Page 20 of Every Deadly Suspicion

“Braden!” she called out. No response. She could see the rise and fall of his chest and her fear dissipated.

The little dog barked, expected for a Chihuahua mix. Hanna struggled to remember his name. Pancho? Giving herself some slack but staying in harness, she moved toward the boy. He lay face down, one arm bent unnaturally under him. There was some blood around his head, as well as some scrapes on his arms and legs.

Hanna took off her backpack to access her medical supplies. As she got closer to Braden, the dog’s frantic barking increased.

“Pancho, it’s okay, I’m here to help.”

The dog continued to bark as she knelt next to Braden, but Pancho backed away and didn’t threaten her.

Hanna carefully began her assessment, checking the boy’s feet and legs, then moved up his back. Everything felt normal.Cognizant that there might be a neck injury, she gently touched his shoulder. “Braden, it’s Chief Keyes, are you okay, buddy?”

The boy stirred; his face scrunched in pain. “Ahhh, ow, ow.”

His eye opened and he moved his feet. “It hurts.” He tried to press up with his good arm and Hanna stopped him.

“I know, honey, but I’ve got to get you out of here, and I don’t want you to move too much.” The boy whimpered but stayed still. Hanna grabbed her radio.

“He’s a little busted up but alive. I’ll be ready for the stretcher in a few minutes.”

“10-4, Chief,” came Asa’s response.

She pulled the neck immobilizer from her pack. “I’ve got to put this on you and roll you over slowly to see how badly you’re hurt.” She gently placed the immobilizer around his neck and fastened it.

He moaned.

Carefully, bracing him with her body, Hanna rolled him over in one smooth motion, ensuring that his neck and back were in line, exposing his cut-up face. He screamed once when the movement disturbed his badly broken arm, and Hanna winced. His pulse was fast but not overly so. His breathing was not labored.

Blood ran from a deep cut on his forehead down his face. He would probably need stitches. She opened a gauze pad and put pressure on the cut and then grabbed some tape.

“Ow, ow, it hurts.” Tears squeezed from his eyes.

“I want to stop the bleeding, Braden. Please, I know it hurts. Try to stay still. It might not hurt as much.”

“Where’s Pancho?” he asked, his voice wavering.

“He’s here.” Hanna looked for the dog. He had stopped barking and sat a few feet away, watching. “I’ve got to splint your arm to get you out of here. I’m sorry it hurts, bud, but it has to be done.”

Hanna needed to make the splint a bit smaller. She pulled her folding knife from her pocket and cut off what she didn’t need. The knife brought a smile to her face. It had been a gift from Jared so many years ago. The outline of Half Dome was etched in the handle.

A memory flashed—they’d spent a week in Yosemite at a rock-climbing school. Jared had been the most capable student in the class; he was a natural. He found the folding knife in a park gift store. He said,“Everyone should have one of these. You never know when you’ll need it.”

He’d been right. She had used it a lot over the years. Maybe one of these days she’d tell him how useful the gift had been.

Steeling herself against the boy’s cries and tears, Hanna splinted the arm and readied Braden for the rescue basket. He stopped crying once his arm was splinted, and Hanna bet it felt much better. He also seemed more alert. Hanna checked his eyes—both normal and reactive. She had him move his legs and his good arm, then squeeze her fingers with his good hand.

“How does everything else feel?”

“Okay.”

“Try to stay still. I’m going to get the basket that will take you up to the top. Got it?”

“Yeah.”

Hanna left the boy’s side and asked Asa to lower the rescue basket. Once down, she set it next to Braden and prepared it for him.

He quietly watched her arranging the straps. “Can you put Pancho in there with me?” Braden asked once she moved toward him.

“Afraid not, bud. I’ll bring him up after.”

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