Page 57 of Heal Me
Chapter Fifteen
After a bitch of a week, Ric had arrived back in Colorado and was just picking up his luggage at Denver International when his phone rang. He saw that it was Robert and answered.
“Hey, Robert,” he said. “What’s up?”
“Where are you?”
“At the airport. I just got off the plane. Why?” The back of Ric’s neck prickled with warning.
“Kate’s in the ER.”
“What happened?” Ric started jogging through the airport to the parking garage. His ankle hurt, but he didn’t give a shit.
“We went rock climbing this morning with the mountain rescue team and the lead line frayed and broke. I was able to catch her and stabilize her, but her back smacked the rock face we were climbing up,” Robert said.
“What do you mean the rock you were climbing with the mountain rescue team?”
“We are part of the volunteer rescue unit. We practice. Didn’t you know? Look, let’s save this chat for later. She needs you.”
Ric swallowed his fear. “How bad is she hurt?” Ric gained the exit and sprinted for his car.
“I’m not sure, she’s in radiology right now.”
“I’m on my way. Just getting in my car now. Call if you have any news.”
Ric threw his suitcase in the car and got in the driver’s seat. “Thanks, Robert.”
Ric hung up and took a few moments to calm himself so he could drive. Then he drove out of the parking garage and got on the exit ramp for the highway. As he sped along, his blood pounded through his veins as he fought back panic.
His mind went back in time to the night when he’d gotten the call from Tyler that Lizzie was missing. He remembered accompanying Ty and finding the car accident. Both Simon and Lizzie had been high on drugs and booze and had been racing another car. Simon had hit ice and lost control, wrapping the car around a tree. Lizzie hadn’t been wearing a seatbelt and she’d been thrown from the car. The bastards they’d been racing, simply drove away and left them. It was snowing and the snow broke her fall. But with a broken pelvis and leg she’d lain there unable to move and had actually frozen to death while Simon lay comatose in the car not more than twenty feet away.
Ric had been the one to find her. She’d looked so serene, as if in death she had finally found peace. He would never forget how still she was, and how stiff from the cold.
Ric’s heart had been ripped apart, left in tattered shreds that had taken a long time to heal. He blamed himself. This was the woman he loved yet, he’d given up on her. He’d known Simon was no good for her and yet he’d put his pride first instead of trying harder. He should have confided in Ty, let him know about the drugs. He just didn’t know how to talk to a woman who thought risk was the word for fun.
Although his heart had mended, the scars of that pain had remained. Until Kate had come along, that was. She’d shown him that loving someone didn’t mean ‘until something more exciting came along’. A love based on respect and putting another’s feelings before your own could be empowering and uplifting.
During the time that he’d been gone, his feelings for Kate had intensified. They’d talked every night and had even fallen asleep together over the phone several times. Although they’d spoken briefly about all of the things about their respective professions that were stressing them, they’d mostly told each other more about their lives and gotten to know each other better.
However, he hadn’t asked more about her rock climbing and other sports. How could he love a woman he barely knew, he didn’t even know she was on a volunteer rescue team.Don’t you usually ask about that sort of stuff? Why didn’t I? Mountain rescue in Coopers Creek was a necessity. He’d never had a desire to climb, roping and football were his loves. Why did it have to be her that risked life and limb climbing?
And now, the woman he loved with all his heart was severely hurt. For what?You know why—she wants to help people.But who keeps her safe?It seemed so risky to Ric, and reminded him of Lizzie, the thrill before all else, no matter who was worrying about you. He tried to put that out of his mind and keep his attention on the road.
When he was about twenty minutes away from Cooper’s Creek, Ric called Robert, but there was still no news. Ric thanked him, hung up, and pounded on the steering wheel a few times while a string of profanity spewed forth from him.
Since he’d vented a little of his frustration, Ric felt slightly better as he pulled into the Cooper’s Creek Medical Center parking lot. He found the nearest parking spot, ran through the ER entrance, and spotted Robert in the waiting room. He sat talking quietly to Emily, who saw him.
She came to him, embracing him tightly. “We’re hoping that the doctor will be out shortly.”
Ric hugged her back and released her. “What the hell happened?” he asked Robert as they shook hands.
“A defective lead line. It started unraveling and wouldn’t hold her weight.” Robert thrust a hand through his dark hair. “We checked over every piece of equipment before we left the house, just like we always do, and it looked fine. No cuts, no frayed places, nothing. We were about forty feet up when it started unraveling.”
“Forty feet? In the air?” Ric practically yelled.
“Ric! Shh!” Emily admonished him.
Robert continued. “As soon as she noticed it, Kate told me and I started hauling ass to catch up to her. I was almost there when the line snapped and she fell. She was hooked to me, of course, but I wasn’t sure if my little nut was going to hold since it was such a small crack.”
