Denise was out in a flash without any protest and the cable was connected providing power. Susan turned on the TV, something they had not done before. She turned a crank on the ceiling and the picture improved. Denise pulled Carol aside. “I’m at that time of the month. I hate those pads that feel like diapers. I wear tampons. I have one in me. It is soaked. I can’t put that in the black water tank, can I?”

“You probably shouldn’t but I have a bag you can put it in.”

“That’s so messy. I’ll just go over to the bath house. I need the exercise.”

“Don’t stay out too long. There are bears in the woods.”

Denise got a frightened look. “There are?”

“Just kidding. Be back by eleven. We need to be out by six. Denise took two tampons out of a pack and headed out the door.

The three women watched TV for a while then about eleven Carol motioned to them. It was time to start getting ready for bed. They got the RV ready for sleeping. When they finished Denise was not back yet. Carol changed to her pegleg, picked up one of her crutches and a flashlight. “Guess I better go find the lost daughter. Maybe a bear got her.”

“It’s more likely she tangled with a bottle of booze.”

“Unfortunately you are right. I wanted to tell her that we knew she had the booze but Fritz said if she wanted to get drunk, let her. I hope she doesn’t get hurt. I don’t want that on me.”

“They say a drunk never gets hurt. But they are wrong. Want us to help?”

“It is probably a good idea.”

The others changed their legs, grabbed flashlights, cell phones and a crutch and headed out with her.

They split the search area. About ten minutes after they left the trailer Susan heard someone crying off to the side of the path. She shone a light toward the sound. It was Denise. She was in the ditch. When she saw Susan she said, “Gawd, help me, my leg hurts.” The slurring of the voice indicated she had been drinking. Susan slid down to her and saw her left leg was caught between two logs and the lower portion of it was bent in a way that couldn’t be unless the bones were broken. “I tried to step over those logs and my foot went between them and I fell. Get me out, it hurts.  Let me have a drink.  I need something to stop the pain.” Susan saw the bottle just out of Denise’s reach. It was less than half full. She had really tied one on and with the alcohol still in her stomach she was going to get drunker than she was now.

“Just be still. We need help to get you out.”

Susan two-wayed Debbie. “Get mother hen and the two of you come down the trail I took. I found her. Best guess, shit-faced drunk and a broken right leg. I’ll call 911. I don’t think we should move her.”

“Roger, roll 911. I’ll have mother hen call the camp office.”

Susan called 911. She gave the name of the campground and told them they had a potential broken leg. As she was finishing the call Debbie and Carol came up. An ATV pulled up behind them, it was one of the camp employees.

It took twenty minutes for the ambulance to arrive, get her leg free, put on an air cast and get Denise into the ambulance. Carol would ride with her. The camp employee took Debbie and Susan to the RV. Debbie called Fritz and told him the story. He told them to let him know her condition as soon as it was available. He also asked how many people knew she was drunk. They told her that the camp employee, two people on the ambulance.

Denise Chapter 01: Success in Hollywood

Denise Chapter 16: Denise Realizes She is Unique

Denise Chapter 18: The Impatient Patient