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In five minutes the nurse was back with a pair of scissors in her hand. “Okay, you get your wish.”
Charlie cupped his hands over his groin, looking at the scissors in horror. “What do you need those for?”
“I’m leaving!” Lila said, scurrying away.
“I just need to snip a little piece of tubing that will drain the water out of the balloon in your bladder,” the nurse explained patiently. “I promise, you won’t feel it. The catheter should fall right out.”
Squeezing his eyes closed, he gripped the sheets while she worked. When the deed was done, she pulled a urinal out of the bedside stand and handed it to him.
“You stay in bed tonight. In the morning you’ll probably go to the OR so the doctor can clean up your burns.”
Confused, Charlie didn’t know what she was talking about. “Burns?”
“The back of your neck and around where your helmet sat on your head are burned. You have narcotics on board, so you aren’t feeling it yet.”
He reached up to touch his face and she caught him. “Charlie, don’t touch. You’re bandaged.”
“Give me a mirror.”
“No.”
“Jeez, is it that bad?”
But she had a wicked sense of humor. “Nah, I’ll get you one. Don’t freak out, okay? Your hair is a little singed in the front. When you fell, your helmet slipped back. It’s not bad though. You look good.”
His hands went up to his mouth. “Oh shit, I remember hitting my teeth now. Are they busted up?”
“Your teeth look fine, trust me. Your teeth cut your lip is all. You have a stitch or two in your mouth.”
Just as she turned to leave, Lila came in with Big Mike and the fire district chief, Frank Keller, who was visibly shaken.
“Buddy, you’re awake.” Uncharacteristically, the men embraced. “If we would have lost you, I’m not sure the department would recover from that anytime soon. First George, then Mike. No, it’s unthinkable.”
“I’m beginning to remember what happened,” Charlie said.
“Why didn’t you call a Mayday? I’m really pissed off about that. You thought enough of your men to get them to safety, and then you risk your life. That’s not cool. I know you knew were in trouble because they told me your oxygen hose was in your jacket. Why would you stay out without oxygen? I just don’t get it.”
Lying back against the pillow, Charlie didn’t have an answer for him. “I don’t think I realized how far into the canyon I’d gone. The smoke confused me. My GPS wasn’t working or I wouldn’t have ventured that far down. I made the guys answer me when I called them, so I know my radio worked. But not my phone. Not my GPS. How’d they find me?”
“When you didn’t return, Rick Jackson and one of the volunteers risked their lives to go back for you.”
“I’m sorry,” Charlie said.
Being reproached by the district chief was a new experience for Charlie, and the humiliation burned worse than the wounds that he was beginning to feel.
“You know you’re going to have to receive a formal reprimand.”
Stunned, Charlie didn’t know, and the admission in front of his big brother and Lila stung. “Okay, well whatever it takes,” he said. “Was anyone else hurt?”
“No.”
“What about the zoo? The employees?”
“The safari is fine. No loss of property, either, at least not yet. They’re still at it. The winds keep flaming it, and there’s so much fuel.”
“What direction is it headed?”
“Southeast, toward Ramona. But they’ve got it eighty percent contained. You can’t do anything about it, Charlie. Just get better so I can suspend you.”
