ACT 3

FADE IN:

EXT. RIVER. DAY. RESUME.

The water catches up to them in seconds, and it takes all of their combined strength and skill to keep the canoe upright and pointed forward. They're lifted high atop the cresting wave, and Gabrielle watches with horror as the bend in the river comes ever closer. She sees that the flood is ignoring the bend and is crashing through the jungle. She realizes that if they continue on that route, they will be smashed to bits against the trees and rocks making up what was once a deeply carved bank.

Xena can feel the wave's power slackening just slightly. At the last possible second, she jams her paddle into the water, and with every ounce of her strength, tilts the craft to the right. Another current catches it, and it is swept along the bend, a hair's breadth from tipping completely over.

They rocket around the wide bend as if on a bobsled, then shoot straight down the center of the raging river like a cork shot from a bottle.

The frothing waters continue to churn beneath the canoe, which is buffeted on both sides by debris, jostling them fore and aft.

XENA
(shouting)
There's rapids up ahead!
Watch out for rocks!

GABRIELLE
(shouting)
All right!

Over the water's roar, Gabrielle hears a sound that resembles a human scream. When the sound comes again, and she becomes certain that someone is screaming for help.

CUT TO:

EXT. RIVERBANK. DAY.

A woman and her three children stand on the bank of the flooding river. Their canoe has been smashed to bits against the jagged rocks, and their belongings lay strewn over the bank. The mother is screaming and pulling at her hair. The three children stare into the flood, expressions terrified.

A bright flash of cloth is seen in the river. It disappears beneath the churning waters, then reappears, wrapped around the body of the woman's fourth child, caught helplessly in the flood's vicious currents.

CUT TO:

EXT. RIVER. DAY.

Gabrielle catches a glimpse of the young child struggling in the water, and without thought, drops her paddle and dives into the river. She swims strongly for the boy even as she fights the strong currents threatening to dash her against the rocks.

XENA
GABRIELLE!!!

Swearing under her breath, Xena struggles to control the suddenly unbalanced canoe. She just manages to right it when a trunk of an uprooted tree slams into it, spinning it out of control.
She stops the spin, only to have another tree hit the craft, pushing it inexorably toward the rock-strewn bank.

XENA
I...have...had...ENOUGH!

Allowing the river to take the canoe, she readies herself, and leaps from the boat just as it strikes the rocks, shattering on impact.

She hits the water with great force, and struggles to the surface quickly, wide eyes sweeping the area for signs of her partner.

XENA
GABRIELLE!!!

CUT TO:

EXT. RIVER. DAY. GABRIELLE'S POV

Gabrielle is being severely buffeted by the flood, but sheer determination keeps her fighting. She's moved closer to the struggling child, but loses sight of him as the rapid current pulls him under yet again.

GABRIELLE
Not this time.

The boy struggles to the surface, choking on the water he's swallowed, and thrashing his arms in complete panic.

Gabrielle sees her chance and pushes off a nearby rock, grabbing hold of his colorful shirt and hugging him tight against her body.

GABRIELLE
(triumphantly)
Gotcha!

The boy croaks out a breathless scream, and in his panic, beats against Gabrielle's restraining arms.

GABRIELLE
It's ok. I've got you. It's ok.

BOY
Mama! Mama!!

Adjusting the child so that her right arm is left free, she begins swimming for the bank with what's left of her rapidly depleting strength.

Her leg slams hard against a submerged, jagged rock, and instantly goes numb. This slows her momentum, and allows a strong current of flood water to whisk her downstream with frightening swiftness.

Her eyes widen as she sees that she is headed directly for a pair of boulders half again her size, and she twists her body so that it is between the boy and the rocks, then squeezes her eyes shut and waits for the inevitable.

GABRIELLE
(sotto voce)
Ohhh, this is gonna hurt.

CUT TO:

EXT. RIVER. DAY. XENA'S POV

The pride on Xena's face as she watches her partner rescue the drowning boy turns quickly to horror as Gabrielle smashes against the rocks and goes limp.

The sound out of her mouth is nothing so much as a guttural roar, and she powers forward, ignoring the slap and the sting of onrushing debris that buffets her from every angle.

Coming up for air, she spies a thick vine, hanging low over the water, and races for it, grabbing it with one hand, and allowing its strength to pull her from the rampaging water.

With the vine still in her sure grasp, she jumps from the bank and swings toward the rocks where Gabrielle and the child are trapped, their faces thankfully above the rising tide.

At the apex of the swing, she reaches down and plucks the boy from her partner's limp arms even as her legs hook beneath Gabrielle's armpits and haul her bodily out of the rushing water.

The boy comes awake with a start, and screams almost directly into Xena's sensitive ear. He throws his arms tightly around her neck, nearly choking her, his eyes wide and shiny as newly minted coins.
Xena settles the child on her hip, and when his legs instinctively clamp around her waist, she releases her grip on him and hauls Gabrielle into her now free arm by the back of her top.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. RIVERBANK. DAY.

As the vine swings back, Xena releases her grip and lands lightly on the ground. She immediately goes to her knees and lays Gabrielle out on the wet ground, keen eyes assessing for injuries.

XENA
You're gonna have to
let go now, kid.

The sound of her voice causes the boy to tighten his grasp, and Xena gently, but firmly, pulls him away, setting him on the ground beside her.

XENA
You're gonna be all right, but you
need to stay right there. Your
mother should be coming soon.

(beat)

I hope.

Pushing the child from her thoughts, Xena stares down at her partner. Long fingers stroke blonde hair away from a damp brow.

XENA
Gabrielle. Hey...Gabrielle,
can you hear me?

Receiving no response, Xena pulls back within herself, and carefully examines Gabrielle's visible injuries.

Gabrielle's left leg is cut from knee to calf and bleeding sluggishly. The joint is swollen and beginning to bruise.

Dots of crimson mark her left side, mapping her skin's impact with the rough stone, and her rib cage looks battered and bruised.

XENA
Gabrielle...sweetheart...
this is gonna hurt a little,
but I have to---

As Xena presses down lightly on her soulmate's ribs, Gabrielle moans and turns her head, but doesn't regain consciousness.

XENA
I know that hurt. I'm sorry.
I needed to check.

(beat)

They're banged up, but not
broken. I know you can't
appreciate that now, but
believe me, you will.

Reaching out, she grasps some large leaves and presses them against the cut on Gabrielle's leg, internally damning herself for having left their gear behind.

Sounds of running footsteps and heavy breathing come from behind her. An instant later, the young boy runs into the arms of his sobbing mother.

The noise of the reunion fades into the background as Xena carefully feels along Gabrielle's skull and grimaces when her fingers brush along the edge of a small, egg-shaped lump just behind her left ear.

A shadow falls over Gabrielle, and Xena looks up to see the boy's mother cradling him in her arms.

MOTHER
Thank you. You saved his life.

XENA
No, Gabrielle did.

MOTHER
Will she---?

XENA
(forcefully)
She'll be fine.

Another shadow falls, and it's the woman's eldest son, a tall, thin teen. He steps forward and places Xena and Gabrielle's gear on the ground next to Xena. The bags are mostly dry, but the furs are soaked through.

XENA
Thanks.

A second boy moves forward and lays several neatly folded and brightly patterned furs on the ground beside the gear, smiles shyly at Xena, and runs back to hide behind his mother's skirts.

MOTHER
For warmth.

XENA
No. Thank you, but---

MOTHER
You will need them. The sun will
set soon, and she must be
kept warm. For healing.

(beat)

Please. My son would be dead
if not for the both of you. Please,
accept this. It is all that I can give.

XENA
We don't need---

MOTHER
Yes. You do.

After a moment, Xena nods her thanks, and the woman smiles, triumphant. Her smile fades as one of the boys tugs at her dress.

MOTHER
(cont'd)
We must go. We have far to travel
and my husband is waiting.

XENA
Thank you for your kindness.

MOTHER
Thank *you*...for my son.

CUT TO:

EXT. JUNGLE CLEARING. NIGHT.

Gabrielle is lying on a soft nest of furs close to the fire. Her wounds have been cleaned and dressed. Her leg is splinted, and her injured ribs are wrapped in strips of clean cloth.

Though the fire's heat radiates through the clearing, and she's covered with thick furs, Gabrielle shivers, caught in the grip of a mild fever.

Banking the fire so that it will burn through the night, Xena strips to bare skin, lifts the furs, and slips beneath, curling around Gabrielle and lending her warmth.

Though her eyes close, she remains awake and alert for any change in Gabrielle's condition.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. JUNGLE CLEARING. PRE-DAWN.

Gabrielle twitches in the grasp of a fevered nightmare.

Sensing Gabrielle's distress, Xena raises up on one elbow and lays her hand on her partner's forehead, frowning at the heat radiating from her skin.

Gabrielle moans softly, and Xena pulls back, peering intently at her lover's face. Gabrielle's eyes flutter open, and she blinks, trying to focus.

XENA
(softly, smiles)
Hey.

GABRIELLE
Xena?

XENA
Yeah, it's me.

(beat)

How are you feeling?

GABRIELLE
(frowning)
Like Argo ran over me.

Xena laughs softly.

XENA
That good huh?

GABRIELLE
What happened?

XENA
What's the last thing
you remember?

Gabrielle's eyes grow distant as she tries to concentrate.

GABRIELLE
We were on...the river.
A flood.

(beat)

The boy! Is he---?

She struggles to sit up, but Xena restrains her, and she collapses back against the furs, breathless with the pain and vertigo she feels.

XENA
Relax. It's ok. He's fine.

GABRIELLE
(smiles in relief)
You saved him.

XENA
No. You did. I just
helped clean up a little.

GABRIELLE
I did? But I...

XENA
Got hurt, yes. But you
still saved his life.

GABRIELLE
And you saved mine.

Xena grins, and strokes Gabrielle's cheek.

XENA
That's my job, remember?

Gabrielle laughs, then winces and cradles her ribs.

GABRIELLE
Gods!

Reaching to the side, Xena grasps a cup filled with herbs and water. Gently lifting Gabrielle's head, she places the cup to her soulmate's lips.

XENA
Drink. It should help
with the pain.

Gabrielle drinks the bitter mixture, making a face as she does so.

GABRIELLE
Thanks.

Xena nods, and replaces the cup back on the ground next to her.

GABRIELLE
Xena?

XENA
Yes?

GABRIELLE
Did you get the herbs? The
ones we came here for?

XENA
No, not yet.

GABRIELLE
But...

XENA
The herbs will wait.

GABRIELLE
(a little heatedly)
The people who
need them won't.

XENA
They'll have to. I'm not
leaving you, Gabrielle.
Not here. Not now.
Not ever.

GABRIELLE
Xena, this is important.

XENA
*YOU* are important.

GABRIELLE
And the Amazons?

XENA
What about them?

GABRIELLE
Xena, you promised Ephiny
that you wouldn't let the
Amazons die out.

XENA
And I'll do the best I can to
keep that promise, Gabrielle.

(beat)

But not at the price you're
asking me to pay.

Xena's expression is closed, and Gabrielle knows the argument is fruitless, but she steels herself to battle on when a huge yawn interrupts her plans. Her eyelids grow heavy and finally close as the relentless pull of the drug finally takes her under into a deep, healing sleep.

XENA
(whispers)
I'm sorry.

FADE OUT:

ACT 4