by Kim Baldwin
Megan glanced off another large rock. There was a sickening crack as her head impacted the hard surface. She lost consciousness and bobbed downstream with the current, as limp as a rag doll.
“Oh, my God!” Justine cried out.
Chaz’s blood ran cold as she closed the distance to Megan with power strokes and absolute focus of purpose. I can’t…won’t miss her this time. Six feet away. Four. Two.
Gotcha! She clamped onto the collar of Megan’s PFD with one hand.
“Sally!” she bellowed, desperately trying to keep Megan’s face above water as the current propelled them toward a sharp overhang of rock thirty feet downriver.
Sally was right behind her, already maneuvering into position. She scooted the raft next to Chaz’s kayak, and Chaz tossed her paddle in, then grabbed hold of the sturdy rope that ringed the inflatable. As Sally towed them away from the outcropping with long pulls at the oars, it was all Chaz could do to maintain hold of both the raft and Megan, while keeping Megan’s dead weight from overturning her kayak. Megan wasn’t moving, and Chaz couldn’t immediately tell if she was breathing.
“Come on, Megan. Stay with me,” she urged, holding so tight to the vest that her knuckles were white. “Stay with me.” Dear God, please be all right.
Sally got them to shore and laid Megan gently on the gravel bank at the river’s edge. She had a gash in her forehead that was bleeding profusely, but she was breathing on her own.
“Grab the first-aid kit,” Chaz cried hoarsely as Sally rushed to help her, and the other women converged on the scene.
A few seconds after Sally dropped the first-aid kit at Chaz’s feet, Megan came to and immediately began coughing and vomiting up water. Chaz held a compress of gauze against her head to stop the bleeding. When the worst had passed, Megan stared up at Chaz and Sally, who were kneeling on either side of her.
“Where do you hurt?” Chaz asked.
“Left shoulder.” Megan grimaced and coughed up some more water. “And head, where you’re pressing.”
“Do you have any pain at all in your neck? Or anywhere else?” Chaz asked.
“No. Just shoulder and head. My helmet came off somehow.”
“We need to get your PFD off,” Chaz said.
Megan’s eyes got wide. “Can’t,” she croaked. She coughed again.
“We have to,” Chaz said. “You may have dislocated your shoulder.”
“Can we wait a while? I mean, I don’t want to be a baby about this. But I just want to lie still for a minute. It’s only just stopped absolutely killing me.”
“We have to do this soon,” Chaz said. “If you’ve dislocated it, the sooner we get it back in place the better. We want to do it before you start having muscle spasms.” She couldn’t stand the look in Megan’s eyes. So scared. “Look, I’ll dress your head wound first. We can wait on the other until I do that.”
Megan took a deep breath. Let it out. “Thanks,” she said, just above a whisper.
“Sally, I think I can handle this at the moment,” Chaz said. “Will you take a look and see if you can spot Megan’s kayak?”
“We can do that,” Pat offered. “Linda and I will take the kayaks down and portage back.” Glancing at Elise, she suggested, “Maybe you could walk alongside with a rescue line and look for the kayak.”
“Sure,” Elise agreed, but her eyes were on Megan. She looked stricken. “Is she going to be okay?”
“Yes,” Chaz said grimly.
Elise looked like she wanted to linger, but Pat tapped her on the shoulder and she hurried away.
“Don’t go so far you’ll kill yourself walking back, okay?” Sally called after them. “And be careful, please.”
Chaz finally got the bleeding stopped and gently bandaged Megan’s head wound, which was turning into a good-sized purplish goose egg. The lump concerned her, although Megan seemed perfectly lucid. When that was done, it was time to check her shoulder.
“I’ll be as gentle as I can,” Chaz said. “You ready?”
“As I’ll ever be, I guess.”
Chaz leaned over Megan and looked her in the eyes as she unhooked the vest. She could see how much Megan was already hurting, and how terrified she was of what they were about to do. She hated causing her even more pain. But she knew she would probably have to.
“Okay,” Chaz said. “Try to relax.”
“Easier said than done.” Megan’s eyes remained locked with Chaz’s, as if for reassurance. Something to hold on to.
“See if you can pull your other arm out of the vest,” Chaz said. “Then I’ll slip it off you.”
Megan accomplished that part with another loud groan, and the vest was quickly off.
Chaz unzipped Megan’s dry suit top and pulled it back. Megan was wearing a black, two-piece swimsuit beneath. The top created a mesmerizing display of cleavage that Chaz couldn’t, for a moment, bear to tear her eyes from. In the middle of this crisis, all she could think about was touching Megan’s breasts. I should be ashamed of myself.
She forced her eyes away, to Megan’s shoulder, and steered her mind firmly back to the task. She gently palpated the joint, trying not to think about how soft Megan’s skin was under her fingers.
“The good news is, I don’t think it’s dislocated.” She looked into Megan’s eyes. “Tell me where it’s tender.” She continued to gently probe, and Megan indicated with a grimace when she hit a sore spot.
“There. Ow.”
“Can you wiggle your fingers?”
Megan did so, without moving her arm. “Hurts in the muscles in my upper arm when I do that.”
“Any loss of feeling?”
“Nope.”
“Does it hurt when I try to move it?” Chaz asked. With one hand supporting Megan’s shoulder, and the other her arm, she slowly and gently moved the arm outwards and up.
Megan grimaced. “Ow, yeah.”
“Okay, that’s enough, I think.” Chaz felt a surge of relief. Megan seemed more alert than she was a few minutes earlier, so her head injury was probably not serious. But Chaz couldn’t take the chance that there were factors invisible to her. “I’m not a doctor, but I’ve had first-aid training, and I don’t think you’ve broken any bones. A bad sprain or strain, I think, in your shoulder. Your head is another matter.”
“What’s it look like?” Megan asked.
“I put a couple of butterfly bandages on it and got the bleeding stopped. But you’ll need medical attention. That cut will probably require stitches, and you took a pretty good knock on the head. I think a doctor will want to run some tests and make sure you don’t have a concussion. Head injuries can be serious.”
“Shit.” Megan blinked. “You mean the trip is over for me? I might be all right in a day or two.”
“I’m sorry, Megan.” Chaz zipped up Megan’s dry suit so she’d stay warm. And so you can stop staring at her breasts. Get hold of yourself, already.
“We can’t take any more risks with you. We’re going to need to airlift you out.”
“Damn.”
“Oh, what a tough break,” Justine said, coming around to stand where Megan could see her. “What can I do for you? Anything?”
“Can’t think of anything that would help,” Megan told Justine, then looked at Chaz. “The trip goes on, right? I haven’t screwed this up for anyone else, have I?”
“Stop that,” Justine said.
“Yeah,” Yancey said. “You’re what’s important right now.”
“I don’t want the rest of you to miss out because of me,” Megan repeated.
“It shouldn’t be a problem to continue the trip.” Chaz took a long look at Megan, in part checking for signs of shock, but also…just looking. Megan’s skin was pale and clammy from her long immersion in the frigid water, her hair was wet, and she was shivering slightly. “Cold?”
“Yeah. A little.”
“Justine, can you get her bag and pull out a hat and gloves for her?” Chaz asked. She reached into the raft, grabbed a sle
eping pad, and laid it beside Megan. “See if we can scoot you over onto this and keep you off the cold ground.”
Megan accomplished that with a little help and a muted groan.
Justine got her gloves and a hat on, and Chaz located a thin survival blanket from her bag and tucked it around Megan.
She leaned down until her face was close to Megan’s. “Better?”
“Yes. Thanks.” It was all Megan could do to answer. She felt exhausted, barely able to stay awake. The adrenalin rush from capsizing was gone, and her arms and legs seemed to be made of stone, like she had fought a few rounds with a much larger opponent.
Chaz stood. Addressing Yancey and Justine, she said, “I need to talk with Sally while we wait for the others to get back. You two mind keeping an eye on her a minute?”
“You got it,” Justine answered for them, and she and Yancey crouched down next to Megan and started making awkward conversation.
Chaz could tell they were nervous. No one was going to feel confident until they got Megan to a doctor. She walked a short distance downstream with Sally.
“Couldn’t have happened in a worse place,” Sally said under her breath as soon as they were out of earshot.
“Yeah, no chance of a plane getting in here.” Chaz studied the steep canyon walls on either side of them. The terrain was too steep and narrow for a helicopter rescue, but they couldn’t stay here. Any kind of rain or big melt in the mountains and they’d be in trouble in a heartbeat. “We can’t get a signal out here, with these rock walls, and we can’t wait for a rescue by river. Much as I’d like not to move her, we gotta keep going.”
“So, what are we looking at?” Sally asked. “How much farther before we can call for help?”
“The river leaves this canyon soon and crosses some tundra before it heads into another one. We could set up camp there. It’s got a nice flat spot for the tents, and I’m sure we can get a clear communications link out.”
“How long to get there, do you think?”
“Maybe another half hour. We’ll have to take her in the raft.” Chaz glanced back toward Megan. She knew the jarring ride downriver was going to be painful on her shoulder, and she really hated moving her with that head injury. “We’ll have to lash her kayak and mine to the raft. I’ll ride with you.”
“What’s the river like between here and there? Do you remember?”
“It’s not too bad,” Chaz said. “We’ll lead in the raft, take it slow, and have Pat take up the rear. She’s certainly capable.”
They spotted Elise, Pat, and Linda returning from downriver, each carrying a kayak. All three looked weary and anxious to be rid of their burdens.
“Hey! You found it!” Sally waved. “Great!”
“How’s Megan doing?” Linda asked as she set down her kayak and stretched to relieve the soreness in her back.
“The trip is over for her,” Chaz said. “Although I don’t think her injuries are too serious, she needs to see a doctor.”
“I was afraid of that.” Linda plopped down onto the nearest big rock and frowned as she surveyed the steep rock walls all around them. “How you going to get her out of here?”
“We’re going to take her downriver in the raft a ways, then radio for help,” Sally said. “We can’t get a signal out, here in the canyon.”
“Is she all right to travel?” Pat asked.
“No choice,” Chaz said. “We can’t stay here. It’s too dangerous. If we get bad weather the river could rise and flood us out in no time. Don’t worry, we’ll take it real easy with her.”
While the others tied the two kayaks behind the raft and prepared to get underway, Chaz efficiently fashioned a sling and secured Megan’s arm against her body with an Ace bandage. “It’s not going to be a comfortable ride, with that shoulder,” she warned.
“Peachy.” Megan watched Chaz work on her, admiring the musculature in Chaz’s arms and her long, strong fingers. It helped distract her from the pain in her head and shoulder.
“The sling will immobilize it as far as possible. That should help. And I’m going to ride with you.”
“All right.” Megan stared down at the sling and felt thankful to be alive.
Sally redistributed the gear in the raft to make an area for Chaz and Megan that was as comfortable as possible.
“Okay, I think we’re ready for you,” Chaz said, stooping down and leaning over Megan again. “Can you walk there, or would you like me to carry you?”
“I can make it with some help,” Megan said. So Chaz and Sally got on either side and gently helped her to her feet.
Chaz took off her helmet and gently set it on Megan’s head.
“No, Chaz,” Megan protested.
“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice,” she said, fastening it securely.
Chaz settled her long frame into the space they cleared in the bottom of the raft, with her back against one of the inflated sides, then stuck out a hand to assist Megan. “I want you to sit here, in between my legs, with your back against my chest, so I can try to cushion you.”
Megan hesitated, scoping out how she was going to get into the raft without falling right on top of Chaz. She felt clumsy and unbalanced with her arm in the sling. “You don’t need to do that,” she protested.
“Please?” Chaz asked. Still pissed at me. And now, even needing help, doesn’t want to be anywhere near me. Not that I blame her, I guess. She continued to extend her hand, waiting patiently, and finally Megan succumbed and allowed herself to be led carefully into the welcoming circle of Chaz’s embrace.
As soon as she sat down, Chaz enfolded her in her arms, careful to avoid the sore shoulder. Megan’s body was rigid and tense. “Try to relax against me,” she whispered in Megan’s ear as they got underway. “It’ll make the ride a lot easier on you.”
Megan could feel the warmth of Chaz’s breath against her neck as they headed downriver, and it helped immeasurably to distract her from the pain that every bump and jolt of the whitewater sent through her body.
The sudden change in circumstances was only still sinking in. I’m leaving. The thought depressed her. She had seen all she was going to see, at least for now, of this magical wilderness that had captivated her and made her forget entirely about work, and home, and everything familiar. She missed it already.
You miss her already, Megan thought, unconsciously relaxing into Chaz’s arms.
Thankful to feel Megan relax at last, Chaz cradled her protectively and absorbed the bumps as best as she could as they floated downriver. All the while, she had to make a conscious effort not to let their positions and proximity do what it was doing to her body.
God help her, it apparently didn’t matter that Megan was injured and in pain. Or that she’d had her chance and passed it up. Megan just plain flat turned her on, in a way that completely mystified her. She was helpless to prevent it. With every bump, every roll of the rapids, their bodies came together, and the contact was beginning to manifest itself in a warm, moist pulse of arousal between her legs. She was damn glad the PFD she was wearing hid the fact that her nipples were as stand-up-at-attention sensitive as she’d ever felt them to be.
She said nothing for the first ten minutes, not trusting her voice, allowing herself to relish the closeness of their bodies, despite her best intentions. But when they hit a particularly bad bit of rough water and Megan groaned, the sound shot through her and allowed her to regain her sense of professional responsibility.
“How are you doing?” she whispered into Megan’s ear.
“I feel like crap,” Megan said drolly. “Thanks for caring.”
Chaz couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her lips, and that got Megan laughing, too.
“I haven’t said thank you,” Megan said, in a voice low enough that only Chaz could hear. “First the bear. Now this. That’s twice you’ve saved me.”
“No problem,” Chaz said.
“Have you started thinking of me as the trip Jonah yet?”
&nb
sp; Chaz laughed again. “No, but Calamity Jane did occur to me.”
“Funny.”
“Well, let’s just say, I know we billed this as an adventure trip, but I’d like a bit less adventure from now on, if you please.”
“I’ll do my best.” Megan’s voice grew serious. “When will they come to get me?”
Soon. Far too soon, Chaz wanted to say. Barely realizing she was doing it, she tightened her hold around Megan’s waist. “Today, probably,” she said, glancing up at the thickening clouds overhead. “Unless we get some bad weather.”
She found herself hoping for a nice low ceiling of clouds, or one of the sudden fog banks that frequently materialized this time of year.
Today. Megan slowly processed the idea. She could be picked up and taken away today, and that would be the last time she would clap eyes on Chaz. Her stomach churned, and it wasn’t about the rolling motion of the raft. This might well be her last opportunity to talk to Chaz without the rest of them overhearing.
“Chaz?” Her voice was just above a whisper. Intimate.
Chaz cradled her head beside Megan’s, her chin on Megan’s shoulder, so she could hear her over the roar of the water. “Mmmhmm?”
“I really am sorry about the way I acted last night. I mean, I’m not sorry I kissed you,” she amended. “But I lost my temper. And I should have respected your asking me to stop.”
“You don’t need to apologize. I shouldn’t have kissed you back and let it go so far.”
There was a hesitation. “I’m glad you did.”
Another brief pause. “I couldn’t help myself.”
Chaz held Megan a little more tightly and sensed that they were on the same page. It was as though they had both suddenly become aware that their time together was nearly over, but they each had things that needed to be said.
“I think we’re almost there,” Sally said.
Chaz looked back over her shoulder. They were nearing the end of the canyon. She could see a patch of hilly tundra beyond. She settled against Megan once more and resumed their whispered tête-à-tête. In light of their admissions, and with time so short, there seemed little need for further restraint.