“Hurting is fine. We can work with hurting,” Phil says, voice soothing, hands steady. He palpates carefully. “You’ve done a good job not making it worse.”
Phil is always brilliant under pressure. One of the reasons I trust him with my life.
I turn to the woman. “What’s your name?”
“Beth.”
“Beth, you’re doing really great. We’re going to move you first. My team’s setting up ropes.”
Above us, Tommy and Nick are already working in sync, unwinding rope, securing anchors to the ridge. Nick’s movements are clean, efficient, confident.
“Top line ready,” Nick calls.
I clip Beth into a harness, keeping my voice calm. “You’re going to step back with me, inch by inch. I’ve got you. And the rope’s got both of us.”
She nods, still trembling.
Phil looks up from the casualty. “Fracture likely. Stable for now. He can’t weight-bear at all.”
Tommy nods. “We’ll need the stretcher.”
Rob and Chris unpack and assemble it in record time. The metal clicks echo across the ridge.
Beth moves with me slowly, step by shaky step, until we reach a wider ledge. She bursts into tears as soon as her feet touch safer ground.
“You’re all right,” I reassure her. “You’re off the ridge now.”
Nick approaches with a blanket. “Here.” He’s gentle with her. A decent side of him he pretends doesn’t exist.
“On my count,” Phil calls. “Three, two, one, lift.” Back on the narrow ridge, Phil and Chris get the injured climber into the stretcher. Every movement coordinated.
Chris takes the back, Phil the front, Tommy stabilises the side, and Rob helps guide the stretcher up to the safer section.
Once the casualty is secured, Chris gives a nod. “All right. Let’s get him down.”
The descent is slow, methodical. Rain is coming from every direction by now but our communication stays constant.
“Step down.”
“Hold.”
“Shift right.”
“Steady.”
Nobody snaps. Nobody panics. Six men moving like one unit. This is where we’re strongest. On the fells. Relying on instinct, training and each other.
By the time we reach the vehicles, the storm has lifted just enough to let some light through the thick layer of clouds. Beth clings to her partner’s hand, gratitude and shock flickering across both their faces.
The team hands over the stretcher to another unit who loads it in the back of their Range Rover.
“He’ll be all right now,” Chris tells Beth. “Ambulance’ll meet you at the bottom.” She nods quietly before climbing into the Range Rover with her partner.
Tommy claps my shoulder. “Good work.”
Nick smirks. “Even Rob didn’t fall off anything. Must be our lucky day.”
Rob snorts. “One day I’ll push you off something.”
