One of the men gave a thumbs-up, and the rope tightened. The vest tugged me upward, which freaked me out a little because my legs were still firmly encased in the sludge. “Wait. I… I’m still stuck.”
“It’s okay. That’s just so when you lift your leg out, you don’t sink back in.”
“Okay,” I muttered, praying he knew what he was doing.
He inserted the wand attached by a hose to the tank into the mud near my leg. After a few seconds, a loud hissing sound filled the sinkhole. My heart slammed my ribs as the air whipped up the mud next to my leg, creating a space.
“Lift your leg,” Gordon yelled over the noise.
I felt the rope attached to the harness tighten even more. My thigh muscles were feeble and tired, having been constricted for hours. I felt a complete lack of coordination and control over my leg. Biting my lip, I somehow managed to clumsily lift my leg out of the newly formed space. The harness tightened yet again, and I gritted my teeth against the pain. I was still stuck in the mud with my right leg, but the men above were increasing the upward pressure.
Gordon didn’t hesitate; once my left leg was free, he moved the hissing wand and submerged it beside my other leg. After a few seconds, I felt the air against my calf and, with a growl, forced my muscles into action. I clumsily lifted my right leg free of the muck. Relief flooded through me at the sensation of no longerbeing trapped. I let out an embarrassing moan as the blood throbbed back into my legs. It was painful at first but well worth it to be free. Gordon made an upward gesture with his hand, and I was suddenly being lifted into the air.
Because of the angle of the men above, it was impossible for me to not scrape against the muddy wall. Rock and debris rained down on me and Gordon as I was lifted upward. Guilt attacked me as I watched Gordon being pummeled by stones and mud, but he seemed very calm about it all. As my shoulder rubbed against the muddy wall, and I did my best to protect my face.
Once I neared the top, two men reached down and grabbed hold of my harness. They hauled me up like a sack of potatoes and dumped me unceremoniously on the damp ground. I landed face-first in the dirt and weeds, coughing as the pressure from the harness was released. I gulped in the fresh air, thankful to finally be out of the pit.
Next thing I knew, Royce was beside me. He helped me sit up, gently wiping grass from my lips and cheeks. Through bleary eyes, I saw Gordon being pulled out of the sinkhole. Still reeling from the trauma of what I’d been through, I sat in stunned silence as Royce pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and tenderly wiped my face.
“You okay?” Royce asked, lines of strain on his face.
I nodded, holding his worried gaze. “I’m fine, Royce.”
I’m alive.
“I’m gonna need to hug you, Max.” Royce’s voice wobbled, belying his calm exterior. He slipped his arms around me, and I pressed my face to his chest.He smelled so wonderfully familiar, and his body was warm and hard. I was filthy and getting mud all over his shirt and jeans, but he didn’t seem to care.
I gripped the back of his shirt, shivering against him. I couldn’t speak—my throat was too tight with emotion. Against all odds, I was okay. I was with Royce, and I was going to be okay. His breath was hot against my neck, and he seemed in no hurry to let go of me. That suited me just fine. After the trauma of the last few days, all I wanted was to hold him and revel in the joy of being alive.
When a young man knelt beside us, Royce finally let go of me. “I’m Jeremy,” the guy said. “I’m with TEXSAR. My day job is as a paramedic. Jack wants me to check you over, Maxwell. I’ll just take your blood pressure and make sure you’re in stable enough condition to be transported.”
“Uh, okay.” I blinked at him, feeling mentally groggy.
Jeremy smiled. “How about we take that harness off of you?”
“Right.” I fumbled with the hooks, but it was like my fingers were useless. “Sorry, I can’t seem to…”
“I’ve got it,” Royce said quietly, and he began undoing the harness for me.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, flexing my chilled fingers. My joints felt swollen and stiff.
Once the harness was off, Jeremy strapped a blood pressure cuff on my arm. “Rumor has it you’re a doctor.”
“Yes.” I nodded.
“In your professional opinion, is anything broken, Doc?”
Wrinkling my brow, I shook my head. “I don’t believe so. My knee was twisted when I fell into the hole, but I don’t think anything is broken.”
“That’s good news.” Jeremy pursed his lips. “Would you like me to bandage your knee to help stabilize the ligaments?”
I grimaced. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not. My legs have been compressed for hours in that mud. I don’t think I could tolerate anything wrapped around them.”
“Oh, sure. I hadn’t thought of that.” Jeremy nodded.
Royce squeezed my shoulder, and I gave him a weak smile.
I couldn’t seem to stop looking at Royce. I had the overwhelming urge to crawl into his lap. Needless to say, I restrained myself, but I still couldn’t stop staring at him. It was just so damn good to see his face and hear his voice. I’d given up hope of ever doing either of those things ever again.
