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Back at camp, Chance used the radio to call SAR and let them know the coordinates for the landing site. They gave him some information on the timing of our rescue. I checked on Tom, but there was no change. Chance brought along a larger first aid kit, and he was able to give Tom some stronger pain meds and do a better job of bandaging the wound.
About an hour after the radio call, we sent Jim to wait at the landing site and direct the SAR team to our camp. Chance and I packed up all the gear for the trip back to base camp. I nearly collapsed with relief when Jim walked into camp followed by three men carrying a stretcher.
Two of them went to work stabilizing Tom for transport, while the other man, Grant, I think his name is, led the three of us—Jim, Chance, and me, back to the chopper. It ferried us back to our base camp before returning to the clearing where it would pick up Tom and head for the hospital.
I was thankful for the lift. None of the three of us had gotten more than a few hours sleep in the past few days, so it was good that we didn't have to hike for hours.
Chance and Jim left the camp mostly set up when they headed off to find Tom and me. We had everything packed and loaded on the snowmobiles in less than an hour.
"You going be able to stay awake, Jim?" Chance asked as we prepared to mount up.
"I'm good for a while," Jim answered.
"How about you, City Girl? Are you going to fall asleep riding?"
"Not for a while. Got a lot to think about." Chance gave me a look that said he knew me thinking too much only led to trouble and, lately, it seems a lot of my troubles involved him. He pulled me in for a heated kiss, embarrassing me in front of Jim. "You ride behind Jim until you get sleepy, then you can ride with me. I'll make sure you don't fall off.”
Once we were underway, I realized it was the same scenario as when Chance had been choppered out after he broke his ankle. Then it was Tom and I left to make our way home and wonder how Chance was doing. With the long-range radios, if no storms came up, we might be able to get updates on Tom when we stopped for breaks along the way.
It had taken us a day and a half to get to base camp. I assumed the trip back would be similar depending on stops. There was no point in asking. It would take as long as it took. During one of our breaks, I asked, "I assume, since she's part of SAR, Laurie will know where they're taking Tom?"
"Yeah, I'm sure she'll be at the hospital waiting when he gets there. His folks will probably be there too."
We kept going well past dark. The snowmobiles had headlights and the further we went the easier the trail became. Chance was in the lead when he pulled off into a clearing. "Let's camp here for the night. We're all too tired to continue safely. We need to sleep. You OK without a fire, City Girl?"
"Yeah. I just need sleep." We were all exhausted. We set up the tents, ate some jerky and granola, and called it a night. Jim had a tent to himself, and I crawled in with Chance. Once he was settled, he put his arm around me, kissed me good night, and snuggled me close. I was asleep before I had time to think about anything at all.