Chapter 3

The rope was too short. Ethan expected that in a way. He still hoped that by some miracle it could get him close enough to Connor with some semblance of security.

While he did almost reach the same level as Connor, there was good ten yards between them. For a moment he entertained the notion of swinging on the rope like Tarzan or Indiana Jones to land smoothly on the small ledge Connor was lying prostrate on, but the idea was ridiculous. One, the rope he had would not be able to withstand that kind of abuse and it would most likely break off mid-swing. Two... Ethan worried whether the ledge would even hold his added weight. He sure hoped so, because the alternative wasn't pretty.

With a grimace, he shot a calculating look to his left. He was trying to figure out the easiest way to reach Connor, while hoping the man was still alive. The rain was making it hard to see whether there was any movement or breathing. All Ethan could do was call out a hopefully reassuring "On my way, Connor. Just stay put!"

He didn't really expect a reaction, but to his delight, he finally spotted movement. Connor actually raised his head, obviously conscious enough to react to his name.

Ethan felt the slightest bit of hope that they might have a chance to get out of this alive, if not unscathed.

His relief had quickly turned into anxiety however when he saw Connor ignoring his words and doing the exact opposite. Was the man mad? Trying to move around in his state?

Ethan kept talking at Connor, but quickly ceased that attempt. For the moment it seemed at least Connor's own body worked against him. Ethan knew though that the man was stubborn if nothing else and perhaps too confused to recognize the danger he was putting them both in.

The best course of action was to get to him as soon as possible.

Easier said than done.

First, Ethan had to make sure he got a secure enough foothold and handhold so that he didn't need the support of the rope. Then he had to undo the bow sling. Fortunately, he had some practice with that and the knot he used was well known for its easy releasing.

Once done, Ethan let the rope dangle in the air, for the moment purposeless.

To his left, Connor had caught his second wind it seemed and Ethan gnashed his teeth as he watched Connor's body wavering, for a second leaning dangerously close to the edge before reclaiming his balance and thankfully slinking back against the wall.

Ethan knew that if he hadn't already been wet from the rain, his shirt would be damp from the cold sweat that broke out on his back.

And he had yet to traverse the distance.

He cursed the whole damn situation while he slowly and carefully started to move to his left.

"Do not look down. Always have three secure holds while moving the fourth limb-" he repeated under his breath while at the same time keeping Connor in his peripheral vision, praying the man would just "Stay put!" He growled.

Left hand reached over, fingers grasping and curling around a small gouge in the wall. Ethan wasn't the best climber in the world, he acknowledged that. But he did some training during his time in the army and occasionally kept up with several of his buddies going on hikes. True, he always had some safety net. He had also climbed on much worse terrains, he could admit that. Of course, he and his buddies always made sure they had the proper gear, skill level and most importantly... that it wasn't bloody raining!

The weather was making this much harder than it should have been. Of course, if it wasn't for the rain, Connor most likely wouldn't have fallen down. Then again... if it wasn't for this stupid exercise or Goodwin or -

Ethan snorted.

He could be throwing the blame around till kingdom come, it wouldn't change their situation. Which sucked, simply said.

Ethan's fingers on his right hand were becoming numb. He stopped, finding a position that allowed him to ease pressure on his right arm and shoulder, hoping a moment of rest would allow circulation to return. Last thing he wanted was to fall because his arm went numb.

It gave him a chance to find his breath and react to Connor's foolishness, especially seeing how the man wavered, clearly fighting a battle with keeping his balance.

"I swear to God, Connor, if you fall down now, I will haunt you for your next three lives!" Ethan shouted, letting the fear and annoyance come through. "Didn't I tell you to stay put?"

The surgeon actually had the guts to give him a cheeky retort about Ethan's supposed religion. Not that it wasn't something that currently weighed heavily on Ethan's mind.

"Well... if I don't make this last stretch... we might discuss it in... afterlife," he said, or more like grunted as he decided to resume his climb. He could feel pinpricks like ants crawling under his fingertips, but his hand was working well enough to grasp at the next handhold.

Ethan glanced at Connor.

Only about three yards. He was close enough that he could actually see how pale Connor's face was.

Few more steps that was all...

His left foot slipped.

Ethan's breath rushed through his lips in a startled hiss as his body started following his foot, which was dangling in the air, trying to find purchase.

Ethan's instincts kicked in. His fingers dug into whatever hold they had, his right foot momentarily holding on. His muscles went taut and he could feel his right shoe slipping as his balance was thrown a bit.

"Ethan!" Connor's voice rang out, panicked, but all Ethan could focus on was the discomfort in his shoulders, both his legs now dangling in the air, moving around in a weird spidery movement, trying to get back the purchase from before. Ethan felt his face smash against the rock wall, something sharp cutting him on the cheek, but his right foot just hit something protruding from the wall. Scrambling, Ethan adjusted his position, first testing out if the rock could hold his weight. Then, with a slight swinging motion, Ethan pulled himself a bit higher, easing the tension on his arms and fingers. When his left foot finally encountered a foothold as well, Ethan took a second just to press his face against the cold and wet rock and tried to calm down his breathing and rushing heart.

There.

He was still alive.

He could hear a grunt and his eyes popped open, instinctively looking over at Connor. Noticing he had changed position, grimacing and looking as if he was about to puke, yet looking at Ethan, wide eyed.

"I'm okay," Ethan answered the unasked question and got a shaky nod from Connor. "Just need a sec then I'll be right over."

"Maybe you should return?" Connor asked, but his voice was trembling. Too quiet for Ethan's liking.

"It's closer to you," was all he said, feeling almost as shaky as Connor looked. The adrenaline rush he got from the scare though helped him find courage to continue.

Only three yards.

He could do it.

Slowly, much slower than he wanted to, Ethan forced his stiff fingers to cooperate. He had to fight the instinct to keep holding on and release one handhold in exchange for another one. It was a process made all the more awkward by a pair of eyes keeping track of every move he made. Flinching at every hesitation Ethan showed as he continued not by feet but inches at time.

Finally, he was within Connor's reach.

"I can-" Connor started, trying to move forward then quickly blinking.

Ethan interrupted him with a loud and clear "Stay put!"

Not that Connor had a chance to object. Ethan had finally reached the ledge. As soon as his feet were safely on the ledge and he felt that it was stable enough to carry both him and Connor, Ethan had sunk down to his knees, then turning around settled down right next to Connor, with his back leaning against the wall.

For a moment there was nothing but the sound of both men's labored breathing and the soft clapping of the rain and wind. Luckily for now, the storm seemed to move on. Ethan hoped it went the opposite way from where he sent Will and Natalie. Because glancing at Connor from up close, he could tell there was no way in hell the man would make it up this rock under his own powers. And seeing a puddle of crimson running down his fingers, Ethan wondered if the rescue would come in time.

"You know how to - scare a man to death," Connor spoke finally, offering Ethan a lopsided grin and a glance from under hooded eyes.

"Pot calling the kettle black?" Ethan joked, while his hands were already reaching for Connor's left arm. He ignored the cry of pain as he manipulated the arm to find the source of bleeding.

"You don't do things by half, do you?" Ethan said, trying to mask his sudden dread with a hint of annoyance and levity.

Connor managed to open his eyes and look down at the offending appendage.

"That bad, huh?" He asked with his lips turning up in a grimace then promptly rolling his eyes inside his skull. It was only Ethan's quick reaction that let him catch the man from toppling over.

A curse left his lips while he was trying to ease Connor down as the man lost consciousness.


It was tricky. Connor was a dead weight in his arms, and while Ethan wanted to put him into a recovery position, the space was an issue. Not to mention to do so, he would have to turn Connor all around, because he was now leaning on his left side with the injured arm sticking out awkwardly, half held by Ethan. Under different circumstances, Ethan wouldn't want to move him at all until have a chance to assess that he didn't suffer a spine injury. The situation wasn't ideal however. So trying his best to ignore the deep drop below, Ethan moved himself just a bit closer to the edge. Only to lay Connor flat on his back. He reached down and with some effort moved Connor's feet so they weren't dangling off the edge. He did only a cursory survey of his legs, checking for open breaks or dislocated joints. Finding none, Ethan pushed Connor as close to the wall as it was possible, positioning himself between the man and the ledge. He used the tree trunk as his safety barrier, moving so it was behind his back.

He felt chills running down his spine, knowing what lay beneath, but tried to ignore the feeling. He had to focus on Connor and make sure he was stable.

First came the ABCs.

Airway, breathing, circulation. Ethan hoped that Connor had just fainted due to his exertion and blood loss combined with pain, Ethan had no idea what injuries the man suffered during his fall.

"Connor? Buddy, can you hear me?" he asked, even as he leaned over, watching Connor's chest for movement, listening to breathing sounds. He could see his chest rising, albeit it looked like he was taking more shallow breaths. He was breathing though and both sides of his chest moved at the same time. So far so good. Ethan pressed his fingers against the carotid, feeling for pulse. It was there, a bit slow at first but already picking up.

Ethan saw Connor's eyes flutter, breathing picking up as well.

"Easy, relax," Ethan muttered, one hand laid gently over Connor's chest, ready to keep him still if he suddenly panicked.

Connor's brow furrowed in confusion and his eyes opened. It took a moment for him to focus his gaze, but Ethan was relieved to see recognition in them.

"You back with me?" he asked, while his other hand wrapped around Connor's left wrist. He cringed at the sticky feeling of blood coating it, while he was trying to ascertain that the pulse was same in the wrist.

It was not and Ethan grimaced, knowing this might be a problem.

"What-" Connor asked with a frown, then hissed, trying to pull away as Ethan finally focused on the wound in his arm. It was hidden underneath the dark jacket. The rain made the material already wet and he might not have even spotted it at first if it wasn't for the blood trickling down the sleeve.

"Stay still," Ethan admonished Connor, giving him the lightest pat on the chest before turning slightly and focusing all his attention on the arm.

He could see a jagged rip through the material. It was a light jacket, not one of those sturdy leather ones that might've saved Connor some pain. Ethan pulled the material up, ripping it wider to get a good look.

He cursed.

The wound appeared to be long and deep, at least what Ethan could discern. It was hard to see anything however as the blood kept pumping, filling the wound. With each heartbeat, there was more blood and Ethan realized that Connor must've nicked an artery.

He gave it one more look, trying to make sure there was nothing embedded in the wound, then he bent Connor's arm so that his upper arm still rested on the ground, but his forearm and hand were aiming upwards.

"Keep it like this for a minute, okay? Or raise it higher if you can," he told Connor, giving him a second to comply, then quickly pulled off his backpack. There wasn't much he carried, but a well stocked first aid kit was the minimum, along with a bottle of water and a snack. He pulled out the kit, unzipping it and spreading out the sleeve. Every item had its place in there and he knew it by heart. First thing he grabbed were the gloves. His hands were dirty from the climb and last thing he wanted was to introduce more bacteria into the wound. Putting on latex gloves when his hands were already sticky with blood, grime and rain was quite a challenge, but Ethan had some practice from the ED at least. Next thing he grabbed was the gauze compresses. He took a few, knowing well one would hardly do the job. He put them on the wound and applied pressure.

Connor grunted, biting down a scream. His eyes scrunched up and his breathing sped up a bit.

"Sorry," Ethan apologized, feeling bad for causing pain but knowing it was necessary and most likely not enough anyway. "We need to stop the bleeding."

Connor gulped, opening his eyes.

"Nicked artery?" He guessed when he saw that the gauze under Ethan's hand had already turned crimson.

"I think so," Ethan admitted with a sigh. "How do you feel? Any other injuries?"

Connor blinked, turning his head to the side. He blinked again, seemingly confused.

"Where are-" he paused, eyes looking up towards the sky and the rocks towering above. "Shit."

"That about sums it up," Ethan agreed. He wanted to check Connor over for any possible internal injury or head injury, worried about the momentary confusion he was seeing, but he had to keep pressure on the wound. Stopping the bleeding was a priority. Still, he could at least run a quick assessment.

"Connor? Do you remember what happened?"

"Not really," came an uncertain reply. "Did Will push me off a cliff?"

Ethan chuckled, feeling some relief. At least Connor remembered something. And he wasn't that far off the track anyway.

"No, though I know he wished he pushed me at some point. You did fall though."

Connor grunted.

"Sucks."

"Sure does."

"The others?" Connor asked while Ethan eased the pressure on his raised arm a bit, just enough to take a peak. The gauze was soaked and the blood kept coming. Ethan resumed pressure, clamping down on the limb even harder. Connor clenched his teeth, huffing.

"They are okay. I sent them to get help."

Connor let out a mirthless chuckle.

"So... we stuck here until kingdom come?"

Ethan snorted, shaking his head.

"Nah. We found the trail just as you decided to take a shortcut. They know their location, have the map and the phone. Should be able to bring help soon enough." Ethan at least hoped that was true. He didn't like the situation they were in the least. While he could hang tight and most likely survive the night if needed, Connor didn't have that luxury. If the blood loss didn't kill him, the possible hypothermia for being stuck in wet clothes on a rock side during night surely would.

"Let's hope so," Connor muttered letting out a sigh then grimacing.

"You didn't answer my first question. How do you feel?"

"Like I fell off a cliff," he said, looking rather miserable as he tried to find a more comfortable position.

"I swear, you should get 'stay still' tattooed somewhere," Ethan admonished, trying at the same time to keep the pressure and make sure Connor couldn't move more than an inch.

Connor squirmed, but got still. An echo of the words most likely swimming through his mind.

"You say that a lot, huh?" he tried to joke but it came off shaky. A gust of wind hit them and they both shivered as it brought a slew of rain.

Ethan leaned over Connor, trying to cover him as much as possible from the weather. He reached into his pack, blindly searching. He pulled out something silvery and put it next to him, before turning back to Connor.

"Can you hold the pressure for a sec?" he asked and waited patiently for Connor to reach over. He knew the pressure won't be so strong, but it hardly mattered for the few seconds he needed. He quickly tore open the small package, revealing it to be a thermal blanket. He threw it over Connor. It wasn't ideal, he needed access to his arm and he would've liked to check him over first, but keeping his temp from dropping was more important. And the blanket offered at least some protection from the wind and rain.

"Thanks," Connor said, feeling some relief from the wind at least. "W-what about you?"

"I'm fine, don't worry. Been in worse weather before."

Connor frowned, not reassured.

"Trust me, if we get stuck here for a while, we going to share that blanket. For now it's all yours."

"Thanks," Connor replied, sarcasm dripping from that one word. He didn't look any more comfortable than before, but Ethan knew it at least offered some protection from the wind. He could have possibly used one as well at this point as a shiver ran through his body, but he would hold off as long as possible. He really didn't want to move Connor unless necessary.

"Any possible... Tylenol in your pack?" Connor spoke and Ethan gave him a worried look. He knew the man had to be in pain, but also knew Connor wasn't one to admit that so easily. That said more about how rotten he felt than anything else.

"I'm not sure Tylenol would cut it, but I'm afraid I don't have much stronger stuff to offer right now."

"Didn't ask for stronger," Connor grunted.

Ethan just gave a short nod, deciding not to argue the point and check whether the bleeding had slowed down.

He let up the pressure but could see that the gauze was soaked and there was blood dripping down, being only slightly diluted by the rain. He needed something more, something that would hopefully allow to free his own hands for a few minutes so he could check Connor over. Pulling his pack onto his lap, Ethan rummaged inside it blindly with one hand, glad he knew where most of his stuff was and especially glad he had the content of the first aid kit in smaller zip lock bags, so they wouldn't get wet. First he grabbed a packet of pills, but only put them in his pocket.

"I will give you these as soon as I make sure you don't need something stronger," Ethan explained when he saw the barely contained look of longing on Connor's face. "First let's try a pressure bandage," he said as he finally found it. There was one more item his fingers located as well, but he didn't want to pull it out yet, knowing Connor would most likely protest.

Pulling out the triangle bandage from the bag, he folded it up and quickly tied it around the limb, tying the knot on the other side. He checked the tightness and made sure there was still enough blood flowing through the arm to the fingers. Although the skin on Connor's hand was pale, his fingernails weren't turning blue and Ethan could still feel a pulse in his wrist.

For his part, Connor tried to handle the manipulation stoically and didn't make a sound, but Ethan could see the set of his jaw and the tightly shut eyes.

"Connor?"

The man opened his eyes and Ethan saw the slightly unfocused pained gaze.

"Yeah?"

"Try not to fall asleep on me, alright?" Ethan asked, keeping his tone easy in hopes of eliciting a smile. Instead, Connor frowned.

"Not sleeping. Dizzy."

Although dizziness under these conditions wasn't all that surprising, Ethan felt a renewed sense of urgency. He moved Connor's arm to rest at his side, with elbow bent and wrist sticking upwards to try and keep it above heart level.

"Hold it there for a bit, alright?" Ethan asked and was glad when Connor complied. "Good. I will just make sure you don't have any other injuries that need to be handled right away then you can rest."

Connor shot him a dubious look, but didn't protest or try to make things difficult as Ethan begun his check. First, vital signs. Connor's heart rate seemed to be within the norm, albeit on the higher side. Ethan knew with blood loss it could take a while for it to jump up, but once it did, it signaled a serious problem. He would have to handle the bleeding sooner rather than later if he didn't want to risk Connor going into hypovolemic shock right there.

The arm was enough of an issue, but Ethan was worried about possible other injuries. A hidden bleed or crushed pelvis and no amount of first aid would save him unless help arrived in time.

Once he made sure Connor's vitals were stable, he started his check from head to toe.