22 ~ Noah

Every chance I get I phone Steffi, but she must have her cell switched off because it’s going direct to voicemail. I’m anxious to get back to her, constantly checking the clock because my shift finishes at seven.

Six-thirty rolls around and Margaret comes through to tell me that Nicholas has been called out on SAR duty.

“Can you keep going for a few hours?” she asks.

Apart from wanting to get back to Steffi, I’m fine. “I’m probably good for another twenty-four,” I tell her. This is nothing like Dallas. I even get a break to have a sandwich. I’ve admitted two patients to hospital, but the rest have been patched up and sent home. Just another regular day at the office. We’ve got two people still here for observation, but nobody’s come through the door for the past fifteen minutes.

Margaret and I meet in the break room.

“What’s the story with the search and rescue?” I ask.

“The Rescue Coordination Center got a signal from someone’s PLB. They’re not far away, but it was about an hour before sunset when the signal was picked up, and the terrain is rugged.”

I glance out the window. “It’s still snowing. Whoever’s up there will be miserable. I hope they have good clothing.”

“There’s a good chance they do. If they’re sensible enough to carry a PLB, they’re usually sensible enough to dress properly.”

A few minutes later the hospital calls to say the overrun emergency department has quietened down and they can deal with any new patients. I check on the two people we’re observing. Both are keen to get home so I give them a final check and tell them what to watch out for when they’re home.

Shortly after, I’m heading home myself.

The house is in darkness and I have a disturbing image of Steffi sitting in a darkened room, ignoring my calls to her cellphone. I knock on her door, but there’s no answer. Checking the garage I see her car is still there so she must have caught a cab somewhere. I don’t have Terra’s contact details to call her and check if she’s seen Steffi. I go back to the apartment and knock harder on the door, calling Steffi’s name, but I can’t detect any sign of her being there.

I go upstairs and pour myself a glass of wine. The first glass goes to quench my thirst. I call Steffi’s phone again. Then I send her a message to tell her to call me when she’s home. I sit in silence, going to the window the rare times a car comes up the road. I have another glass of wine. Send another message. Replay the afternoon’s drama through more wine and more texts.

I should have gone into town and looked for her before I started drinking. And then what? Joined her in a bar and had a jolly night out? No. If she’s ignoring my calls and texts then she certainly doesn’t want to do a pub crawl with dancing with me.

My phone battery dies and when I stand to go to plug it in, I find my gait is unsteady.

I open another bottle of wine. Plug my phone into the charger on the second attempt, and hoist myself onto the kitchen counter. I can drink here and watch for Steffi to come up the road. After the second bottle of wine I get the idea she’s probably staying with Terra for the night.

I go through to my bedroom and find my laptop and do a search for Terra to see if I can find a phone number for her. But I can’t remember her last name. It’s something foreign.

I’m drunk. A chill runs through me as I realize I’m turning into my old man. Now I hope Steffi doesn’t come home and find me like this. I take a long shower and start to worry. What if Steffi’s hurt. Or somebody’s accosted her. Or she’s found another guy to sleep with to see if …

Nope. Not going down that road.

I collect two bottles of water from the fridge and take them to my room. I lie on the bed and worry as I force myself to drink the water. Then I remember the SAR call-out.

Returning to Steffi’s apartment I bang on the door. Maybe she came home while I was in the shower. Again there’s no answer. Her car’s still in the garage but I go in there anyway, as if I have to see it up close for myself. That’s when I see her bike isn’t there.

Fuck.

I phone Cam, and I’m really starting to wonder about my phone because, again, I’m not getting an answer. I call the hospital, but they don’t have any information.

I’m pacing, drinking water, hating myself for turning to drink like my father. A helicopter flies overhead and I don’t know whether to hope that it’s for Steffi, or that it’s some rich person heading out of town.

I feel utterly powerless. I don’t know where they’re searching, and I can’t get any information. I should be there, looking for her.

Fuck, I’ve never felt this irrational in my life. I feel as if I’m losing my mind.

It’s three hours before I hear a helicopter again. From the balcony, I can track its lights until it lands at the hospital helipad. Is it Steffi? Or is she tucked up in bed at Terra’s house? Wherever the hell Terra lives. Why don’t I know these things about the friends of the most important person in my life?

I can’t wait through the night like this so I decide to go down to the hospital myself. I call for a cab but the office is closed. Fucking small towns. Uber has nobody in my area, so they’re all asleep, too.

I try Cam one more time and, finally, he answers.

“Is Steffi okay?” The question fires from me. I have no doubt now that the search was for her.

“I don’t know. I’m at the hospital. She’s got severe hypothermia.”

“What the hell happened?”

“She had an accident on her bike, went over the side of a mountain. She seems to have lost her PLB, but thankfully it activated when she fell.”

“I’m coming down—”

“They’re treating her—”

“I’m a fucking doctor. I need to know that they’re doing it right.”

“You can’t barge in down here, Noah. Stay where you are.”

“Come on, Cam. I need to be there.”

There’s a long pause before he speaks. “Fine. Come down.”

“Shit, ah, do you think you can come and pick me up?”

“Did that old heap you bought break down?”

I should have said yes, but I wasn’t thinking clearly. “No, I can’t drive. I’ve been drinking.”

“For fuck’s sake, Noah. Go to bed, and stay the hell away from my sister.”

“I’ll walk—”

“Don’t be a dick. Go to bed and sober up.”

“Cam—”

“No, listen, Noah. It’s after midnight. The hospital is closed. I will alert staff and security that you’re drunk unless you assure me you’re not going to come down here.”

“You’re an asshole, Campbell.”

“And you’re a drunk. Go to bed.”

If I make trouble at the hospital I might as well leave town. Acting like a belligerent dick will only widen the rift in Steffi’s and my relationship. In the finish, I go to bed and it must be the alcohol combined with the stress of the day that actually puts me to sleep.

The following morning I feel pretty rough on the inside, but the mirror tells me I look okay. I get down to the hospital and as I’m walking across the parking lot I see Cam coming towards me.

“You are responsible for this,” he shouts at me.

“Jesus, Cam, keep your voice down.”

He might look like shit, but he also looks close to using his clenched fists. “What happened yesterday?”

“Tell me how Steffi is?”

“She’ll be fine. Her temperature is back to normal. She has a broken wrist, and a lot of bruising and cuts. Now, tell me what the hell is going on?”

I push past him. I want to see Steffi for myself. “Nothing’s going on.”

He grabs my arm. “You two had an argument. That’s why she headed off into the mountains without checking the trail she was going to ride, without checking the weather. She was wearing all the wrong clothing. Steffi doesn’t do that. She’s cautious. She respects the mountains. She could have died out there.”

“I know that. Let go of my arm, please, I want to see her.”

“No.”

“What?”

“I’m next of kin. I’ve told the hospital that she doesn’t want to see you. They won’t let you in.”

“That’s ridiculous.” If he’s trying to draw my temper to the surface, he’s doing a fine job.

“Let’s not have any trouble, Noah. Steffi needs to rest. You know that.”

I pull out of his grasp and return to my Land Rover. Cam’s still standing in the parking lot as I drive out, obviously waiting until he’s sure I’ve left. I go straight over to the medical center and phone the hospital. They let me speak to Steffi’s doctor who runs through her injuries with me and assures me that every treatment I suggest has been covered.

I want to send her a text message but I’m worried Cam has her phone so I’ll just have to wait. I check on her again at the end of the day when I get home.

I’m having dinner when my phone pings.

—I forgot my parachute—

I’m so relieved to hear from her.

—Hey. How are you feeling? Can you talk? I’ll call you—

—Cam’s here. He just brought me my phone. He thinks I’m messaging Terra—

—He said you don’t want to see me—

—Brothers! Thank god I’ve only got one—

—I’m desperate to see you—

—U too. Can you bust me out of here?—

—I’d love to, but I’m not your doctor—

—You kind of are… ;) —

—I’m glad to hear it—

—I have to go. I have visitors. I think they’ll let me out tomorrow. Can you pick me up? Cam’s driving me insane. —

—Me too. I’ll pick you up—

—xx ooo xx ooo—

—Back atcha—