Work Text:
When Wilbur and Niki left the van to get supplies they figured they’d be out for at most three hours then return to Eret, Tubbo and Tommy.
Their plans were derailed however when at the halfway mark they spotted a field of mooshrooms just across a lake. They got their fill and that was when Niki noticed the clouds had darkened to a smokey gray and the wind was pushing past her coat.
“Hey Wil. Which direction is the van?”
“What do you mean? We came from right over… there? Right?”
“I’m not sure, but we better head back. I don’t like the look of those clouds. Besides, I bet Eret is losing their mind being the only adult with those two.” Niki tried to interject a joke but it fell flat when they felt a few raindrops hitting their face.
A few quickly turned into a downpour and Wilbur rushed to pull together their remaining supplies and pick a direction. “I say we find a cave and wait out the storm. As long as we know where the lake is we can find our way back.”
Nodding her agreement, the pair make for the nearest mountain they can see. There is one just past the tree line so they trek through the path that is quickly turning to mud. Wilbur in the lead doesn’t see what’s above him until it’s too late.
“WILBUR WAIT!”
CRACK
A branch is torn from its tree with the ferocity of the wind right into Wilbur. Niki rushes forward and drops next to him. She takes in the extent of the damage to her friend. The branch scratched up his arms and face and his leg is at an angle Niki knows it shouldn’t be. When she tries to remove the branch however, the biggest problem is revealed. The branch is buried in his shoulder blade and his shirt is steadily growing a dark red patch surrounding the wound.
“Wil! Can you hear me?” All she got in reply was a pained grumble. “Alright, Okay. I’m going to help you. This is going to hurt, but we can’t stay out here and you can’t have a branch through you.”
Without waiting for a response she pulled off her coat as a makeshift bandage and pressed it against his arm to stem the bleeding. Wilbur let out a cry then promptly passed out. Niki pulled out her hunting knife and began removing the bigger parts of the branch with one hand while keeping pressure on his arm with the other. Fighting against the rain the whole time was making this even more difficult but she managed to whittle the branch down enough while the bleeding became sluggish. Niki cut off the arm of her coat and tied it in place. It wasn’t pretty, but it would hold until they got back to the van.
“Okay now the leg. That branch really messed you up, didn’t it Wil?” She checked his pulse and breathing before finding a piece of the same branch that caused this mess to use as a splint. Lightly feeling his leg she moved the bone back into place before securing the stick with what was left of her coat. By this point Niki is cold and wet and hopes she can manage to even lift Wilbur without hurting him, let alone finding a cave to wait out the storm. Because, oh yeah, they still don’t know which direction they came from.
She was right to worry about lifting him as he was significantly larger and stockier than her, but she was able to do it. The muddy ground was as much a help as a hindrance. On the one hand it was slippery enough to help her drag Wil without causing him too much pain, but on the other she herself slipped into it many times over. Now covered in mud she keeps dragging him hopefully in the direction of a cave. Luckily their previous trek was the right direction because she stumbled across one after a short period of time, and as a bonus the lake was still in view for them to find their way back.
“Look Wil, You were right. There is a cave this way. The lake is right there too so we can get back tomorrow. I bet Eret will be so mad about us leaving them alone with the boys.” Hearing no reply Niki feels discouraged, but she doesn’t let it distract her from her mission.
She drags Wilbur inside the cave and and blocks off most of the entrance. Night is approaching and the sky is becoming even darker even as the rain shows no sign of stopping. That is a problem for the morning though. For tonight she cuddles close to Wilbur to preserve warmth, resting her head above his heart, careful of the injury, so if he stops breathing she will know immediately. His heartbeat feels strong for the moment though, so Niki lets herself join Wilbur in the land of sleep.
They'll find their way in the morning. Right?