A nurse came in to check Emme’s vitals.
‘Ahh she’s awake! Hello sweetie,’ she said in a German accent. ‘Do you know what day it is?’
They went quiet as the nurse took Emme’s blood pressure. As her parents waited on tenterhooks to see how much Emme might remember.
She shook her head.
Her parents looked at each other, more nervously this time.
‘Well, it must be around…’
‘It’s Christmas Eve. Happy Saint Niklaus!’ the nurse said cheerily, as she noted down Emme’s blood pressure, pulse and temperature on her chart.
‘The doctor will be in to see you soon, I’ll tell her you’re awake and she’ll come on her rounds.’
‘Thank you,’ Emme said, her voice rasping her throat. She felt thirstier than she ever had.
How had she got out of there? How long had her parents been in Switzerland? Was Cat really OK?
She had so many questions.
‘What happened? After the avalanche?’ Emme mustered.
‘You were stuck under the snow my darling,’ Marian said. ‘It was lucky you were wearing Cat’s ski suit. It has one of those thingamajigs that send a signal.’ She paused, as she pressed a tissue to her eyes. ‘Search and rescue could find you more easily.’
‘Not that easily,’ Geoff said. It was like they were recounting a story that had been only half told to them. ‘Search and rescue got to the boy and Cat first, they were nearer the helicopter landing point. Lucky to be alive because they’d hit trees.’
‘You’re lucky to be alive too,’ Marian added.
‘A local man had to get you out himself,’ her dad said. ‘With his shovel.’
‘He had all the gear,’ Marian said. ‘He could see on his gizmo where you were below. He dug you out with his own hands.’
Emme gulped.
‘The kindness of a stranger,’ Geoff said, almost crying.
‘Tristan,’ Marian said.
‘Tristan?’
‘He’s been here day and night, checking on all three of you. He knows the mountains very well apparently. Knew exactly what to do.’
‘He could see search and rescue were having to make choices. Priorities…’ Geoff said, shaking his head.
Emme’s mother welled up.
‘They weren’t prioritising you.’ She put her hand overher mouth, dreading to think what would have happened if the kindly man hadn’t been on the mountain with his avalanche pack on.
‘Guten Abend!’ the doctor interrupted, as she walked in with the nurse at her shoulder. She explained that Emme had suffered hypothermia, concussion and two broken ribs, which there was nothing that could be done about apart from taking ibuprofen and paracetamol to ease the pain. ‘They heal on their own within three to six weeks and we usually recommend ice packs for broken ribs, but in your case,nein. No ice,’ she said, with a wry smile.
‘Why not?’ Marian asked.
‘Not when she’s recovering from hypothermia and trauma.’
As the doctor looked at her clipboard she said she was satisfied with Emme’s stats. ‘You’re making a good recovery, Miss Eversley,’ the doctor added. Emme’s parents glanced at each other with the pride of parents whose child had just won an award at school. ‘Mr Du Kok is certainly the hero of the hour,’ the doctor said with a smile.
And Emme was so shocked. So grateful. So tired, she fell back asleep.
