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The trail was climbing steadily, and the higher we went the more rock and less dirt we were walking on. There was mud caked in the treads of my boots, so I had little traction.
"It's really slippery through here," Chance said, turning back to offer his hand to help me over a slick spot.
We continued climbing alongside the creek. I was looking down at my feet and didn't realize Chance had stopped until I ran my head into his back. Before I realized what was happening, Chance was pinwheeling his arms as he fell toward the stream below.
"Chance," I screamed. I didn't know what to do, I just stood there and watched. I know it only took a few seconds, but it seemed like it was happening in slow motion. I saw him try to grab onto trees and bushes as he fell. He might have managed to slow his fall a little, but he landed at the edge of the stream.
I heard myself screaming at him over and over, but he didn't answer. He wasn't moving and through the brush, I couldn't tell if he was breathing or not. I had to get down there without killing myself in the process. I had to help Chance. As I stared down at the scene below, I prayed to God he was still breathing. I held onto a tree and leaned over the edge trying to find a safe way down. At the spot where Chance fell, there were no trees and the drop off was steep.
I rummaged through my pack and took out a pink t-shirt I'd worn already. I tied it around a tree at the spot where Chance fell, before walking back down the trail to see if I could find a better way down to the stream. Time was important, but I had to be careful.
The trail we were on was far above the stream at the point where Chance fell. I couldn't see his head. It was hidden by the overhang. As I tried to find a way down, I realized that I needed to make sure Chance's face wasn't in the water. I couldn't tell from up here. I was frantic. If I'd been injured, Chance would know what to do, but I didn't. I hated that his survival could depend on me. What the heck was I doing out here?
I walked a long way down the trail before finding a spot I thought would allow me to get down beside the stream, so I could make my way to Chance. I had no rope. There might be some in Chance's pack, but that wouldn't help me reach him.
Before I started down the slope, I took some deep breaths and tried to think of what I needed to be cautious of. The first thing that popped into my head was what if there's a bigfoot out here with us. If there was, I couldn't do much about it, so I set that idea aside. I was going to have to grab onto branches and bushes to help me down the slope, so I took a pair of dirty socks out of my pack and put them on my hands. At least, they'd protect my hands a little. I closed my eyes and whispered a little prayer. "Chance, I'm coming down to help you," I called as I took my first tentative step down the embankment.
If Chance hadn't been lying unconscious at the bottom of the hill, I wouldn't have had to climb down, but I was a little glad he wasn't able to see me scramble down. It wasn't pretty. I slid on my butt for much of the distance. The slope leveled out about six feet above the stream. I walked upstream until I could see Chance. I called out to him again, but there was still no response. I'll admit to being a little concerned about what I'd find when I could see his head. I sent up another silent prayer and dropped to my knees on the bank. I was staring into Chance's face. Thank goodness his face was pointed up. At least, he wouldn't drown.
The only way down the last few feet was to jump. I could do it, but I didn't want to risk falling on Chance and causing him further injury. I walked back downstream a few feet, sat on the bank, and jumped off onto a narrow strip of mud beside the creek. My boots sank in, but I remained upright.
"Chance, it's Everly. Are you hurt?" I thought his eyelids moved a little, but they didn't open. I shrugged out of my pack and leaned it against a tree out of the water before stepping carefully over Chance's legs and making my way up beside his head. "Thank, God," I said when I felt a steady pulse. One of Chance's ankles was turned at a strange angle, but otherwise, he looked OK. I needed to get him out of the stream, but if he had a spinal injury, I could do more damage. "Fudge," I said. "I wished I paid more attention when I took the first aid training the Magnolia Tea Room required for all its staff.
I ran my hands over Chance's body checking for things that felt wrong. I wasn't sure I'd know, but I thought maybe if I touched something that caused him a lot of pain that might wake him up. I touched his face then ran my hands down his neck. Both arms seemed OK. I had no idea what I was doing, but I had to do something. When I ran my hands over his chest underneath his shirt, he moaned a little, but he didn't wake up.
"Chance, I don't know how to help you. I don't want to make things worse, but I have no flippin' idea what to do. Please wake up and boss me around. I promise I won't complain."