hurtling through the jungle.

Unfortunately for Josh's ribs, rovers were designed to maneuver jungles efficiently-not smoothly. The ride was bumpy, and Josh was grinding his teeth so hard his jaw hurt. Every bump sent another wave of firry stabs down his side, and shoots of deep sweltering pain. Sweat poured out of every pore of his body.

"Almost there, almost there," Skye soothed, rubbing the head that laid in her lap.

The soldier had alerted base to their imminent arrival, so a team was ready. Josh's mother stood ready at the front, though at first sight of her son she nearly passed out.

She ran to her unconscious boy, laying a hand against his sweltering forehead. She heard Skye talking and nurses buzzing around her, but for that moment, her world tuned out.

Then she snapped into doctor mode. She began shouting instructions to the nurses as they carefully loaded her son onto a gurney to be brought into the hospital

Silent tears slid down Skye's cheeks. She didn't even notice she was crying until they began falling onto her limps palms, which rested on her lap.

After Josh's mom and her team had met them at the gates, they'd sprung into action. There was so much happening, instructions being shouted, Josh being moved, medications flying, soliders running.

When they'd wheeled Josh in, Skye had followed as far as she was allowed, before sliding down the wall and collapsing onto the floor in the hallway outside. She had been seated there in an exhausted daze since.

The previous 30 hours began to catch up with her as the adrenaline wore off. Her body was sore and her soul ached. She couldn't put into words how she felt, even to herself.

She was emotionally confused and worried and sore. Happy to be back, but worried for her friend.