CHAPTER 1
The bitter cold air stung his prominent nose as he swished down the slopes, ice crystals forming on his thick eyebrows as his warm breath swept upwards. It was late afternoon and the winter sun was stunningly bright as Charles Carson headed to the ski lodge located at the bottom of the mountain. He first caught sight of her a few meters below him, her long, dark, auburn hair catching the sunlight like a streak of fire coming out from under her helmet. She was dressed in black bibs her red skis slicing through the snow. The next few minutes would later haunt his dreams. As he rounded a curve at the edge of a precipice called Dead Man's Fall, he watched in horror as one of her skis broke loose. Miraculously she managed a few meters balancing on one ski as she tried to slow down but the next curve was too tight and she careened off Dead Man's Fall like a ski jumper off the end of a chute. His heart stopped. He flew to the edge of the dropoff, throwing down his poles and peering over the side as he watched her body tumble like a rag doll down the craggy face until she stopped just at the edge of another cliff some 20 meters below him. He didn't even think about what he was doing as he threw off his skis and began climbing down the side of the drop off. About 10 meters down he slipped and tumbled another 5, striking his head against a large tree limb that gashed his forehead just about his eye. Oddly he didn't feel any pain though he felt blood trickling down his face. He crawled the rest of the way down to her, holding onto rocks, tree limbs, roots, whatever he could find to grab on to. Finally making it to her he could see that she was still breathing. She lay on her right side, her left arm and leg both obviously broken. He was afraid to move her much in case her back or neck was broken but she was dangerously close to the edge of another cliff and he feared if she woke she might accidentally roll off. He reached his arms around her and pulled her gently backwards to a flatter section of the outcropping. Then removed her snow goggles and pulled the facemask down under her chin so he could see her face. The fog from her breath was visible and that gave him hope. He rolled over onto his back took a deep breath. He needed to get help and fast. Unfortunately he didn't have his cell phone on him. He'd purposefully left it in his room at the lodge needing an escape from the pressures of life for a few hours. He rolled back over and unzipped her coat, searching her pockets, thankfully finding that she did indeed have hers. The screen was shattered, making it hard to see what he was doing but he could just make out the lock screen. "Blast!" he shouted into the frigid air. There was no way he could figure out her lock code...unless...he reached down and gingerly lifted her hand, pressing her thumb over the home button and the phone unlocked. He heaved a sigh of relief and squinting at the cracked screen dialed emergency services. "Hello, I need help. I'm with an injured skier on the side of East Wall Traverse on Black Mountain. She's unconscious but breathing. Hello? Can you hear me? We're on a rocky outcropping about half way down the side of East Wall Traverse. Hello? Yes, did you get that? Can you hear me? East Wall Traverse...Hello?" the phone went dead. He wasn't certain if they'd understood where they were. The call had been garbled. He tried to call again but this time the phone would not respond. He laid back in frustration. The woman moved a little and moaned and he rolled back over to her and realized she had begun to shiver. The sun would be setting soon and the temperature had already begun to plummet. He had to keep them warm or they'd both freeze to death. He'd had some survival training as a boy in scouts but it had been so long ago he wasn't sure he remembered much aside from the fact that he needed to get them as close as possible to each other so they could keep each other warm. He looked her over more carefully, noting that her arm was broken below her elbow and her leg was broken just below her knee but they appeared to be closed fractures, no bones sticking out thank heaven. He crawled across to the other side of her so that he was now facing her and unzipped her coat, slipping it off of her gently and spreading it out on the snow between them. He then carefully pulled her over on the spread out coat and unzipping his he layed down beside her, pulling her against his chest into his large coat and zipping it back up around them. She was thankfully still unconscious and didn't cry out from being moved. He pulled her goggles back down to protect her eyes and her facemask back up to shield it from the cold. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her head into his neck and waited to be rescued. Two hours later it was dark and the temps had dropped even more. His legs felt numb and his fingers ached inside his gloves. He moved his legs from around her for just a moment and she suddenly cried out. He looked down at her face and could see she was trying to open her eyes. "Shhh. It's alright. I've got you. It's ok. I've got you. Shhh." She wrestled against him trying to move, then screamed in agony as shockwaves of pain shot through her body.
Bone aching cold. Excruciating pain. Those are the first sensations that returned to Elsie Hughes as she slowly became more aware of her surroundings. She wanted to open her eyes but they refused to cooperate. She willed her arms and legs to move but they seemed frozen in place. She tried to scream but couldn't seem to manage more than a whimper. Was someone speaking to her? It sounded so far away...I've got you...It's ok...I've got you...Shhhh...Her eyes snapped open and it all came rushing in like an avalanche and she cried out.
She lay on her side, pulled tight against a warm body, someone's arms wrapped tightly around her holding her. She could hear and feel his warm, heavy breath rush by her ear. The screaming was coming from somewhere deep inside her, somewhere primal. She couldn't stop. The pain was too much and she began to lose consciousness again all the while hearing the deep, calm voice telling her, "It's ok. I've got you." as her world once again faded to black.
He heard the helicopter before he saw it but he knew there was no way he could move at this point and they wouldn't see him anyway. He was too cold, hypothermia creeping in at the edges of his consciousness. It circled around for nearly 20 more minutes before the beam of light they were using to search the ground landed on them. "Thank God. Thank God." he whispered as he realized they'd been spotted. Not long after that rescuers were lowered to them on the small outcropping. They unzipped the woman from his coat and wrapped her in a blanket and strapped her in the lift basket, lifting her up into the helicopter. She'd woken up again for a brief moment as she was being strapped into the basket, her screams echoing off the cliff walls. Charles had been helped to his feet and knelt next to the basket. She opened her eyes and he leaned over her. "What's your name?" She looked up at him confused. "What's your name?" he asked again.
"Elsie", she whispered before losing consciousness again.
"Elsie...she says her name is Elsie." Charles said as the rescuers helped him to his feet and wrapped him in a blanket.
"Sir, please stand back. They'll send the basket back down for you next."
"I'm fine. I'm not bad off. Please, take her on to the hospital. Don't make them wait for me."
"No Sir...you've cut your head and your close to hypothermia. You'll be going with her. Now, stand back over here so they can lower the basket."
Charles did as they asked and when the basket lowered again, they had him climb in and strapped him down to be lifted up. Once inside the helicopter the paramedics worked quickly. Two people stabilized Elsie, while another worked on Charles.
"Hello, I'm Carrie. What's your name?"
"Charles...Charles Carson."
"Alright Charles, We're going to put in an IV with some warm fluids and put a bandage on your head alright? How's your neck? Does it hurt at all?" the paramedic asked him.
"No, no...I...I wasn't...I didn't fall like she did. I cut my head on a tree limb trying to get down the slope to her. I saw it...I saw it happening and...I saw her tumbling like...like a rag doll. I...I was trying to get to her…"
"You did a fine job of keeping her still and warm Mr. Carson. Now, let me take care of you alright?" She leaned over and cleaned his blood-streaked face off. "It looks like you'll probably need a few stitches." She wrapped a bandage around his head, placing gauze over the wound. "Do you know her?" Carrie asked, nodding toward where Elsie lay.
"No. I don't. I just happened to be skiing by at just the right time."
"Well, thank God for that. Otherwise...well, people don't usually last very long up here exposed to the elements. You saved her life Mr. Carson."
Elsie began to whimper again and Charles scooted closer to her, leaning over and taking her good hand. "Shhh, you're safe now. We're getting you some help Elsie. It's ok." She opened her eyes for just a moment and a tear slid out. Charles reached over and wiped it away. "Can you hear me Elsie? You're going to be ok."
"Ok…" she barely whispered just before she closed her eyes again.
Once they landed on top of the hospital, things moved fast. A team was waiting on them and they quickly whisked Elsie away on the stretcher, before helping Charles into a wheelchair and heading toward the elevator. They stopped on the surgery floor and Elsie was wheeled one way and Charles the other.
"Where...where are they taking her?" he asked desperately.
"She's going to a trauma room to be assessed and then to surgery Mr. Carson. Do you happen to know her last name?"
"No...no I don't."
"Ok, well we're going to take you in here and get you all cleaned up and stitched up. Are you sure you're not hurt anywhere else?"
"No...no I'm fine, just cold."
Once the nurses had him cleaned up and checked him over thoroughly, the Doctor came in to stitch him up. "Hello, I'm Dr. Clarkson. You're very lucky Mr. Carson. If that branch had struck you a little lower you'd have lost your eye. Now, we're going to admit you for observation overnight and…"
"No! No, I am not going to be admitted! I'm fine save for this gash. I just want to see Elsie...please can you tell me how she's doing?"
"You mean the woman brought in with you? I thought you didn't know each other…"
"We don't...but I...I kept her warm...I held onto her for hours so we didn't fall any further down the mountain and I...I need to know she's ok. She's got no one here who knows her doctor. I'm the closest thing she's got right now. Please…I can't explain it but…"
"Well, I'm afraid she's in surgery and will be for several more hours. We still don't know who she is either. She didn't have any ID on her so we've only got a first name." Dr. Clarkson looked at the anxious look on Charles' face and made a decision. "Look, since she's got no one here I don't see why you can't see her once she's out of surgery, but on one condition. Until she's in a proper room, you will stay in this bed and let us give you more warm fluids and get you hydrated. You'll not do her any good if you are ill."
"Alright, I'll do that...but please Dr. as soon as it's possible I want to see her."
"You have my word." Dr. Clarkson agreed.
At some point during the night Charles had fallen into a deep sleep. The warm blankets and fluids going into him had done their work. He woke up to a beeping sound as a nurse came into the room. "Looks like your fluids are all done Mr. Carson. I think we can take your IV out now." He sat up groggily in bed and offered up his hand so she could remove the IV.
"What time is it?" he asked sleepily.
"Just past nine in the morning." she smiled.
"Is...Elsie...the woman that was brought in with me in a room yet?"
"Oh...you were together then? Let me just go check and see. I'll be back in just a bit."
Half an hour later the nurse finally returned. "Right, now I have your discharge papers here Mr. Carson but they are conditional." He gave her a questioning look. "You must prove that you can walk to the door and back without being wobbly." Once he'd walked around the room she handed him the papers. "So if you'll just sign here and here and then I'll take you to your friend's room. She's just got settled."
"So she's alright?"
"Yes, well...I'll let the doctor explain everything alright?" Charles nodded as he quickly signed the papers.
"Right now, I'll let you get dressed and once you're ready meet me back up at the nurse's station."
Charles dressed quickly and was ushered into an intensive care room where Elsie lay hooked up to several machines. He quickly walked over and took her hand gently.
"Ah, Mr. Carson. You look much better this morning." Dr. Clarkson said from the doorway.
"How is she?" he asked quickly turning round to face the doctor.
"She's had surgery on her arm and leg. I think they should heal well, but I'm more concerned about her head injury."
"Head injury? What...how bad is it?"
"She's got a nasty concussion. She may be out for quite a while yet. She's going to be in a lot of pain when she wakes up."
"Is it alright if I stay with her, for now? I just don't want her to be alone when she wakes up."
"I don't see why not. Patients tend to do better when someone is with them."
"Thank you doctor."
Charles sat and held Elsie's hand for a while, soon drifting off to sleep in his chair. A nurse came in and woke him about three hours later. When he sat up he realized he was no longer holding Elsie's hand...she was holding his. He looked up at her and she smiled slightly. "Who are you?"
She asked weakly.
"He's the one who saved you, mam." the nurse replied.
"You did?" she asked looking back over at him.
Charles nodded. "I'll tell you about it sometime, but not now...you need to rest."
"What's your name?" she whispered.
"Charles...Charles Carson."
"Hi Charles...I'm Elsie Hughes."
"Hi." he whispered back. She closed her eyes again and drifted back to sleep. Charles stood and went to the nurses station. "Her name is Elsie Hughes. Once she wakes up again I'll see if I can find out about any family."
"Thank you Mr. Carson. You're very kind to stay with her."
He smiled. "It's my pleasure." He couldn't explain it really. He had never felt so instantly attached to someone like this. He knew one thing for certain. He wasn't going to leave her here alone.
TBC