Part Seven
By Pebbles
Pebbles@ukgateway.net
Doug was not sure how long he had been sitting up against the tree trunk with his arms wrapped around Luka - the injured man’s full weight resting against his chest. The fire was already beginning to die down and he knew he ought to get up and feed it with more sticks. He was just so cold and the effort required to get out from behind Luka seemed beyond him.
Luka had not made any response to Doug for some time – he was probably unconscious. Doug reckoned he must have lost at least a litre of blood from the fractured femur – possibly more - and there was no sign of a pulse in his leg last time he checked. Worse still his body temperature was unlikely to be improving under the circumstances. Doug knew that time was running out and yet he still waited, respecting Luka’s wish not to be left alone.
Although he could no longer summon the energy to speak and couldn’t even see Doug anymore - everything had gone black – Luka was in fact still hovering on the edge of consciousness. Doug’s voice seemed to be coming from a long way away but he could still just about hear him and could feel Doug’s arms about him. He felt comforted by this and tried hard to concentrate on what Doug was saying.
"Hey, they’ve got to be looking for us by now. Kerry will have half the emergency services in the county on the case. Can’t you just see her getting them all organised? She’d never miss an opportunity to kick ass – not our Kerry! Don’t you just love her!" Doug smiled to himself picturing Kerry on the warpath. "She and I have had our run-ins in the past and I can’t say that I ever really liked her but there’s no one I would rather have on our side…."
At the mention of Kerry’s name all kinds of memories came flooding back to Luka like a cinema show. Kerry’s face when he first told her about how he had lost his family. He had pulled no punches then being so angry with her. She had been completely taken by surprise and every emotion she was feeling from confusion to horror and guilt had been written clearly across her face.
Another time, not long after he had started at County, they had worked together to collect evidence from some poor woman who had been raped and murdered. Her quiet demeanour had struck him as so unexpected from a woman who seemed to specialise in high volume tirades. They had worked together as if they had done so for years, each anticipating the others moves. He had seen her with new eyes that day.
There were countless other images of Kerry working beside him at County. She was one hell of a good doctor and managed the department with a zeal, which belied her diminutive size. Luka had come to regard her with the greatest respect – not that it stopped him arguing his point when necessary. And to give her credit she always listened to his point of view.
More recently he had seen yet another side of Kerry: singing along to The Stranglers at Mark and Elizabeth’s engagement party. It had been an evening to remember and he had had the pleasure of driving her home at the end of it. He wondered if she had remembered in the morning how she had got into her bed fully clothed and who had tucked her in and wished her sweet dreams before quietly letting himself out of the house.
Kerry asleep on the plane on the flight over had been another revelation. She had fought so hard to stay awake but fatigue and the Macallan single malt had finally won the day. Her head had lolled against his shoulder and he had shamelessly rested his head on the top of hers and listened to the little contented sounds of her breathing.
About half an hour later she had shifted her position and her head had slid down his chest to rest across his lap. Carter had raised one eyebrow and then, like a gentleman had turned his back and tried to get to sleep himself. Luka had remained awake for the rest of the flight trying to ignore the erotic fantasies, which kept threatening to invade his mind and from time to time shifting his position in the hope that she would not wake up whilst still in such a compromising position.
But the one memory, which stood out above all the others, was of dancing with Kerry just a few hours ago. What was the song that had been playing? He struggled to remember the words.
‘Come running to me when things get out of hand
Running to me
When it’s more than you can stand.
I said I’m strong
Willing…’
He could almost sense her in his arms now, the way her body felt under the silk of her dress and the smell of her hair invading his senses. He had wanted so much to lift her face to his and kiss her soft lips. What would she have thought of that! Was there any chance she might have responded to him? Oh, God I’m not ready to die now, he suddenly realised. He was falling in love with her. He had to cling on, had to see her again. He had to tell her, had to find out…..
Kerry leant against the side of the police Range Rover trying to ease the pain in her leg. Why did her body have to let her down always? She cursed quietly under her breath. This was taking too long – way too long.
They had been parked here for a good half-hour whilst the search party combed the verges for any sign of the two missing men. Carol had been less than certain that this was the spot but she thought she had recognised a group of particularly large stones right by the side of the road and efforts had so far been concentrated around them.
The officers had tried to persuade them all to remain inside the warmth of the vehicle but Kerry just could not sit still and wait – not that she could do much more out in the cold. From time to time her hopes were raised by the crackle of a RT set and brief exchanges of information between the officers but nothing had yet lead them to Doug and Luka.
Just as if it looked like they were going to give up here and move the search further on down the road there was a loud shout and Sergeant Crosby set off running towards the commotion. Kerry crutched after him as fast as she was able without a flashlight. She heard the doors of the Range Rover slam as Carter and Carol followed behind.
"What is it, what’s happening?" Kerry eventually caught up with Sergeant Crosby who was deep in discussion with his men. He broke off at her interruption.
"One of the men has caught a strong smell of wood smoke. He’s gone further down the valley to try and locate its source. It may only be campers but we’ve got to check it out." He turned back to his constable to redirect the search efforts towards to valley floor.
Kerry took a few steps in the direction that Crosby had indicated.
"Dr Weaver!" The sergeant’s voice froze her to the spot. "Don’t move another step!" Having got her attention he dropped his voice a few decibels. "There’s an almost sheer drop right in front of you! We don’t want you falling down there – now do we?" He was by her side now, his hand under her elbow. Kerry, feeling both annoyed and shaken, allowed him to lead her back to the road.
Carol and Carter had heard the whole exchange. Carol’s eyes registered her distress.
"Oh my God Kerry! D’you think they’ve fallen down there?" She voiced the question that was shouting inside Kerry’s head.
Crosby answered for her. "We’ve no reason to suspect that. But I’ve sent a couple of fellows down to check it out. There’s a safe way down just fifty yards further along." He broke off as his RT crackled into life. "Crosby here, repeat that will you? Right, we’ll get the doctor down right away"
"They’ve found them." He turned to the constable. "Get Doctor Reeves down there with a stretcher and I’ll get on the blower for the Air Ambulance. "As soon as he had finished with the constable Kerry butted in.
"What’s happened?" Her face was white and strained. Without realising it she backed away from Crosby fearing what he was going to say.
"They’re both down by the stream. One of them is unconscious with a broken leg and hypothermia. The other is pretty cold but otherwise OK. Now if you’ll excuse me I must get a call in to the Air Ambulance." He turned back to the Range Rover.
Kerry turned to the others, opening her mouth to speak but finding no sound came from her lips. She looked first at Carol who stared back, her eyes full of fear. Then to Carter who reached out and took her hand. Only then did she realise that she was shaking.
"I’ll go down with them and see what I can do, Kerry. Don’t worry, I’m sure they’re going to be fine now we’ve found them. These guys are pretty well equipped." He squeezed her hand before letting it go. "OK?"
"Thank you John." Kerry managed to say before Carter was off, hurrying after the others leaving her and Carol standing by the side of the road. She put her arm around Carol realising that the other woman was experiencing the same fears as herself only for a different person.
Carol hesitated for a moment and then pulled Kerry into a tight hug. "I can’t believe this is happening." She said before breaking down into sobs. "I’m sorry Kerry, I can’t seem to get a grip on myself." She sniffed, releasing her grip on the older woman.
"It’s OK. We’re all really tired. Shall we go back to the vehicle and try and find out what’s going on?" Carol just nodded to Kerry’s suggestion but her legs began to propel her back towards the lights of the Range Rover, letting Kerry hold on to her arm for support.
As they reached the vehicle Crosby handed Kerry his RT receiver. "Dr Carter wants to talk to you." Kerry took the set in her hand and pushed the transmission button.
"John, are you there?"
The set crackled for a moment and then Carter’s voice came through. "Kerry. Doug’s on his way up now – he needs to get a hot bath and some dry clothes."
Kerry was momentarily speechless, feeling like a brick had been slammed against her chest. "What about Luka?"
"He’s in pretty bad shape. He’s unconscious and in shock with a pulseless leg but I’m most worried about the hypothermia. These guys have got warming packs and blankets on him and were already replacing fluids but I don’t want to risk moving him before the chopper gets here – there’s too great a risk of causing cardiac dysrhythmia."
"Yes, your right." Kerry struggled to remain calm. "Have you any idea of his core temperature?"
"We haven’t got a low enough reading thermometer. But I suspect it’s dropped below 31degrees as he’s not shivering anymore and his pupils are dilated and only slightly reacting to light. His pulse is slowing despite the blood loss from fracture. We’ve got to assume a worst case scenario."
"Just do what you can John, the helicopter will be here soon." She bit hard on her lip to try and stop the sob that was welling up in her throat. Crosby’s raised voice cut through her thoughts.
"I don’t fucking believe it! Well get on to the boys at Culdrose and get straight back to me!"
Seeing Kerry and Carol’s shocked faces he explained. "The Air Ambulance is fog bound at Exeter!"
End of Part 7
NOTE: The song is ‘Willow’ by Joan Armatrading.