Chapter Seven #2
“You did good,” Jade told her before they started work.
“Thank you for the opportunity. I know I have a lot to learn, but…”
“You’ll get there. Don’t worry.”
At their lunch break, Jade had Fallon walk through the other teams’ areas and assess their progress.
Fallon reported that, as usual, Gwen and Tina were behind, but everyone else was doing well.
“That’s good to hear. Let’s finish limbing this one, and you can start felling that worst offender right there. ”
Jade was repositioning the running saw with one hand, her other holding the limb.
Fallon bit back a warning. The crew had been trained to always turn off the saw first, but maybe someone with more experience could do it this way.
While trying to steady herself, Jade unintentionally pressed the trigger, and the saw bucked, coming down on her arm.
In two steps, Fallon was beside her. She expanded the rip in Jade’s sleeve to reveal a nasty, jagged gash on her forearm, blood bubbling from just above her glove.
“Shit,” Jade said through gritted teeth.
Fallon pulled the bandana from her hair and wrapped it around the wound. “I’ll get our equipment. Can you walk to camp?”
“I’ll be okay. Let’s keep working.” Jade wiped her eyes. “Damn, that stings.”
“No, we’re not going to keep working. I’m driving you to base camp, and they can decide if you need stitches.”
“Fallon…” Jade sounded exasperated, but Fallon wasn’t having it.
“That’s what you’d do if it was me, so no argument. Get going. I’ll be right behind you.”
“Someone else has to be in charge if we’re both gone,” Jade insisted. “Nora is the obvious choice.” She pulled a radio off her belt. “Give her this so she can communicate with base camp.”
Fallon stopped briefly to inform each team what had happened.
When she got to Nora, she signaled to her and Hannah to cut their saws.
“Jade’s hurt. It’s not life-threatening, but she may need stitches.
I’m taking her to base camp. I’ve told all the others that you’ll be in charge, Nora.
Keep them working, but take it easy on them tonight.
I probably won’t be back until well after dinner.
” She handed her the radio. “Use this if you need to contact base camp.”
Nora took a step toward her, shock evident on her face. “Okay, I—yeah, okay.”
Fallon nodded, moving in the direction of the camp.
“Tell Jade…” Nora began, and Fallon turned, walking backward. “Tell her we’re all thinking of her and not to worry. We’ve got this. And you—”
Fallon stopped.
“Be careful driving back here. Lots of wildlife and stuff in the mountains at night, you know?”
“I will. Thanks.”
Jade held pressure on her arm as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
It was still light, so Fallon drove as quickly as she dared.
Apparently, Nora had thought to inform base camp of their arrival because Reva and Hal were both waiting when she pulled in.
Reva took Jade to medical, and Hal escorted Fallon to the dining hall.
He sat with her while she ate, and Fallon updated him on the crew’s progress.
Reva joined them just as Fallon finished.
“How is she?” Fallon tried to keep the apprehension out of her voice.
“Pissed,” Reva said, and Hal laughed.
Fallon gestured impatiently. “Did she need stitches?”
“Yeah, five.” Reva patted her arm. “You did the right thing bringing her in. It took a while to clean out the wound. Lots of grit, sawdust, wood pieces, even fabric from her shirt.”
Fallon felt her stomach lurch. She took a deep breath. “But she’ll be able to come back, right?”
“Oh, sure. Tomorrow. The doc wants to look at her first thing in the morning.” Reva held out her radio. “Call your crew and let them know what’s going on. Then we’ll find you a place to crash for the night.”
Hal patted her shoulder as he went by. “Stop by the equipment hut before you leave. I’ve got those new pants for you.”
“Thanks.” Fallon stepped outside the dining room, ready for some fresh air. “Nora?” she called into the radio. “Nora, this is Fallon. Over?” She felt silly, but wasn’t that what you were supposed to say?
“Fallon. We’re all here. How’s Jade?”
Nora didn’t say over. “Five stitches, but Reva says we can come back tomorrow after the doctor looks at her in the morning.”
“So not tonight?”
“No. Sorry.”
“It’s probably best. Tell Jade everyone says hi. We’ll see you both tomorrow.”
“Okay. Tell everyone good night for me.”
Nora must have held up the radio because a chorus of voices yelled out. She heard “good night” and “sleep tight” and “see you tomorrow.”
Fallon wanted to ask Nora how the rest of the day went. She wanted to tell her how strange it felt being away from…everyone. But she simply said, “Roger. Over and out.” She found Reva in her office. “Would it be unfair for me to have a shower before bed?”
Reva grinned. “I think the rest of your cot mates would appreciate it.”
* * *
Fallon joined Jade in staring at the sky.
Jade had been banned from sawing for the rest of the week, and Hannah had insisted on covering the bandage on Jade’s arm with plastic wrap to keep it cleaner.
Fallon worked with Gwen and Tina to get them caught up or by herself with Jade looking on.
They had two days to finish the forest cutting, and making their goal was questionable.
“I don’t like the look of those clouds.” Jade pointed at the dark billows boiling up behind Brownly Mountain.
“Weather forecasts for this range are notoriously unreliable, but thunderstorms were predicted for the area. Let’s shut it down for today and get everyone fed and in their tents as soon as we can. ”
Nodding, Fallon jogged off, spreading the word to the different teams scattered through the forest. The air quieted, and as the group cleaned up, the rapidly cooling wind sent everyone back to their tents for an extra layer.
Hannah had planned a more elaborate, stroganoff-style dinner but agreed to offer burgers as a quicker alternative.
Dinner was a more subdued affair than usual as the intensifying wind made everyone focus on eating.
“Make sure your tents are staked down tight, and check the trench around them, digging them out again if necessary,” Jade told the group.
“Why can’t we go sit in the car until this blows over?” Gwen was trying for her usual, indifferent tone, but Fallon thought she detected a bit of panic.
“The storm might last for a few hours, and it’s not practical for eight people to try to sleep in one vehicle,” Jade said. “We’ll be fine in the shelters we have. I just want to make sure everyone is prepared.”
Gwen fussed so much about having to clean up with a storm coming that Delores offered to help.
As they secured the kitchen supplies, Fallon went over to help Tina tighten the rain fly on the big tent she and Gwen shared.
Another gust of wind brought the first few drops of rain, and after a boom of thunder echoed around them, Jade yelled, “Everybody inside!”
Fallon was only marginally damp by the time she made it into her cozy tent.
She’d strung a makeshift clothesline across one side of the vestibule, and after draping her hoodie over it, she finished undressing and crawled through to what she mentally thought of as her bedroom.
She was safely snug in her sleeping bag by the time the hard rain hit and flashes of lightning illuminated the deep green of her tent.
She’d been dozing for a time, relaxed by the feeling of being toasty and dry, when a loud crack nearby was followed by a scream.
She hurriedly stepped into her pants and threw on her hoodie, not bothering to put on socks before pushing her feet into her boots.
Shrugging into her rain jacket, she unzipped the vestibule, shining her flashlight into the darkness.
Rain was still falling but lighter now. Another light came from the kitchen area, and she started in that direction, but Jade came toward her as someone from down the hill called again for help.
“It’s Nora,” Fallon said, and they both ran. Through the drizzle, they could see a large dead branch had blown onto Nora’s tent, ripping through the material.
“Nora,” Jade called. “Are you hurt?” Fallon’s heart pounded as she waited for Nora’s reply.
“I don’t think so, but I can’t move.” Nora’s voice was shakier than Fallon had ever heard it, but simply knowing she could answer was relief enough. “There’s something on top of me. Something besides all this rain.”
“Okay. Hang tight. We’ll have you out of there in just a minute.” Jade gestured to Fallon, and they each grabbed an end of the log. Maybe it was adrenaline or that deadwood was lighter, but Fallon felt like she could have lifted five times that much to free Nora.
Once the limb was moved, and Nora’s torso became visible, Jade said, “Stay with her. I’m going to get a couple of the others in case we need help.”
Fallon knelt, laying a hand on Nora’s arm. “Hey, it’s Fallon. Wiggle your fingers and toes and see if you can move a little.”
“Yeah. I think I’m all right.” Nora sat up slowly. Suddenly, her face changed. “Oh God. My camera.” She began looking around frantically.
“Don’t move too fast. You might have an injury that—”
“Please, help me. I don’t care about anything else in here, but I’ve got to find…” Nora trailed off, feeling along the sides of her sleeping bag. “It was down by my feet. In a black case.”
Fallon crawled forward, shining her light into the rip in the fabric.
Between the rain and the water sluicing off what remained of the tent, she hoped the camera case was waterproof.
When her hand brushed against something hard, she grabbed it.
Nora was struggling out of her soggy sleeping bag, her quick, shallow breathing growing increasingly unsteady.
“Here.” Fallon held it out. “Here. Is this it?”
Nora’s fingers closed around hers, slipping onto the object. “Yes. Oh, thank you. Shine your light on it, please.”