Chapter 10: The Embers
The scent of burning pine and melting marshmallows drifted through the crisp November air. Whispering Pines Campground was relatively empty this late in the season, giving David and Noah a wide, secluded spot surrounded by towering Douglas firs. The transition from the sterile hospital rooms and tense court proceedings to the wild, open woods was exactly what they both needed.
David sat in a canvas folding chair, carefully turning a stick over the fire. Noah was on a log adjacent to him, entirely focused on assembling the perfect s'more. His right arm, now free of any casts, moved with slight hesitation but growing confidence.
"Okay, the trick is to squish it fast before the chocolate melts on your fingers," Noah narrated, pressing the graham crackers together. A gooey clump of marshmallow oozed out the side.
David chuckled, taking a bite of his own creation. "A perfect tactical maneuver, buddy. I think you've mastered it."
As the sun dipped below the tree line, the temperature dropped sharply. David threw another log onto the fire, sending a shower of bright orange sparks into the twilight sky. Noah watched them dance upward, his face illuminated by the warm, flickering light.
"Dad?" Noah asked, his voice quiet over the crackling wood.
"Yeah, Noah?"
"Are there scorpions in these woods?"
David paused, the marshmallow stick resting on his knee. He looked at his son, recognizing the subtle tension returning to Noah's small shoulders. The trauma of the past month hadn't magically vanished when the cast came off. Dr. Aris had warned David that environmental triggers would happen, and the key was to address them with factual, grounding reassurance.
"No, buddy, there aren't," David said softly, leaning forward. "The kind of scorpion that Marissa... the kind she found, they live in the desert. In dry, hot sand. We are in the mountains. It's too cold and wet here for them. The only bugs out here right now are sleepy beetles and maybe some moths."
Noah chewed his bottom lip, processing the information. "So, nothing can sneak into the tent?"
"Nothing is sneaking into our tent," David promised. "I zipped it up tight, and I'll be right next to you all night. Plus, we have the ultimate perimeter defense."
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David pointed to a thick ring of rocks he had built around their fire pit earlier that afternoon, winking at Noah. It was a silly, made-up defense mechanism they had devised together, but it worked. Noah looked at the rocks, then back at the fire, and a slow, relieved smile spread across his face.
"Okay," Noah said, taking a massive bite of his s'more. The fear receded, replaced by the simple, profound safety of being in the woods with his father.
