When—if—they found the girl she could very well be hypothermic. She would need medical attention immediately. Could they find her soon enough?
Cass stumbled and Lyle caught her before she went down.
“Do you need to stop?” His concerned look touched her heart.
She shook her head. “No. We have to find her.”
For a second he looked as if he were going to argue. “I don’t need two patients.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Cass trudged forward.
Lyle pursed his lips and nodded, then joined her.
Not soon enough for Cass they made it to the ruins. In the daylight she had no doubt the area was interesting but in the dark it had an eerie feel to it. Hero sniffed around, making a circle. Finally he stood beside a couple of huge stones and barked.
“Have you found something?” Cass said to the dog as she made her way toward him, with Lyle shining the flashlight that direction. “Setzen.”
The dog sat.
She and Lyle were looking into a hole.
“This was the dungeon at one time,” Lyle murmured.
“Looks about as much fun now. Do you see anything?” Cass searched while being careful not to lean over too far.
Lyle went down on this belly. He directed the light straight down.
“There she is,” Cass cried. A small body lay curled on the ground, not moving.
She stepped closer and Lyle said, “Cass, careful! Don’t fall in.”
“How’re we going to get her out?” Cass was already looking for things they could use.
“We’ll call for help.” Lyle pulled out his phone. “Damn, I don’t have a signal. One of us will have to go for help. But right now we’re going to have to see to her. Minutes could mean the difference between life and death.”
“We’re going to have to get down to her somehow.” Cass paused, panic filling her. The girl just couldn’t die.
“I’ll climb down.” Lyle was already in the process of removing his bag.
“It looks too slick to do that. You’ll have to lower me. I’m the lighter of the two of us. We can use the strap on your bag. It might not be long enough, but it’ll get me close enough to drop the rest of the way.”
“What about your leg? It might not hold up under that kind of pressure.” Everything in Lyle’s voice said that he wasn’t going to agree to her plan.
Cass faced him. “That’s just a chance I’ll have to take. You know the path back better than me. The girl needs help now. I’m not going to argue about it anymore.”
The determination in her voice must have got through to Lyle because he started unclipping the strap from his bag. With it removed, he pushed the extender so that the strap was as long as possible. “You ready?”
Cass took an end of the strap, wrapping it around her hand. “I am.”
They both moved to the side of the hole. Lyle shined the light into the hole.
“There’s still no movement.” Cass’s chest tightened. They had to get to her soon. Was she gone already?
Lyle dropped the flashlight into the hole giving them some light to work with. He then wrapped the strap around his hand just as Cass had done. She lay on her belly and crawled backward, going feet first into the hole. Lyle went to his knees, holding her under her arms as she slipped over the side.
“Feel for footholds.” His voice was tight from the effort of holding her.
She did as Lyle instructed and located one. It was near the foot of her injured leg. She couldn’t let the pain that shot through her slow her progress. She had to keep moving. When she was completely over the side she hung onto the strap as Lyle lowered her. She went further into the dark abyss. Thinking she had gone as far as possible, there was a sudden jerk and she was lowered further. Lyle must be on his stomach with his arms extended. She could only imagine the strain holding her was putting on his shoulder muscles. Guessing she was only a few feet from the ground, Cass let go.
She fell, hitting the ground. Pain that made her clench her jaw rocketed through her leg. She rolled onto her hip. “Huh.”
“Cass?” Lyle’s fear-filled voice came from above her.
“I’m fine. Harder landing than I anticipated.” Cass picked up the flashlight and crawled over to the girl. She still hadn’t moved. Worry leaped in Cass. Was she already gone? No, she wouldn’t believe that.
Placing two fingers to the girl’s neck, Cass found a pulse, but it was weak. The child’s skin was icy to the touch. Hypothermia had set in. Pulling off her jacket, she wrapped it around the girl. Cass removed her hat and scarf and put them on the girl as well.
“Cass, move far to one side so I can throw the bag down. I want vitals before I leave.”
“Ready.” A few seconds later Lyle’s bag landed with a flop a couple of feet from her.
“Check her temperature and let me know what it is. Also, can you tell if anything is broken?” Lyle was giving her more orders than she could carry out at once. He was in full doctor mode.
Cass pulled the bag to her. Searching through it, she found the thermometer. Cass positioned the flashlight so that it shone on the girl. Thankfully Lyle had a battery-powered tympanic thermometer that Cass could just push into the girl’s ear. Removing the girl’s clothing would only make things worse. At least she wasn’t wet.
Hero barked.
“Bleib!” Cass yelled and the dog stopped barking. “Braver hund.” She called up to Lyle’s shadow as she spread out the thermal blanket. “Temp is ninety degrees Fahrenheit—that’s 32 degrees Celsius. Pulse is weak. Skin pale and cold to touch. Her breathing is shallow. I’m wrapping her in a blanket now.”
“Can you do a BP?” There was an anxiousness to his voice.
“I’d rather not remove the warmth I’ve already given her.”
“Aye. There’s no question she has hypothermia.”
Cass lay down on the thermal blanket and pulled the girl to her then wrapped the shiny, crinkly material around them. Maybe her body heat would help some.
Lyle’s voice rang out again. “There are two heat packs in the bag. Squeeze them and put them under her arms. Don’t put them against her skin.”
She already knew that from her own training, but Lyle could only be frustrated by not being in the hole and the one taking care of the patient. He was a hands-on type of doctor.
“I’m leaving to call for help. Please don’t take any chances. Stay put. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Hurry.”
“I will. Cass? I want your promise you won’t do anything foolish.” Lyle’s worry laced every word.
Cass’s heart swelled. He was such a good man. “Hero will be here. We’ll be waiting for you.”
“I’m counting on that.”
* * *
Lyle hated to leave Cass but he had no choice. He had to go for help. They needed more than his to-go medical bag to save the girl’s life. She needed hospital care. Right away.
Without his flashlight the walk down the rocky narrow path was slow, frustrating and dangerous. The fact that it had started sleeting only added to the difficulty. Despite that he had to keep moving. Not just for the girl’s sake but for Cass’s as well.
Lyle stopped often to see if he had a cellphone signal. Everything in him pulled at him to return to Cass. As brave as she was, she still must be frightened in that black hole with a child close to death. Lyle worked his way down the hillside. He had no idea how far he would have to go before he found a signal but it couldn’t be soon enough for him.
The weather was taking a turn for the worse. To complicate the conditions, the ground was slick, the path narrow and the rocks numerous. Could the situation get more dangerous?
His heart jumped when the phone connected and started ringing. Finally. The police officer answered. Lyle told him where they were and that they had
found the girl. He then gave him instructions to call the hospital in Fort William and have the ambulance sent. Also, to call the clinic for the medical van. They would meet the ambulance. Every second counted. The girl might not make it if she didn’t get to the hospital right away.
Lyle wasted no more words and started climbing up the hill once again. More than once he slipped as the sleet grew harder. Before he reached the ruins the sirens of help could be heard, filling the air. On flat land again at the top, he ran to the hole. Hero was still obediently sitting beside it.
“Cass!” There was no answer. “Cass?” Still nothing. Fear washed through him. What had happened to her? Had a rock fallen and hit her? All kinds of horrible scenarios played like a movie through his head. He couldn’t lose Cass. He yelled louder. “Cass!”
“I’m here.” Her voice wasn’t strong, but it was there.
Relief flooded him as if a dam had broken.
She turned on the flashlight and pointed it toward him. “I hope help is on the way. I know now why the dungeon was the least favorite place in a castle.”