Chapter 8
8
S t. John’s Health in Jackson was a little over an hour from the race site, but for Charlie Grace, the drive felt like a lifetime. The temperatures had dropped in the past couple of hours and now the roads were slick in spots, making the trip even slower. She gripped the wheel of her old ranch truck, her knuckles white, and replayed the afternoon’s events in her mind.
An avalanche. Capri. Buried.
“Faster, Charlie Grace,” Reva urged, her voice tight with worry.
“I’m going as fast as I can. This isn’t a new truck you know,” Charlie Grace snapped, immediately wincing at her own sharp tone. “Sorry, nerves.”
Beside them, Lila was furiously tapping on her phone screen.
“Who are you texting now?” Reva asked, glancing over with a frown.
“Camille,” Lila replied without looking up. “I need to let her know I won’t be home tonight so she won’t worry.”
Reva’s brows shot up. “Camille’s in Thunder Mountain? Isn’t she supposed to be at school?”
Lila’s thumb paused mid-text, knowing her secret was now out. Her expression turned guarded. “That’s...complicated. Let’s just say it’s a story for another day.”
Charlie Grace glanced at Lila, curiosity tugging at her. She opened her mouth to press for details but caught herself. Now wasn’t the time. She jammed her foot on the accelerator and refocused on the road ahead. Capri needed them. Everything else could wait.
The rest of the long, winding drive down the mountain passed in tense silence, the weight of their worry pressing down on them like the low-hanging clouds outside. Charlie Grace anchored her hands on the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles ached, her thoughts racing between the slippery mountain roads and the unknown waiting for them at the hospital.
Reva stared out the window, her hands twisting in her lap, while Lila occasionally glanced at her phone as if willing it to light up with good news. The closer they got to Jackson, the heavier the air in the car seemed to grow.
When the glowing sign for St. John’s Health finally came into view, Charlie Grace let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “Almost there,” she said quietly, more to herself than anyone else.
Reva straightened, her eyes fixed on the hospital entrance as they pulled into the lot. She pointed. “Hurry.”
Charlie Grace parked as close as she could, barely waiting for the truck to come to a full stop before she opened the door and followed the others to the entrance.
Charlie Grace’s foot tapped impatiently as she waited for the glass entry doors to slide open. When they finally did, she had to sidestep around an elderly man in a wheelchair and the curt nurse pushing him through the front doors. Charlie Grace mumbled, “Excuse me,” and darted inside, close on the heels of her friends.
The main lobby of St. John’s was functional and unassuming, designed for efficiency rather than comfort. The pale beige walls were interrupted by large directories and informational posters about health services, and the faint scent of antiseptic hung in the air. A central reception desk, with its rounded counter and cluttered computer stations, was the hub of activity as staff members directed visitors and answered phones.
Reva hurried forward, stopping in front of a woman with a round face and deep dimples. “Capri Jacobs. They brought her here by helicopter?”
The woman took her sweet time looking up from her computer screen. “I’m sorry. Who are you looking for?”
“There was an avalanche,” Lila nearly shouted. “They brought her here.”
Recognition dawned. “Oh my, yes. I heard about that.” She pointed down a corridor. “The emergency department is down there. Turn left at the end of the hallway.”
“Thanks,” Charlie Grace said, then broke into a sprint, making her way in that direction. Reva and Lila followed close behind.
The emergency waiting room was already packed. Word of the accident had moved faster than a train and dozens of familiar faces from Thunder Mountain had already gathered, murmuring in clusters or sitting tensely in chairs. The town had turned out for Capri—Nicola Cavendish sat with Sweetpea in her lap, whispering in hushed tones to her husband, Wooster. Typically, dogs were not allowed in the hospital, but Wooster’s bank had provided the money needed for an expansion of the pediatrics wing and concessions were made.
Pastor Pete stood with Annie near the coffee station; their heads bowed in prayer. Albie Barton, the town reporter, paced the room, notebook in hand and a pencil behind his ear.
Oma Griffith sat in one of the stiff, gray vinyl chairs between Betty Dunning and Dorothy Vaughn, clutching their hands. The older women looked pale; their eyes swollen as though they’d been crying. Bodhi was slumped against the wall by the vending machines, his usually carefree expression replaced with one of raw guilt.
Charlie Grace scanned the room, spotting Jake pacing near the wall mounted with a television.
Reva saw him as well and made a beeline in that direction. “Any news?”
Nicola Cavendish turned sharply from where she sat, her phone in her hand. Without waiting for Jake to respond, she stood and offered a report. “She’s stable. They’ve taken her for scans to check the extent of her injuries.” Her voice was steady, but her red-rimmed eyes betrayed her emotions.
Charlie Grace’s ex-husband arrived, his hair disheveled and his shirt buttoned wrong. “What happened?” Gibbs’ voice was tight, almost accusing, as he looked at Bodhi.
Bodhi’s head snapped up, his eyes glistening. “Jake found her on the north slope, next to the scarp face of the mountain.” His voice cracked. “I warned her not to take that route.”
Charlie Grace nodded, swallowing hard. “Where is she now?”
“Like Nicola said, they took her to imaging,” Annie answered. “The nurse said they’d update us as soon as they know anything.”
Nicola quickly added, “I hope she has no head injuries. I heard the helmet was ripped right off her head in the force of the snow.”
“Capri Jacob is tougher than anyone I know,” Pastor Pete said quietly, his calm voice interrupting the tension. “And God has got this.”
Reva nodded, wiping her eyes. “She’ll pull through. She has to.”
Hours passed with agonizing slowness. Charlie Grace alternated between standing, pacing, and leaning against the wall, arms crossed. A nurse appeared every so often, calling names, but none of the updates were for Capri.
“She’ll be okay,” Lila said, her tone more hopeful than certain.
Jake didn’t respond. Instead, he stared at the doors leading to where they had wheeled Capri earlier, looking helpless.
The waiting room remained a hive of activity. People came and went, their concern for Capri evident in the whispered conversations and worried glances. Nicola approached, offering Reva a cup of coffee, while Pastor Pete gathered a small group to pray.
The television mounted on the wall blared softly, drawing the attention of everyone seated. A local news reporter stood bundled in a thick down jacket, her breath visible in the frigid air as she spoke into the microphone. Behind her, the Tetons loomed, their peaks blanketed with snow.
“ This is Kelly Morgan reporting live from the base of the Devil’s Staircase in the Teton Range, where an avalanche earlier today triggered a dramatic rescue effort ,” she began, her voice steady despite the obvious chill in the air.
“ Authorities were alerted around noon after spectators gathered to watch a snowmobile race on the north slope witnessed the snow give way, triggering a massive avalanche that barreled down into the steep chutes below. Several racers were caught in the slide, tragically buried beneath tons of snow.”
The camera cut to footage of rescue workers in bright orange jackets, some probing the snow with poles, others shouting commands over the howling wind.
“ Search and rescue teams responded immediately, deploying helicopters, ground crews, and avalanche dogs to comb the area. Despite their heroic efforts, only one racer was found alive—a local resident and business owner. She was pulled from the snow suffering from hypothermia and multiple injuries.
“Tragically, other racers caught in the avalanche did not survive. Officials have not yet released their names, pending notification of their families. This devastating event underscores the dangerous conditions in the backcountry. ”
The screen transitioned to a wide shot of the snow-covered slope, the sunlight glinting off the pristine yet treacherous surface.
“ The area, known as Devil’s Staircase, is infamous for its extreme terrain and unpredictable conditions. Despite precautions taken prior to the race, including blasts to bring down unstable snow, experts say recent heavy winter snowfall, combined with rising temperatures and weak spring snowpack, created the ideal conditions for an avalanche .”
The reporter’s expression turned serious as she addressed the camera directly. “ Officials are urging residents and visitors to avoid backcountry areas like this until conditions stabilize. The danger level remains high, and with more snow in the forecast, the risk of additional slides is significant. ”
The feed remained fixed on Kelly, the wind tugging at her hood. “ We’ll continue to monitor this story and provide updates on the condition of the rescued individual, who has been transported to St. John’s Health in Jackson for treatment. Reporting live from Devil’s Staircase, I’m Kelly Morgan for KJAX News. ”
The screen cut back to the anchor desk, but the waiting room remained silent, the weight of the report hanging in the air.
Jake stayed rooted in place, his thoughts consumed by Capri—her fiery determination, her quick wit, the way her eyes sparkled when she argued with him. The idea of losing her was unbearable.
He replayed the rescue in his mind like a bad dream he couldn’t wake up from. The deafening emergency engine sirens, the frantic calls of the search teams, and the endless minutes of him combing through the snow-laden landscape, searching for any sign of Capri—it all felt like a lifetime compressed into a few horrifying hours.
He remembered the sickening dread that gripped him when someone shouted they’d found a body, only to realize it wasn’t moving. And then came the moment when he veered onto the unmarked path along the scarp face. His hunch told him Capri would not follow a tidy, marked trail.
He spotted the pieces of snowmobile and then heard her voice. Frantically, he got to her and pulled Capri out, pale and broken but alive. His chest had constricted so tightly that he thought he might pass out right there. She had trouble talking, her lips tinged blue from the cold. Seeing her like that—so small, so vulnerable—made him realize how deeply she’d embedded herself into his life. She wasn’t just the fiery woman who challenged him at every turn. She had become his anchor, his reason for wanting more than just his quiet, solitary existence.
The thought of losing her had terrified him in a way nothing else ever had, and now, standing in the hospital, the fear still clung to him, raw and unrelenting.
Minutes dragged into hours while he and the others sat in those hospital chairs, drinking stale coffee and hoping for news. The wait was interrupted by a stern voice coming over the PA. “Paging pediatrics. Paging pediatrics.”
A woman with a stethoscope draped around her neck entered from behind two automated doors at the end of the hallway. As she saw the waiting friends and their worried faces, her expression turned sympathetic.
Reva popped up from her seat. “Do you have news on Capri Jacobs?”
“It looks like your friend suffered no life-threatening internal injuries. Beyond a bruised spleen, she’s remarkably unscathed.” She paused letting the information sink in. “She did sustain compound fractures to her right femoral shaft and ankle. As earlier suspected, these injuries are going to require surgery. They are prepping her now.”
Lila’s hand went to her throat. “Can we see her?”
The nurse shook her head. “I’m afraid not. She’s been heavily sedated to relieve the pain. We’ll be wheeling her into the operating room very shortly.” She held up a clip board. “Now, I’ll need a main contact person from her immediate family. That would be?—?”
Several in the room glanced at one another. While Capri’s mother had been notified, she wouldn’t be arriving for hours.
Reva stepped forward. “I’ll be the contact.” She pulled the pen from the nurse’s fingers and filled out her name and cell number. When finished, she handed the clipboard and pen back. “We’ll all be right here, though. None of us are leaving until Capri is out of surgery and okay.” She looked around for confirmation and was met with enthusiastic nods.
Jake stepped by Reva’s side and placed his hand on her shoulder before turning to the nurse. “Please alert us as soon as you know anything.”
Reva dug in her purse and handed the woman her business card. “I’m the mayor of Thunder Mountain,” she said, pointing.
The nurse smiled. “Of course. We’ll add your information to our system so you can call back and see how the surgery is going.”
“Perfect. How long do you expect the surgery to take?”
“Several hours,” the nurse reported. She scanned the group. “I’d suggest you all might go get something to eat. We have a cafeteria. The food isn’t restaurant quality, but it’s good.”
Jake shook his head. “Thank you, but no. I’m not leaving.”
The nurse hugged the clipboard to her chest and offered a commiserative smile. “We’re good at what we do. Our surgeons are top-notch.”
Jake nodded. “Still, I want to be here. Close.”
Charlie Grace, Lila, and Reva followed suit. “We’re staying, too.”
Pastor Pete patted Annie’s back as she laid her head on his shoulder. “I suppose we should go get everyone some food,” she suggested. She motioned to the Knit Wit ladies. “Oma, Dorothy? Why don’t you come down with us and get a bite?”
Slowly, most of those who were gathered followed Pastor Pete and Annie down a long hall leading to the cafeteria. Except for Bodhi. He elected to stay.
The wait began again. This time in earnest. The hands on the wall clock seemed to inch forward at the speed of a slow creeping lava flow.
“Call them, Reva,” Charlie Grace urged. “It’s been a couple of hours, and the nurse said it was okay for you to check in occasionally.”
Just as Reva was lifting her phone, it buzzed. Jake stretched over Capri’s friend’s shoulder to see—unknown caller. Moments ticked by as he listened to the one-sided conversation.
When Reva finally hung up, Jake was about to explode. “What did they say?”
Reva’s voice was shaky but calm. “They’re repairing some of the damage now—concentrating on the femoral injury. She’s doing well. The nurse said she’d call with another update when she can.”
Jake thanked her, then buried his attention in his phone where he researched orthopedic techniques and recovery times for Capri’s injuries. Like always, there seemed to be conflicting information. One respected medical site said healing time could extend into months, with even more months of rehab.
Capri would not like that. Being laid up and unable to do what she loved would be hard to take. Then there was the fact she couldn’t live on her own without some sort of help, at least in the near interim.
Reva seemed to have come to the same conclusion. “You know, Capri is not going to be able to remain alone at her house. She’ll have to move in with one of us.”
“I’ll move in with her,” Jake stated plainly as he gathered empty Styrofoam cups. “I’ll take care of her.” His tone left no room for discussion.
“I have a feeling she’s going to be in the hospital for a good while,” Lila offered. “I broke my wrist playing soccer in high school. It took forever to heal. Capri’s injuries are much more extensive. That leg break may require traction.”
A noise from down the hall caught their attention.
In all the commotion, they nearly missed seeing a man with graying hair at the temples enter the waiting room wearing blue scrubs. He was followed by two women, one with a clipboard and deep-set eyes that scanned the room, taking inventory of those seated and waiting for information.
He cleared his throat. “Excuse me. I’m Dr. McCord, Capri’s surgeon.”
Their talking immediately ceased. Jake and Reva simultaneously moved for him. “Doctor?” Reva said, her voice revealing how grueling the wait had been for her.
“Let’s everybody take a seat.”
The doctor pulled his surgical cap from his head. “First, Capri is out of danger. At least for now. Femoral breaks like this can be gnarly and cause havoc with the circulatory system. So, it’s always important that these situations be remedied as quickly as possible.”
Relief swept through the group like a wave. Reva covered her face with her hands, shoulders shaking. Charlie Grace hugged Lila tightly. Bodhi let out a breath he seemed to have been holding for hours.
“And the surgery?” Jake ventured.
“This surgery was fairly arduous and will be one of several before we’re through. We’ve placed an intramedullary rod to stabilize the femoral break and did what we could to repair the structural damage to her knees. She had a torn meniscus and damaged ligaments. The ankle repair will happen tomorrow. We don’t like having patients anesthetized for long periods of time when we can help it.” He drew a deep breath. “Capri is young. She’s strong and otherwise healthy. While the road to full recovery will be a challenge and will take time, I have every reason to believe this young lady will get through this and will eventually be walking like normal, barring complications.”
“How much time?” Lila asked, voicing the question running through everyone’s mind.
“That can depend on a number of factors. But likely we’re talking months,” the doctor told them.
Reva reached for Jake. “Can we see her?”
“She’s being moved to recovery now,” the doctor told them. “She’ll be groggy but stable. I’ll have a nurse come get you once she’s settled.”
“Thank you, Doc,” Jake said, his voice gruff with emotion.
The surgeon nodded. “She’s tough. That helped her a lot today.”
In that brief moment, emotion rolled over Jake like ocean waves pounding the shoreline.
He couldn’t help himself. In relief, he flung his arms around the doctor’s broad shoulders. “Thank you for taking care of my girl. You don’t know—” He let his voice fade.
Dr. McCord gently patted his back. “I do know.”
Minutes later, a nurse appeared on the scene and offered to take them to see Capri.
“You coming?” Reva asked, pulling at his arm.
“C’mon,” Lila demanded. “Let’s go see her.”
Jake followed Capri’s friends down a hall and through a large circular area. In the center was a nurses’ station with bleeping monitors mounted on the counter. Beyond were individual areas cordoned off by glass walls. Those with patients were dimly lit. Some were darkened and had empty beds, neatly made up for the next people unfortunate enough to need them.
Finally, they came to a stop.
Beyond the glass, Capri was positioned in a bed. Her leg was suspended midair with a steel bar and chains. The ankle was wrapped with ice packs. Machines with blinking lights stood sentinel on either side of the hospital bed and an IV dripline was attached to one of her hands.
Her face was pale, but the rise and fall of her chest was steady.
Reva was the first to approach, brushing a strand of hair from Capri’s face. “Oh, honey,” she whispered, tears slipping down her cheeks.
Charlie Grace stood on the other side of the bed, her hand on Capri’s arm. “You scared us, Cap. But you’re okay now.”
Lila nodded. “We’re here for you, Capri. All of us.”
Jake finally stepped into the room, his boots thudding softly against the floor. He moved to the foot of the bed, his gaze fixed on Capri. She stirred slightly, her eyes fluttering open.
“Hey,” he said softly, leaning closer. “You gave us all a scare.”
Capri’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Sorry...didn’t mean to.” Her voice was barely a whisper before her eyes drifted shut again.
Jake swallowed hard, his throat tight. He reached out, brushing his fingers lightly against her hand. “Rest up, Trouble. We’ve got you now.”
Jake’s chest tightened. But not in a bad way. In that moment, he was more than grateful. Capri had suffered an accident that had left them all reeling. In the end, she was going to be all right. The recovery would, no doubt, be long and arduous. While difficult, Capri would do the required work and regain her physical abilities in full.
But until then, he wasn’t planning to leave her side.