“Don’t move!” he ordered as he brought his right hand down about forty centimetres. Five moves. And finally, Tam lowered his right leg onto the ledge about half a metre from Kakko. He was down. He stepped along the projection and bent down over Kakko who was face down with her right side against the cliff. The child was lying limply barely fifty centimetres from her.
“You OK?” he smiled. She nodded.
“But I reckon my right arm’s broken above the elbow, and I think I’ve done some ribs or something. It hurts. When you said you were coming, I decided it best not to move. You climbed down?”
“Yes.”
“But I have both ropes.”
“I know. Greedy aren’t you?”
“How did you do it?”
“Carefully,” he smiled.
“What are we going to do?”
“I’m going to take your rope and loop it around the little boy like you intended. Then,” he said gently, “we’ve got to get you up without doing any more damage… OK? This is what I’m going to do. I shall loop the rope around you so that when we take your weight you will come up… bum first. Not very dignified, but it should work. As you come off the ledge, I want you to hold your right broken arm with your left. Hold it into you to support it… then as soon as you are up and free of the ledge kick yourself round so that your damaged side is away from the cliff. Got it?”
“Got it,” said Kakko. “I see I’m in good hands.”
Tam felt the compliment. “I’m going to get both you and the kid up. OK…” Tam eased Kakko’s coil of rope over her head and passed it over her left arm. She winced, but did not cry out. Tam carefully stepped over her to the child and examined him. He had a contusion on his forehead but otherwise did not appear to have any broken bones. It was amazing how children could fall without breaking anything. Tam took a length of rope and tied the end with a bowline under the boy’s armpits. He was just beginning to stir. This was both good news because he was glad the kid was recovering, but on the other hand, he did not want him to wake before he had proper control of the rope. Tam prayed. It occurred to him that he had been praying since about the second step on his way down! He uncoiled the rope letting it lie loose on the ledge until he got the other end, which he tied around his waist. Turning back to Kakko, Tam pulled gently at the rope around her waist. To his relief it came up freely. He pulled it up until it, too, was coiled on the ledge. Then, taking the end looped around Kakko, he passed it under her left thigh, then looped it up between her legs, over and under the other thigh and back between her legs, and tied it with a bowline firmly to the rope encircling her at her back, arranging it so it pulled her up from the waist where, he guessed, was her centre of gravity. He pulled on it and her back lifted slightly. She was going to come up right, he decided. When he was ready, he tied the other end to his own waist along with the one around the child. Tam stepped carefully back over Kakko and bent down so she could see his face.
“OK,” he whispered. “I’ll see you later.”
“Take care,” urged Kakko. “Be careful!”
“You sound like my mother,” he laughed. “You can be sure I will only take the yellow ones!”
“I’m glad,” sighed Kakko.
Then Tam did an unplanned thing. He did it without thinking – instinctively. He bent over Kakko and gave her a light kiss on her forehead, and smiled into her sky-blue eyes. Immediately he thought that perhaps he should not have done it. He had never kissed her like that before. But to his relief, she smiled back and her eyes seemed to say, ‘Thank you!’
“Don’t rush. We’re OK.”
Tam straightened up and studied the cliff-face. Going up was definitely going to be easier than coming down. He was not going to take any risks. He arranged both ropes so that they hung down the back of his legs. As he went, Tam tested every hold before he transferred his weight. To his amazement it only took him five minutes to reach the top. It was definitley easiet going up than down. As he dragged himself onto level ground arms came out to take him while others applauded.
Standing up straight he stated authoritatively, “All right everyone. Listen. I am going to tie these ropes around that big tree over there.” It was a long way from the edge. Tam walked around the tree and untied the first rope from his waist.
“This one is tied to the child.” He pulled it until there was no more slack and looped it around another stump. “Now, you two, take the end of this one and do not let it go! This one is tied to my friend. If there is slack here, pull it around the tree until the slack is taken up. Keep it tight but do not pull at it. OK. You three we are going to pull the first rope up, slowly, very slowly.”
Tam leaned over to see that the rope was straight down to the boy. “OK pull! Gently.” The child slowly came off the ledge. “Take up the slack over there! Great. Again, pull!” The child lifted another half a metre. “Great,” encouraged Tam. “Now, ve-ee-ry carefully.” After what seemed a long time and many pulls, Tam ordered, “OK easy now, gently… gently! Be careful with him in case he has broken anything…”, and he and two others leaned down and eased the child over the edge. He was clearly alive but semi-conscious. Tam undid the rope from around the boy and his mother scooped him up. Tears flowed.
“You need to get him to a hospital straight away,” Tam declared. He need not have worried, someone had already sent for the emergency services. Someone had headed off running to the village as soon as the emergency had begun. The ambulance would not be long once he had found a telephone.
Tam turned his attention to the other rope. “You OK Kakko? We’re pulling you up now!” Three men arranged themselves as before. “Pull, slowly,” ordered Tam. Kakko was a different prospect from the boy, her back rose upwards. The two men on the end of the rope took up more slack. “Again! That’s it. Now wait… Kakko, hold your arm like I said.” He saw her do it. Then he ordered again, “Pull! Gently.” Kakko lifted completely free of the ledge and thumped into the cliff face.
“Ooww!” she exclaimed.
“Turn yourself with your foot!” Tam barked.
Kakko pushed at the cliff-face with both feet and managed to make a one hundred and eighty degree turn. It was easier than she had imagined. Her damaged side was now away from the cliff wall.
“Great,” yelled Tam, “fantastic. OK. Ready… pull!” and slowly, bit-by-bit, Kakko was winched up the cliff. Tam ordered a final pull which brought Kakko to the top and half a dozen hands reached down. “Watch her right side,” shouted Tam. “Very, very gently!” But he needn’t have worried, so many hands quickly had Kakko lying on her back on the level turf without any part of her being unduly strained.
The mother came to Tam and gave him an enormous kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, thank you. You have saved my son’s life. Where are you from?”
“Not near here,” said Tam rather embarrassed, “we are visitors,” and he again ordered her off to the hospital. She left along the path with a man holding the child in his arms.
Tam bent down to Kakko. “How do you feel?”
“Very relieved… and in pain.”
“Let me check you properly,” he said and one by one he checked her limbs for damage, removing the rope as he went. He felt each leg from top to bottom, being careful to test the ankles to see if there was any swelling. Her legs and left arm were fine. He even checked her fingers, which she thought was surprisingly thorough and caring. He decided that, as she thought, she had fractured her upper arm, and probably her right collarbone and a number of ribs on the right side.
“Better get you home. Do you think you could walk? We don’t want you whisked off to the local hospital here. Let’s see if we can find that white gate before the emergency teams arrive.” They could already hear the sounds of sirens in the distance.
Tam supported her from the left side and Kakko stood up. It hurt but, leaning on Tam, she was OK to take a pace, then another. They entered the little copse and Kakko almost fell through the white gate. Tam followed and Kakko sa
nk to the dry road outside her home. It was dark but the stars were bright.
Tam called. “Hello… anyone?”
Jalli was there in an instant. She had been waiting for them on her garden bench.
“Right side,” yelled Tam, “careful!”
Jalli assessed the situation and saw her daughter was in pain. Kakko rolled onto her back. Jack arrived and Jalli ordered him to phone for an ambulance.
“What the hell have you been doing?” she demanded. She was frightened and cross.
Kakko didn’t know what to say. In her pain she couldn’t think of anything to say to mollify her mother. Eventually she uttered, “I’m alright.” Which was clearly not true.
Jalli looked daggers at Tam. Tam opened his mouth to speak, but Jalli barked. “You stay back! Stay away from my daughter! Can’t you see you’ve hurt her enough?”
“Mum! Mum! Listen! He saved my life. This,” Kakko indicated her wounds, “is all my fault. I was too quick. Tam’s brave and careful and so gentle!”
“Kakko went to save a little boy,” explained Tam apologetically. “I think he’s safe. They took him off to hospital.”
“And that’s exactly where you’re going now, young lady,” asserted Jalli.
Jack turned to Tam. “How about you?”
“Oh, I’m OK!”
“Apart from bleeding knees and chapped wrists… and there’s some blood coming from your head,” remarked Matilda who had just arrived on the scene. Tam remembered that a small stone had hit him from above. That was why, under normal circumstances he should have been wearing a helmet. But he hadn’t had one on… he should have used the helmets in the bag. And then he remembered. The equipment, the ropes and the bag of tackle were still the other side of the gate. He turned but the gate had gone! Whatever was he going to tell the coach…?
***
They arrived at the hospital just after midnight. It was situated a couple of blocks from the Sports Centre where they had been earlier. Tam was treated for his superficial scrapes while Kakko was wheeled off to the x-ray department. After a couple of hours Kakko was on the ward and Tam was sent home.
15
As day broke the following morning, Tam rang the coach to explain, as simply as he could, what had happened and apologised for the loss of the equipment. The coach just seemed to grunt a bit but said no more. He asked where they were and Tam told him Kakko was in the hospital and he was going there to catch up with Kakko as soon as visiting was permitted that afternoon.
***
Tam hurried into the ward as soon as the doors were opened to the visitors. He was pleased to see Kakko send him a beaming smile. She reached out with her good arm and took his hand in hers.
“You OK?” she asked, looking deep into his eyes.
“Fine. Didn’t sleep much of course. What about you?”
“I feel a wreck but nothing hurts much because they have pumped me full of pain killers. They dosed me with something that made me sleep too. When I woke up I asked for you and that strict looking sister over there said that I would have to wait until visiting time. Then I wanted to ring you but they wouldn’t let me use my phone and you have to have money for the ward phone! Sorry.”
“No problem. I didn’t expect you to ring.”
“I am so glad you are here now. Mum and Dad are sure to come soon so before they arrive I just want to say how brave and level-headed you were. You did a fantastic job, and you know how to look after someone. While I was lying there, scared to move and not knowing what to do you just took control of the situation. I knew I was safe; I knew you had things covered. I knew I could trust you. And look, I am safe! I didn’t think properly. I should have known that tree was not secure. I was in so much of a hurry, but you were careful and sure.”
“I didn’t do it right. I took risks I shouldn’t have.”
“No. You did everything right!”
“No, Kakko, I didn’t. There were helmets in the bag as well as a lot of other stuff which I completely ignored. I should have taken the belt with the pin things and the hammer and secured us to the cliff. When I got to you I had two ropes. I should have used one to make sure that if I slipped I would have been safe. There are so many things I should have done with the stuff we had, and I didn’t use any of it… I’ve been going over it all in my head last night. All the things I should have done.”
“Perhaps in hindsight. But at the time it’s not so easy is it?”
“No. I just wanted to get to you.”
“And so you did. All I could think about was how brave and caring you were. You even kissed me… here.” She touched the spot on her forehead where he had brushed her with his lips before he started back up the cliff. “You could have been cross with me but all you did was care.”
What Tam saw in Kakko’s blue eyes was more than the gratitude of a girl he had rescued. He leaned over the bed and kissed the spot again. Kakko encircled his neck with her left arm and held his face against hers.
At that moment Jalli led Jack through the door of the ward. Jalli saw Tam bending over and Kakko’s arm around him and stopped. She whispered, “I think something special happened between them out wherever it was. Tam’s kissing her!”
Jack smiled. “Faithful devotion is probably more to her liking now than adventure,” suggested Jack.
Jalli led him across to the bed and Kakko looked up. “Mum, Dad!” she exclaimed. “How long have you been there?”
“Long enough,” laughed Jalli. “So the hero has rescued his princess!”
Both Kakko and Tam went the colour of beetroot.
“So no permanent damage it seems,” said Jack as he felt for the side of the bed. “Which bits are safe to touch?”
“Left side only,” whispered Kakko.
“Can we have a turn?” asked Jack of Tam.
“Sure… I mean…” he dried up with embarrassment.
Jalli took Tam in her arms. “Thank you for doing what you did. From what Kakko told me last night you saved her life. And you were very brave. I am sorry I barked at you last night, I was too upset to think.”
“Th… thanks,” stuttered Tam, even more embarrassed to be hugged so comprehensively by Jalli.
***
They sat together for a few minutes around the bed. It’s a funny thing sitting beside a bed when there are other people sitting around other beds in close proximity. There is little privacy and it’s not easy to know what to say. A nurse came round and took Kakko’s pulse and her temperature while everyone sat still and Kakko smiled obediently. The nurse completed her chart and said a doctor was expected soon and she would decide whether Kakko would have to stay or could go home.
Then, the door to the ward opened and admitted the large, strong frame of Coach Jim.
His expression was difficult to interpret.
“So,” he said to Kakko and Tam together, “you survived.”
“Yes,” replied Kakko. “Tam used all his skills to rescue me. He was very brave.”
“So I hear.”
“So – sorry about the stuff, I mean the equipment,” said Tam quietly.
“I don’t care about the tackle,” said the coach crossly, “that can be replaced. People can’t! What the hell do you two think you were doing, eh? You’ve had no training whatsoever to go down a cliff-face. You could easily have both been killed and endangered others too.”
“But,” protested Kakko, “there was a little boy…”
“I don’t care if it was the President of the Galactic Federation! You were not qualified to use that tackle. I trusted you with it. I thought you were responsible! You know if you had been under eighteen I could be put on a charge, and the club closed down! As it is I think I might be allowed the plea that two people over eighteen might be expected to be trustworthy. I am disgusted with you, and I don’t want to see either of you near the club again!”
“But it wasn’t Tam’s fault!” pleaded Kakko. “He saved my life. It was all my fault.”
“You bot
h acted badly. You,” the coach spoke to Tam, “may have got away with this, but you do not have the skills. I did think, though, you had a natural sense of caution. I was wrong. You are both banned! You understand?” Tam nodded. And with that Coach Jim turned and strode to the door. You could have heard a pin drop in the ward. No-one else was talking. All the eyes from every bedside were on him. Coach Jim turned at the door.
“Oh, I am glad you have escaped relatively unscathed. But I hope it hurts. It’ll be a lesson!” And with that he left.
Kakko sobbed. “That is just so unfair! He had no right to speak like that! OK so I made mistakes. But he wasn’t there. And how could he say those things to you Tam? All you did was to rescue us and you probably saved that little boy’s life too!”
“But he’s right,” sighed Tam. “If you made some mistakes, I made lots.”
“He’s in shock,” said Jack. “He’s blaming himself for giving you the tackle. He’s a frightened man. Just imagine what he would have felt if either of you had not come through this as well as you have. It would have been on his conscience for ever. As it is, it’s on his record. I doubt he’ll let any tackle out of his sight again.”
“But it’s not fair that he should blame Tam,” wailed Kakko. “And he doesn’t understand that if we are invited into another world we are there for a reason. It wasn’t just by chance that we arrived just after that boy had fallen.”
Ultimate Justice Page 12