Kim took a deep breath. “OK. We'll be in touch. Kim out.” And she pocketed the radio. I walked to the edge and looked down. It had to be three hundred feet or more of vertical cliff face. An odd thought hit me. Man I'd love to climb this after we find Ro.
I shook my head to clear these thoughts away and we started along the ridge scanning both the edge and the treeline. We checked out a couple smooth snow drifts near the tree line. Neither of us would voice the implied 'just in case'. They were just some rocks. We scanned for any signs of recent activity as we made our way west.
Then Kim suddenly stopped again, a slight smile was tugging at her lips as she listened. I looked to the sky even though I couldn't hear anything, I knew that look on her face. There they are! I saw two small planes flying along the ridge about a half mile apart. Their altitude looked kind of erratic.
Kim walked to the edge and stood on an outcropping of rock and waved her arms. She pulled out the radio in one hand and kept waving with the other as she adjusted the frequency then spoke into it. “Kim to the McKays. We are on your nine, Jane.”
A moment later Jane's voice came across the speaker. “I see you Kim. Get your crazy ass away from the edge.” Kim laughed and backed away.
Jane continued. “We are really getting jostled around up here. But I'll give you what I can. Stay on the channel and I can direct you to anything promising. Crystal has Remmy on the horn on the other side.”
Kim nodded to herself. “Copy that. Good hunting. Kim out.” She pocketed the radio and we continued down range.
An hour later the snow started and the wind was much worse. We were running out of ridge and would have to turn back soon anyway to get back before dark. We rested for a minute, drinking our water and munching on power bars. The radio crackled to life. Jane's voice came across. “It is too rough up here now ladies and the snow is killing visibility. I'll have to turn back soon. I can only give you another couple...” She went silent for a long interval, then my heart stopped as she shouted, “CONTACT! I have contact!” We looked back up range to where we saw her flying toward the ridge, waggling her wings I wasn't breathing.
Her voice was elated. “She's on a ledge about sixty or seventy feet above the deck on the south ridge! I saw movement! Sending grids now.”
Kimi's voice was hoarse and I could see she was crying like I was as she responded. “We copy, Jane. Get the rescuers up here now and get yourselves safe! We're on our way to her!”
She was running up range I was following as fast as my creaking brace would allow me. She looked back and slowed for me. She was looking at the coordinates on her satellite phone as we went. I was already unslinging the rope from my shoulder as she ran to the edge with the phone, looking at the screen then looking down. We couldn't see anything. She was digging out a bollard from the snow for the rope and we got everything prepped. She was starting to harness up and I stopped her with a hand on her arm.
I looked at her. “This is what I do. I just hope we won't have to multi pitch.” She looked at me, then into my eyes. I'm sure she saw the rage in there that matched her own. I said, “She's my girl.” She exhaled then nodded as I started harnessing up.
Chapter 12 – My Girls
I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry Blake. I held on as long as I could on this God forsaken ledge. I don't know why I didn't die when I fell. At least I don't hurt any more. The past two days have been excruciating with my shattered legs, broken arm, and ribs. I couldn't twist, I may have broken my back... but I'm numb now. The hypothermia is going to win... I'm so tired.
I was just about to close my eyes and let it take me when I heard the engine again. I had seen Jane and Crystal out there for two days circling around... looking for me. But never in the right place. If my radio hadn't been crushed in the fall or I could get into my pack to turn on the satellite phone I would be home already. If I hadn't have been so stupid in the first place and gotten myself into this. If I could have just told Blake that I...
The engine sounded closer, the winds were relentless. I saw the familiar purple plane coming toward me, almost directly overhead. I started flapping the silver emergency Mylar thermal blanket I had managed to pull out of my pocket and wrap partially around myself the best I could with my one good arm on that first night.
I exhaled as she was about to pass directly over. She didn't see m... the plane suddenly veered right toward the valley and swung around and started flying directly at me. She was waggling her wings at me! She saw me! I coughed up some blood as my heart rate increased. Huh... that's something new. My eyes felt heavy. I had to fight it... there was a chance now. I moved my left hand from my right armpit with my good hand and looked at the fingers blackened by frostbite and put the hand back in my armpit and pulled the thermal blanket against me.
I had rationed the only bottle of water I could reach inside my jacket and the two God awful granola bars I got from Jane, the best I could. I hadn't had water or food for over thirteen hours or so. It was a bitch doing everything with my only good arm. There was too much pain to twist so I could access my pack. I'd survived this long solely because of the few things I could reach in my coat pockets.
I watched the plane slowly disappear into the snow back down the mountain. I don't know if I can hold on another night though. I was about to give up just now... Best case scenario, they can get to me by tomorrow morning. Nobody is crazy enough to fly in this weather except Jane and it is already afternoon judging by the daylight. They could get to the base of the ridge before dark but not make the climb up.
I coughed up another bit of blood. I'm no physician but I'm pretty sure that's not a good thing. My lips were cracked from dehydration and exposure and the blood stung them a bit. Oh hey, at least I can still feel something.
I sat there for about another hour trying to stay awake, but I knew what was inevitable. I felt at peace. At least they can come get my body tomorrow so my girls won't have to fret anymore. That's what I'll miss the most. My girls. But they found me... I'm so proud of each and every one of them. I love them all. I'll miss Blake the most. I started to nod off. I took a deep, painful breath to try to stay awake a little longer. I heard something hit the ledge about twenty feet behind me.
I was confused and couldn't make any sense of it. There were some sort of rustling sounds. I contemplated it for a few minutes but found thinking really hard before my eyes finally closed and the last thing I remember was hearing a creaking and clacking coming from somewhere far above me. Why did that sound so familiar?
- - -
There's a whole lot of nothingness here. I feel warm again, I'm lying down. So I died. No. If I'm thinking all of this then I must not be dead yet. There is a soothing steady pulsing tone here. Beep, beep, beep. I don't know why, but it is somehow reassuring. I can hear someone. I can't make out the words. It reminds me of Blake's voice. I think I like it. I let the tone of that voice lull me to sleep.
- - -
How long have I been floating in this vacuum? I can't hear that pulsing tone anymore since I have gotten so used to it, I'm just tuning it out. I can sort of tell that each of my girls and boys have been talking over time, but the one that makes me smile internally is the voice that sounds like Blake's. I wish I knew what they were saying. I wish I had the courage to have told her that I was in love with her. I've woken up to this nothingness dozens of times now. I'll just listen to the voice a while...
- - -
Again? I'm still here floating in this void? That's it, I'm sick of this! What the hell is going on!? Now I'm pissed off! This can't be all there is anymore! This never-ending nothingness! God damn it! OPEN... YOUR... EYES... BOBBI! I opened my eyes and the light was blinding. I squinted and tried to focus. Damn, those lights are bright. Finally I could make out a white tile ceiling above me. I felt really weak, I was on something soft, like I was in some sort of bed or something. My hand felt warm. I turned my head painfully to the right and saw Blake in a chair beside the bed holding my hand with her head
laying on the mattress beside me.
If I'm not alive then I'm in heaven. Even sleeping like that she looked like an angel to me. She was starting to stir so I just croaked in a terrible sounding crusty voice from my sore, dry throat, “So I was thinking. Instead of expanding Silent Bob's to the east slope. Why don't we just form a partnership. Silent Bob and Reston Outfitters Cascade Experience?”
She was now in tears holding my hand and bawling into my shoulder. Stroking my hair with her other hand. She pulled up an looked at me with watery, sparkling eyes and laughing. “Why can't you ever just say hello to me like a normal person Ro?”
I chuckled as my eyes started watering up too. I licked my dry, chapped lips with my dry tongue. “Well I like to keep you guessing. It's kind of how I roll... Hello Blakester. I missed my best friend so very much.”
She laughed and kissed my forehead as she grabbed a button on a wire and pressed it. “Hello to you too Ro. You don't have any idea how much you scared me.”
I glanced down at myself and realized I was in traction, both legs in casts. “I fucked up Blake.”
She laughed through her tears. “Yeah... you did. But so did I.” She wiped her face with her shirt sleeve.
Some nurses and a doctor came into the room and asked Blake to please move aside. She looked at me. “I'll be right here.” I nodded as she stood back behind the chair as the medical professionals started poking and prodding me and telling me to follow lights with my eyes and such. They checked all the IVs and electrical leads that were all over me, and all the equipment they were hooked to.
They were asking questions like, “Do you know where you are? Do you know what happened? What is your name? What is the date? Who is the president? Can you count to thirty by threes?”
I noticed Blake on the room phone. She said only two words, “She's back.”, like a prayer before she hung up.
The doctor was explaining some of my injuries and the steps they had to take, and the countless surgeries to repair the internal damage that I had undergone. I had suffered a stroke the first night I was in the hospital but they didn't know if there was any permanent damage because of my coma. He said he'd come speak with me more in depth later once I had recovered some strength.
I was looking around the room at the bajillion flowers, stuffed animals and cards stacked everywhere there was space. Then something struck me. There were hearts and cupids decorating the walls. Valentines? I looked across the room to where Blake was watching through happy tears. “How long?” I croaked out.
She brought her hands together in front of her mouth and said, “Fifty two days.” As she probed my eyes with hers.
I looked at the ceiling in shock. Then... “Ow! Watch it!” I snapped at the doctor who was stabbing my toes with something sharp.
After a few minutes of enduring multiple forms of torture from the doctor, I suddenly snapped my eyes to my left hand above the cast on my left arm, vaguely remembering something from the ledge, it was important but I couldn't quite remember what. My hand was wrapped in clean white gauze about ten layers thick.
Blake was suddenly beside me grabbing my right hand as the doctor followed my gaze. He took a breath then sighed and started unwrapping my hand as the nurses finished up their torture and left. He paused at the last layer. Then looked at me as he spoke. “You suffered from extensive frostbite on your left hand and foot Miss Valentine.”
He removed the gauze. I looked at my hand. My pinky was gone and the finger next to it was cut off at the second joint, my middle finger was missing it's tip. It all looked mostly healed but red and puffy and there were still some stitches sealing the skin where I should have had a pinky.
I didn't know how to react or how I was feeling as I just stared at what was left of my hand. The doctor just kept talking. “You lost your little toe and the tip of the fourth toe on your left foot as well. Everything else seems to be healing nicely. Your coma was the most worrying. I'm going to schedule you for a head CT again, now that you are conscious. But you still need your rest before we perform more tests.” He was wrapping my hand again. He took some notes and walked out the door calling back, “I'll send the nurse in with some ice chips for you.”
I was still trying to process things. Blake wasn't making it easy as she was stroking the back of my hand with her thumb. Doesn't she know what that does to me? I started to pull my hand back and she grabbed it with both hands. Snapping at me, “No! Not this time! Talk to me Ro. Really, why are you pulling away?”
I closed my eyes as a tear rolled silently down my cheek. I can't be a coward anymore. That's what landed me here. I took a deep breath, I still didn't want to lose her friendship but I couldn't keep lying to her. I looked at the ceiling, avoiding her eyes and whispered, “Because if I don't, I'll never want you to stop.”
She was stroking my hand with her thumb again as she asked, “Why?”
I glanced quickly at her then away again. “Because I don't want to lose you.”
She grabbed my chin gently and turned my head so our eyes could meet. I couldn't read her expression, it was almost like looking at Kim's stoic expression. “Why?” She asked again.
I stopped whispering. I'm sick of being a coward. “Because I'm in love with you Blake. That's why.”
I looked at the ceiling trying to breathe. And she started laughing. Not a cruel laugh but a truly amused, heartfelt laugh. I looked back at her and her own tears were falling as her eyes joined in on the laugh, sparkling in glee as she spoke. “That's good. Since this homophobic lesbian is completely in love with you too Ro.”
Her smile was as huge as my shock. The shock immediately dissipated into pleasure as she was now kissing me. I was kissing back desperately. Then I heard someone clear their throat beside us. We were both giggling as the nurse with an amused smile on her face, handed Blake the cup of ice chips before turning and walking back out of the room.
Blake was covering her mouth lightly with a hand. Her eyes were glittering with mischief. Then she laughed and said, “I hope you don't mind having a straight girlfriend. Since I don't plan on going anywhere as long as you'll have me. I guess I'm kind of out now huh? I'm still confused about all of this except for the fact that I'm in love with you.”
I grinned at her. “Of course I'll have you. I guess I'll have to teach you the secret handshake now huh?”
She tilted her head. “There's a secret handshake?”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh God. You're so gullible? I reeealy have to cure you of your misinformed ways Blakester.” Every time I spoke, Blake was looking at me funny.
She spooned some ice chips into my mouth to shut me up. The melting ice felt divine, moistening my dry mouth, the resulting chilled water trickling down my throat.
I took a second to look at her as she spooned more ice into my mouth, she looked like she hadn't slept or eaten in a very long time. She looked slightly disheveled. But I loved her 'morning hair'. It reminded me of that night on the mountain with her.
I went silent and looked over at my left hand again. Can I still climb? I was suddenly scared.
Blake spoke soothingly, “Don't obsess. We'll take it one day at a time and see about getting you back on the mountain.”
I sighed, shaking my head slowly. “Am I that transparent?”
She grinned at me with a playful look in her eyes. “Well not totally... Silent Bob.”
Oh God... did I just snort?!
A familiar soprano voice chimed out, “Hey, did somebody in here just snort?”
We both turned our heads to the door and Kim was standing in it with a huge smile on her face and her sketchbook in hand. I could feel my own smile splitting my face as she hustled to my side with what seemed like an endless stream of people following her into the room.
Kim stood with Blake at my side and looked down with that familiar stoic expression of hers. “Hi big sis.”
I smiled back at her. “Hi little sis.” Kim squinted her eyes at me with a touch of confusion on her face when I
spoke.
I looked around the room. Skylar and Samantha were there. As were Jane, Crystal, Sandra, Ramona and her boyfriend Derick, Remmy, Vernon and Minnie. My girls and my boys!
A nurse had followed everyone in and started speaking. “OK everyone. Miss Valentine needs rest! Family members only.”
It was almost comedic, everyone looked around and Derick and Minnie lowered their heads and walked out of the room. Everyone else stayed where they were. I could see the nurse's mouth fighting the smile twitching around at the corners of it. She tried again with a little humor in her voice. “OK, let's try this another way. Only one person at a time.” Everyone started filing out of the room grumbling. Then the nurse looked at Sandra. “And you can't have animals in the hospital!”
Sandra smiled and put the tiny white and tan puppy under one arm as she fished some papers from her purse. Which she thrust at the nurse with pride. “Monster is a therapy dog!” Then she ran around the nurse and plopped little Monster on my chest and kissed my forehead and ran out with the others as I held the little furball that was happily licking my fingers.
Kim looked at Blake with a small smile of compassion breaking her mask of calm. “And you. Go down to the cafeteria and get something to eat woman before you wither away into nothing for goodness sake. Let the rest of us have our turn.”
Blake nodded like a chastised child then surprised me with a sneak attack kiss and ran out of the room before my happy daze left me. Kim looked just as shocked and happy as me.
She looked at me and her face was unreadable again. Oh boy. Here it comes. Three, two, one... Her face snapped to a mask of rage as she hissed, “Don't you EVER do that to us again! Good God woman! What were you thinking!?”
Aaaand, that's a wrap! Her stoic expression was back along with her calm. I couldn't stop my smile. This was just so uniquely Kim. Ever dependable. Kim started to smile at me as she spoke. “I love you big sis. I can't tell you how happy I am that you are back with us. Especially for Blake. She's been wasting away in here every day while you were taking your little nap.”
Silent Bob Page 11
