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Hearing the sound of a helicopter overhead, Jenna looked up, relief providing a much-needed flood of warmth through her body. ‘Oh, thank goodness—they’re here.’
Ryan didn’t look up. ‘They can take Jamie off first. By the time they have him in the helicopter Matt will be ready.’ He wrapped the harness around the boy’s ankles. ‘Lexi, tell Nick.’ He was treating the girl like an adult, showing no doubt in her ability to perform the tasks he set.
Without faltering Lexi spoke into the radio again, obviously proud to have something useful to do.
Jenna helped Ryan with the splint. ‘How much traction do you apply?’
‘Generally ten per cent of the patient’s body weight per fractured femur.’ Eyeing Matt’s frame, Ryan checked the amount of traction on the scale. ‘I’m making an educated guess.’
The noise of the helicopter increased, and Jenna watched in awe as the winchman was lowered into the narrow gap between the cliffs. In no time he had a harness on Jamie and was lifting him towards the helicopter.
‘At least there’s no wind.’ Ryan secured straps around Matt’s thighs until both legs were well supported.
Staggered by the speed with which he’d applied the splint, Jenna took Matt’s hand. ‘How are you doing?’
‘It feels a bit better,’ Matt muttered, ‘but I’m not looking forward to going up in that helicopter.’
‘You’re going to be fine. They’re experts.’ Ryan watched as the winchman was lowered again, this time with a stretcher. ‘We’re going to get you on board, Matt, and then I’ll give you oxygen and fluid on our way to hospital. Once we’re on dry land, we can make you comfortable.’
Jenna looked at him, his words sinking home.
Ryan was leaving them.
She gave herself a mental shake. Of course he had to go with the casualty. What else? But she couldn’t stop the shiver, and her palms dug a little harder into the grey slippery rock as she kept hold.
Ryan helped the winchman transfer Matt onto the stretcher. They had a conversation about the injury, the loss of blood—Jenna knew they were deciding whether it was best to have a doctor on board. The winchman was a paramedic, but still—
She watched as Matt was lifted slowly out of the narrow gap between the rocks, the winchman steadying the stretcher.
Once he was safely inside the helicopter, Ryan turned to Jenna.
Seeing the indecision on his face, she didn’t hesitate.
‘You should go! He might need you. You have to leave us here while you get him to hospital.’
Ryan’s face was damp with seawater, his hair soaked, his jaw tense. ‘I can’t see any other way.’ Already the winchman was being lowered for the final time.
Jenna lifted her chin. ‘You’re wasting time. We’ll be fine, Ryan. We’ll climb a little higher and the helicopter will be back for us soon. They’re ready for you.’ She watched, drymouthed, as the winchman landed on the rocks. ‘Go.’ To make it easier for both of them, she turned away and picked her way over the rocks to Lexi.
The girl was shivering, although whether it was from the cold or shock, Jenna didn’t know.
She was shivering, too.
‘They’ll be back for us ever so quickly. You did so well, Lexi. I was so proud of you.’ She wrapped her arms around her daughter and rubbed the girl’s back, trying to stop the shivering. ‘Oh, you’re soaked through, you poor thing. How long have you been in that water? You must be freezing.’
‘Is Matt going to die, Mum?’ Lexi’s teeth were chattering and her long hair fell in wet ropes around her shoulders. ‘There was so much blood—’
‘That’s because the seawater made it seem like more.’ Jenna’s protective instincts flooded to the surface as she heard the fear in Lexi’s voice and decided this was one of those times when it was best to be economical with the truth. ‘He isn’t going to die. He is seriously injured, and he’s going to be spending quite a bit of time in hospital, but he’ll be all right, I’m sure. Largely thanks to you. How did you do it, Lexi? How did you climb down here?’ Her stomach tightened at the thought.
‘He was just lying there, Mum. I had to do something.’
Jenna hugged her tightly. ‘You saved his life.’
‘Not me. Ryan.’ Lexi hugged her back. ‘Did you see him come down that cliff face, Mum? It was like watching one of those special forces movies. Comm
andos or something.’
‘Yes, I saw.’ Jenna closed her eyes, trying to wipe out the image of her daughter negotiating those deadly, slippery rocks without a rope.
