by Bonnie Leon
“I know. I’ve skied before,” Kate sniped. She hadn’t meant to sound so sharp, but she hated to be incompetent at anything.
“Okay. Let’s go. I’ll follow you.”
Kate grabbed hold of the tow and nearly lost her balance as it dragged her uphill. She wasn’t about to fall, not after what Paul had said. She had to prove she was capable. Soon she was gliding along smoothly and feeling ashamed of herself for her competitiveness. By the time she’d reached the top she felt exhilarated.
Paul skied up beside her. They looked out over a valley of white, glistening in the sunlight. Evergreens looked like shrubbery in the deep snow. Craggy peaks, reaching through white mountains, surrounded the high valley.
Kate took in a breath of icy air. “I feel as if I’m standing on top of the world. It’s so beautiful.”
Paul was silent as he gazed at the view. “It reminds me of the old days back in California when my family used to go skiing.” A tone of longing touched his voice. “It was a long time ago.”
“Maybe you should visit?”
Paul didn’t answer right away, then said, “Maybe.” He glanced at her. “Ready?”
She peered down the slope. It looked steep. She stuck her poles in the snow on either side of her, feeling a shiver of fear. “I’ll give it a try. Besides, there’s no other way down.” She chuckled, but her muscles felt tight and prickles of anxiety moved up and down her body. Still, she pushed off and picked up speed, too much speed. If she didn’t slow down, she’d end up in a heap. Cautiously she turned her skis so she moved across the hill, then she made another turn and swooshed downward.
“Hey, this isn’t as hard as I thought,” she called as Paul caught up with her.
He grinned and, with a wave, passed her, cutting a fine edge in the snow.
Not to be outdone, Kate turned her skis so they pointed down the hill. She’d catch him and then slow down. By the time she reached Paul she was out of control and going too fast. She turned, trying to slow down, but as she did, one foot slid too far to the left and she caught the edge of the ski.
With a yell she plunged sideways and her legs went in opposite directions. The left ski dug in and her knee exploded with pain. She plunged forward and tumbled downward. With a jolt she stopped, her face planted in the snow.
She turned her head to the side to breathe, but with the wind knocked out of her she could barely get a breath. And she hurt everywhere, but mostly her left knee. She was afraid to move.
Kate tried to call for Paul, but all that came out was a weak, feeble sound that barely resembled her voice.
- 4 -
Kate!” Paul hollered as he skied across the face of the hill. She wasn’t moving. God, please, not Kate. It felt as if he were slogging through mud.
When he finally reached her, Paul freed his boots from his skis and dropped to his knees beside her. His hands trembled. “Kate? Are you all right?” He thought he heard a mumble as he tore off his gloves and felt for a pulse. It was strong, but too fast.
“Kate. Can you hear me?”
She nodded and, in a voice that sounded like she was short of breath, she said, “I hurt my leg.”
Relief washed over Paul, and he carefully removed one of her skis, then started to unhook the other when Kate cried, “Stop! It hurts! ”
Paul stopped immediately. “What—your foot? Your ankle?”
“No. My knee. But my whole leg aches. I don’t think I can move it.”
“I need to get the ski off, honey. I’ll be careful.”
Cautious not to move her knee, Paul untied the leather lacings and slipped off the ski boot. Kate groaned. Paul wondered if she’d torn a ligament. Or if she’d broken the tibia, pain could be radiating to her knee.
He rested a hand on her back. “Take some deep breaths. Everything’s going to be fine. We’ll get you back to the lodge where I can have a look at your injury.”
“How am I going to get there?” Kate looked down the hill, trepidation in her eyes.
Paul glanced around to see if there was anyone who could help. The slopes were empty. “I’ll have to get a sled.” He took her hand. “We’ve got to get you on your back. Try to relax and let me do the work.” He grasped her arm and hip and rolled her onto her side.
Kate let out a gasp, then said, “I feel sick.”
“That’s normal.” Paul made sure his voice remained calm. She might be going into shock. “Ready?”
She nodded, and he turned her over the rest of the way. She stared up at him, pain dulling the vivid color in her hazel eyes. He’d have to leave her. His stomach clenched at the thought. He stripped off his coat and covered her with it.
“I’ll be back as quickly as I can. Okay?”
“I’ll just wait here,” Kate said, managing a small grin.
That’s my Kate. Always courageous. He loved her more, if that were possible. He held her face in his hands and kissed her “I love you. Hang on.” After quickly lacing on his skis, he pushed himself upright. “I won’t be gone long.” Reluctant to leave her, he headed down the hill.
The trip to the lodge seemed to take forever, and when he finally approached the building, there didn’t seem to be anyone about. What would he do if there was no one to help? He unlaced his skis and ran inside. “Hello. Anyone here?”
Mary Jo emerged from the kitchen. “Hi. Didn’t expect—” Concern touched her eyes. “Something’s happened. What is it? Where’s Kate?”
“She took a bad fall. I need a sled and someone to help me. I had to leave her up there.”
“Oh dear. Levi’s not here. He went to pick up guests.” She headed for the hallway and Paul followed. “I saw Fred come in a while ago.” She stopped at a door and knocked.
“Yeah, just a minute,” he called from inside. A few moments later, the door opened. He looked at Mary Jo, then Paul. “Everything all right?”
“Kate’s been hurt,” Paul said. “I need your help to get her off the mountain.”
“Sure thing.” Fred grabbed his coat and gloves, then followed Paul and Mary Jo down the hallway. “What happened?”
“She fell and wrenched a knee pretty badly. I won’t know how serious it is until I can examine her. We need to hurry—she’s up on the slope alone.” Driven by urgency, Paul strode out the front door.
Mary Jo grabbed a quilt off the back of the sofa and followed them out. “Here. You’ll need this.” She handed it to Fred. “There’s a sled in the barn that Levi uses when things like this happen. I’ll make some tea so she’ll have something hot to drink when she gets back.”
“Thanks.” Paul headed toward the barn.
The sled was easy to find, but Paul fought panic as he pulled it outside. Kate was alone and vulnerable. He had to get to her. He and Fred grabbed hold of the tow and headed up the mountain. She could go into shock or the wolves he’d heard the night before might find her. He shut off the thoughts and turned to prayer, begging God to protect her.
When he reached the general area where she’d fallen, Paul called over his shoulder to Fred, “This is far enough.” He let go of the tow. “She’s over this way somewhere. He headed down a steep hill. Pulling the sled made skiing more difficult, but he pushed himself to keep up a fast pace.
It didn’t take long for Paul to realize he’d made a terrible error. He hadn’t marked the area or been careful to remember landmarks. Everything looked the same. Searching the landscape, he tried to find anything that looked familiar. Nothing. Where was she? Snow had started falling, along with the temperature. What if he couldn’t find her? He stopped and scanned the slope. “I don’t see her.”
“You don’t know where she is?”
“I thought I did. She’s got to be close by. Kate!” he yelled, the rising wind carrying away his voice. “Kate!” He tried to quiet his drumming heart and listen.
He thought he heard something. “Did you hear that?”
“Yeah. I think it came from over there.” Fred pointed toward the south side of the hill.
“We’re coming,” Paul yelled and hurried across the face of the slope. And then he spotted her. “Thank God.” He skied as fast as he could manage. “Kate, we’re here,” he hollered.
When he reached her, he pulled off his skis and knelt beside her. “You all right?”
Kate nodded, but she was shivering.
“We’ve got a sled.” He pressed his cheek to hers. She was badly chilled.
“I’m glad to see you.” She managed a trembling smile. “It’s cold.”
He gently kissed her. “We’ll be at the lodge in no time. Fred’s here to help.” He maneuvered the sled alongside Kate. “Are you having pain any place besides your knee and leg?”
“Yeah, just about everywhere, but I think it’s mostly bruising and sore muscles.”
“Okay. Fred, can you lift her under the arms, and I’ll get her legs.”
Careful to keep his hold on her thighs and away from her knees, Paul slid his arms under her. “Ready? On three—one, two, three.”
They hefted Kate onto the sled and she let out a yelp of pain. Once settled, Paul covered her with the quilt. “Mary Jo sent this along.”
Kate only managed to nod. She was shaking uncontrollably.
Paul tucked in the sides. “We’ll have you warmed up soon. Just hang on.” He took her pulse. It was too fast. And her skin looked pasty white. He had to hurry. She might be going into shock.
By the time they reached the lodge, Kate looked better and she was in good spirits. “I’m sure it’s just a strain,” she said. “I feel silly over all this fuss.”
“No reason to feel silly. And I’ll decide whether it’s a strain or something more.” Paul’s voice was stern. They pulled the sled to a stop at the lodge’s front porch. Kate immediately sat up. “Stay put,” Paul ordered.
“I’m not a child. I can—”
“I’m the doctor and you’re the patient. So, do as you’re told.” He tried to sound as if he were teasing, but he was serious. At this point there was no way to know how serious Kate’s injuries were. He leaned over her and checked the pupils of her eyes. They looked normal. Her skin color was good. He picked up her hand and pressed his fingers to her wrist. Her pulse was slightly elevated but much better than it had been. “Do you have any pain in your neck?”
“No.”
“Okay. You can sit up, and then we’ll carry you in.”
Kate pulled the blanket back and gingerly sat up. She groaned when she tried to bend her leg.
Paul leaned down and caught her under her right arm. “I’ll lift and you push up with your good leg.” Kate stood and leaned against Paul, careful not to move the injured left limb. “Fred, you and I can make a chair for her with our hands,” Paul said. “It’ll be easier to carry her.”
Putting her weight on Paul, Kate stood on her right leg while the two men clasped hands and made a seat for her.
The front door opened and Mary Jo stepped onto the porch. “My goodness. You poor thing.”
Kate draped her arms over the men’s shoulders and cautiously lowered herself onto their locked arms.
Mary Jo backed into the house. “I have the sofa all ready.”
Paul and Fred moved slowly across the room, and when they reached the davenport, they carefully lowered Kate onto it. She propped herself against a pile of pillows at one end and Paul placed a pillow under her injured knee.
After removing her coat and gloves, he did a quick check of her arms and shoulders, feet and ankles. Kate wasn’t just another patient. He hated to see her like this. Paul rechecked everything to make sure she was okay before saying, “Everything seems all right. But if I’m going to look at that knee, you’ll have to remove your pants.”
Fred ducked his head slightly. “Well, I’m hungry. I’ll see if I can find something to eat.” He headed for the kitchen.
Kate unbuckled her belt and unbuttoned her pants, then Paul gingerly slipped off the pants, careful not to move Kate’s left leg.
“Oh, my word.” Mary Jo covered her mouth with her hands. “That’s a terrible-looking knee.”
“It’s already swollen and black and blue,” Kate said. “And it’s throbbing. Do you think I broke it?”
“Lay back, Katie,” Paul said as he gently palpated the knee. It looked bad. He hoped she hadn’t broken it. Kate groaned. Paul didn’t feel anything out of place. “This is going to hurt. Take deep slow breaths.”
Kate nodded and closed her eyes. Paul bent the leg and Kate let out a moan. He rotated it to the inside, then out.
Beads of sweat appeared on Kate’s forehead and she grabbed hold of one of the sofa cushions. “Is it broken?”
“I don’t think so. But you’ve got a bad sprain.” He straightened the leg and rotated it away from her body. “The hip seems okay.” He smiled. “You’re lucky. It’ll probably only take a few weeks and you’ll be back to normal. But, you’ll have to stay off of it.”
“That’s not hard to do,” she said with a smirk.
He looked at Mary Jo. “We’ll need some ice.”
“We’ve got plenty of that.”
“Do you, by chance, have a pair of crutches too?”
“I do.” She smiled and lifted her brows. “Never know when you’re going to need them.” She chuckled. “This isn’t the first time we’ve had an injury.”
“I’ll wrap the knee. It’ll help support it and should decrease the pain. I’ll need my bag.”
“I’ll get it and the crutches too.” Mary Jo hurried off toward Paul and Kate’s room.
Kate ran a hand over her forehead. “I’m so sorry. I’ve ruined everything.” She looked dejected. “Our honeymoon.”
Paul was disappointed, but he wasn’t about to let Kate know that. And at this moment, he cared more about her than their honeymoon. “It’s all right. I just wish you weren’t hurting.” Paul’s mouth tipped into a sideways smile. “’Course, you might not be laid out on this couch if you could rein in your competitive nature just a little.”
“I wasn’t being competitive . . .” Her voice slid to a stop. “Well, maybe I was . . . a little. But so were you.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t fall.” He chuckled.
After three days’ rest at the lodge, Paul and Kate headed back to Anchorage. Kate’s knee was still swollen and bruised, but it felt better. Kate kept her leg elevated on the seat next to her. She already felt the humiliation of meeting her parents at the depot. Once again she’d run into trouble.
Bill and Joan had stayed at Kate’s home in town while she and Paul had been away. Kate could see them on the platform as the train pulled into the station. Using her crutches, Kate managed to hobble down the aisle and to the steps. Paul lifted her down and she made her way toward her parents.
“Oh Kate, are you all right?” her mother asked.
“I’m fine. Just sore,” she said with a sigh. “I got too bold and ruined everything.”
Paul came up behind her. “You didn’t ruin anything.” He leaned close to Kate and whispered in her ear. “We didn’t get to do a lot of outside activities, but I did like the inside activities.”
“Paul,” Kate said as if shocked, but she smiled.
He kissed her cheek and then loaded the bags in the trunk of the car.
“Glad it wasn’t anything too serious, Katie,” her father said. “You’ll be good as new before you know it.” He walked alongside her as she crutched to the car. He opened the door and helped Kate lower herself onto the backseat, then her father handed her the crutches. She set them on the floor.
Paul climbed in on the other side. “You doing all right?”
“Yes—for the hundredth time.” Kate loved that Paul cared about her, but since she’d been hurt, he’d been hovering. She’d never seen him so concerned for a patient.
Once on their way, Joan looked at Kate. “So, what happened?”
“We were skiing and I hit a rut or something and went tumbling. My knee went one way and my ski the other. It’s just a sprain.”
“Some things never change,” Paul said with a grin.
“I was just trying to catch up to you. I wasn’t being foolhardy.”
No one said anything. Kate knew they didn’t believe her. She slumped into the seat and crossed her arms over her chest. Why was she considered a daredevil when Paul had been just as aggressive on the hill? He didn’t believe in doing things halfway any more than she did.
After getting Kate settled at home, Bill drove Paul to the airport. He had a medical run and would be gone for a couple of days. Kate rested on the davenport with a pile of magazines and books piled on the side table. Her mother seemed to take great pleasure in caring for Kate’s every need, while Kate hated depending on her or on anyone else.
Her mother walked into the room carrying a cup of tea. “I’m wondering if your father and I should delay our departure. How are you going to get along when we leave?” She set the tea on the table beside Kate.
“I’ll be fine. I’m getting up and around on my own more. And I have Muriel and Helen. They’ve been here almost as much as you.”
Joan walked into the kitchen and returned with another cup of tea and a plate of cookies. She set the dessert on the coffee table and then sat on a cushioned chair across from the davenport. “I wish you were a little less daring.” She took a sip of tea. “Have you considered what you’ll do about your flying if you have a child?”
Why can’t I be who I am without having to answer for it? she thought, but said, “I don’t know for sure. It’s not something I have to think about today.” She was weary of the topic and didn’t want to discuss it.
“Yes, but one day you will. You do want children, don’t you?”
Kate’s irritation intensified. “Of course we do. But whether I work or not is something Paul and I will decide together—at the right time.” Kate couldn’t imagine not flying.