Page 59 of Mountain Impact

Drake looked like he was about to argue with her, but eventually he nodded. In a swift, efficient move, he had Amélie over his left shoulder.

Isolde noticed he was using his right arm less and less. Blood still dripped down his hand.

How much blood has he lost?

“Grab on to my belt, Isolde.”

Twice Isolde started to slide, and it was only her hold on Drake’s belt bucket that kept her from rolling all the way to the bottom again. Finally, together, they made it up to the cave’s mouth. It was much bigger than it’d looked from outside. Drake could stand up comfortably inside, which meant she’d have no trouble.

And it was dry. Isolde shivered.

She watched him drop Amélie on top of a small tarp he’d prepared ahead of time. He put his fingers to her neck for what seemed to Isolde a long time.

“Her pulse is steady.” He covered the unconscious woman with a space blanket, pulling it up to her neck.

“You’re going to leave her hands tied?”

“You bet I am,” he replied. “I won’t get any rest if I’m worried she’s going to try to kill you again, Isolde.”

Amélie’s earlier erratic behavior bothered her. “It just didn’t seem like her, Drake. We need to speak with her doctor and―”

“Her hands stay tied, Isolde.”

Isolde nodded.

“Shit. I’m bleeding everywhere,” he muttered. “I’m going to need your help, Doc,” he said.

“You know I’m not that kind of doctor, right?” Her expression softened as she took note of his clenched jaw. “Does it hurt a lot?”

He shook his head. “Pain, I can handle. But it should have stopped bleeding already.”

Isolde walked closer to him.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he said.

She touched her dripping wet hair. Her ponytail had come undone. She was so tired she hadn’t even noticed. “Yeah, dripping hair is the new fashion statement. How can I help, Drake? Please tell me you don’t want me to stitch it up.”

He laughed softly. “Don’t worry. I’ve got some tape.”

“Tape?” she said, worried. “Is that even safe?”

“We just need something to close the wound for now. Whatever we do, it’s only temporary. The doctors at the hospital will open up the wound again when I get there, to clean it out.”

“That sounds … painful.”

He took off his jacket and placed it on the ground to dry. From a side pocket of his backpack, he brought out a small pouch.

“First aid kit,” he said. “Never leave home without it.”

“I’ll have to remember that.”

Isolde realized she’d come out here woefully unprepared, expecting to simply meet Amélie at the top of the chairlift and―

“Hey, it’s okay, relax, Isolde. I can do this myself.”

“No. I’ll help. I’m sorry, I was just … thinking.”

He nodded, his eyes focused on her. She wondered how she’d ever thought Drake’s eyes cold.