Chapter 24: Gabrielle

Chapter 24 – Gabrielle

This is unreal. Poor Kirk. He’s been wailing nonstop. And his friends aren’t in any better shape. They’re both drowning in anxiety.

It’s been nearly forty minutes since John called down to the lodge and talked to Killian.

“It won’t be much longer now,” John says as he consults his watch.

Sure enough, a moment later we hear the approach of a helicopter. It lands in a flat, grassy spot beside the lake. Three people immediately hop out—Killian, Maya, and Travis. The pilot remains in the chopper.

Killian and the climbers race over to the base of the rock face, where the rest of us are standing.

Maya gazes up the rock face, shading her eyes from the sun. “Where is he?”

I point at a wedge of rock jutting out from the face. “The ledge broke his fall, but unfortunately, his leg is broken—compound fracture.”

Maya looks around the base of the rock and frowns. “I don’t see any equipment. Don’t tell me he was free soloing.” She glances at Kirk’s two friends, who are sitting on the ground now, both of them pale. Maya shakes her head. “Idiots.”

She and Travis are both already geared up to climb, with harnesses strapped to their bodies, ropes, and so many carabiners I can’t count them all. They’re dressed in jeans, T-shirts, and strange-looking shoes. I watch them as they stare up at the rock face, studying it.

Kirk moans loudly high overhead.

“I’ll go first,” Maya says as she starts to check her equipment.

Travis nods as he begins uncoiling a long length of rope, which he connects to a device at Maya’s waist. Then he attaches it to a device at his waist. They both check the fittings, making sure they’re secure.

“When we reach the ledge,” Maya says, “we’ll radio Micah to bring up the gurney. We’ll splint the patient’s leg and then strap him onto the gurney.”

“Kirk,” I say. “His name is Kirk.”

Maya rolls her eyes. “I’ve got another name for him. Anyhoo, Killian will use a winch to bring Kirk on board the chopper, and then Micah will fly him to the hospital.”

Killian returns to the chopper.

John and I watch as Maya and Travis do their thing. It’s impressive to watch them work. Maya starts climbing, and Travis stands on the ground below her, holding a length of rope attached to Maya. They’re talking to each other, giving commands and replying, but I can’t make out what they’re saying.

I look at John. “Why is Maya the only one going up?”

“Travis is belaying her.”

I feel so clueless. “What does that mean?”

“He’s her safety line while she’s ascending. If she loses her footing, he can prevent her from falling. Once she gets to her destination, she’ll place a lead rope so Travis can climb up. They’ve climbed this rock many times before, so they know where the bolts are and where to secure the rope.”

I’ve seen people climbing walls at the rec center back home, but it looked nothing like this. They grabbed onto brightly colored hand and foot holds. Here, it looks like Maya is randomly clutching the rock face. As she ascends higher and higher, my stomach plummets.

Finally, she reaches the ledge. Before climbing up onto it, she hooks two carabiners into a large bolt and connects the rope. Then she hauls herself up onto the ledge. She disappears from sight for a couple of minutes before she reappears, peering over the ledge. “Yep. Compound tibia fracture. Right leg. Come on up, Travis.”

While Travis scales the wall holding on to the rope Maya secured to the rock, the helicopter blades start rotating, and soon the chopper lifts into the air. I see a dark-haired man I’ve never met before sitting in the pilot’s seat. Killian is in the rear of the chopper.

Just as Travis reaches the ledge, the helicopter moves into place many feet above the ledge. The wind whips at Travis’s and Maya’s hair. A side door of the chopper opens, and Killian appears in the opening. The next thing I know, he’s lowering a gurney on a cable connected to a winch.

Once the gurney reaches the ledge, it takes a while for Maya and Travis to get Kirk strapped onto the gurney. The entire time, the poor guy is wailing.

Travis gives Killian a thumbs-up sign, and Killian starts raising the gurney. When it reaches the chopper, he pulls it inside. Not long after, the chopper door closes, and Micah turns the aircraft to the east and off they go.

Travis starts to descend first. When he reaches the ground, Maya starts making her way down.

“That was utterly nerve wracking,” I say.

John chuckles. “You’ll get used to it if you watch them enough. Maya and Travis know what they’re doing.”

I shake my head. “You’ll never get me up there.” I shudder. “No thanks.”

Maya finally makes it to the ground. “That kid is an idiot. He’s lucky he didn’t break his freaking neck.” She slaps Travis on the back. “This calls for drinks tonight at Ruth’s. What do you say?”

Travis nods. “Sounds good to me.”

“You guys should join us,” Maya says to me and John. Then she winks at us. “I heard the news,” she whispers, although we’re all standing right there and can hear everything she says.

I look to John, not wanting to commit him to something he’s not ready for.

But he just shrugs. “Sure. If you want to,” he tells me.

“How will you and Travis get back to the lodge?” I ask.

Travis shrugs. “The old-fashioned way. We’ll hike down.”

While John saddles our mounts, I fetch and carry for him to speed up the process. Travis and Maya pack up their gear, drink some water and eat protein bars, and then start hiking down the trail.

“It’s a shame they have to walk so far,” I say as John gives me a lift up onto Odin’s saddle.

“Don’t worry about them.” He makes sure my feet are securely placed in the stirrups. “They’ll beat us to the lodge.”

“Really? That’s a three-hour trip on horseback.”

“Yes, really. Those two move fast, trust me.” He pats my thigh. “All set? Are you comfortable?”

“Yes.”

He brings one of my hands to his mouth and kisses it. “You did well on your first camping trip. I’m proud of you.”

I lean down, and he meets me halfway for a kiss. “I’m proud of you, too. You saved the horses from a bobcat, and you saved that kid. You knew he’d fall.”

“Thanks. As for the kid falling, that was a foregone conclusion. That’s a tough rock to climb under the best of circumstances, and he’s clearly inexperienced and overly-confident.”

John mounts Zeus and picks up Sal’s lead. And with that, we’re off on our three-hour long trek back to the lodge. It seems like we have a date this evening, with Maya and Travis. I’m looking forward to it. It’ll be the first time John and I are out in public together, as a couple.