the edge. Lying on her stomach, she pushed back until she bent at the waist and could feel rocks beneath take her weight. She eased downward, feeling her way, sure there were enough protruding rocks to make it safely. It wasn’t that steep, after all, and getting down was always the hard part. Coming up was ever so much easier, although what she would do if she found someone in dire need remained to be seen. Well, there had to be easier ways out of here, and she could always go for help once she knew.
Her arms were over her head, clinging to the lip of the gorge while her feet felt for another place to support her. Just then, the rock she was hanging on to gave way.
She barely had time to realize she was falling. Her awareness filled with blossoming pain as she tumbled, hitting sharp rocks. Then she came to an abrupt halt. The pain that erupted in her leg turned the world black.
She passed out.
Chapter 14
Sky woke slowly, her head throbbing, but worse, when she stirred, she felt a warning grinding in the bones of her shin. Before she even opened her eyes she knew she had a broken leg.
She lay there, letting the waves of excruciating pain roll through her, hoping it wouldn’t put her into shock. She was in enough trouble now.
When at last the agony had become familiar enough that she wasn’t totally focused on it, she cussed herself for being a damned fool. What the hell had she been thinking?
Yeah, she had thought somebody was hurt. Maybe they still were, and now she was useless because she’d been stupid, stupid, stupid.
She should have guessed the rain could have loosened some of those rocks. She should have realized that any accident at all out here, with no one knowing where she was, might cost her her life. Even more damning, she had come out here without a working radio.
Wincing until her jaws hurt, she felt for the radio and tugged it off her belt. She keyed it and heard more static. Forcing her hand into the pocket of her jeans, she pulled out her cell phone. Even if there was no cell tower, maybe, just maybe they could pick up her GPS signal? But then she remembered that depended on a cell connection, too. Her phone hadn’t worked but once the entire time she’d been in these woods, and then only for a couple of seconds.
She made sure it was on anyway, then took in the rest of her situation. It was dark in this gorge because of all the overhanging trees, but the light was no longer green. Twilight was coming on, and soon after it, a very chilly night.
Pain notwithstanding, she needed to do something for herself and do it quickly. The only blessing she could see at the moment was that she hadn’t fallen into the water. Being dry might save her when the night chill moved in.
What the hell had she been trying to prove? And who had she thought she would prove it to? Craig? Herself?
She forced herself to dissect her own thinking, her own urges, in part because it distracted her from the pain in her leg that roared anew with every movement.
Even the act of sitting up was almost enough to make her pass out again. Breathing steadily, moving slowly, she propped herself on her elbows.
As long as she had some light, she needed to act. Splint the leg. Find some cover for warmth. Maybe some tree limbs to pull over herself. Maybe a niche in the rocks that would at least prevent all her body heat from escaping.
There had to be a way.
Looking around, she saw some dry tree branches. Probably brittle, but better than nothing. Unfortunately, they were about six feet away.
Turning over, even onto her side, seemed like a dangerous thing to do given the way her leg screamed at every movement. Using her good leg and her elbows, ignoring the agony, she pushed herself toward those branches while she tried to figure out what clothing she would sacrifice to tie the splint.
And wondered what the hell she had been trying to prove.
The answer that came to her was quite simple, though. She couldn’t ignore that scream. Alone or not, she had learned in tougher situations than this to rescue those who were hurt. How could the threat of the woods possibly compare to what she had faced in the army?