To read part eight of day nine, click here.

By the time dinner was over, it was pitch black out and we were all just waiting on Bruce. Since his partner was helping him, I took a nap.

I’ve never been the kind of person who can just take a nap anywhere. The only time I can sleep in the car is if we’re driving through the night, and even then it’s a ten or twenty minute nap. The only time I take a nap in the middle of the day is if I’m sick.

So for me to fall asleep sitting up against my pack was not normal. I didn’t even think I was that tired. But the next thing I remember is Ben shaking my shoulder, telling me “you need to get up, Brett, we’ve got to go.”

I stumbled to my feet, pulling my pack on with me. The next twenty minutes or so was a blur – I don’t even know who I was following. All I did was stare at the hiking boots in front of me, watching them so I wouldn’t trip on the roots and rocks in the path.

We were going pretty fast for a while there. We didn’t take any breaks because it was level ground, so we didn’t need to. I was somewhere near the front I think, behind a couple of the guys. I’m pretty sure it was three of them ahead of me, but I’m not sure. I don’t think I was really awake for this – I was in some sort of sleepwalking mode.

“Red light!”

The words sounded distorted, and they were a lot quieter than they should have been. I vaguely remember sitting down, knowing somehow that I would have time to sit.

Luke says that they were calling my name for almost minutes.

“Dora? Brett! Wake up, Dora. C’mon, you’ve got to get up, Brett. DORA, WAKE UP!”

Apparently I fell asleep the instant I sat down. I have no recollection of them yelling at me, and I only woke up when Ben shook me.

“Something’s wrong with Jordan’s ankle – we’re going back to see what’s happening.”

I left my pack there, since I had no reason to carry it. I was slightly more alert since my mini nap, but I still wasn’t awake. I could hear the girls as I stumbled towards them, talking about Jordan’s ankle. It looked like she had twisted it pretty badly, and they were putting the ace bandage on it.

Thinking about that ace bandage made me wince. I had used it first, then Ben, and now Jordan. I was really glad that I had been the first one to use it, and that I didn’t have to use it after the others. That was just disgusting.

It was probably ten or eleven at night, and we still had a mile and a half. Plus we had an injured person. It was going to be an interesting night.

Click here to read the next part of Day Nine.

*Everything here is from my own memory and may not be correct. Outward Bound is not responsible for anything I post here. Thanks too NCOBS for letting me use their photos.*