Brackenbeck

by Margaret Dickinson

  ‘It’s bad, isn’t it?’ said Tom.

  ‘It could be a lot worse,’ she replied.

  ‘It hurts like …’

  ‘Like hell – go on, say it,’ Katharine said. ‘ It’ll help.’

  She glanced at Tom’s face and saw him grin weakly. It did him good, for immediately a little colour returned to his ashen face and he relaxed a little. Jim knelt beside her holding the lamp steadily, his eyes fixed on Katharine’s hands. She felt, rather than saw, that he approved of her work.

  ‘This is only just to keep any more dirt out until we can get you to hospital, where they can do a proper job,’ she said as she secured the last bandage.

  ‘I reckon tha’s done a proper job, lass.’ Tom said, and she could not fail to hear the surprise in his voice. ‘It feels better already.’

  ‘Good. Then try and get some sleep. They’ll be a while getting us out yet.’

  ‘Yes – Doctor.’

  Katharine turned at his words and saw the sheepish grin on his face. Tom grasped her hand and squeezed it quickly.

  ‘I’m reet glad tha come, lass. Thanks.’ And he turned away in embarrassment.

  Katharine too felt the same shyness, but coupled with a warm rush of gratitude to Tom for voicing his appreciation. She turned away and stood up. Jim stood beside her and they then moved away from Tom to the other side of the cave.

  ‘How bad is it, Katharine? It looks dreadful.’

  She could not help but notice his natural use of her Christian name and realised that she too had used his unthinkingly.

  ‘Jim, I’m worried about it. I’ve done all I can do to stop infection in the wound and in doing so have given him temporary relief – though how he stood all my cutting and probing, I’ll never know. But his nerves – though obviously of iron – can only stand so much. I’m very much afraid that when he wakes he’ll be suffering severely from shock.’

  ‘What can we do?’

  ‘Well, the pain will be bad and if he starts to be restless and move about, he could undo what bit of good I have tried to do.’

  ‘Katharine,’ Jim said quietly, ‘though I don’t know much about being a doctor, I’ve sense enough to know you’ve done a grand job there.’

  She smiled quickly, gratified by his words. Praise from Jim Kendrick – she had never expected to hear it.

  ‘The best thing I can think of which would ease his pain and help the shock factor would be an injection of morphia.’

  Jim ran his hand distractedly through his hair.

  ‘How bad is the fall? How long are they likely to be?’

  ‘It seemed miles coming here, I can tell you. It’ll be a long while before they can clear it all – too long, I’m afraid.’

  ‘Then – then what can we do?’ he said helplessly.

  ‘I’ll try and shout to them down the tunnel and ask them to go to Anthony for what I need – then if they get it here, I’ll go and fetch it.’

  ‘Katharine, you can’t go down that tunnel again.’

  His hands gripped her shoulders.

  ‘It’s bad enough you being here,’ he added, ‘ but the tunnel is even more dangerous.’

  ‘Jim,’ Katharine said softly. ‘Please try to understand. I had to tell Luke the same thing to let me come. I’ve dedicated my life to being a doctor and, therefore, to my patients, and right now Tom’s my patient.’

  Jim let his hands fall from her shoulders and he sighed heavily. She saw him wince in pain.

  ‘It’s time I had a look at your arm.’

  ‘It’s nothing.’

  ‘Come on, Mr. Kendrick, sir.’

  And with a smile he gave way.

  Swiftly she examined his left arm and found that although there was no bone broken, it was badly bruised and sprained. She made a rough sling and fastened it round his neck. As she did so, he slipped his right arm about her waist. ‘Katharine, thank you for what you’ve done, for Tom and – me.’

  In the dim light, she looked into his dark brown eyes and saw the unspoken apology for his previous behaviour. An apology for all the occasions when he had refused to accept her as a doctor, and she knew that foremost in his mind was the incident of the moor fire.

  He seemed about to say more, but Katharine prevented him. She was not the kind of woman who wished to see the pride of a man like Jim Kendrick crushed. She did not demand his humiliation. Katharine had read the humble apology in his eyes and that was enough for her.

  ‘Think nothing of it,’ she said lightly.

  ‘I think a great deal of it, Katharine. More than you could guess.’

  A moan from Tom interrupted any further conversation. An examination of the injured man told Katharine that the time had come, sooner than she had thought, for her return through the tunnel. Tom’s forehead was covered with beads of sweat and again he was tossing in pain.

  Katharine went to the small opening of the tunnel.

  ‘Luke,’ she shouted.

  ‘Yes,’ came the faint reply.

  ‘Is Dr. Stafford there?’

  ‘Yes. The lads have carried him down, miss.’

  ‘Good – can he hear me?’

  There was a pause, then Anthony’s voice echoed down the tunnel.

  ‘I’m here, Kate.’

  ‘Anthony, have you any morphia with you?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Good, I’m coming for it.’

  She turned back to Jim.

  ‘Anthony’s managed to get here and has brought the very drug I need. I’m going to fetch it.’

  ‘Is it really impossible for anyone else to get through?’ The worried frown on his face was deeper than ever. He ran his fingers through his thick, dark hair, glancing first at Tom and then back at Katharine in helpless anguish.

  Impulsively, Katharine put her hand on his arm.

  ‘Yes, it is. Don’t worry, I’ll be right back.’

  And in the faint light from his lamp, she smiled up at him. But there was no answering smile in his dark eyes. His huge hand covered hers briefly before she drew away and knelt down ready to enter the tunnel.

  ‘Katharine – take care.’

  But already her head and shoulders were in the tunnel and she was concentrating on the ordeal ahead. Never would she admit it, but this journey up and down the tunnel was sheer torture for Katharine.

  She had always feared enclosed places and now she was experiencing her severest test ever. Her progress was agonisingly slow and painful. At times she heard the shouts of those at either end. Jim called frequently and Anthony too, now he had reached the mouth of the tunnel, kept enquiring on her progress. It was comforting and yet, at the same time, annoying for each time someone called she had to stop to listen whilst they repeated it and then answer. And shouting for her wasn’t easy, for her breathing was laboured with the effort of wriggling and pushing herself forward.

  At length a glimmer of light appeared ahead, and with the upper earth in sight, her heart lightened considerably. She dared not think of the return journey at present.

  Luke helped her from the tunnel, stiff and cramped as she was. She found it had taken her longer to come back than to get to Jim. Luke had timed her in an effort to ascertain how far the tunnel stretched to the trapped men.

  ‘How far do you think it is, Doctor?’

  Katharine started in surprise at the use of the unfamiliar address, but she showed no sign on her face.

  ‘Luke, I’m terribly bad at gauging distance and especially moving like that. It seems miles, but it can’t be, of course.’

  ‘I reckon it must be about thirty yards,’ Luke said.

  ‘Is that all?’ Katharine said, sitting down on a rock and rubbing her shoulders.

  ‘It takes a lot of crawling through, Kate,’ said Anthony soberly, ‘and a lot of digging to get them out.’

  There was a silence amongst the waiting people. Katharine looked round for Mary Gifford.

  ‘Mary,’ she said as she spotted her amongst the villagers, still clutching Kat
harine’s clothes under her arm.

  ‘Mary, come here,’ and as the girl neared her, ‘don’t worry too much about Tom. His leg’s not so bad, especially when I get back with this drug. It’ll kill the pain for him.’

  Mary nodded, the tears springing to her eyes.

  ‘You’re reet brave, Doctor, I – I–’ and the tears flowed more as she choked over her words.

  Katharine understood what she was trying to say and patted her arm.

  ‘It’s no more than anyone else would do, if they could but get through,’ Katharine said softly for Mary’s ears alone, though she feared Luke was standing too close to miss her words.

  ‘It’s time I went back,’ Katharine said brightly now and louder. Cheerfully, she took the package that Anthony held out to her.

  ‘The morphia is in the hypodermic syringe all ready, Kate, and I’ve packed it as best I can to prevent breakage.’ He grinned, but without much of his nonchalance. Anxiety sobered his buoyant gaiety.

  The journey back down the tunnel was even worse than Katharine had feared. Black despair engulfed her. She had to grit her teeth and force herself back into the tunnel. Only the thought of Tom’s wound, and Jim waiting for her, made her leave the open air far behind. She could not shake off the fear that she may never see the sun again.

  Already the men were making steady progress digging away the fall of rock and, in fact, she had some four yards less to crawl through on her return than when she had first gone into the tunnel.

  Every movement was a pain. The sharp rocks were like knives. The tunnel roof threatened to collapse and the darkness suffocated her. The dust, rising as she moved, choked her, forcing her to stop. But when she did, fear of being trapped was greater so that she moved on, still coughing. Her eyes ran, her skin prickled with fear and her mouth became lined with dust. Her dress was torn and her fingers bleeding, but she held the package carefully, trying to think of nothing but Tom and Jim waiting for her.

  ‘Katharine, are you all right?’ Soon she heard Jim’s voice floating out of the darkness.

  Her heart lifted.

  ‘Yes. I’m coming,’ she shouted. ‘I have the drug. I’ll soon be there.’

  And with fresh vigour derived from his encouragement, she pushed ahead.

  Again, she saw the dim glow from Jim’s lamp. He had lit it, she felt sure, to welcome her back, for she knew he wanted to preserve the light for as long as possible. But the use of it was not wasted, for its glow transmitted warmth to Katharine’s fearful heart.

  Her hands were already reaching out towards the end of the tunnel when she heard above her an ominous rumble growing louder. Frightened, she tried to hurry. Distantly, she heard Jim’s shout.

  ‘Katharine – Katharine, hurry – the tunnel.’

  The earth cracked above her and just as she was about to crawl out of the tunnel, and even as Jim’s arms reached to help her, she felt a tremendous weight upon her back crushing her.

  She cried out in anguish.

  Chapter Four

  The tunnel had collapsed seconds before she would have been free and Katharine was trapped from the waist down to her feet.

  She felt waves of sickness pass over her as the pain shot through her body. She willed herself not to faint and tried to concentrate on Jim. He knelt before her, his voice husky with anguish.

  ‘Oh, Katharine, I should have pulled you clear, if only – oh my God, what a mess.’

  ‘Jim – Jim,’ she gasped, full realisation hitting her. ‘The package – where is it?’

  ‘You dropped it on the floor.’ He bent to pick it up.

  ‘It’s here. It’s all right – not broken.’

  ‘Tom …’ she started to say, but Jim interrupted her.

  ‘I’m getting you out first.’

  ‘Jim – you must – give it to Tom.’

  ‘But, Katharine …’

  ‘Please, Jim. I’ll tell you what to do.’

  Dimly, she saw Tom struggle to sit up on the far side of the cave.

  ‘Jim – Jim, what’s happening,’ he called, his voice muffled and tremulous. She knew instinctively that he was racked with pain and fever, barely conscious of the happenings around him. He must receive the medication immediately.

  ‘It’s Katharine, she’s trapped by a fall, just as she got back,’ Jim replied.

  ‘My God – is she – all right?’

  ‘Fine, Tom, just fine,’ Katharine tried to call brightly. ‘Jim,’ she added urgently, ‘get that injection into him, will you?’

  ‘What injection?’ Tom asked, as Jim moved reluctantly across the cave towards him.

  ‘It’s the drug I went for, Tom. It’ll kill the pain for you.’

  ‘No – I don’t want to now, Katharine. You must have it, it’ll help you.’

  ‘Don’t–’ she paused and gasped as fresh pain surged through her body, threatening to engulf her. ‘Don’t be silly, Tom. It’s nothing that can help me. Now be a good chap and take it, or else it’ll all have been in vain.’

  Jim came back and knelt beside her and took her hand in his.

  ‘Let me try to get you out, please?’

  ‘No,’ she said far more firmly than she felt, for the panic at being trapped welled up in her and she had to bite her lips not only to stop herself from crying out in pain but to prevent herself from begging Jim to get her free as quickly as possible.

  Reluctantly, Jim turned away and knelt beside Tom. In calm tones Katharine explained to him how to give Tom the much-needed injection. She watched with admiration in the dim light as Jim’s hands, with unexpected gentleness and deftness, administered the morphia. He was a man of character, she mused, forgetting for a moment her own pain.

  Her task of instruction completed, she shut her eyes and allowed herself a soft moan. Unfortunately, Jim, returning to her, heard her and immediately began to reproach himself for obeying her instead of trying to free her first.

  ‘I should not be wasting time. Katharine, I should …’

  ‘Nonsense,’ she said opening her eyes again and willing herself to keep her groaning in check.

  Jim began methodically to dig away the rock around her with his bare hands. Though he worked quietly and calmly, Katharine knew he held himself in check with great effort. She felt, without him saying the actual words, that his natural reaction was to tear frantically at the rocks to free her. She warmed to him for this feeling for her. But his common sense told him, she knew, that by so doing he would probably only make matters worse.

  The pain in her back grew worse. The whole of her spine seemed to be on fire, and beads of sweat broke out on her forehead. She tried to concentrate on Tom’s condition. She asked Jim to take his pulse, to feel his head and report to her on his general colour. Tom himself was sleeping now and Katharine felt this to be the best thing. Her journey had not been in vain for without the injection he would have been conscious and in terrible pain. She only wished that she herself were unconscious too, instead of suffering as she was now.

  Patiently Jim worked to free her whilst she concentrated on biting back the groans which rose naturally to her lips. His anxious eyes told her that he was not ignorant of her suffering. He worked until his breath came in painful gasps, until at last he had, even with his great strength, to take a moment’s rest, leaning heavily against the rough rock.

  At last he was able to give her some hope.

  ‘Katharine, there’s a huge piece of rock resting on your back. The only way I can get you out is to hold this up, whilst you struggle free.’

  ‘I – don’t know whether I can move, Jim,’ Katharine said in all truthfulness.

  He took her hand in his.

  ‘Try, Katharine, just try. I can’t hold t’rock and you as well.’

  She nodded.

  ‘I’ll try.’

  Jim braced himself and eased the rock from resting on her, his strong fingers torn by the jagged edges, his muscles straining to their utmost.

  ‘Right,’ he gasped.
r />   Katharine tried to pull herself forward with her hands. Her legs were numb, there was no feeling from her waist downwards at all.

  ‘Go – on,’ Jim commanded.

  Katharine grappled with the floor of the cave, her fingers feebly clutching for something on which to pull herself forward. Inch by inch her arms pulled the leaden weight of her useless body forward. With agonising slowness, Katharine moved forward whilst all the time Jim stood, like Hercules, above her holding up, Katharine thought, a ton of rock.

  At last, she was clear and thankfully Jim eased the rock back into place carefully so that more rock above would not be displaced too quickly to come crashing down to engulf all three of them. He turned to Katharine and knelt by her side. He was breathing heavily, but there was a triumphant look in his eyes. At the sight of her face, Katharine saw the look die and anxiety return.

  ‘My dear girl – is it – very bad?’

  His kindness threatened to overwhelm her and she felt dangerously near to tears. She must not let him see her weep, see her weakness now. She merely nodded and bit her lip.

  ‘There’s nothing you can do,’ she said anticipating his next words. ‘It’s maybe – not as bad as it feels.’

  ‘I pray to God not,’ Jim said in his deep tones.

  ‘Please, have a look at Tom now.’

  Jim moved across the cave.

  ‘He’s still asleep. Looks a much better colour, and,’ he said, putting his hand on his brother-in-law’s forehead, ‘ he’s not so hot.’

  Katharine closed her eyes, thankful that at least all her efforts, and her own injury, had not been in vain. It sounded, from Jim’s heartening report, as if Tom was going to be all right.

  How long she slept, she had no idea, but Katharine woke to the blackness of the cave and a stabbing pain in her back. Fear threatened to overwhelm her, but then she remembered Jim was with her.

  She tried to sit up, but found it impossible.

  Her movement must have aroused Jim, for immediately the light illuminated the cave and his anxious face was bending over her. ‘Katharine, are you all right?’

  ‘I think so, but I can’t move.’