AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He still has his harness on and rappels the short distance to where Christopher is located.
“How’re you doing?” Garrett asks me over the howl of the wind.
“Dislocated shoulder,” I manage to get out through gritted teeth.
“We need help here,” he calls up.
“I can manage,” I tell him. “It’s not much farther. Just worry about Christopher.”
The brief gust of wind dies down long enough for Garrett to help Christopher up the rest of the way. And I drag myself to a route that’s climbable.
My rappelling partner pulls me up via the rope while I do what I can to climb one-handed, my injured arm held against my body. Adrenaline assists in temporarily muting the intense pain in my shoulder.
Garrett and Noah help me onto the ledge and I collapse, looking up at the sky, the rain falling on my face as I fight to regain my breath. At the same time, I try to breathe through the throbbing in my shoulder and distract myself with my thoughts on the last time I saw Jess, a sheet wrapped around her chest.
Christopher is kneeling at his father’s side, crying but also keeping his chin held high.
Garrett squats next to me. “You think you’ll be able to walk out of here?”
I push to a sit and wince at the pain. “Yeah. But my shoulder’ll need to be stabilized first.” I inwardly curse myself for getting injured. Helping Jess with her renovations will be more difficult while the shoulder heals.
The father’s stretcher is carried off to where the ambulance will be waiting. Noah walks with Christopher, his hand on the boy’s shoulder, keeping him close and safe.
Garrett applies the sling to my injured arm and secures the arm to my chest with a wide bandage. “I’m sure there’re way better ways of getting laid tonight.” Lines crinkle at the corners of his eyes. “You didn’t have to go for the sympathy fuck.”
I smack him on the shoulder and chuckle. “Dumbass. You’re just jealous I thought of it first.”
He laughs. “Don’t you know it?” He helps me to my feet. “Let’s get you out of here.”
Garrett and I head to town in his SUV. As soon as I get cell reception, I text Jess.
Me: Found missing father and son. Heading back. Have to swing by hospital first. Will come over once I’m finished there
It takes an additional forty-five minutes to get to the hospital, and I still haven’t received a single text from Jess by the time we arrive.
She’s probably busy with her friends. Our friends.
In the ER, I head to the triage desk. “Hey, Troy.” A brief smile flickers on the nurse’s face. “What happened to your arm?”
“I dislocated my shoulder during a search and rescue.” Now that the adrenaline surge has receded, the pain has intensified. I inwardly curse.
Her eyes widen. “You were the one who rescued the boy and his father?”
“Yeah. Me and Garrett. Are they okay?” I ask even though I know she can’t tell me anything. It’s against hospital policy.
“They’re in an exam room. If you want to visit with them, I can check if they’re up for that.”
“Yes, please.” I want to make sure Christopher is all right.
She has me sit in the triage room and asks questions about my shoulder while briefly examining it. Then she leaves and returns a minute later. “The boy is in Room Four. You can wait there until an orderly takes you to radiology. The physician will need X-rays of your shoulder before he can pop it back in.” She points in the direction I need to go for Room Four.
Garrett and I walk down the hallway. Even with the renovations several years ago, the hallway feels familiar. Growing up, I had more than a few hockey and skate-boarding accidents that landed me in the ER. It was almost a second home, much to Mom’s dismay.
Christopher’s sitting on the bed, studying the phone in his hand, when we enter the room. An IV tube is attached to his other arm. Noah’s sitting on the chair next to the bed.
The boy is smiling at the phone, his face no longer devoid of color. I can’t imagine how frantic his mom must have been, not knowing where her son was and if he was okay. Not knowing if she would ever see him again. Not knowing if she would get to wrap her arms around his warm body, his smile directed at her.
“Hey, how’s it going, Christopher?” I ask him, happy to see the kid’s physically okay.
