Gritting my teeth together, I push myself into a seated position so I can examine my ankle. My palms sting from the pressure. Without looking, I can already tell that my ankle is swollen, but I don’t know if it’s broken. I try flexing. Pain sears through my entire foot.
“Someone help me!” My heart sinks at the silence, and my mind races through my options.
If I call Kiersten, she’ll send a rig. And even if she doesn’t, her skinny ass won’t be able to help me up this hill. An ambulance is the absolute last resort. I don’t need the extra bill for an injured foot.
Law’s out of the question. I don’t even have his number.
If I can crawl to the top, I can wait on the trail for someone to come by. My chances of getting noticed down here, where the sound of the rushing river drowns my yells, are zilch.
I use my forearm instead of my wrist to turn from sitting to my hands and knees. Well, forearms and knee. My right foot rests awkwardly on the ground to control the pressure. As I twist, my shirt moves with me and rips painfully from my back. A warm trickle runs down my spine.
Tears and sweat sting my eyes, but I muster strength. My left foot unsteadily supports me, adrenaline shaking my limbs. I rise into a half crouch. I hop once toward the hill and release a quiet cry of pain. My face crumbles. Even the slight jerking motion causes my ankle to throb.
“Shit!”
Accepting my reality, I lower myself back to the ground and dig my phone from my jacket pocket. I unlock it, but my thumb hovers over the keypad.
There’s only one other person left. I tap my contacts and scroll to my other best friend.
“Hey, everything okay?”
“The last thing I ever want to do is bother you on a day off, but I’ve sort of got myself into a jam.”
His voice shifts from curious to concerned. “What kind of jam?”
“The kind where having a paramedic as your friend is a good thing.”
Shuffling comes through the line as I suspect Nathan moves. “Where are you, and who’s hurt? I’m getting in my truck now.”
I’m glad he can’t see the blush in my cheeks. “It’s me. I’m at Arrow Creek Park by the Swinging Bridge. I twisted my ankle and can’t make the walk back.” Understatement of the century.
Nathan laughs, the sound carrying a small amount of relief. “Why am I not surprised? You trip over air, Cam. How you manage to start an IV in the back of a moving ambulance with your coordination, I’ll never know.”
“No, you won’t. It’s a secret.” I joke to take my mind off the pain. Knowing that help is on the way, I relax.
“Hang tight. I’ll be there in five.”
“Tack another ten on there for you to make the trek to the bridge.” Pain blasts through my foot at the end of the sentence, forcing my pitch higher.
“Hey, talk to me. What’s going on?”
I suck in air through clenched teeth and grip my lower calf with both hands, holding the phone between my ear and shoulder. “I’m okay. It just—just hurry, please.”
His voice lowers. “Almost there.”
We stay on the line, but neither of us speak. I imagine he’s focused on driving, while I concentrate on not crying. The sound of an engine tips my head back. “Is that you?”
“I see the bridge. Where are you, Cam?”
“You drove into the park? Hope you don’t get a fine on my behalf.”
“Cami!” he barks. Mr. Calm and Collected loses his restraint when I get injured too. The depth of his concern unsettles me. “Where the hell are you?”
“I’m down the, uh, hill. By the river.” I swallow hard and close my eyes. When I hear his truck door slam, I force them open.
He peers down the hill. The distance shrinks his size. One hand grips his hip, and the other holds his phone to his ear. He remains silent over the line except for a single harsh exhale before the line goes dead.
He disappears from view. I may have worried that he left, but the rumble of the truck never comes. A moment later, he jogs down the hill toward me with a medical bag in his hand.
Nathan reaches me in record time and kneels by my feet. “Couldn’t make the walk back, huh? Did you forget to mention the climb?” His dark eyes flash to mine before he goes back to work retrieving supplies from his bag.
I shrug. “I figured you’d realize when you got here. Ow!” He peels the top of my sock back and pain rockets through my foot.
“Damn, that’s purple already. I’m going to just stabilize you and get you into the truck.”
My eyes train on his face while he works. I don’t want to see the damage or I might freak out.
He expertly secures my foot into a splint. Even though it feels tight, the stability instantly reduces the throb. “Let me see what else you have going on.”
I swat his hands away. “I’m fine. Take me home, I can get the rest.”
“I don’t think so. I’m taking you to the emergency room.”
“No, you’re not.” My voice is firm, but he isn’t listening. He prepares a wet gauze and dabs one of my palms.
“I am. If you don’t like it, I’ll call into dispatch to send you an ambulance.”
“I’ll refuse treatment.”
“Then I’ll tell them you hit your head and aren’t making rational decisions.”
“They wouldn’t listen to you.”
Nathan's eyes lift from my palm to meet my annoyed gaze. His voice lowers and softens. “I’ve been your partner for nearly a decade. You’re one of the strongest women I know. I’ve seen you stand up to men three times your size. You’ve always had my back at work and through losing Janessa.
