Nick turned from the window, opened the door and ran right into Sam, who was running in

“Nick, your Dad –”

“I saw him”

Nick is sprinting, Sam shouts a question that Nick has no time for.

Sam runs for the exit too, down the wooden stairs in pursuit and he’s outside, a crisp sunny morning, the beautiful blue sky unnoticed.

Mr. Nick on his knees bloody and nearly naked calling for his boy

Nick is there for him, holds him, Nick’s bloody now too

No sign of panic from Nick –

“Dad what happened?”

Nick and Sam pick him, he can stand, they’re half carrying him half walking him to the Mill as fast as they can. The other workers have gathered – there’s no one here that doesn’t know Mr. Nick

Sam: back to work! C’mon we can’t fall behind this early in the day. He’s going to be OK.

“I’m sorry Nick, sorry…”

“Dad it’s ok – you’re OK. we’ll get you upstairs clean you up. Where’s all this blood from, Dad? You’re not hurt are you? I don’t see any cuts?”

Nick and Sam are getting him up the stairs, his Dad is conscious and talking but his mind seems far away

“There was an accident, Nick. Bad. Sam thank you.”

Sam nods, they’ve gotten him to a room and Mr Nick sits.

“You’re ok Dad, right? Yeah?”

Mr. Nick is distraught and distant and Nick tries to get him to focus

“Dad, what happened? Tell me what happened.”

Sam tells Nick he’ll grab some fresh work clothes for his dad to change into.

It’s dangerous work no matter what your particular job is. Whether it’s felling the giant trees, or keeping watch high in the trees for, say, Grinders on the outskirts where the forest meets the desert, or running one of the saws in the Mill, risk is ever-present.

“I fell, Nick.”

“Dad where’s the blood from”

Nick doesn’t want to ask but does – “Dad, whose blood is this?”

“Not who…” says Mr Nick, slowly

Mr Nick looks up at his boy. He is ashamed to be so shook, so clearly frightened, in front of Nick. He wants to be brave, he wants to – his eyes drift he goes silent.

It has felt to Nick his whole life that he was the adult, the one that needed to take care of, to watch over, to protect both his Dad – Mr. Nick – and his Mom. This of course, especially with his Dad, is not really true; Nick believes that his Dad shows a softer side to him, one he probably doesn’t dare to show the other workers.

Mr. Nick fits right into the crowd at the Pub, and Nick gets the impression that not only is his Dad well-liked, but also respected. People trust him; he knows his Dad is very patient, he is often the one who takes on training the new, young, workers out in the Forest. It wasn’t long, though, before everyone, not just his Dad, recognized that Nick had the wit, the grit, and the brains, to be even more valuable helping to run and manage things, and that him toiling away in the Forest, endlessly chopping, hauling, grading, the lumber that keeps OZ humming, was a waste of his talents.

“Dad! Stay with me here – there must’ve been an accident?”

“Flying Monkeys”

“What? In the forest? What…”

Sam stands at the doorway with clothes

“Flying Monkeys in the forest?”

Mr Nick now looks up at Sam

“They attacked…they…they…”

He gets choked up

“They attacked Jimmy. They attacked him!”

“This blood is from Jimmy? Where is he? Dad! Where is he?”

“Monkey blood. I’m covered in monkey blood. They attacked, and Jimmy swung his saw, clipped one the monkeys turned to me and I dodged one – he got ahold of my shirt, ripped it clean off and Jimmy swung again and and…”

“Dad, it’s Ok”

“They tore him up Nick. I’ve never seen…oh Nick.”

Sam is shocked, silent still. So is Nick.

“Why Nick, why did they attack us?

“Dad – then what happened?”

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