It was early spring and my sister, Amber and I were on our annual hike and camp in the mountains. It was our first year going alone, usually our Dad would join us but he said he'd finally gotten too old to join us. We didn't mind too much, we'd been going for over 20 years so were very comfortable with the trails.
"Are you sure you checked the weather for this week Marcus? Those clouds do not look friendly," said Amber as we stopped for a drink.
"Yes, it will be cloudy in the morning then clear up in the afternoon, we'll be fine," I replied.
"Okay, I trust you."
After another few miles of hiking however, the clouds got darker and it started to rain.
"You did check the weather for where we're going and not home right little brother?" said Amber as she put her rain gear on.
"Uhm, shit. I may have forgotten to change the location," I replied. Amber laughed.
"Oh, it's just as well I love you or I'd kick your ass. Come on, we're stepping up the pace, I want to get set up before this gets too bad."
Amber wasn't kidding about pace, I suppose I deserved it for messing up the forecast but I hoped it wouldn't last long. The trail we were on was one of the more difficult ways to the camping areas, we had our own one reserved but we got to a place on the trail where a tree close to the ravine had fallen and its roots had made a big hole. We precariously made our way around it but right at the end, Amber slipped in the mud and fell backwards into the roots. I dropped my pack and quickly scrambled to help her, she had yelled out in pain when she landed.
"I'm okay, I'm okay. Something scratched my side though, help me get clear then take a look at my pack," she said as I helped her up.
I got her up to the safety of the path then pulled her pack up, a sharp root, or at least part of it, had pierced her pack. She was bleeding a little but it was thankfully just a scratch.
"Holy fuck, another inch to the left and that could have been worse," I said, already digging out the first aid kit.
"We'll need to clean it here," she replied.
"Yes Nurse Amber, I know."
"Hey, I'm okay, I'm sorry, I'm not blaming you or anything, just relax okay."
"Sorry, I, that could have killed you."
"Well it didn't, just a scratch. Clean it with the alcohol and I'll be fine. Here, I'll use my poncho as a shelter."
I cleaned the scratch then we got back underway, we didn't have much further to go. I got my tent set up quickly, we had some cover from the wind but I made sure my waterproofing went up on my tent. I went to find the Ranger contact radio to tell them about the tree, Amber had declined my help.
When I got back she was sitting on her pack and looked pretty frustrated.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"That root fucking shredded my tent, look at it!"
I picked up the pile of material and sure enough, it tore clean through her pack, the tent and her waterproof layer.
"Well, that's fucked!" I said, throwing it back into a pile.
"I'm not going back, I need this Marcus, John has been driving me nuts and I need to reset up here."
"So, we salvage what we can from that mess, use it to stow the gear and you can bunk with me. Just like when we were kids."
"Yes but I'm now 32 with tits, Marcus, we're going to be a little close in that tiny tent of yours."
"We're adults, I'll shower more than usual when we're camping and we'll be fine."
"Fine. I'm sorry. I know it wasn't the rain that brought that tree down, I'd have probably slipped anyways."
Amber hugged me then we built a makeshift shelter for our packs out of the remnants of her tent. It wasn't pretty but it served a purpose. We put both sleeping bags into my tent but with their outside bulk they kind of took up too much space. Amber took charge and just opened them out and set them up like blankets.
"We'd have been uncomfortable if I left them, you'll be fine, oww," she said, wincing as she sat down.
"What's wrong, are you okay?" I said, rushing to her.
"Yea, I think my dressing came off the scratch and it's been rubbing on my shirt."
"Let me look at it, I'll grab the kit again."
Amber went into the tent and knelt down, I got the first aid kit and joined her, zipping up the tent after me.
"You remembered," she said.
"What?"
"You didn't close my tent one time and I yelled at you. You said 'but we're alone up here' and five minutes later the Ranger came to make sure we were doing okay."
"Well yes, I did call him about the tree and you need to get your top off."
"Anything to see me in a bra," she said with a grin.
"You're my older sister Amber, this is medical."
"Uh huh."
"Go shower and I'll clean it up when you get back."
Amber often liked to tease me, she knew I was a breast man and would playfully scold me when she wore low cut tops and caught me looking. She did have amazing breasts, 36c's which were perfect for her frame and I do admit to gazing at them any chance I could. Growing up I was forever trying to catch her undressing but she always knew.
Her scratch was just a little irritated from rubbing on her shirt, the tape had been pulling at a sore spot too so I cleaned it up, put some cream on it and gently covered it up with a dressing. And yes, I did sneak a look at her chest.
"You get away with that little peek for being so gentle," she said with a smile.
"I don't think it was the scratch itself causing you pain, it's starting to bruise around there, you should get some rest and take it easy for a day or so."
"When do I ever take it easy? I'll get a good sleep and see how it is tomorrow. Hopefully this fucking rain will have quit by then."
"Well, okay. I'm going to shower."
Our campground was one we'd been using for many years. With it being so remote and away from the main trails it was usually quiet but it had amenities that most camps didn't. Our families donated every year to help maintain it, we had a bathroom and a very basic, warm water shower that helped reduce the amount of extra equipment we had to carry but it let us enjoy nature without being too far removed from the basic necessities we enjoyed. After I showered, I joined her in the tent, she was laying back reading a book. She was just wearing shorts and her sports bra, I couldn't help but look.
"28 years old and you're still looking at your sister's boobs like there aren't thousands of pics on the internet you could look at instead," she said with a grin.
"I uh, sorry, I can't help it," I replied.
"It's fine, I'm teasing. If my husband looked at me the way you do I'd be a happier woman."
"Things not going so well? You seem happy together."
"We're trying for a baby but we don't think I can have kids, it's been putting a lot of strain on us."
"How do you know it's not him?"
"He said he got an old girlfriend pregnant long before we met but she lost it."
"Sorry Sis, not sure what to tell you."