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The only answering replies are the wails of the sirens as they draw closer to where Garrett is waiting by his SUV. I’m guessing he’s still there. I can’t see him from here.
I glance back at my truck and turn in the direction Jess was last headed according to her footprints. For now, I have to assume she continued going in that direction and do the same. Maybe her trail picks up once I get beyond the tree line. If it was raining while she was out here, she might have gone into the trees to look for shelter.
Or, she might have looked for shelter in the group of large boulders several yards away.
I head for them in case they created some sort of shelter on the other side. A better shelter than what the trees provided.
The sirens stop and I can only guess that Garrett is updating the first responders on the situation.
I round the boulders and stumble across Jess, fully exposed to the elements. She’s curled up on the ground, eyes closed, face pale, other than where her right temple is starting to bruise. My body turns cold with fear. She’s gonna be okay. She’s gotta be okay.
Her shorts and T-shirt are wet and muddy. A blood-soaked sweat shirt is tied around her thigh, but I can’t tell how much blood she’s actually lost. Last night’s rain and the wet fabric might make things look worse than they are.
“She’s over here!” I yell to anyone who can hear me.
I drop to the ground and gently shake her shoulder, taking care not to spook or move her. “Jess.”
She doesn’t stir. Please be okay. Please be okay. Fuck. I was away on a routine rescue for two missing hikers while Jess needed me. I wasn’t here for her when she needed me the most. And now…
Please be okay.
I press my fingers against her carotid pulse. Her pulse is weak and thready, her breathing shallow, her skin cold. I inwardly curse for not bringing a jacket with me. It’s a pain to put on with my shoulder, so I left it in Garrett’s truck.
I can’t even scoop her in my arms and warm her up. I’ll end up possibly worsening her injuries and doing more damage to my shoulder. But if I can’t come up with a Plan A, I’ll do what I can to heat her.
“Jess, I’m here. You’re safe now.” I gently open her left eyelid. Her pupil is dilated. I check the other one. It too is dilated. But that might be because the boulders and trees are shading her from the sunlight. Without the use of my other hand, I can’t check if her pupils respond to the flashlight on my phone to see if she has a possible brain injury. Fuck. “Hold on, sweetheart.”
Please be okay.
I stand and yell, “She’s over here!” I crouch again. “Jess, I’ll be right back. I have to make sure they know where you are.” I can’t see the first responders, but I can hear their distant voices.
I move closer to the tree line and grab my phone from my pocket. Once I have cell reception, I call Garrett. He answers on the first ring.
“I’ve found her. She’s unconscious.”
“The first responders are on their way down.”
“They need to go down to the tree line and to the left to where there’s a large group of boulders,” I tell him. “She’s behind them.”
“Got it. I’ll relay the message.”
I return to Jess’s side, scared of leaving her alone for too long. I need to check on her. Make sure she’s still breathing, her heart’s still pumping.
It feels like the world has stopped spinning, dragging time to a standstill. A muffled quiet reaches my ears. Only the caw of a crow and the rustle of leaves penetrate it.
“What’s taking them so long?” I mutter, too low for even Jess to hear.
Time stretches endlessly before I finally make out the sounds of the first responders drawing near.
I stand and wave my good arm. “She’s over here! In the tree line.” A partial surge of relief washes through me. The rest of it will come once I know she’ll be all right.
Two men approach carrying a backboard and a first aid kit.
“She’s unconscious and unresponsive,” I tell them.
I step away, giving them room to work. They check her vitals, put a neck brace on her, check her for injuries other than the one on her right thigh, and insert an IV needle into her arm.
“Are her pupils reactive?” I ask. Christ, please let her be all right.
