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I checked his vitals as quickly as I could and explained what I was doing as I strapped him into the harness. Every time he yelped or winced in pain, I felt a tightening in my chest. If I tried using a Stokes litter, we’d never be able to get him out of here before another tree fell or more of the ground caved in.
“This is going to hurt like a bitch,” I warned.
“Language,” he said automatically.
I smiled and hooked him onto the line, holding him tightly and trying to keep his shoulder from being jostled. “I promise to put a dollar in the swear jar when we get home,” I said.
“Your dad—your dad and I will be able to take that vacation now,” Xander tried to joke.
“Something tells me that after this, Dad’s not going to let you out of his sight or out of bed for a while.”
“From your mouth to God’s ears,” Xander murmured tiredly.
“Dad, I need you to stay awake,” I urged as I patted his face. When his eyes opened, I added, “And gross, by the way.”
Xander managed a small laugh. The ground suddenly shifted beneath us.
“Lucky, it’s going!” Zach called just as I snapped myself onto the line.
“Ready to lift!” I called through the comms in my helmet.
I wrapped my arms around my father as the earth around us seemed to disappear before our very eyes. It made it difficult to determine how high Zach had gotten us lifted. It seemed to take forever for us to clear the sinkhole, but once we were fully airborne again and heading back to where Jake and Bennett were waiting, I started to breathe easier.
Until I realized Xander had slipped into unconsciousness. Airway, breathing, circulation. I checked frantically for breath sounds and a pulse, finding both despite the difficulties of our position. I shouted to Zach to hurry up.
“He’s non-responsive! Dad! Dad! Please wake up. Stay with me.” Xander’s eyes fluttered open. He looked so pale, but at least he was back with me. “Oh, fuck. Thank god. Don’t do that to me. Stay with me. We’re almost there.”
Zach finally set us down carefully in the clearing where emergency vehicles and Bennett waited. As soon as we were safely on the ground, Jake and Bennett came running out to help, followed by medical first responders with a stretcher. Zach set the helicopter down and shut down the rotors so he could join us outside.
The first responders called out to Zach. “We’re loading him up with you. Haven County Med is expecting him. Helipad in the northwest corner of the parking lot. They’re already waiting to guide you in.”
Zach hopped back in immediately and started up the rotors again. As soon as Jake and I got Xander loaded into the back and Bennett was hovering over him, I closed the bay door and hopped in the co-pilot’s seat. “Let’s go. I’ll guide you there.”
It was the longest twenty minutes of my life. Between telling Zach where to go and listening to Jake assess my father and communicate his condition to the hospital, there was no way to tune out Bennett’s sobs as he begged Xander to keep his eyes open. I heard all the little stories Bennett told Xander to try and keep him awake—the kind of stories that seemed inconsequential but were the truest representation of a relationship. I wanted desperately to reach across the console to grab Zach’s hand, but even if it hadn’t been against the rules, Zach had to focus on maneuvering the chopper. By the time the helicopter landed, Xander had lost consciousness and no amount of begging and pleading from Bennett made any difference. As Jake and Bennett hurriedly followed the medical team taking my father inside, I started to get out of the helicopter before I remembered Zach and the chopper. Since the hospital served much of the area around Haven, the helipad would need to stay clear for the hospital’s Flight for Life helicopter.
“Zach,” I began, but he waved me off. “Go,” he said. “I’ll take the chopper back to Haven and drive back. I’ll get back here as soon as I can.”
I nodded and then turned so I could follow the medical team.
“Lucky!” I heard Zach call from behind me. I turned just in time to see him hurrying around the front of the helicopter, keeping his head low. When he reached me, he gathered me in his arms. “He’s going to be alright,” he said, his mouth pressed to my ear so I’d be able to hear him.
That was the exact moment that I lost it and began sobbing. The realization of how close I’d come to losing my father was just too much. I clung to Zach as he held me. He whispered reassurances in my ear and pressed kisses to my temple every now and then. By the time I felt strong enough to stand on my own, the medical team had taken my father inside.
