Chapter 26
Flickering Flames of Hope
The dim lights flickered while it grew darker outside. Sarah Beth opened her eyes slowly from what appeared to be a week-long sleep. Dizzy, the room seemed as if it was swaying. Her head pounded, yet it felt nice to have a feathery pillow supporting it instead of the hard ground she had been sleeping on several days before. She felt safe and calm in Jack’s cabin. The pillow gave her a feeling of comfort.
She smiled as squirts of light shone through the nearby window and she began to stretch. Surprised, she saw Jacob lying, sleeping next to her. His breathing was shallow. She was confused and wondered if the moment was real or if she was dreaming. He had been gone for what she thought was a long time, yet there he was next to her, close enough to touch.
He twitched and Sarah Beth let out a yelp. Startled, his eyes blinked as they adjusted to the light.
Confused, he asked, “Why are you screaming?” She laid her head back on the pillow and looked awkwardly up at the ceiling.
“I wasn’t screaming, you just scared me,” Sarah Beth replied.
Jacob laughed. “Sorry I didn’t mean to, I was so tired, and the bed looked comfortable; besides there wasn’t anywhere else for me to rest.”
“It’s okay,” she said as she pushed herself up on her elbows and saw Jorgina asleep on the couch across from the bed. “Where is everyone?” she asked. Jacob shrugged.
“I was hoping you knew,” he said. “The last thing I remember was lying on a moss palate C.J. made for me, after we had tried to raft down the river. I remember I fell out when we came to some rapids, and I remember the white foamy water. I thought I was drowning, but I don’t remember what happened next except seeing a wild looking man carry me to this cabin.” Jacob looked at the scarcely decorated room and thoughts of the night before began creeping back into his memory.
“That man you mentioned is Jack. He owns this cabin. He’s a doctor,” explained Sarah Beth. “Maria found this cabin and told him how we got lost and hurt. He came to our base camp and brought medicine and food, then he brought us back here while he went looking for you and C.J.” Jacob looked at her like he didn’t understand what she was saying. “Do you remember when I fell down that slope and hurt my leg? It’s hurt so much that I blacked out and lost track of time.”
Jacob looked at Sarah Beth’s leg and said, “Yea, I remember. I can understand your pain because I’ve never been hurt so bad before either. There were times when I didn’t know if I would make it out alive. I probably would have died if C.J. hadn’t helped me. I really messed up by talking her into trying to make it down the river on a raft we found. It tumbled over, and I was flying down the river banging into sharp rocks. ”
“Where was Cindi?” asked Sarah Beth.
“She and Luna went back to tell everyone that we had found water. Speaking of Luna, we nearly died going down a steep mountain to get to the water. Luna slipped on some rocks and nearly caused an avalanche. Some rocks hit me in the head. Guess it’s a good thing I’ve got a hard head,” he laughed.
“I’m sorry to hear you had such a hard time. I’m sorry for everything, for getting you into trouble. I know it’s my fault you are here,” said Sarah Beth apologetically.
Jacob responded, “Don’t worry about it. I know we haven’t gotten along in the past, but I’d like it if we could be friends, maybe even something more,” he added quietly, afraid of her response.
“Yeah, me too,” she said surprised by her words which came out unexpectedly.
“I’ve had a secret crush on you for a while,” he said and blushed.
“Really, that’s weird because I’ve had a crush on you too!”
“We sure have wasted a lot of time being enemies. That’s just stupid. I don’t understand why we treated each other so badly.”
“I understand. I think we both had been hurt and had our defenses up,” said Sarah Beth.
“You are right. After you get hurt and knocked around, it’s easier to not take chances of being rejected… it’s easier to be mean first, so no one will see your vulnerability.”
Sarah Beth nodded. They felt a connection that had been there all along, but neither one had been willing to risk being hurt. Now, in that moment it was just the two of them. They both had faced near death and needed comfort.
“My left shoulder and arm is hurt a little, but my right one is okay. You can put your head on this shoulder if you like, just be gentle,” said Jacob awkwardly, thinking he must be out of his mind and half expecting her to laugh in his face.
But she surprised him and eased her head on his shoulder which fit the contour of her face perfectly. She could hear his heart pounding. They lay there silently both finding comfort in the touch of each other.
Jorgina was still asleep. They muffled their laugher as they heard her snort. Sarah Beth hid her face on his chest, so her laughter wouldn’t wake her up and destroy the moment. She wanted it to last forever. Jacob flinched, but he didn’t want her to see his pain.
“Sorry I hope I didn’t hurt you,” apologized Sarah Beth.
“It’s okay, just take it easy though,” he responded. Jacob had never had a girlfriend, so he felt strange butterflies fluttered inside him. His palms were sweaty and his shoulder began to hurt, but he didn’t want to ask her to move, so he lay there quietly in pain. Her soft hair and the fluttering of her eyes against his skin served as pain relievers.
“Hey, do you hear that?” asked Jacob as he leaned forward forcing Sarah Beth to sit up too.
“Hear what?” she said.
“It sounds like a helicopter!” said Jacob.
With eyes wide open, Jorgina shot up like a bullet.”What’s going on?”
“I think it’s a helicopter,” said Sarah Beth. Just then the cabin door opened. Jack and a paramedic walked in with a stretcher.
“We’re saved,” said Jacob with a sigh, “but I’m glad all this happened.”
“What do you mean?” asked Sarah Beth.
“I’m glad we got to spend the night together and have this time alone,” he said as his lips gently kissed her forehead.
She kissed him back on the lips and said, “Me too!” She looked in Jacob’s smiling eyes.
“We need to put you all on stretchers and get you to a hospital,” said Jack breaking the magic of the moment and unaware of the romance. He was totally fixated on the rescue.
“Take Sarah Beth first,” requested Jacob.
Jack and the paramedic lifted Sarah Beth from the bed and put her in the helicopter. Next, Jorgina was lifted onto a stretcher and placed inside next to Sarah Beth. “What’s the deal with you and Jacob? I thought you hated each other,” asked Jorgina.
“Things have changed,” Sarah Beth smiled through her pain. She almost didn’t hurt when Jacob was secured safely on the helicopter. They both smiled at each other and held hands briefly. Jorgina looked on confused and continued asking questions, until they arrived at a nearby hospital.
Jack radioed Katherine and told her the three were safe and on their way to the hospital. He asked about Cindi and the others. She said, “We have another team that is on the way for them. Just stay with Jacob, Jorgina, and Sarah Beth if you would. Their parents have been notified, and they are catching a plane to Santa Fe. Then they will rent a car and drive to the hospital. Thanks again, Jack for everything. You’ve been a true life saver.”
For the first time in a long time, Jack felt good about himself. Not only had he saved them, in an odd way, the campers had saved him too.
**********