God, no more children’s songs.
“No Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” He sang that last part.
“Okay, Mr. Picky, what do you want to sing?”
Strangely, it was much easier for Mitch to formulate words when he was singing than when he was trying to speak. He’d thought that it was just the fact that he already knew the lyrics. But Wilma said studies showed that it was the rhythm that helped in cases of non-fluent aphasia like his.
He handed her his phone, the music app open and Simon and Garfunkel’sSound of Silencequeued up. “This.”
Wilma raised an eyebrow. “You’ve got a strange sense of humor, but I like it.”
Though he messed up the lyrics a few times, he was able to sing along much better than he would have been able to recite the words. They were on the last verse when Wilma smiled at someone and Megs’ sweet soprano joined in, her hand coming to rest on Mitch’s shoulder as they finished the last words.
Wilma applauded. “Well done.”
When the session was over, Wilma took Mitch’s hand. “I know that what you’re going through is hard. It’s normal to grieve when we lose a part of ourselves. But from my perspective as a professional, you’re doing well. You’ve got a chance at regaining normal speech. If you don’t, life will be different, but it can also be good. As my Navajo grandma liked to say, ‘Don’t let the tears in your eyes keep you from seeing the future.’”
“Your grandma sounds like a wise woman,” Megs said.
Wilma nodded. “She was.”
On the walk back to Mitch’s room, Megs shared the news. “Lexi finally had that baby boy. Nine pounds, five ounces. They named him Kit after an ancestor of Austin’s who was sheriff of Scarlet back in the day. Kit Michael Taylor.”
Mitch liked that name. “Nice.”
“Also, the dirtbags are coming to see you—if that’s okay. I told Gridwall you might not be up for that, but he wants to see you. I think your accident shook him up.”
Mitch wasn’t sure he was ready for the full-on insanity of a dirtbag reunion. He’d be the only one who couldn’t climb, who couldn’t belay, who couldn’t even share his thoughts or feelings without difficulty. Then again, it had been so long.
“Br-ring it… on.”
Megs droveup the canyon to Scarlet Springs, Mitch in the passenger seat, the two of them holding hands. “How does it feel to be going home?”
“Good.”
When they’d left Scarlet for their two-week climbing vacation, the aspens had been golden, and the air had been warm. Now, it was November, and the aspens were bare, a dusting of snow on the ground, the high peaks solid white. But for Mitch, this journey involved so much more than time and space.
She could tell that he was a little nervous, no doubt worried about how people would react to his speech challenges. “I let Rain and a few others know that you’re going to need peace and quiet to finish healing. I expect that will hold folks at bay for a whole ten minutes or so.”
Mitch chuckled. “It’s oh… kay.”
She hadn’t warned him he’d be getting a hero’s welcome. She’d texted Sasha and Rain to let them know they were on their way up the canyon. Word had gotten around. Ten minutes ago, Rain had sent back a photo of people lining the streets or standing in their driveways, waiting to welcome Mitch home. The sight had put an honest-to-God lump in Megs’ throat.
“I’ve called a Team meeting for tomorrow evening. You don’t have to be there if you don’t want to be. I just want to go over the past couple of months and decide how we’re going to handle things moving forward.”
She wouldn’t be able to be on call around the clock like she’d been before the accident. Mitch couldn’t drive for six months to a year, and he had speech pathology and physical therapy appointments. Given that he was also at risk of seizures and stroke, she didn’t want to leave him alone for long stretches. Though she could carry out her administrative functions, Conrad or someone else would need to fill in for her when it came to managing rescues for the next several months.
They were close now, the canyon narrowing, the turns growing tighter. They came around the last curve and passed the sign for Scarlet Springs, the reservoir to their left, the Indian Peaks rising above the town.
Scarlet Springs Town Limit
Population: 1,492 Elevation: 8,936
Home of the Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue Team
Megs slowed the vehicle. “They repainted the sign. Do you see that?”
Rain hadn’t told Megs about this.
