THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS PRESENT
PART FOUR
As the tour bus containing Bridger and the other SeaQuest crew members, they could see from looking out the window that the resort was a hive of activity at the moment.
The bus pulled up to a stop outside the main reception building and the crew now made their way towards the manager's desk with worry and concern written all over their faces.
For the moment Andrew Smith seemed to be involved in a discussion with a number of people wearing rescue overalls. There was also two dogs with them, husky looking breeds that were probably going to be used in the search of those missing.
Andrew Smith looked up and saw the SeaQuest party looking back at him and needing some answers as to what was the plan to rescue Lucas and the other boarders. By now he knew that the group had inadvertently heard that their teenage friend was listed amongst the missing group.
"I am so sorry for this tragic accident to have happened Mr Bridger," the man said as he walked away from the rescue crew briefly and shook the Captain's hand.
"I am sure that you are all most anxious to find your missing young friend," he said, not knowing how else to soften the blow to the crew. "If you will join my rescue crew, you will best hear what procedures are put in place in such a crisis to provide the maximum outcome."
"The maximum outcome Mr Smith is finding Lucas alive and nothing less," Krieg now said, not really angry at the man but wanting to vent his feeling of helplessness and frustration and someone or something.
Andrew quickly introduced the rescue crew to the SeaQuest group, but by the time all of the names were spoken, Nathan was sure that he couldn't remember a one due to his mind being on other things at the moment.
"Let me assure you and your party Mr Bridger that these people are the best at what they do, that's why this resort hired them and their specialised animals. The dogs are used to this terrain and the elements outside and can detect most scents in the snow. Hopefully one or more of those scents will be those of our missing guests," Smith explained.
"I believe you about your team Mr Smith, but I can't hide how worried I am about Lucas being out there in all that snow. What are his real chances of survival?" Bridger asked.
"I can't completely answer that question for the moment Mr Bridger because our team hasn't been out to assess the accident area, the first thing that needs to be determined is what the weather conditions are going to be for the next few hours," Smith stated. "What has the weather in a few hours got to do with the rescue?" Ben asked a little impatiently, wondering why the rescue team wasn't already at the sight looking for his missing friend.
"Everything actually Mr Krieg," Andrew answered honestly. "The weather looks okay out there at the moment but it change without warning and then we will have to send out a second rescue party to find the first one. I have to be sure that I am not putting more lives at risk by asking them to go out when bad weather in a chance."
"Then let us go out too," Ben now suggested. He would be more than willing to go and help the rescue crew and he was sure that the rest of the crew wouldn't hesitate either.
"That's definitely out of the question Mr Krieg, no matter what the weather conditions out there," Smith replied. He could see the man about to give a scathing rebuttal and so gave a quick reason first.
"The reason is simple Ben. You and your people might my adept at underwater search and rescue," he stated, knowing a little information about the sorts of missions that the SeaQuest crew was asked to perform. "But the snowfields are a long way from the ocean and more dangerous than you realise. There is no second chance out there. You don't know the terrain or where you are and I cannot risk you going out there and getting lost yourself. I know that the waiting for a lost friend or family member is a terrible thing, but at the moment, the best thing you and your party can do is let the professionals do their job and bring Lucas back to you safely."
"What else can our party do here Mr Smith?" Commander Ford now asked, feeling as useless as Krieg but putting his military training forward when needed.
"I am grateful you asked Jonathan and I thank you for the offer," Smith said with appreciation. "Actually there is a lot you can do. With the risk of feeling like I am stereotyping here, if the boarders are found they are likely going to be injured in some way and will need first-aid treatment once they arrive back at the resort."
"Doctor Westphalen, if you and your female companion there and Mr Krieg could make some temporary beds up in one of the spare cabins, that would be helpful," Smith said. "Mr Bridger, I am right in assuming that your communications officer and weapons man can read weather reports?"
"Anything you need Mr Smith," Bridger instantly. "Mr O'Neill my communications officer and Mr Ortiz, the best listener aboard SeaQuest he said as he introduced Tim and Miguel.
"Right this way please," Smith directed the party to a communications room at the back of the resort. He asked for them to wait until he finished briefly the rescue crew and got them underway. He issued the search party with radio equipment in the form of walkie talkies so there would be constant feedback and communication.
The tour bus the skiers had used was now loaded up with search and rescue equipment and headed out of the resort towards the snow-boarding slopes. The rescue dogs were also loaded into the bus and given tracking collars around their necks so that they didn't become lost either.
**********************************************
The first thing Lucas was aware of was that he didn't feel anything at first. There was a complete numbness about his body that scared him.
After a few more seconds, he allowed the coldness of the snow sink into his senses and awaken his brain to tell him where it hurt the most. At first he was reaching towards the throbbing pain in his head. He assumed that is what he hit the pine tree with and caused him to black out.
Secondly, his shoulder started to ache and make him aware of it's pain. He moved his arms and legs but couldn't feel any injuries to them. He didn't know if the cold had caused them to feel too numb and that was why he couldn't feel anything in them.
Thankfully as Lucas looked up, he noted that he had landed so that his head and most of his upper body were protruding from the mound of snow he was encased in. At least he had air to breathe and could look around his surroundings at the moment.
As he did just that and note his surroundings, he found himself leaning against the trunk of the tree that had stopped his decent down the slope. The roughness of the bark was cushioned by the snow.
As his senses took more note of what was going on around him, the other thing that Lucas now noticed was the silence. Total silence. And it was only now that he remembered there having been four other people out on the snow with him earlier that afternoon.
Looking into the afternoon sun as, he could see no sign of anybody else. Perhaps they had not been as fortunate as him at landing above the snow. If they were caught under the avalanche of snow he wondered how long they would be able to survive with a lack of oxygen.
Lucas now began thinking about what he should do about getting out of his predicament and getting some sort of help for himself and the other boarders under the snow. But the thinking process brought the throbbing headache back to his temples. He tried to massage it away with his fingertips but they were so cold that he couldn't even feel them against his skin.
With the onset of evening only a couple of hours away, the air temperature began to plummet at a dramatic rate. The snow itself was cold Lucas noted but his body was still too numb from the encasement to feel it at present.
He slowly began to pull his body into a sitting position. This took quite a few minutes and the dizziness that he had to fight when he had finally achieved it was very bad. He put his hand to his head and could feel a small patch of dried blood on his temple.
"Come on Lucas, get on your feet now," he told himself. Somewhere in the back of his foggy brain a voice was reminding him of people freezing to death in just these sort of situations. The voice faded away again as the pain in his head became more noticeable over the top.
Lucas now manoeuvred his sore limbs so that he was now kneeling on his hands and knees in the cold snow. He abruptly brought his right hand up in an attempt to take the weight off it. There was a wave of pain lancing through his shoulder blade from front to back at the moment and he could scarcely keep from vocalising his pain and discomfort. He chewed his bottom lip in order to prevent the cry of torment.
After waiting several more seconds for the dizziness to subside and the throbbing in his shoulders ease a little to allow him to think more clearly, Lucas now used his good hand and arm as a lever against the trunk of the pine tree to help into a standing position.
When he finally managed to pull himself into such a stance, the giddiness took on a whole new meaning and the swaying action of his body almost forced him to sit back down on the cold snow to prevent his inevitable collapse. It was only that he was holding on the tree now with force that stopped his descent and allowed him to remain upright.
Now looking around himself as the world stopped spinning, he tried to get his bearings in order to try to get help for himself and the other boarders trapped under the snow. He was unaware that the search and rescue party were already on their way towards him.
The blow to his head seem to disorient Lucas. Before the accident he had a good idea which direction the resort was in from the ski slopes, but now that self-made map was a little hazy around the edges.
Lucas was talking to himself, trying to keep his mind focused on the job of finding help for the others. He knew that they needed to be rescued as soon as possible before nightfall came.
Gingerly, Lucas now took two steps forward. He almost fell back to the snow again at the unsteadiness of his feet, but somehow he managed to stay erect. Not very well and he huddled his arms against his body as best he could to hold out the cold but he was still standing. The wrapping of his arms around his body against the cold only made the pain in his shoulder worse but he kept them around his chest as best he could.
Lucas now took a few more small steps forward. He was grateful that there had been no heavy snowfall during the day today, which would have hampered his movement even more. As it was, the cold, his lack of strength and the pain he was feeling made it a most difficult task.
Instead of heading back in the direction of the resort though, Lucas's foggy senses were leading him away from the very help he sort.
After about 10 more minutes of walking in the wrong direction, battling the cold from all sides and beginning to feel numb again, Lucas's strength reserves ran out completely and he fell face first into the snow.
The cold snow on his face made him lift his head briefly and look in the direction he had been walking. He knew he had to try and get up again. He was telling himself that he couldn't stay laying in the snow for very long. But his body just wouldn't obey him and he found his senses growing dim again as unconscious beckoned.
With a few brief flutters of his eyelids, Lucas's head fell back on the snow. He was now unaware of any pain or cold that racked his body.
************************************************************
Back at the resort, Katie and Kristen had managed to make up the beds in the spare cabins liked they were asked. Ben had been given the task of sorting medical supplies that they might need once the missing snow-boarders had been located and returned.
Bridger and the rest of the crew came to check on their progress and give them some updates on the weather that lay ahead for the night.
"What is it looking like tonight Nathan?" Kristen asked as she refolded the same blanket she had already folded half a dozen times out of worry.
"Not good I am afraid," Bridger said honestly. "We have only got a couple of more hours of daylight left before it will be too dark to see much. That in itself is of major concern if they can't find them very quickly up there."
"But the thing that worries us the most is the storm that is fast approaching from the north," Tim O'Neill now said as he translated the images he had seen on the maps back at the communications office.
Kristen looked at Nathan for further explanation as to what that meant for Lucas and the other missing skiers.
"It's a very large storm. Andrew says they occur quite regularly up here at night but are normally gone by morning. Our main concern is finding those people before it gets in the way of the rescue effort." Bridger said, unable to hide the worry and mix of emotions that was plaguing his mind at the moment over Lucas.
"And while we just sit here and rot, Lucas and those other people are freezing to death out there with little hope of finding them," Ben said in a angered voice, throwing a antiseptic dish across the room to show his frustration.
Kristen and the others could see the Ben wasn't coping very well about Lucas missing. He was never one to hide his emotions, happy or sad or angry.
"We just have to be ready if they ask for help Ben," Bridger said in a calming voice, trying to give the Lieutenant some hope that they might be used in the rescue operation.
******************************************************
As the stranger approached the motionless form laying in the snow, Lucas was still unconscious. Lucas was almost completely covered by snow by now as the stranger approached. The man had long white hair and long white beard.
The man got off his skiddoo and walked over to the youth he could see in the snow. He was well equipped for the snow, with large thick black boots covering his feet and a pair of thick, warm trousers. The trousers were a little unusual in their red colouring and fur trimming around the cuffs of the legs, but they were just right for this wintry weather.
Lucas was laying on his stomach, and his head was turned to the side. The man quickly brushed the snow off the teenager's face, and turned the young man over. He could see a deep bruise beginning to form over Lucas's temple; blood had flowed down the side of Lucas's face but was now dry.
The winds of the approaching storm had picked up dramatically in the half an hour that Lucas lay in the snow undetected. It now ruffled his hair with vigour, making the boy's body shiver from the coldness it held.
Quickly the man ran his hands over Lucas's arms and legs, and then felt the boy's ribs. "Nothing broken," the man said in satisfaction. He looked down at the unconscious figure. "But you're half frozen, ain't you, boy," he added.
The man looked around, trying to spot some type of shelter. But the land was dotted only with boulders and trees. "Come on, boy," the man said. "We got to get you home. You have to spend Christmas with your loved ones," the stranger commented to the unconscious youth. The skiddoo was more than capable of carrying two passengers in the current conditions. It might not be the most comfortable method of transportation but it would get them to warmth and help faster. He gently now picked up the young man in a fireman's carry, trying not to jostle him to much for fear of any injuries that he might not have discovered yet. Lucas gave a few grunts of pains and moaned a little as the forced movement made his headache worse. But all in all, Lucas remained oblivious to what the man was trying to do to help him and his efforts to get him to shelter as quickly as possible. The stranger had noted the clouds in the sky that afternoon and many years on experience in these areas had told him of the storm that would approach the area very soon. He didn't need any of the electronic equipment that the SeaQuest crew or search party were relying on.
The stranger had only been carrying Lucas on his craft for a few minutes when he remembered a cave in the distance that would suit their needs for the time being. It wasn't very big and it was mostly used by the local wild life such as deer and other furry critters to escape the bitter cold winds of the night.
When they arrived at the spot, the man once again hoisted Lucas into a fireman's carry and took him into the stone structure, chiselled out of the rock in the mountain.
With a sigh, the man laid Lucas gently back on the snow. He stood and walked a few feet away. Then he began digging into the snow. The boy was going to need a drink of water when he awoke to quench his thirst. Even though it was cold, the melting snow would be sufficient for their water needs for now.
Within a few minutes, the man had hollowed out some of the snow inside the small cave. There was now enough room for both he and Lucas to fit comfortably to see the storm over. He prayed that the storm took longer to come and that he might be able to get the youth back to his family before the storm set in. He would have to keep a sharp eye on the clouds overhead and make a decision at the last moment.
For now, the winds outside had picked up already in the last half an hour and he knew that the boy had a least some bumps and bruises that needed attending too while they waited out the approaching weather.
The stranger now returned to the unconscious figure on the ground. The man picked up Lucas and carried him further into the snow cave. He set the injured young man gently on the floor of the cave, offering him some protection from the approaching storm and the buffeting winds that would result. He needed to get the boy warm as quickly as he could.
Then the man walked a short distance to a few pine trees that were nearby. He returned to the cave a few minutes later, carrying an armful of branches and twigs he had broken of the lower limbs of the pine trees.
Quickly he arranged the wood a foot or so from Lucas, then reached into the pocket of his brown coat. He pulled out a handful of matches. It took several tries, but the man finally got a small fire going. He slowly added branches to the fire, being careful not to smother it.
Satisfied that the fire would blaze for awhile, he picked up a handful of snow and began cleaning the blood off Lucas's face. Almost half an hour passed before Lucas began to stir. Even with the heat from the fire, Lucas felt miserably cold. His teeth were chattering as he slowly opened his eyes. His vision was fuzzy. He saw a white haired man peering anxiously at him.
"Captain?" Lucas asked.
"No son, I don't know who he is," the figure answered. "But we'll get you home to him. How are you feeling?"
Lucas tried to answer but he couldn't. His head ached and he seemed to hurt all over. But mostly he was cold, colder than he had ever been in his life. Lucas began to shiver.
"Try and move your legs," the man said to the injured young man . Lucas tried. It seemed to take a lot of effort, but finally he managed to move both his legs.
"Now your arms," the man ordered.
Lucas moved his left arm. But he cried out when he tried to move his right.
"Where's it hurt?" the man asked quickly.
"Sh..sh..shoulder," Lucas managed to say through his chattering teeth.
The man reached under Lucas's coat and felt the youth's shoulder. Lucas moaned at the pain the man's gentle touched caused him.
"Bruised your shoulder quite a bit I'd say," the man commented. "It's painful but not serious. Once we get you home, you'll will be fixed up in no time. Doesn't look like you broke anything."
Lucas nodded. Suddenly, he felt sleepy, and he started to close his eyes. He grunted in pain when he felt a hand gently shake him. "You have to try and stay awake young fella for a little while at least," the stranger said. He too knew all to well the dangers of succumbing to the inviting arms of sleep that you may not wake up from in these cold mountains.
TO BE CONTINUED ........
This one a little shorter but I am trying to give you the story as quickly as I can now. Only one more post and it should be finished.
Have you worked out who the stranger is supposed to be yet - there are clues to his identity.
Hope your enjoying it so far and keep reading.
JULES
PART FOUR
As the tour bus containing Bridger and the other SeaQuest crew members, they could see from looking out the window that the resort was a hive of activity at the moment.
The bus pulled up to a stop outside the main reception building and the crew now made their way towards the manager's desk with worry and concern written all over their faces.
For the moment Andrew Smith seemed to be involved in a discussion with a number of people wearing rescue overalls. There was also two dogs with them, husky looking breeds that were probably going to be used in the search of those missing.
Andrew Smith looked up and saw the SeaQuest party looking back at him and needing some answers as to what was the plan to rescue Lucas and the other boarders. By now he knew that the group had inadvertently heard that their teenage friend was listed amongst the missing group.
"I am so sorry for this tragic accident to have happened Mr Bridger," the man said as he walked away from the rescue crew briefly and shook the Captain's hand.
"I am sure that you are all most anxious to find your missing young friend," he said, not knowing how else to soften the blow to the crew. "If you will join my rescue crew, you will best hear what procedures are put in place in such a crisis to provide the maximum outcome."
"The maximum outcome Mr Smith is finding Lucas alive and nothing less," Krieg now said, not really angry at the man but wanting to vent his feeling of helplessness and frustration and someone or something.
Andrew quickly introduced the rescue crew to the SeaQuest group, but by the time all of the names were spoken, Nathan was sure that he couldn't remember a one due to his mind being on other things at the moment.
"Let me assure you and your party Mr Bridger that these people are the best at what they do, that's why this resort hired them and their specialised animals. The dogs are used to this terrain and the elements outside and can detect most scents in the snow. Hopefully one or more of those scents will be those of our missing guests," Smith explained.
"I believe you about your team Mr Smith, but I can't hide how worried I am about Lucas being out there in all that snow. What are his real chances of survival?" Bridger asked.
"I can't completely answer that question for the moment Mr Bridger because our team hasn't been out to assess the accident area, the first thing that needs to be determined is what the weather conditions are going to be for the next few hours," Smith stated. "What has the weather in a few hours got to do with the rescue?" Ben asked a little impatiently, wondering why the rescue team wasn't already at the sight looking for his missing friend.
"Everything actually Mr Krieg," Andrew answered honestly. "The weather looks okay out there at the moment but it change without warning and then we will have to send out a second rescue party to find the first one. I have to be sure that I am not putting more lives at risk by asking them to go out when bad weather in a chance."
"Then let us go out too," Ben now suggested. He would be more than willing to go and help the rescue crew and he was sure that the rest of the crew wouldn't hesitate either.
"That's definitely out of the question Mr Krieg, no matter what the weather conditions out there," Smith replied. He could see the man about to give a scathing rebuttal and so gave a quick reason first.
"The reason is simple Ben. You and your people might my adept at underwater search and rescue," he stated, knowing a little information about the sorts of missions that the SeaQuest crew was asked to perform. "But the snowfields are a long way from the ocean and more dangerous than you realise. There is no second chance out there. You don't know the terrain or where you are and I cannot risk you going out there and getting lost yourself. I know that the waiting for a lost friend or family member is a terrible thing, but at the moment, the best thing you and your party can do is let the professionals do their job and bring Lucas back to you safely."
"What else can our party do here Mr Smith?" Commander Ford now asked, feeling as useless as Krieg but putting his military training forward when needed.
"I am grateful you asked Jonathan and I thank you for the offer," Smith said with appreciation. "Actually there is a lot you can do. With the risk of feeling like I am stereotyping here, if the boarders are found they are likely going to be injured in some way and will need first-aid treatment once they arrive back at the resort."
"Doctor Westphalen, if you and your female companion there and Mr Krieg could make some temporary beds up in one of the spare cabins, that would be helpful," Smith said. "Mr Bridger, I am right in assuming that your communications officer and weapons man can read weather reports?"
"Anything you need Mr Smith," Bridger instantly. "Mr O'Neill my communications officer and Mr Ortiz, the best listener aboard SeaQuest he said as he introduced Tim and Miguel.
"Right this way please," Smith directed the party to a communications room at the back of the resort. He asked for them to wait until he finished briefly the rescue crew and got them underway. He issued the search party with radio equipment in the form of walkie talkies so there would be constant feedback and communication.
The tour bus the skiers had used was now loaded up with search and rescue equipment and headed out of the resort towards the snow-boarding slopes. The rescue dogs were also loaded into the bus and given tracking collars around their necks so that they didn't become lost either.
**********************************************
The first thing Lucas was aware of was that he didn't feel anything at first. There was a complete numbness about his body that scared him.
After a few more seconds, he allowed the coldness of the snow sink into his senses and awaken his brain to tell him where it hurt the most. At first he was reaching towards the throbbing pain in his head. He assumed that is what he hit the pine tree with and caused him to black out.
Secondly, his shoulder started to ache and make him aware of it's pain. He moved his arms and legs but couldn't feel any injuries to them. He didn't know if the cold had caused them to feel too numb and that was why he couldn't feel anything in them.
Thankfully as Lucas looked up, he noted that he had landed so that his head and most of his upper body were protruding from the mound of snow he was encased in. At least he had air to breathe and could look around his surroundings at the moment.
As he did just that and note his surroundings, he found himself leaning against the trunk of the tree that had stopped his decent down the slope. The roughness of the bark was cushioned by the snow.
As his senses took more note of what was going on around him, the other thing that Lucas now noticed was the silence. Total silence. And it was only now that he remembered there having been four other people out on the snow with him earlier that afternoon.
Looking into the afternoon sun as, he could see no sign of anybody else. Perhaps they had not been as fortunate as him at landing above the snow. If they were caught under the avalanche of snow he wondered how long they would be able to survive with a lack of oxygen.
Lucas now began thinking about what he should do about getting out of his predicament and getting some sort of help for himself and the other boarders under the snow. But the thinking process brought the throbbing headache back to his temples. He tried to massage it away with his fingertips but they were so cold that he couldn't even feel them against his skin.
With the onset of evening only a couple of hours away, the air temperature began to plummet at a dramatic rate. The snow itself was cold Lucas noted but his body was still too numb from the encasement to feel it at present.
He slowly began to pull his body into a sitting position. This took quite a few minutes and the dizziness that he had to fight when he had finally achieved it was very bad. He put his hand to his head and could feel a small patch of dried blood on his temple.
"Come on Lucas, get on your feet now," he told himself. Somewhere in the back of his foggy brain a voice was reminding him of people freezing to death in just these sort of situations. The voice faded away again as the pain in his head became more noticeable over the top.
Lucas now manoeuvred his sore limbs so that he was now kneeling on his hands and knees in the cold snow. He abruptly brought his right hand up in an attempt to take the weight off it. There was a wave of pain lancing through his shoulder blade from front to back at the moment and he could scarcely keep from vocalising his pain and discomfort. He chewed his bottom lip in order to prevent the cry of torment.
After waiting several more seconds for the dizziness to subside and the throbbing in his shoulders ease a little to allow him to think more clearly, Lucas now used his good hand and arm as a lever against the trunk of the pine tree to help into a standing position.
When he finally managed to pull himself into such a stance, the giddiness took on a whole new meaning and the swaying action of his body almost forced him to sit back down on the cold snow to prevent his inevitable collapse. It was only that he was holding on the tree now with force that stopped his descent and allowed him to remain upright.
Now looking around himself as the world stopped spinning, he tried to get his bearings in order to try to get help for himself and the other boarders trapped under the snow. He was unaware that the search and rescue party were already on their way towards him.
The blow to his head seem to disorient Lucas. Before the accident he had a good idea which direction the resort was in from the ski slopes, but now that self-made map was a little hazy around the edges.
Lucas was talking to himself, trying to keep his mind focused on the job of finding help for the others. He knew that they needed to be rescued as soon as possible before nightfall came.
Gingerly, Lucas now took two steps forward. He almost fell back to the snow again at the unsteadiness of his feet, but somehow he managed to stay erect. Not very well and he huddled his arms against his body as best he could to hold out the cold but he was still standing. The wrapping of his arms around his body against the cold only made the pain in his shoulder worse but he kept them around his chest as best he could.
Lucas now took a few more small steps forward. He was grateful that there had been no heavy snowfall during the day today, which would have hampered his movement even more. As it was, the cold, his lack of strength and the pain he was feeling made it a most difficult task.
Instead of heading back in the direction of the resort though, Lucas's foggy senses were leading him away from the very help he sort.
After about 10 more minutes of walking in the wrong direction, battling the cold from all sides and beginning to feel numb again, Lucas's strength reserves ran out completely and he fell face first into the snow.
The cold snow on his face made him lift his head briefly and look in the direction he had been walking. He knew he had to try and get up again. He was telling himself that he couldn't stay laying in the snow for very long. But his body just wouldn't obey him and he found his senses growing dim again as unconscious beckoned.
With a few brief flutters of his eyelids, Lucas's head fell back on the snow. He was now unaware of any pain or cold that racked his body.
************************************************************
Back at the resort, Katie and Kristen had managed to make up the beds in the spare cabins liked they were asked. Ben had been given the task of sorting medical supplies that they might need once the missing snow-boarders had been located and returned.
Bridger and the rest of the crew came to check on their progress and give them some updates on the weather that lay ahead for the night.
"What is it looking like tonight Nathan?" Kristen asked as she refolded the same blanket she had already folded half a dozen times out of worry.
"Not good I am afraid," Bridger said honestly. "We have only got a couple of more hours of daylight left before it will be too dark to see much. That in itself is of major concern if they can't find them very quickly up there."
"But the thing that worries us the most is the storm that is fast approaching from the north," Tim O'Neill now said as he translated the images he had seen on the maps back at the communications office.
Kristen looked at Nathan for further explanation as to what that meant for Lucas and the other missing skiers.
"It's a very large storm. Andrew says they occur quite regularly up here at night but are normally gone by morning. Our main concern is finding those people before it gets in the way of the rescue effort." Bridger said, unable to hide the worry and mix of emotions that was plaguing his mind at the moment over Lucas.
"And while we just sit here and rot, Lucas and those other people are freezing to death out there with little hope of finding them," Ben said in a angered voice, throwing a antiseptic dish across the room to show his frustration.
Kristen and the others could see the Ben wasn't coping very well about Lucas missing. He was never one to hide his emotions, happy or sad or angry.
"We just have to be ready if they ask for help Ben," Bridger said in a calming voice, trying to give the Lieutenant some hope that they might be used in the rescue operation.
******************************************************
As the stranger approached the motionless form laying in the snow, Lucas was still unconscious. Lucas was almost completely covered by snow by now as the stranger approached. The man had long white hair and long white beard.
The man got off his skiddoo and walked over to the youth he could see in the snow. He was well equipped for the snow, with large thick black boots covering his feet and a pair of thick, warm trousers. The trousers were a little unusual in their red colouring and fur trimming around the cuffs of the legs, but they were just right for this wintry weather.
Lucas was laying on his stomach, and his head was turned to the side. The man quickly brushed the snow off the teenager's face, and turned the young man over. He could see a deep bruise beginning to form over Lucas's temple; blood had flowed down the side of Lucas's face but was now dry.
The winds of the approaching storm had picked up dramatically in the half an hour that Lucas lay in the snow undetected. It now ruffled his hair with vigour, making the boy's body shiver from the coldness it held.
Quickly the man ran his hands over Lucas's arms and legs, and then felt the boy's ribs. "Nothing broken," the man said in satisfaction. He looked down at the unconscious figure. "But you're half frozen, ain't you, boy," he added.
The man looked around, trying to spot some type of shelter. But the land was dotted only with boulders and trees. "Come on, boy," the man said. "We got to get you home. You have to spend Christmas with your loved ones," the stranger commented to the unconscious youth. The skiddoo was more than capable of carrying two passengers in the current conditions. It might not be the most comfortable method of transportation but it would get them to warmth and help faster. He gently now picked up the young man in a fireman's carry, trying not to jostle him to much for fear of any injuries that he might not have discovered yet. Lucas gave a few grunts of pains and moaned a little as the forced movement made his headache worse. But all in all, Lucas remained oblivious to what the man was trying to do to help him and his efforts to get him to shelter as quickly as possible. The stranger had noted the clouds in the sky that afternoon and many years on experience in these areas had told him of the storm that would approach the area very soon. He didn't need any of the electronic equipment that the SeaQuest crew or search party were relying on.
The stranger had only been carrying Lucas on his craft for a few minutes when he remembered a cave in the distance that would suit their needs for the time being. It wasn't very big and it was mostly used by the local wild life such as deer and other furry critters to escape the bitter cold winds of the night.
When they arrived at the spot, the man once again hoisted Lucas into a fireman's carry and took him into the stone structure, chiselled out of the rock in the mountain.
With a sigh, the man laid Lucas gently back on the snow. He stood and walked a few feet away. Then he began digging into the snow. The boy was going to need a drink of water when he awoke to quench his thirst. Even though it was cold, the melting snow would be sufficient for their water needs for now.
Within a few minutes, the man had hollowed out some of the snow inside the small cave. There was now enough room for both he and Lucas to fit comfortably to see the storm over. He prayed that the storm took longer to come and that he might be able to get the youth back to his family before the storm set in. He would have to keep a sharp eye on the clouds overhead and make a decision at the last moment.
For now, the winds outside had picked up already in the last half an hour and he knew that the boy had a least some bumps and bruises that needed attending too while they waited out the approaching weather.
The stranger now returned to the unconscious figure on the ground. The man picked up Lucas and carried him further into the snow cave. He set the injured young man gently on the floor of the cave, offering him some protection from the approaching storm and the buffeting winds that would result. He needed to get the boy warm as quickly as he could.
Then the man walked a short distance to a few pine trees that were nearby. He returned to the cave a few minutes later, carrying an armful of branches and twigs he had broken of the lower limbs of the pine trees.
Quickly he arranged the wood a foot or so from Lucas, then reached into the pocket of his brown coat. He pulled out a handful of matches. It took several tries, but the man finally got a small fire going. He slowly added branches to the fire, being careful not to smother it.
Satisfied that the fire would blaze for awhile, he picked up a handful of snow and began cleaning the blood off Lucas's face. Almost half an hour passed before Lucas began to stir. Even with the heat from the fire, Lucas felt miserably cold. His teeth were chattering as he slowly opened his eyes. His vision was fuzzy. He saw a white haired man peering anxiously at him.
"Captain?" Lucas asked.
"No son, I don't know who he is," the figure answered. "But we'll get you home to him. How are you feeling?"
Lucas tried to answer but he couldn't. His head ached and he seemed to hurt all over. But mostly he was cold, colder than he had ever been in his life. Lucas began to shiver.
"Try and move your legs," the man said to the injured young man . Lucas tried. It seemed to take a lot of effort, but finally he managed to move both his legs.
"Now your arms," the man ordered.
Lucas moved his left arm. But he cried out when he tried to move his right.
"Where's it hurt?" the man asked quickly.
"Sh..sh..shoulder," Lucas managed to say through his chattering teeth.
The man reached under Lucas's coat and felt the youth's shoulder. Lucas moaned at the pain the man's gentle touched caused him.
"Bruised your shoulder quite a bit I'd say," the man commented. "It's painful but not serious. Once we get you home, you'll will be fixed up in no time. Doesn't look like you broke anything."
Lucas nodded. Suddenly, he felt sleepy, and he started to close his eyes. He grunted in pain when he felt a hand gently shake him. "You have to try and stay awake young fella for a little while at least," the stranger said. He too knew all to well the dangers of succumbing to the inviting arms of sleep that you may not wake up from in these cold mountains.
TO BE CONTINUED ........
This one a little shorter but I am trying to give you the story as quickly as I can now. Only one more post and it should be finished.
Have you worked out who the stranger is supposed to be yet - there are clues to his identity.
Hope your enjoying it so far and keep reading.
JULES