“Miss? Miss are you awake?”
Suddenly her eyelids flashed back, revealing two piercing blue grey eyes, looking at him, though ready to immediately close again from utter exhaustion and exposure.
“Can you … help me? Please?” The woman appeared to be in pain and about to lose consciousness again from what was likely multiple broken bones and possible serious internal injuries.
“Let me get you out of there,” was all he said, as he pulled his pack off and grabbed his mini shovel to begin digging carefully around her.
He pushed the to two large boulders away from her head and began shoveling the loose compacted debris from an area a few feet surrounding her head and buried torso.
The woman then said, in a low whisper, “Water. May I have some water, please?”
Eaton stopped, wishing he had thought of this. She must be parched and in shock from the ordeal. He would give her some water from his canteen and see if she felt up to eating an energy bar. But his first priority was to dig her out and assess the nature and extent of her injuries. Then he would see if he could raise search and rescue on his sat phone. That might be a problem though as his sat phone only had enough juice to last a few weeks. It had been a few months since he last used it to inform the ranger station in Zion that he would be staying longer than expected. Much longer.
His sat phone was dead and he wasn’t sure how to help this woman now buried up to her neck.
Someone from the Park usually stopped by every so often to check on him, but the last time had been just a few days ago. That meant another visit was at least a week away, maybe longer. Eaton knew better than to hike and camp alone in a wilderness area without a means to recharge his sat phone, but it had been an oversight he hadn’t thought anything about. After all, before sat phones, what did people do? Apparently, he now thought, they either found a way to crawl out for help or die. He wasn’t about to let this woman die.
Eaton cradled her head with his hands as he slipped a folded-up shirt under her head for support. She looked to be buried in the rubble at an approximate thirty-degree angle, face up, so he would work from her neck down, probing for injury as he dug around her carefully.
“Miss, I need you to stay awake for me. Let’s not fall asleep now just before you get rescued. Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself while I dig? I could use the company. What do you say?”
The woman was clearly traumatized and barely conscious. Eaton was sure if she lost consciousness, she might never regain it. She was probably in shock and had likely lost a fair amount of blood. If her internal organs were damaged, she might never wake up.
“Miss, miss, are you with me?”
“Yes. Yes, thank you for finding me and … for helping. I’m tired … maybe if I just…”
“Oh no you don’t. I need you to stay awake while I get you out of there. Let’s start with basics. My name is Eaton Gray. What’s yours?”
“Mary.” She lied. “Mary Shelley, like the writer.”
“Ah Frankenstein. One of my all-time favorite books. You’ve read it too, I’m sure.” Her lids were drooping. “Mary?”
“Uh, no. What was the question? I’m so tired. Can’t I just…?”
“Nope. You cannot. I need your help and right away. Mary, wake up!”
“OK, OK. What?”
“I’m going to squeeze you a little as I get the rocks and dirt off of you. You need to tell me if it hurts. I need to know what injuries you may have so we can figure out how to get you fixed up. Mary, are you listening?”
“Yes. But nothing hurts.”
“Nothing hurts now you mean. We’ll see in a minute.”
Eaton continued to shovel away a lot of the stones and overburden that “Mary” was buried in. When he got to freeing up her arms, he noticed extensive swelling, numerous cuts and gashes and bumps pushing up from under her skin. He didn’t think that was any good; he immediately recognized her arms as being broken in several spots.
He probed her arms gingerly.
“OK, that hurts,” she shouted as he squeezed a little too hard.
“All right. How about this?”
“Nothing.”
“Can you feel this at all?”
“Feel what?”
Eaton was now sure this would get a lot worse for Mary and that he needed to move quickly to get her medical attention. As he finally dug her out, he could see she was in very poor condition. He suspected that she had broken both her arms and legs and probably a few ribs to boot. That she might have internal injuries was now almost a certainty and he knew that there was no time to waste.
What should he do? Try to carry her out of the bush on a travois he could drag? Perhaps leave her in place so as not to aggravate injuries and run like hell for help? He was afraid if he wasn’t with her to keep her awake, she would lapse and possibly not regain consciousness. He needed to keep her awake and talking.
And there was wildlife.
He decided to use a travois to get her out of the bush closer to the nearest ranger station near the Zion tourist area, then hoof it on foot to get help. He would wrap her up warmly, then place her in a tent with food and water. He would only be gone for a few hours from the point he would need to leave her alone, but there was still danger. Getting from a point above Zion to the valley floor below was steep and dangerous.
Eaton constructed a travois quickly placing the poles on either side of Mary, then placing stapling branches under her, securing them with twine he carried with him. Once constructed, he immediately began his journey toward the Park and medical attention.
The trail was long and grueling, and though an outdoorsman and in good shape, he wasn’t prepared for the difficulty of dragging a travois with a person on it. Gravity and friction worked against him. However, he kept a slow steady pace, stopping frequently. He kept up a dialogue with Mary as well as he could, but she lapsed in and out of consciousness frequently. She was pale; paler than when he first found her, so he knew time wasn’t on her side.
By luck, Eaton chose to cross a meadow as it was flatter, muddier and easier to cross than wooded trails. Five hours into the journey, in mid-afternoon, he heard, then spotted a helicopter coming in his direction. He signaled to the copter waving his hands to attract attention realizing that it was just as likely as not that he would be spotted.
It was his lucky day. And Mary’s.
Within a matter of minutes, the helicopter landed and scooped them up, radioing ahead for instructions of where to take her. She was airlifted to a small hospital just outside the Park and one that had a lot of experience with trauma patients injured climbing in Zion.
Eaton lingered patiently in the Waiting Room awaiting word on Mary’s condition.
Six hours later, the ER attending physician came out to speak with Eaton.
There was one small problem.
Chapter 14
“You’re Mr. Gray, I understand. May I ask what relation you are to Miss Shelley? It’s my understanding that you signed her in to the ER.”
Eaton was certain he knew where this was going and decided to fabricate – just a little.
“Does it matter? I just want to know if she’s OK.”
“We’ll get to that in a moment. Right now, she’s fine and stable. But I need to know what relation you are to her.”
“Why?”
“Privacy rights. Federal and state law, as well as hospital policy. We have a lot of legal exposure if we disclose private and personal medical information to third parties. Everyone’s jumpy about lawsuits, you know. What should I write down?”
“I’m her fiancé.”
“Her name is Mary Shelley and you’re her fiancé.”
“Yes.”
“You’re engaged but she’s not wearing an engagement ring.”
Eaton thought quickly. “She doesn’t wear it when we hike. Afraid of losing it.”
“You’re sure you didn’t just stumble
upon her and bring her in here?”
“Why would I do that?”
“Hard to say. Now the business office tells me that she doesn’t have insurance, but that you are her guarantor.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Makes sense of course, but I still am not sure what’s going on here. Even if you are her fiancé, legally you aren’t related. I shouldn’t discuss any of this with you.”
“OK, then we’re married. We have two kids and a dog. In San Francisco where we live.”
“I see. But I don’t see a wedding ring. You either.”
“Religious prohibition. We’re very devout.”
“A minute ago, you were her fiancé; now you’ve upgraded to her husband. Quite a distance in less than a minute.”
Eaton ignored the obvious truth. “I just want to know if she’ll be all right. When can I see her?”
“She’s going to be OK, Mr. Gray, I can assure you. You did, in all likelihood, save her life. Another few hours and she would’ve bled out. Multiple breaks and fractures and internal bleeding. She got here just in time.”
“Good to hear. When can I see her?”
“Tomorrow. She’s in recovery and is heavily sedated. Her recovery won’t be any fun. She’s going to need help and a lot of it.”
“I’m her husband. I’ll help.”
“I see.” The doctor of course knew that Eaton Gray was lying. Perhaps he believed some of what he said but, the woman in Recovery wasn’t Mary Shelley. Her ID, tucked away neatly in the back pocket of her hiking shorts, showed her name to be Saldana Ri, resident of Chicago, Illinois. In the good doctor’s opinion, there was little doubt that Eaton had stumbled upon the girl and felt responsible to see her through safely. That he took financial responsibility was unusual, although the business office confirmed that Eaton Gray was quite well off financially. Paying the hospital tab would be no problem. His reason for doing so was another issue entirely.
The doctor had originally suspected some foul play might be at hand but dismissed that when he considered that he could’ve left her in the Park to die. Perhaps Eaton Gray felt some responsibility, or maybe he was just a good guy. He didn’t know but, decided to keep the two apart while they tracked down more information about this mysterious Saldana Ri. Her name didn’t appear in any system, medical or financial. Eaton Gray on the other hand was well-known. He worked for a federal conservation project and was independently wealthy.
“OK, Mr. Gray. Her husband you are. For now, that is. We can revisit this situation again tomorrow when you return to see her. Visiting hours begin at eight. Just don’t expect too much too soon. She’s pretty banged up and will be on a morphine drip for a while.”
“But she’s, all right?”
“She’ll recover and lead a very long and healthy life.”
“Thanks doctor.”
“Oh, and by the way.”
“Yes?”
“What can you tell us about the little tufts of fur on her back and legs? An unusual condition.”
“Maybe you should ask her. She’s a bit touchy about that. Genetic condition, I think.”
He lied, of course. He’d want to ask her the same question. As he placed her in the travois and began his journey with her toward the Park, he too had noticed that she bore little patches of translucent fur, barely noticeable on her face and neck.
By the time they got to the hospital, most of it was gone.
***
Eaton Gray decided to stay at a little hotel in town to consider what he was going to do next. His car was parked at the Ranger Station at the Park, his wallet in his car. He had hitched a ride into the Park with a friendly local merchant running spare parts into the Lodge at Zion. He drove back to the small town, got a room, and reflected on the day.
This mystery was probably nothing, but the woman was interesting and now partly his responsibility. He would probably discover she was married or had a boyfriend who would be happy to shake his hand. Then they would return to their mundane lives, and he to his.
But the fur. What was that? And her name? Mary Shelley, an obvious lie; a cover. Maybe she was a spy or a cat burglar on the lam. Wouldn’t that be fun?
***
Eaton returned the next day promptly at eight in the morning, after first stopping by to visit with Mary’s doctor. He asked about the fur he had seen on her, but the doctor confirmed he must’ve been mistaken. During rounds this morning the doctor found nothing unusual in evidence, although she had shown remarkable progress in her recovery. She was still in various casts and would continue to be for some time, but much of her superficial bruising was gone. Cuts looked to be healing very quickly and she would probably be released from the hospital in a matter of days. Good home care was required but he was certain that could be arranged for their home.
“Where was that again?”
“San Francisco. We live in the City.”
“I see. It’s not normally for me to intrude, Mr. Gray but I think we both know that Mary isn’t Mary, and you are certainly not a couple.”
“Oh. And how do we know that?”
“Well, her driver’s license for one. Her residence is Chicago, not San Francisco, and her name is Saldana Ri, not Mary Shelley. First date perhaps?”
Eaton was busted. “I’ve never met her before and only discovered her yesterday after she got caught in a landslide. She was buried up to her head, so I dug her out, made a travois and dragged her until the helicopter found us. After that, you know more than me. That’s the truth.”
“OK then. Let’s go visit Ms. Ri so I can introduce you properly. She’s expecting your visit.”
“Is she?”
“She is indeed. We had a nice chat this morning during rounds and I mentioned her husband was anxious to see her. She was quite surprised to be married, so I thought I’d tell her what I knew about you. And I mentioned that without your timely intervention, she might not be with us today.”
“Saldana Ri, you say. How exotic.”
“Exotic? Maybe. Mysterious, definitely.”
***
They entered the private room hospital room with Mary, now Saldana Ri, bandaged, still bruised and in multiple casts. She was on a morphine drip, so she felt dreamy and friendlier than she normally was.
“Ms. Ri,” said the doctor. “Let me introduce you to your husband and benefactor, Mr. Eaton Gray. Well, benefactor, anyway. Mr. Gray apparently fibbed a little, so he could get you in the hospital and in surgery right away. Then he was concerned about your wellbeing, so he might have implied that you two were married and living in San Francisco, so he could make sure you had someone here when you woke up. Someone other than a doctor or a nurse. But he has since come clean and admitted you two were strangers before yesterday. Is that about, right?”
Saldana said, “Pretty much, doctor.”
To Eaton, she said, “But I do want you both to know how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you saved my life.”
She looked at Eaton very carefully. “I don’t know you, do I?”
Eaton said, “Nope. Not before yesterday and that was pretty … unusual. Just glad I came along and could help out.”
“If you don’t mind, may I ask why? You’ve done so much more than just bring me here.”
Saldana wasn’t as guarded as she normally would be; she was however, very curious. About this man, this human. From the doctor’s description, she initially thought he might be a transformed Gens, one of her brethren. Clearly, he was not. She would’ve detected his scent immediately; instead what she detected was the scent of a human male.
Yet there was something about this man that seemed familiar; a distant memory she held onto like a first kiss or falling in love for the first time.
“I saw you needed help, so I helped. It was instinctive.”
“And the hospital? Your little deception?”
“S
eemed the right thing to do at the time. I just wanted to know that you would be OK, and I knew the doc wasn’t going to tell me how you were doing unless I, you know, fibbed.”
She said, “Well I’m glad you did, and I’m glad you’re here. I can’t tell you how grateful I am. You’re … wonderful. A wonderful man. Thank you.”
“OK you two, let me have a talk with Saldana privately about the state of her health, then you can visit as long as you like when we’re done.”
Saldana looked at Eaton and said “You can stay if you wish. I mean you went to a lot of trouble to see how I’m doing. Only seems fair for you to know.”
She turned to the doctor. “So how am I doing, doc?”
The doctor explained the nature of her injuries, what the surgery had accomplished and what her likelihood of recovery would be. He explained that the surgeons had removed a part of an organ that had been damaged when she broke several ribs. Other than that, her vitals were good, and no major organs had been otherwise damaged, at least none that wouldn’t repair themselves over time. She would be in casts for months while the ribs, arms and legs knitted, but that would just require the passage of time. She would need care for at least two possibly three months, and mobility would be a big problem. Then there would be rehab.
Did she have family? A boyfriend?
“No. Sadly no.” She explained that her family wasn’t in the US presently, so she would’ve to manage on her own after she was released from the hospital.
She asked, “When will that be?”
The doctor said she could probably be released in a week or so, provided there were no complications and provided she could tolerate the pain that she would’ve to endure for the indefinite future.
“No problem doc. I should be off the drip in a day or so. Then I can be out of here and on my way.”
The doctor said, “Not likely, Ms. Ri. Moving will be very difficult and very painful until you heal for longer than a few days. Normally, I would prefer you stay for at least two weeks, but then we’ll have to monitor your progress day to day. But I urge you to consider any complications that might result from trying to do too much too soon.”
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