by Eileen Green
“We can use the litters and the backboards to get them down the mountain,” the firefighter said as he got closer to Andrew. “We can use the lines to hold onto them.”
“Good idea.” Andrew turned back to Pete. “You haven’t given Gerald anything yet for the pain, have you?”
“No. I didn’t know if it was a good idea with his head injury or not.”
“That’s good. How many backboards are there?” Andrew asked. He needed to assess their assets to try to get everyone down safely, with as little stress and pain as possible.
“Three, and two litters.”
“Okay. Kyle, let’s get a collar on Gerald, just to be on the safe side, and then onto a backboard. We’ll take the other boards and litters with us and then reassess once we get to Jake. Let’s take a couple more collars just in case along with the medicine box. I’m sure we’ll need that. Had Jake given any vitals to you guys on the woman’s status?”
Even in the dim light of the cockpit, Andrew saw the disappointment on Pete’s features. “No. He had said the tree pinned her down so I’m sure he wasn’t able to do an assessment before everything went south. He had taken out the space blankets from his backpack though.”
Sighing deeply, Andrew said, “Let’s hope the slide didn’t separate them. Sit tight there, Pete, until we get everything ready. Are you able to walk?”
“Yes. I only banged my shoulder.”
Andrew helped Kyle pull out the backboards and position the litters near the bay door. Pulling out spools of straps, they set them with the other items. Pulling a couple of collars from their cabinet, Andrew went up front and carefully wrapped one around Gerald’s neck.
Wind and snow swirled into the bay as Kyle slid the door open further so they had room to get the equipment out along with Gerald. “Okay, Pete. Let’s go ahead and have you go on out and have the guys get you tied to the line so we don’t lose you.”
Andrew moved out of the man’s way as he made his way to the bay door. Kyle came up front to the cockpit and the two gently moved the unconscious pilot to the back. Laying him on a backboard, they strapped him down, leaving the space blanket wrapped around him.
Standing up on equipment that was bolted to the walls of the bird and on the floor, Andrew made it up to the door. Trey was standing below the door on one of the skids.
“We’ve got the flight mech on a backboard. We’ll need to pull him down the mountain,” Andrew yelled out to the man. “According to the pilot, Jake had gotten to the woman and a tree had fallen on her, crushing her. We’re going to take the other backboards and the litters with us.”
“Good planning,” Trey called back.
“We’re going to pass out Gerald first. He’s unconscious.”
With that said, Kyle help push the board up to Andrew, who maneuvered it around so that he could push on it to tip it out to Trey. Storm and Running Wolf came to stand below Trey and grabbed onto the board as it slid past Trey. Gently they laid it on the ground. Andrew tossed out the spools of straps before helping to pull up the other items Kyle fed him. Once they had what they needed, Andrew climbed down back into the wind and snow. Kyle followed behind him.
It took a few minutes for them to situate everything. Gerald had been passed down the line so that when they got to Jake and the woman, the loads would be more evenly distributed.
Andrew called into command central, expecting to hear Lyndee’s voice. A tired sounding Jacobson answered instead. “We’ve got the crew. Gerald is unconscious, possible concussion and a broken arm. Pete has a banged up shoulder, but he’s mobile. We’re still at the bird. What’s the direction of Jake’s PLB?”
“About five hundred yards to the south, southeast of your location. That would be upslope from you.”
“Roger that,” Andrew said abruptly. He didn’t want to waste time.
Taking the lead, Andrew headed in the direction Jacobson had given him. He moved slowly, giving the line of rescuers time to span out and resume their step-by-step search.
The closer they got to their target, the more Andrew’s heart pounded in his chest. Jake had called him brother the other day and it hadn’t dawned on Andrew until that moment. With the relationship they had, they were as close as brothers, depending on each other for support.
We’re coming for you, buddy.
It seemed like an hour before someone yelled down the line from the right, but it was most likely about ten minutes. Andrew moved quickly, forgetting about the men behind him, rushing in the direction of the call.
Several men were digging in the snow with their glove-sheathed hands and a shout come up when they uncovered their prize. Seeing the two still bodies, Andrew stopped in his tracks, Trey slamming into him from behind.
Kyle stepped up in front of Andrew, his large body blocking the sight. “Snap out of it, Andrew. He needs you to be strong here.”
The man’s words were true. Andrew nodded briefly and then moved around Kyle, but knew the man was right behind him. Kneeling down next to Jake, he felt for a pulse. Finding it, he sighed in relief. It was slow but steady. Reaching over, he found a pulse on the woman also. Thankfully they weren’t as cold as what Gwen was those nights she had been exposed to the elements. The space blankets had done their jobs.
Pushing on Jake’s shoulder several times, the man finally stirred. “What?” he whined.
“Hey, buddy. It’s me. We’re going to get you home.” Andrew had to swallow the lump in his throat. He was thankful he seemed all right for the most part. “Can you stand?”
“Donno. Is Gwen ‘kay?” His speech was slurred, whether from the cold, sleep, or an injury, Andrew couldn’t be certain yet.
“She’s fine. She’s back at command central. Now, you’re going to listen to me. Are you hurt?”
Even though Jake tried to fight the lights focusing on him, he was finally becoming a bit more coherent. “No. But Lily is.”
Andrew took Jake’s backpack and handed it back to Trey. Then, he helped his friend sit up. Kyle was next to Andrew now and the three of them tried to access Lily.
“I wasn’t able to check her out much except her arms before we got hit with the second slide. Her left radius is broken. She said it hurt to breathe a few hours ago. Tried to keep waking her, but fatigue got to me. Sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about,” Kyle said. “Surprised you were able to do what you have so far.”
Kyle moved the space blanket from the woman since Jake had covered most of her body with it. Watching him, Andrew saw the man’s expression as soon as he saw her face. His sharp intake of air was audible even above the wind. Glancing over at Jake, Andrew knew that Kyle had found the woman he wanted. He just had to get Morgan onboard.
“Let’s see what we have,” Andrew said, feeling the need to get moving. The wind was getting stronger and they needed to get off the mountain. He also wanted his woman’s arms holding him and Jake.
Feeling along her shoulders while Kyle slid his hands carefully along her legs, he didn’t find anything broken there. Pulling her coat aside and then raising the several layers of sweaters she was wearing, he found massive bruising on her chest and upper abdomen. He wouldn’t be surprised if she had some broken ribs, but he was more concerned about internal bleeding.
“Shit!” Kyle exclaimed. “What can we do for her here?”
His friend’s concern reminded Andrew of his and Jake’s reaction the first time they had seen Gwen. Even though they were paramedics, with the severity of her hypothermia, there wasn’t much they could do and that had really bothered them. Now, he felt for Kyle, for there wasn’t much they could do but get her down the mountain as quickly and gently as possible and then on to the hospital.
Kyle met Andrew’s gaze and nodded dejectedly. He was a professional and had enough training to know that you can’t play God no matter how much you want to.
“Kyle, you need to get the other two backboards and a litter. Bring the medicine box also.”
Andrew knew tha
t making the man stay busy would be more productive than waiting around doing nothing. Kyle got up to do his bidding and was back in a minute. He had also brought back some of the strapping and quickly set about attaching the litter to the backboard, forming a skid. Good man.
Andrew grabbed a collar from the box and slid it around Lily’s neck. After that, he took a syringe and a small vial of morphine, filled it, and then administered it to her arm. She would need something for the pain and it was better if she had it before she woke.
Taking out two more space blankets, he tossed aside the one that was covering her since it was a bit too wet and cold now. With Kyle’s help, he wrapped the new ones around her and then helped strap her down to the spare backboard. A small moan emanated from her as they worked on but she never woke up.
Once they had her taken care of, Andrew turned to Jake. He was pale and groggy. He wasn’t going to be able to walk down the mountain on his own. “You are going to ride down in the litter. I want you to try to stay awake as much as possible,” Andrew instructed. “Gwen’s waiting at the bottom of the mountain for us. Just remember that.”
Solemnly, Jake nodded. Exhaustion had overtaken him.
Andrew and Trey helped Jake to his feet and then into the litter. More space blankets were brought out and wrapped around Jake. Then his backpack along with the medicine box was set in on his lap.
After everyone shared in some of the hot coffee, they began to make their way down the mountain, this time, not having to be as careful, as they would miss coming across their targets. The only problem was the snow. It was now blowing full force, but fortunately, it was coming in on their backs so they didn’t have to fight it head on.
Andrew couldn’t wait to get to the bottom of the mountain and wrap his arms around something warm. Someone warm. He was certain that many of the men in the group were thinking the same thing.
Chapter Nineteen
The Tahoe shook as the wind had picked up, stirring Gwen from the sleep she had fallen into. Shifting, she pulled the blanket up over her head trying to block the incessant noise from her ears but then she realized the storm had gotten worse. Grabbing her phone from the dashboard, she dialed Lawrence’s number.
“What’s wrong?” Siobhan asked sleepily, sitting up straight.
“The storm’s gotten worse. I’m calling Lawrence to…” The phone connected. “Hey Lawrence. Any…”
“I’m coming to get you guys.” Those six words stirred panic within Gwen. Had they found Jake and the others? Was there a problem?
“He’s coming to get us,” she said, really to no one.
Heather sat up, wiping her face with her hands, probably to wipe away the sleep. “What time is it?”
Gwen looked down at her phone. “Four-thirty.”
Heather’s hand found Gwen’s under the blanket and squeezed it in support. Uncertainty churned in Gwen’s stomach, the anticipation making her nauseous as they waited for those few minutes for Lawrence to arrive.
When the door to the passenger side opened, Siobhan reached to turn off the engine but stopped. “Don’t turn it off. You’ll probably want to come back here when we’re finished.”
Gwen didn’t know how to read that statement but she would just have to wait and see what was going on. Lawrence helped Heather out. Gwen followed and then Siobhan. He held onto Heather and Gwen by holding their arms and Siobhan held onto Heather as they made their way to the trailer.
The door opened as they got to the trailer as if someone had been watching for their arrival. Lyndee stood in the doorway, a smile on her face. That itself warmed Gwen and she knew without words that everything was going to be all right.
Stepping up into the trailer, Gwen found it warm but not as warm as the Tahoe. Heather came in behind her followed by Siobhan and then Lawrence. The door closed behind them, closing them in.
“They’re on their way back. Jake is okay according to Andrew. He’s just tired and very cold.” Lyndee said this as she motioned for the three ladies to sit at the table. Gwen and Heather sat on one side while Siobhan and Lyndee took the other.
“I know that feeling very well,” Gwen said.
She noticed Commander Jacobson sitting on one of the recliners that had been installed in the unit. A radio sat on a small table that looked like an end table but that sat before the three chairs. He was watching her, although remained silent.
Martha was getting the coffee pot from the counter and a plate of what looked like sandwiches. She brought them over to the table, setting them down. Her stern look told Gwen that she wasn’t going to have anyone get up without eating anything or getting some hot coffee in them. Gwen smiled her thanks but didn’t really think she would be able to eat anything until she held her men in her arms again.
“Don’t give me that look, young lady,” Martha chastised. “I’m pretty sure that you haven’t eaten anything since you got here and Jared said you hadn’t eaten at the diner when they met up with you. You are going to eat something. You’ll need your strength to take care of your man when he gets here. So, eat up.”
Eyeing her with amazement and a smidgeon of anger, Gwen felt respect for the woman. According to Lyndee, Martha had accepted the job as housekeeper for the Goodall family while she was in her mid-twenties and never married. Storm told Lyndee that his mother suspected that Martha had a young man but something happened and it was like Martha was hiding herself away from the world. The woman had foregone a family and love of her own and accepted the family that she worked for. And now, she apparently was spreading her wings to other people that her family was bringing in as their own.
Gwen nodded and bowed her head slightly to avoid letting anyone see the tears that had accumulated in her eyes. Her own mother had disowned her because of one mistake and here was Martha, playing mother to all those around her, accepting them with all their problems and kinks.
She knew all eyes were on her, including the commander’s. Guilt swept over her at how she had treated the man earlier. Standing, Gwen threw her arms around Martha, hugging her close. “Thank you,” she whispered in the older woman’s ear. “You are a special woman, aren’t you?”
“Humph,” the woman said. “I don’t know about that, but thank you for thinking so.”
Gwen pulled back but let her hands hold onto Martha’s upper arms. “I think you know you are loved by everyone who comes into contact with you. I, myself, have to say thank you, for my own reasons.”
Flustered, Martha glanced at the others in the room as if she was trying to get someone to say something to pull her out of the situation, but Gwen could see Lyndee, Lawrence, and Siobhan nod in agreement. She could also see Commander Jacobson watching Martha with heated curiosity.
“Thank you,” Martha murmured before she pulled away. “Now, eat.”
Gwen let go of her and turned toward the man sitting by himself. “Um, I’m sorry, Commander, that I went off on you. I don’t know what came over me…well, I mean…I do know what came over me, but that wasn’t right. So, I’m sorry.”
The man stood, unfolding his six foot frame from the chair, and moved to stand before her. His silver hair tattletaled of dark hair at one time in his life as here and there some still remained. His dark eyes drilled into Gwen’s as if he could see inside her. “My dear, believe me, I understand how you felt. I didn’t want to hold off, but I was thinking of trying to protect everyone. Those are my men on that mountain and several more stepped up to go look for them. They are my family. I’m responsible for them, for all of you at this point. I’m sorry that I upset you.” He then chuckled. “Besides, what you did was nothing. I’ve had worse from family and friends than you. You were a little pussy cat compared to some.”
Stepping forward, Gwen let herself hug the man who several hours ago seemed unapproachable. “Thank you for understanding.”
“No problem. Now, I suppose I need to congratulate you on your engagement. Jake and Andrew are lucky men.”
Surprise hit Gwen at his wor
ds. He was a high-ranking official in the community and he just admitted he knew about a ménage relationship involving some of his men. Looking up at him, she saw only merriment in his eyes. There was no recrimination. Whispering, she said all she could. “Thank you.”
Turning back to the table, Gwen noticed that Martha stepped back into the kitchen area and had begun wiping down the counter. Chancing a glance back at the commander, who was resuming his seat in front of the radio, she had to wonder if she could get those two crazy ones together.
The plate of sandwiches was pushed in front of her by Lawrence, who, when Gwen let her gaze meet his, was looking at her as a Dom would his sub. She knew that even though she had agreed to eat something to appease Martha, he wasn’t going to let her get away with just words. Resigning herself, she picked up a ham and cheese sandwich.
As she ate, she had to admit she liked Martha’s sandwiches. The woman made sandwiches like Gwen did. With lots of meat and cheese. She hated it when the bread overtook the inners and all you could really taste was the bread.
She found she was hungrier than she thought she was. A whole sandwich and a cut-up pear later along with a cup of coffee, Gwen felt much better.
“How long do you think it’ll take for them to get back?” she asked as she drained the rest of her coffee.
“I’d say about three hours at the most,” Commander Jacobson answered.
“Oh.” Gwen couldn’t keep the disappointment from sounding in her voice. Then, realizing she was being selfish, she asked, “What about the others? The ones from the helicopter and the woman? Did they say how they were doing?”
“The flight mech got banged up. Probably has a concussion and a broken arm. The pilot has a shoulder wound but he’s walking down on his own apparently, and the woman, she’s unconscious and has massive bruising on her stomach and chest. She may have internal bleeding. Apparently a tree fell on her during the first avalanche.” Lawrence was matter-of-fact about the report. Gwen felt he was pretty much that way in life.
