Disclaimer: This story is written for the private	 

Disclaimer: This story is written for the private entertainment of fans.
The author makes no claims on the characters or their portrayal by the
creation of this story. Fraser, Vecchio, et.al. belong to Alliance; the
McKenzies and friends belong to me; Cat Madden belongs to Carol Trendall
and is used with permission. No infringement of any copyrights held by
CBS, Alliance, CTV, or any other copyright holders of DUE SOUTH is
intended. This story is not published for profit, and the author does not
give permission for this story to be reproduced for profit. 

You Call This Lucky? 

By Cassandra Hope 

(Copyright June 1997)  

"Once in a lifetime, if one is lucky, one so merges with sunlight and air
and running water that whole eons...might pass in a single afternoon
without discomfort." 

Loren Eiseley--The Immense Journey  

Phil joined the small group standing around the campfire and accepted the
cup of coffee passed to her. Water dripped off her poncho into her cup. "I
don't know about you, but I really hate these rainy days." Her tone of
voice belied her words as she sipped contentedly of her coffee. 

"Now, Phil, you know that rain is just a part of the 'Canyon experience',
as you so euphemistically call it." Carol spoke from the depths of her
poncho. 

"I know, I know. Even Powell had his share of rain and I guess I should
feel lucky since this is the only rain we've had all week." She threw her
head back letting the rain patter on her exposed face enjoying the
sensation, so similar yet so different from the continual splashing of the
river. 

"And will probably be the only rain we'll get the rest of the trip," Terry
added. 

"Well, thank God for small favors!" Ray added. 

"Why, Ray, don't you like rain?" Phil just had a feeling that Ray could
expound on the subject of rain and she was not disappointed. 

"I never expected it to rain out here in the middle of the desert! Isn't
that what desert means--no rain? Man, I'm telling you, last night when it
started pouring...the first night I try sleeping without a tent..." He
shuddered then cast a grateful glance toward his friend. "Thanks for being
prepared, Benny. I guess I'm lucky to be with you." 

Embarrassed, Ben stared into his coffee cup. Clearing his throat, he said,
"Luck has nothing to do with it, Ray. I've always found it helpful to be
prepared for every contingency." 

"Yeah, the perennial boy scout." But the glance shared between the two men
was one of deep friendship and understanding. 

Phil saw it and felt her heart lighten. It was good to know that Ben had
such a good friend in Ray. It was good to know that the man that Casey
loved had good heart. 

By the time the breakfast of ham and asparagus omelets was done and the
boats loaded the rain had stopped. Phil pulled out her copy of Powell's
journal and read from it, beginning this day's adventure.  

August 18--The day is employed in making portages, and we advance but two
miles on our journey. Still it rains. 

August 19--Rain again this morning. Still we are in our granite prison,
and the time is occupied until noon in making a long, bad portage. 

...in running a rapid, the pioneer boat is upset by a wave...the river is
rough and swift, and we are unable to land, but cling to the boat, and are
carried down stream, over another rapid. ***  

"Hey, Phil, I have a suggestion." 

"What is it, Ray?" Phil raised curious eyes from her book. 

"Next time you read from that journal, pick something about clear, sunny
days. You're jinxing us with all that crap about rain!" A sprinkling of
laughter met Ray's answer. 

"I'll try, Ray, but don't hold your breath!" She bit her lip but failed to
hide the smile that brightened her face. Finally she gave up and laughed
outright at Ray's dour expression. * * * 

The small group in the wooden dory held on as yet another wave leaped over
the stern of the craft and doused them with cold water. The routine of
attacking rapids with the boats and the counterattacks of the water was
well engrained in each one. Reaching for the bailing buckets, 

they methodically emptied the dory, returning the water to the river
flowing around them. Finally through the whitewater of Boucher Rapid the
group of four dories and two rafts grouped and continued their journey
down the river. 

Ray twitched and squirmed restlessly in the stern of the dory. Staring
about him at the canyon walls, the rushing water, and the lack of familiar
sites, he shook his head in confusion. How in the world had he gotten
himself into this predicament? Where were the comforting streets and
buildings of Chicago? He stared at the faces of the woman and three men
that shared the boat with him. 

"What am I doing here?" he asked no one in particular. He held the bailing
bucket in his hand, staring at it like he expected it to turn into
something odious at any moment. The others in the boat laughed at his
question. On this, the seventh day of the trip, nearly everyone had asked
that question at least once. But Ray...well, Ray had not only asked that
question but also many others. His skeptical nature was well known by all.
 

Travis eased the oars out of the water and drew them across the body of
the boat. He leaned forward and spoke to the Mountie. "Ben? You ready to
try your hand again?" 

Pleasure and excited anticipation creased Ben's face. "I'm at your
disposal, Travis." Carefully trading places with Travis, Ben slid the oars
back into the river. He had again won the wager and Travis was
relinquishing his place at the controls of the dory. 

Ray watched the proceedings concerned about having a novice handle the
boat. Unsure of how to approach the matter, he motioned with his head and
asked, "Hey, do you think it's wise to let him handle the boat?"  

Travis grinned at Ray. Well used to the Italian's vocal nature, he
placated Ray with a wave of his hands. "Don't worry, Ray. I'll take over
before we reach Crystal Rapids." He turned back to Ben and carefully led
the Mountie through some of the finer techniques of steering the dory. 

Tuning out the now familiar discussion occurring in the stern of the dory,
Phil sat in the bow with Dave McMillian, the geography professor. They
were deep in a discussion of the attempts to stabilize the ecosystems of
the canyon by the release of water from Glen Canyon Dam in a controlled
flood. Dave and his students were monitoring the erosion of several
beaches in the Canyon. 

Ray turned his attention from the two men beside him to the bow of the
boat and the couple there. He stared at them wondering what they could
find so interesting in how much dirt the river carried. These were
definitely strange people he found himself with. He ran a hand across his
forehead dislodging the hat he had worn all along. Taking the hat in his
hand, he looked at the hats on the others in the boat and asked, "Why am I
wearing this ridiculous hat?" 

"Now, Ray. You know the hat is to prevent sunburn as well as sunstroke,
heat exhaustion, and an assortment of other things that can happen if you
are unprotected." If anyone could explain the use for something it had to
be Ben. 

Now, didn't he feel better? Ray ran a hand across his face and stared at
his hand and the white goop that painted his fingers. 'What is this crap?'
he wondered as he held his hand close to his nose. Fortunately there was
no smell. He glanced at the others in the boat noting the same white crap
smeared across their faces. 

Phil glanced over her shoulder to regard Ray. Something wasn't quite right
with him. What it was she couldn't quite put her finger on but it would
have to wait for later as a distant roar signaled the approach of yet
another rapid in the river. 

"Damn but I'm really getting tired of this," Ray whispered to himself. He
watched Ben ship the oars and trade places with Travis. As Travis had
explained it, it was safer for them to trade out before approaching the
pool above Crystal. Once the rapids had a grip on a craft of any sort, it
very reluctantly let go. 

The boats were beached and all except Ray trooped out to study the
whitewater. Ray felt safer just sitting in the boat by himself. He placed
his face in his hands, wishing that the headache trying to split his skull
from ear to ear would let up. Even his eyeballs ached. He sucked in a lung
full of air but immediately regretted it as the action caused his head to
pound harder. The slight motion of the boat only added to his discomfort.
With a quick decision, he shot out of the boat and away from the constant
motion. He staggered slightly as the throbbing in his head intensified.
The life jacket hampered his movements and he pulled at the catches trying
to remove it. 

Phil watched Ray place his face in his hands. She was concerned about him.
He didn't seem to be enjoying himself as he had the previous days. His
caustic comments and cutting repartee with Ben had been lacking for
several hours. Maybe she should check with him and see if there was a
problem. Leaving the group discussing the rapids, she approached the small
boat. She was relieved when Ray climbed out of the boat and started toward
her. Her relief turned to dismay when Ray began to tug frantically at the
catches on his life jacket. She reached him as the last one yielded to his
touch. 

"Ray?" 

Wild-eyed, Ray swung around to face the woman who had shared the boat with
him. He backed away from her. "Don't try and stop me. I don't know who you
are and why you've got me trapped here, but I'm not staying and I'm not
getting back in that boat." He flung the life jacket with a force that
propelled it across the rock-strewn sandbar. It landed at the edge of the
water, gently shifting back and forth in the ebb and flow of the river. 

"Ray? What's the matter?" Phil cautiously approached him. Something was
definitely wrong.  

"Stay away from me." He continued to back away from Phil, one hand rubbing
his throbbing temple. 

Ben turned away from the discussion between Travis, Terry, and the other
boatmen. He had noticed Phil leave to check on Ray, following her with his
eyes, and witnessed the strange behavior of his partner. He interrupted
the conversation of the boatmen, pulling their attention from the
whitewater to the dories. "Something's wrong with Ray..." he pointed to
the life jacket in the river, "...and someone needs to retrieve that
before it gets away." He then sprinted across the sandbar to join Ray and
Phil. "Ray?" he called to his friend. 

Ray turned to see the novice boatman approaching him. He closed his eyes
and pressed both of his hands to his temples. No, that tantalizing glimpse
of memory eluded him. He opened his eyes to this stranger that seemed to
know him. "Who are you? And why am I here? And just exactly where is
here?" He didn't like the way the woman and the man continued to approach
him so he continued to back away from them. He tripped in his haste and
found himself sitting on the sand of the tiny beach. The man and the woman
hurried to him and several of the others of the group headed toward them
as well. 

"Ray, what is it?" Ben knelt beside his friend. He turned worried eyes to
Phil. "What's the matter with Ray?" 

"I don't know for sure, Ben. Ray?" She knelt beside Ray as well and used
her hand to turn his face to hers. Taking a shot in the dark, she asked,
"Have you been drinking enough water?" 

"Water?" Ray licked his lips, his throat suddenly parched. "Do you have
any water?" 

"Dehydration? Here? With all this water around us?" Ben was stupefied.
"How is that possible?" 

Carol squatted down beside the trio; she had heard the last few words.
"Dehydration is a very real danger here. As a rule people on the river
drink all the water they require, but sometimes they don't and become
dangerously dehydrated without realizing it. The loss of moisture through
breathing and perspiration is so fast and so extreme here in the heat of
the Canyon that its extent may not be noticed. Especially since
perspiration dries instantly on emerging from the skin." 

"And the effects can be both physical and mental." Ben recalled his bout
with dehydration that time after the plane crash. "So this memory loss Ray
is experiencing..." 

"...is only temporary. We can take care of it with plenty of water and a
mineral diet supplement. He should be fine by tomorrow." 

"It's really nice of you to talk about me like I wasn't even here!" Ray
glanced at the three people kneeling on the ground beside him. He
continued to rub his temples. 

"Sorry, Ray. I can give you something for the headache as well," Carol
added. 

Nodding his head ever so slightly, Ray asked, "So you're saying I've lost
my memory because I haven't been drinking enough water? Sheesh, what else
can happen?" 

"Well...." 

"I don't wanna know..." he stared at Ben, the question obvious in his
look. 

"Benny..." Ben supplied. 

"I don't wanna know, Benny. Just let it be a surprise!" 

"If you think that's wise, Ray." 

"How the hell would I know, I don't remember anything. Remember?" Ray
winced as his headache responded to his verbal outburst. 

"Yes, Ray." 

"Is he always this annoying?" Ray queried in a much lower voice. 

"Yes, Ray." Phil couldn't help it. It just slipped out. 

Ray glanced at her. "Just who is he?" He motioned with his head toward
Ben. 

"He's your best friend, Benton Fraser," Phil supplied. 

"And who are you?" 

"I'm the leader of this field trip, Dr. Phil McKenzie." 

"And who am I?" 

That one was easy. "You are a royal pain-in-the-ass named Ray Vecchio."
Chuckles came from those gathered around. 

"Good! I'd hate to think I was some namby-pamby prissy kind of person." 

"Well, Ray. You're definitely not that!" 

"Okay." He glanced around the area taking in the scenery. "Where are we?" 

"We're about half way through the Grand Canyon," Phil answered once more. 

"And just what in hell am I doing here?" 

"I'll let you answer that one, Ben." Phil turned it over to him. 

Clearing his throat, Ben explained, "We're on vacation, Ray." 

Ray pursed his lips and slowly shook his head. He may have lost his memory
but he knew better than that. "No way, man. This is not my idea of a
vacation." 

"Yeah we know about your idea of a vacation." Phil couldn't help but
remember Ray's comments of yesterday. "Ogling babes on a beach in
California. Am I right?" 

"Yeah, now that's my idea of a perfect vacation. So why am I here?" It
just didn't make sense for him to be here in the heat of the desert. There
must be a better reason than being on vacation. 

Ben again tried to explain it to Ray. "You're here because you volunteered
to come with me." 

A considering expression passed across Ray's face. "We're best friends?"
Ben nodded. There was something about this man that Ray instinctively knew
he could trust. "Okay, I'll believe that. So what are we doing?" 

Travis laughed. "We're getting ready to run one of the really bad rapids
of the Canyon." 

"Now why did I know something like that was gonna happen." Ray let Ben
pull him to his feet. He accepted the life jacket and put it back on and,
finally, he drank several cups of water and took the mineral supplement
and aspirin Carol handed him. 

The boatmen returned to scouting Crystal Rapids. They studied the
thrashing maelstrom long and carefully. Travis and Terry conferred at
length casting glances toward Ray and Ben. Finally, Travis motioned for
Phil to join them. "Phil, Crystal really looks bad today. I'm hesitant to
run it with passengers, much less someone who's not quite with the
program." 

"You mean Ray?" Phil glanced over to where Ben and Ray were having an
animated discussion. 

"Yeah, you know the history of this rapid. I don't want anyone in this
group to be number 6. If you know what I mean!" 

"Unfortunately, I do. So what do you recommend?" 

"Let's call the group together and give them the option of attempting the
rapids or walking around. Ray..." 

"Ray will walk! Even if I have to walk with him!" Her voice was firm,
final. 

"Good. I hope he has sense to recognize the danger here!" 

"Normally I would say he does, but under the circumstances..." Her gaze
slid back to the two men as they appeared to reach a decision. She watched
Ben rest a hand on Ray's shoulder. The seconds seemed to stretch out as
Phil observed this intimate moment between the two friends. 

A quick nod signaled Travis' understanding. "Okay, let's gather the
troops." 

Soon the group clustered around the boatmen and listened intently as
Travis described the danger here. "Crystal is dangerous and deadly. This
stretch of whitewater has claimed five lives, more than any other rapid in
the Canyon."  

That did nothing to calm Ray's fears. He glanced at the whitewater and a
shudder rippled up his spine. He definitely didn't feel like taking his
chances in that boiling soup. He glanced sideways at the man called Benny.
According to him they were the best of friends. He'd even promised to stay
with him until he regained his memory. The wide-eyed eagerness on Benny's
face told Ray all he needed to know. Benny was anticipating the adventure
ahead. Silently he groaned to himself. It looked like he was doomed to
face that boiling soup regardless of what he really wanted. His attention
was drawn back to Travis as he continued to describe the inherent dangers
of Crystal. 

"My recommendation is that if you have the slightest bit of doubt don't
chance it. Crystal is a killer. Hike around it. No one, and I mean no one,
will think the less of you. There's no glory in getting killed to prove a
point. Talk it over and make your decisions. Those of you still game to
try--meet over at the dories in 10 minutes. The rest of you can start
around the rapids on foot." 

Resigned to the fact that he would have to face the torture of the rapids,
Ray trekked back to the dories and settled down in the shade cast by the
Hetch Hetchy and waited for his torturer, in the form of the man named
Benny, to join him. 

"What are you going to do, Phil?" Ben asked as he watched Ray stretch his
legs out and close his eyes. 

"I usually ride through Crystal. I haven't been tossed yet but Travis is
right, Crystal looks meaner than I've ever seen it." 

"So, you'll hike around it?" 

"I didn't say that!" She grinned at the perplexed look on Ben's face.
"What you need to worry about is how to convince Ray to pass. In his
condition...well, we think it's better if he doesn't go it in one of the
dories." She glanced over to where Ray was drinking another cup of water
with Carol standing over him to make sure that he did. 

"Understood. How are you going to tell him he has to hike?" 

Phil's face swung back to stare at Ben. "I was hoping you'd tell him
that." 

Ben's eyes shifted away from Phil's. "I can't, Phil." 

"Why not?" 

Ben stared intently at the ground at Phil's feet before raising his face
to hers. "I promised him I'd stick by him the rest of the day to make sure
nothing happened." 

"Oh, I see..." and she did. Ben wanted to run Crystal, but he couldn't do
that and play nursemaid to Ray. She studied the man standing before her
and glanced over to the slight riffle that marked the beginning of
Crystal. She then gazed over at Ray as he sat in the shade afforded by one
of the dories. She remembered the first time she had approached Crystal
and the feeling of accomplishment that came with triumphing over this
single force of nature. She sighed and turned her attention back to Ben.
"You owe me, Ben, go ahead and tackle Crystal. I can take care of Ray. One
thing, though..." she stopped Ben's movement away from her by a hand to
his chest, "...if something happens to you, I'll..." 

"...stomp me into the ground until there's nothing left?" His eyebrows
raised inquiringly. 

Phil's mouth dropped open in surprise then widened into a grin followed by
a deep-seated laugh. "I'd forgotten about that, Ben." 

"I haven't, Phil," and he turned his dazzling smile on her. 

She felt something in the region of her heart flutter; something that had
died years ago--something that no man had touched--not Jason, not Travis,
not Lloyd, and, unfortunately, not even Martin. Struggling with these new
sensations, she gave Ben a slight push in the direction of Travis and
Terry. "Go on. I'll take care of Ray." 

"Thank you kindly, Phil." 

She nodded her head and strolled over to where Ray was sitting with his
head laid back against the side of the Hetch Hetchy. She sat down beside
him and waited until he turned his hazel eyes to her. "Um...Ray...I
um...I've um found myself in an um...embarrassing situation and I was
um...wondering if you'd be willing to help me out?" 

"Sure, Dr. McKenzie. Anything I can to help a lovely lady!" He closed his
eyes, not so patiently waiting for the aspirin to take effect on his
headache. 

"Phil. Call me Phil, Ray, and maybe you should hear what it is before you
agree..." 

"Okay, Phil, if it will make you feel any better, I'll listen." He opened
his eyes and straightened. 

She turned to stare at the group of people who were beginning to gather
around the dories. Not surprisingly, there weren't many who had decided to
attempt the rapids. "Ray, you know I've been through the Canyon many
times." She wagged her head. "Sorry, I keep forgetting that you've
temporarily lost your memory." 

"That's okay. Benny says I should start to get it back pretty quick like."


"Well, anyway...um...look Ray, I've seen Crystal in just about every stage
possible and I've run it in just about every stage possible. For some
reason, I don't think I can do it today. I have this feeling that
something's going to happen." Well, it was true, even if that something
was the dories making it through unscathed. 

"So you're thinking about hiking around?" She nodded. "How can I help?" 

"Well, if I could say that you didn't feel up to handling the rapids and
needed my help to negotiate the boulder field, then I could save face with
the others and..." 

Ray breathed a sigh of relief thankful that, for once, a good luck god was
smiling down on him. "Phil, you just saved my bacon. I was trying to think
of some way of getting out of this, but he, " he motioned with his head
toward Ben, "promised to stay with me all the rest of the day and I know
he wants to ride in the boat." They grinned at each other not necessarily
for the same reasons but that wasn't important. 

Phil motioned to Ben to join them. "Ben, Ray and I are going to hike
around the rapids. We both know how much you want to play in the water so
you go ahead!" Ray climbed to his feet and gave Phil a hand up. "I'll
catch up with you, Ray. I need to talk to Ben for a moment." 

Ben watched Ray start toward where the rest of the group that was hiking
around Crystal waited. "How did you manage to get him to agree so easily?"


"I told him I wanted to get him alone for some heavy duty kissing! He
agreed immediately!"  

Ben turned to her with such a scowl on his face that Phil giggled. "I
thought that might get a reaction out of you. Go on, Travis is waiting!"
She hurried after Ray who had turned to wait for her. Ben watched her go
and glowered at their retreating backs. 

"Boy, if looks could kill, I think we'd both be dead." Ray motioned in the
direction Phil came from. 

Phil glanced back at Ben then turned to Ray. "I think you're right!" Maybe
she shouldn't have teased Ben like that. She vividly remembered those
other times when he had been jealous. Jealous? Could he be jealous of Ray?
Why would he be that? She stared across the distance that separated her
from Ben. He stared back at her. 

"I guess we're about as ready as we'll ever be," Travis called to Ben. 

Ben stared at Phil for a moment longer then followed Travis into the dory.
He needed to talk to Phil. He needed to figure out what was happening to
him? Why was he jealous of Ray? 

Questions buzzed through Phil's thoughts. She glanced at the man beside
her then back at Ben. Why was she going out of her way to antagonize Ben?
Was she really interested in starting a relationship with Ray? Or was she
just using him to deflect Ben's attentions? If that was the reason why she
sought Ray's company then she needed to reexamine her feelings toward both
men. She turned newly opened eyes on her companion--tall, dark, and
handsome with devastating hazel green eyes, so different from Ben or
Martin. She glanced back at Ben. She idly pulled the chain from the front
of her shirt and cupped the ring in her hand. What did she want? 

Why couldn't Martin remove Ben's ghost from her heart? Did she want his
ghost removed? 

The stark truth hit her between the eyes. As much as she might want it,
Martin couldn't replace Ben in her heart. In order to do that she would
have to love him more than Ben. Since Ben had left her over 12 years ago,
Phil had reached this point in a relationship with three other men--Jason,
Travis, and Lloyd. Now she stood at that same spot in her relationship
with Martin. As much as she loved him, he couldn't fill that Ben-shaped
void in her life. She felt the knot in her stomach grow. Why couldn't she
get Ben out of her life? Out of her heart? 

Biting her lip, she motioned past Ray to where the trail around Crystal
began. "Are you ready, Ray?" 

Ray glanced at the woman, curious as to why he thought he heard a touch of
panic in her voice. Maybe she really was wierded out by this rapid. Just
who the hell was she anyway? He fell into step behind her wondering what
the hell was going on. * * * 

Crystal Rapid was a fearsome 10 in low water. It hadn't always been that
way. Before 1966 when a historic flash flood spewed boulders and other
debris out across the river, Crystal had been just an average Canyon
rapid. Since that date, however, Crystal was one of the worst of the 'bad'
rapids. The tongue of the river was fast--freight train fast--and ran
straight for The Hole. Before The Hole loomed an extraordinary object that
appeared to be a sculpture in water. It raised itself several feet out of
the water. 

"What's that?" Mara asked of Phil. Those within earshot stopped to listen
to Phil's explanation of the extraordinary hump in the river. 

"It's called a standing wave--a wave that stands still while the river
flows through it. They're created by obstructions in the riverbed. When
there's an extremely large rock in a rapid the water must flow around it
or over it. Generally, immediately downstream of the rock the water
accelerates. This added speed creates turbulence that forces the water
down to form a hole." Phil pointed to The Hole and everyone stared at the
apparition, knowing that it posed a very real hazard for the tiny dories.
"And some holes are so deep that even one of the big baloney boats can be
lost from sight in it," she added as the group watched the water rear up
in a apparently motionless wave with a crest that curled back upstream.
Talking about the dynamics of water flow in a rapid helped take her mind
of the dilemma she now found herself in. 

The group of hikers watched the dories set out to run Crystal. "Something
tells me that they don't want to take the boat through that," Ray
commented.  

Phil only nodded her head. Climbing atop a large boulder, she shaded her
eyes as the first dory started its run. She watched Travis set the Glen
Canyon up for its run. It looked good until the boat slid off the side of
the standing wave. When it appeared out the other side upside down, she
knew what had happened. 

She held her breath and searched the water for sign of Travis and Ben.
There! She spotted Travis' tawny head. But where was Ben? She couldn't see
him. A fist to her mouth, she stood motionless waiting for a sign of the
Mountie. 

Finally, after what seemed like years, a dark head popped to the surface
and began to swim away from the rocks. Phil drew in a deep, shaky breath
feeling her legs suddenly wobbly and unable to support her weight.
Dropping to sit on the rock she had stood on, she lowered her head to her
knees and drew in steady breaths fighting the spinning darkness and the
metallic taste in her mouth. She barely noticed Ray kneeling beside her
offering words of support. 

"Phil, are you all right?" Ray gently patted Phil's back. 

Stomach back in its normal place, Phil turned her face to Ray. "Yeah, I
think so. I don't know what happened?" 

"Looks to me like you almost passed out. I can see now why you didn't want
to chance the boat." He watched Phil as she again sought a glimpse of Ben.
He followed her line of sight and turning back to her saw the look in her
eyes. Was there something between this woman and the man who claimed to be
his best friend? 

Shaking herself firmly, Phil stood and swung her camera up for some
pictures of the remaining boats as they attempted the rapids. She grinned
when she realized that the rafts oared by the two women would be the only
ones to safely negotiate the whitewater. She had some fuel to tease the
Hunter brothers with. * * * 

The boats filed out into the river and headed for the tongue. Ben grasped
the side of the dory for dear life and was not encouraged by the running
commentary of Travis ("Oh, please, right, right, right") as he pulled on
the oars to get to the right of The Hole, powelling away from the danger
posed by it. 

"Damn!" Travis swore as the current grabbed the dory and swung it about.
The small boat swirled around and rode up the big wave and slid off the
side, instantly flipping upside down in the river. 

Ben shot to the surface gulping air. The frigid water was quite a shock
from the dry heat of the desert air. 

"Swim right," Travis shouted as they were carried toward the Rock Garden,
a phalanx of boulders awash in seething waves. 

Ben swam right, as Travis directed, trying to avoid the mass of churning
water that marked the half-submerged boulders. The upended dory crashed
into one of the rocks and solid thunk reverberated through the craft. 

"Damn I hope that didn't damage the boat!" Travis swore as he and Ben were
flung around like rag dolls and, finally, swept past that garden of rocks.


Terry and the other boatmen fought to keep their crafts away from the rest
of the boulders. None succeeded. Crystal was the victor today. Past that
gauntlet, the upended boats clumped together in the quiet swirls of 'Thank
God Eddy', the former occupants of the dories gradually making his or her
way to the circling boats. When all were accounted for they celebrated
with hoots of relief and triumph. 

Ben and Travis drifted near the overturned Glen Canyon. With the help of
several others the dory was righted and several shouts rang out. Travis
then Ben clambered into the Glen Canyon grinning like Cheshire cats. 

"That was one ride I don't think I'll ever forget!" Ben exclaimed with
barely suppressed excitement. 

"Kind of makes it all worthwhile. You know what I mean?" Travis grinned
widely at Ben. 

"Yes, I think I do." 

The other boats ware similarly righted and reoccupied. The triumph was
short lived as Travis took stock of his dory. Water poured in through a
crack between two of the slats that formed the bottom of the boat. He
shouted across to Terry, "We're leaking like a sieve." 

Terry called back, "We've got one, too." 

The welcome sight of the small beach on the other side of 'Thank God Eddy'
beckoned and the boats angled across the current to it. The Glen Canyon
was the first to be run up on an inflated roller tube--the modern day
answer to the backbreaking portage of olden days--and Josie broke out the
repair kit. Dispersed in the compartments of the small fleet was an
assortment of sheathing and bracing, caulking and carpenter's tools. The
boatmen set to repairing the damaged dories with a will. 

Taking a break from the toil, Travis approached Phil as she discussed the
replenishment of the beaches with Dave McMillian. "I'm sorry to disturb
you, Phil, but it looks like we will need to spend more time on the
repairs than I originally thought. If it's all right with you, we'll camp
at the Ross Wheeler for the night and get an early start tomorrow." 

She tipped her face to the sun gauging the time. Glancing back at her
friend, she replied in a firm voice, "I don't have any problem with that,
Travis. After all, they're your boats. I trust your experience and
judgment when it comes to keeping them seaworthy." 

Ray sat on a large piece of driftwood watching the boatmen work on the
dories. Evidently more than just his needed some repairs. He watched as
the woman--Phil--approached him. He felt the stirrings of desire. Funny
what dehydration could do to you and how it could really be an
inconvenience, too. What he needed to know was if there was something
between Phil and Benny. The way they looked at each other when they
thought no one was watching was interesting to say the least. 

Phil sat on the log next to Ray. "How's it going, Ray? Has anything come
back to you?" 

"Not yet? I did have a question for you, though..." 

"Okay, shoot!" 

He gestured with his hands toward the dories where the boatmen were
working diligently to repair the leaks. "Is there something...I mean do
you and Benny have...what I mean to say is..." 

Phil turned startled eyes to regard Ray. "Are you wanting to know if there
is something between us?" 

Ray nodded his head. "I've seen the way he watches you, especially when he
thinks no one is watching him. You do the same thing. Are you two in
love?" 

Phil glanced guiltily at the dories where Ben was lending a hand. She
quickly pulled her eyes away from him and stared across the river. "That's
a hard question to answer, Ray." 

"What could be hard about that? Either you are or you aren't." Ray bent
forward and picked up a rock. Tossing it from hand to hand he continued to
stare at Phil. 

Phil sighed, biting her lips as if to keep her feelings secret. She
shrugged dismissively. "We were a long time ago. Now? Now I don't know
what we are." She lowered her thick, black lashes and stared at Ray
through them. "Hopefully when you get your memory back..." 

"When I get my memory back...what?" His eyes searched her face, reaching
into her thoughts. 

Phil's gaze moved past Ray to the end of the log upon which they sat.
Movement there drew her attention and she rose fluidly from the log and
stepped around Ray. Motioning with her hand for silence, she cautioned,
"Ray, don't move a muscle." 

"Why?" Ray turned to follow her movements, his voice dying as he spied the
large scorpion that now shared the log with him. "I'm sitting really
still...not moving a muscle. What do I do now?" His hoarse whisper broke
the silence. 

Phil reached for a limb and used it to move the unwelcome creature away
from their log. They watched the tiny creature scurry into a shady crevice
between two large rocks. 

Ben watched Phil stroll along the small beach toward the log Ray was now
seated on. He carefully laid the hammer beside the toolbox. "I think I'll
check on Ray," he said to no one in particular.  

"Okay," Travis muttered then grinned broadly when he saw whom Ray was
with. "You do that, Ben. We're almost finished here anyway." 

Ben turned away from the knowing look in Travis' eyes. Really, all he
wanted to do was check on his friend. It had absolutely nothing to do with
the fact that he didn't like the idea of Ray and Phil alone together.
"Absolutely nothing,' he told himself as he wandered over in time to see
Phil move the scorpion. That's strange," he mused as he examined the small
creature. 

"What's strange about a scorpion?" Ray asked. 

"Well, scorpions are nocturnal creatures and generally do not come out
during the day. It must have been hiding in this log and your movements
awakened it." He studied the arachnid carefully. "Did you know that more
deaths have occurred in Arizona from scorpion stings than from the bites
and stings of all other creatures combined? Fortunately, this one doesn't
appear to be Centroides sculpturatus, one of the deadly forms..." 

"Deadly forms? You mean a man could die after being stung by one of
these?" Ray jerked to his feet and put some distance between him and the
rocks where the scorpion now hid. 

"Not one of these, Ray. I've already said that this doesn't appear to be
one of the deadly forms and the stings are rarely fatal to adults of
average health." He rocked back on his heels. "Although, they may prove
disastrous to anyone who suffers from heart or lung ailments or perhaps to
very young children." 

"Well, that makes me feel a little bit better." Ray removed his hat and
mopped his forehead with his forearm. 

Ben rose to his feet and wiped the sand from his hands. "Besides, Ray, of
the more than 20 species of scorpions, the two deadly forms have only been
found across the southern portion of the state and in the bottom of
the..." Realizing what he was about to say, Ben tried to avoid alarming
Ray further but was unsuccessful. 

"The bottom of what? The bottom of this canyon, right? I just knew I
shouldn't come on this trip with you, Benny! Why couldn't we go to
California where all we'd have to worry about is a stray daiquiri or
margarita or an eye-popping bikini? Do you ever listen to me? No, it's
always those puppy-dog eyes of yours making me feel guilty. Next time you
want to go on vacation...count me out! I'd sooner spend a week with
Frannie! It'd be safer!" Ray jammed his hands into the pockets of his
shorts and spun on his heels heading toward the dories that were now being
rolled back into the river. 

Ben hurried to catch up with his friend. "Ray, do you remember everything
now?" 

"Of course I remember everything. What are you talking about? Fraser,
what's going on here?" 

A look of relief passed over Ben's face as he smiled at his friend.
"Nothing, Ray. We're just getting ready to continue on down the river to
our next stop." 

"Well, that's good 'cause you had me worried there for a minute. Hey,
Phil, what's happening?" 

Phil came up behind Ray and threaded her arm through his. A devilish look
came into her eyes as she leaned closer to him and said, "Well, after all
this discussion about scorpions I thought you might be interested in a
little piece of geography." 

"Yeah, like what?" Ray glanced at the face so close to his. Damn but it
would be so easy to kiss her. An irritated noise from the direction of Ben
drew his attention and he turned capturing a look of intense jealousy on
the face of the Mountie. Ray's eyebrow rose.  

Phil pointed across the river to a ridge that sat back from the river.
"You see that ridge, the one past this one here at the river? It's mostly
reds and browns." 

Ray scowled at Ben then turned back to Phil, the scowl replaced by a
smile. Sighting along her pointing finger, he nodded his head. "Yeah, I
see it." 

Unaware of the staring match taking place over her head, Phil said, "Guess
what it's named." 

"Something tells me it has to do with obnoxious bugs." Hazel eyes
continued to bore into glacier blue ones. 

Grinning from ear to ear, Phil answered, "Yeah. That little piece of real
estate is called Scorpion Ridgenot because there are a lot of scorpions
there, but, from the air, the ridge has the shape of a scorpion--complete
with claws!" 

"Phil, you have no idea how thrilled I am with that information!" 

"I just knew you would be, Ray." Phil laughed infectiously. 

"Yes, I'm quite sure you are," Ben muttered under his breath.  

Phil cast a puzzled glance his way and was surprised to see the look of
annoyance on his face. 'Now what in hell is that all about?' she asked
herself. * * * 

"Our next stop today will be a side line into river running history," Phil
told the group as they sought their places in the various dories. 

"The Ross Wheeler?" Kim Walker asked. 

"The what?" Ray asked. 

"The Ross Wheeler, Ray." Ben once more resumed his seat in the stern of
the Glen Canyon with Ray. The differences of just a few short minutes ago
had been shuttered away into the back of his mind. How could he possibly
be jealous of Ray? 

"The Ross Wheeler! Of course, as if that's supposed to explain everything!
What in hell is the Ross Wheeler?" Ray asked as he squirmed on the seat of
the dory searching for a softer spot than the one his posterior currently
occupied. 

"A dory that was abandoned in the Canyon in 1914 by two river runners who
hiked out. It was built by the legendary boatman, Burt Loper." Travis
filled Ray in on the history of the abandoned boat. 

The group of dories and rafts angled out into the current of the river
running the 'gems', Agate, Sapphire, Turquoise, Ruby, and Serpentine
Rapids, until they found the small beach where the Ross Wheeler moldered
away in the desert heat. The group quickly set up camp as the boatmen
continued the repairs to the various dories. * * * 

"Hey, Benny." Ray turned on his bedroll to face Ben. 

"Yes, Ray." Ben continued to stare up at the small sliver of night sky
afforded by the ventilation panel of Ray's tent. After what had happened
to Ray today, he had decided to sleep in the tent with his friend in case
something came up and he was needed. 

"I didn't say or do anything that I shouldn't have while I was...you
know..." Ray's hands traced circles in the air. 

"No, Ray. You were your normal self all day--except for the memory loss." 

"That's good." 

"...and the thing with the life jacket..." 

"What thing?" 

"...and the boat and the hat..." 

"What...what?" 

"Good-night, Ray." 

"Oh, no you don't, Fraser. You explain yourself right now! Don't you go to
sleep on me! Fraser! Fraser?" 

Ben smiled in the dark as he rolled onto his side with his back to Ray. It
was good to have Ray back to normal. He was lucky to have such a good
friend. * * * 

Journal entry: 5 September 1997  

We made a little over fourteen miles today. Considering all that happened,
I guess we are lucky to have made that. Ray has recovered his memory and I
have made him promise to drink more water. He realizes the dangers of
dehydration so I do not anticipate this problem cropping up again. But,
just to make sure, I will be watching him. I know that Phil and Carol will
be watching also. 

It seemed like today we had more than our fair share of 'incidents'--the
rain this morning--although, I wouldn't call it a problem--except that Ray
seemed to think it was; Ray's bout with dehydration; Crystal Rapids; the
accident with the dories; and, finally, the scorpion. They say that bad
luck happen in threes. If that is the case then, according to Ray, he is
overdue for a streak of good luck. 

Now I know what Phil means when she says that you haven't lived until
you've shot rapids without a boat. It has to be one of the most terrifying
yet satisfying experiences that man is capable of experiencing. There
really are no adequate words to describe the experience but I shall
treasure its memory for the rest of my life.  

I enjoyed the chance to work with Terry and Travis and the others
repairing the dories. I enjoy physical labor, although I could have done
without Ms. Taylor's continual presence. I think she was only there to
watch us work or more specifically to watch me work. I finally had to
leave just to get away from her. She was interfering with the repairs and
I reasoned that the others could work more efficiently if I left them. 

I restrained myself, but I so wanted to tell her that I wasn't interested
in her. At least there are only eight more days that I must spend in her
company. But at the same time there are only eight more days to spend in
Phil's company. She has not told me where she lives. Somehow Colorado is
never mentioned. I wonder why? Maybe I should have opened that envelope
Cat gave me instead of destroying it. Just another mistake I've made in my
dealings with Phil McKenzie. 

I remember the plans we made to run the Canyon together. We even
considered doing it for our honeymoon. It's ironic that my first trip
through the Canyon is with her. I also remember that dream I once had. All
I remember clearly is sun, a canyon, and Phil's laughter drifting to me
across a river. Could that have been a foreshadowing of this trip? I
remember the turmoil my life was in at that time. I thought I was freezing
to death in my loneliness. I thought that Phil was lost to me forever.
Now? Now I don't know what to think. She is here...she is...she is Phil.
What more do I need to say? 

I have only one concern and that has to do with Phil and the man she
claims to love. Is it true and, if it is, what business do I have trying
to recapture something that she may no longer desire? But, I see her watch
me when she thinks I'm not looking and I notice how she is aware of my
presence and, when I look into her eyes, I see something that calls to me.
I cannot believe that she no longer feels anything for me. If she is my
soul mate, as Cat has pointed out on more than one occasion, then she must
be struggling with her memories and emotions as well. I have only eight
more days to find out what they might be. Do I really want to know? Could
I be lucky enough to discover her love once more?  * * * 

To be continued (?) 

***Excerpted from 'First Through the Grand Canyon' by Major John Wesley
Powell 

Copyright June 1997 by Cassandra Hope 

Comments are welcome at baktrak@earthlink.net 

  

Visit my website at http://www.geocities.com/baktrak1 for books 1 and 2 

Second Chances (Book 3 of the Ben & Phil Saga)	On a Collision
Course--Redux Second Chances A Cop, a Mountie, and a Dory Canyon Interlude
by Carol Trendall Rhyme of a Not-so-Ancient Mariner Down the Valley of the
Shadow The Heart Remembers You Call This Lucky?