At least when someone came into the emergency department, there were tasks to do. Good outcome or bad, she would have done her work to the best of her ability.
Sommer felt like she’d given it her best effort, and nothing came of it. Not a damned thing. People who did search and rescue had to have a certain kind of mindset that allowed them to effort without reward.
The summit came at the moment the sky shifted to its first colors of the new day.
They were farther into the field than any child could have reached even if they had started hours in advance. But Wendy had addressed that as the team was leaving the base: “It’s better to finish the trail and be sure. When people were frightened, they can move fast and go far without registering the effort.”
Wendy said she’d found an elderly subject who walked with canes, twenty miles from their care facility, and that children had lost their lives because they had moved beyond the established search parameter. So now, when they had enough volunteers, the management team liked to take things to the max possibility.
“Okay, this is the end of our grid. We’ll sit here and rest up before the hike down. I suggest a meal instead of a snack. I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but I’m going to go down my checklist. This is a good time to eat and drink, wander off, find a tree to squat under, and have a pee. I have toilet paper if you forgot yours. In the dim light, I wouldn’t snatch up the handy leaves because we’re in poison ivy territory and no one needs that kind of discomfort.”
A tired titter went up among the women as they pulled off their packs and dropped to the ground to rest.
“How is everyone doing?” Wendy asked. “If you have any hot spots on your feet, or if you have blisters, I’d like you to go ahead and take care of that. And I’m going to say it now so I’m sure you heard it before you’re even more tired—ticks are out. You want to be extra careful with your tick checks when you get off the mountain. Half an hour, then we’ll head down.” Then Wendy dropped down to sit with her back resting against her pack.
Those thirty minutes were agitating to Sommer.
She didn’t like the idea that the kids were out in the woods alone and scared. Those images made her want to press on.
But Sommer got it. If they didn’t stop and take care of themselves, their team might become accident-prone or mistake the trail and head into the woods, becoming part of the problem like the flip-flop dudes.
Sommer looked over at Abbie and Marna to get their take, but both had curled up over their bags and were catching a cat nap. It was probably a good idea, but Sommer would settle for taking off her boots and socks and letting her feet breathe for a bit in the cool morning air.
The search leader was on the radio, telling the managers their location, the number of people she had with her, and her plan for resting and searching along the way back.
Sommer pulled her water tube around and drank deeply, asking herself whether, if she got the call again, she would go.
It was an instant yes. Of course she would. But she’d set the expectations differently in her mind.
With the rest time almost up, she roused her friends to go pee. “Hey, we’re about to head back down the mountain. We didn’t talk about what came next, but we can’t drive home after this. We need to find someplace nearby and get some sleep.”
“No argument from me,” Marna said as she flipped onto all fours into cat-camel and groaned deeply.
“Same.” Abbie reached out so Sommer would help heft her up. “I’ll be glad for a shower and sheets. Sleep sounds so good.”
Marna pointed toward the sky and stilled.
A moment later, Sommer heard it too, distant baying. She turned to Wendy. “Is that a dog team? Do you think they found something?”
“They have a K9 team searching between our trail and Chittering Trail. Sound like they're almost to the ridgeline.” She turned toward the sound. “No, that just sounds like trail sounds. The dogs get a lot more excited as they move towarda scent. We’re downwind so we won’t interfere in their search. Management has to figure all that out when they’re tasking teams.”
As they pulled their packs on, Abbie said, turning to Sommer, “You know, I was thinking about the opera singing hound. You were saying you want to go on vacation.”
“That’s a leap. But, yes, I’d love to go to the Bahamas if I had the dinero.” Sommer jumped to get her pack into position, then reached for her hip belt.
“What if you had some free money come in?”
Marna dragged her second strap over her shoulder and looked down as she attached the sternal strap. “No such thing as free.”
“Okay, there would be effort involved. You remember that video I put up of the butterfly landing on my cat’s nose? It went mega viral, and like I told you, I got six thousand.”
“Wait.” Marna reached out and grabbed Abbie’s arm. “Six thousand likes or six thousand dollars?”
“Dollars.” Abbie grinned.
“What did you do with it?” Sommer asked, picturing herself on a chaise longue sipping an umbrella drink and wondering what Abbie had in mind to make that happen.
“Retirement account.” Abbie turned back to Sommer. “This is exactly the thing that could go viral. I could video you singing.”
