Using some twine, she secured the sticks to each side of the Rodent’s ankle with the Ace bandage to form a splint. That locked the ankle in place so that it wouldn’t be hurt any worse when they moved him. He winced from the pain as she put it on, and Nadia did her best to keep him calm by talking to him as she worked. Afterward, Nadia cut down two saplings with her knife. The whacking tired her out even more, and for a second she was afraid she might faint. Only adrenaline kept her going. The Giraffe noticed this and came rushing to her side with genuine concern, but Nadia waved her off and kept working. She asked the Giraffe to help her spread out the poncho. After they did so, Nadia fixed a sapling to each side of her poncho and made a stretcher out of it. Together, the four of them lifted the Rodent onto the stretcher. The nearest ranger station was three miles away. Nadia drew a map for them and directed them toward the trail. The Rodent thanked her profusely.
