CHAPTER 17
“Goldy! Gol-dy!”
Somewhere above me and far away, voices called. Louder and more insistent was the bone-splitting pain in the middle of my back. I gasped chilly, wet air. Was I drowning? Or had I undergone surgery for an unknown ailment and was I now struggling miserably to dispel the anesthetic? The voices grew close.
“Don’t touch her,” warned one, a woman. “See if she wants to move on her own.”
I opened my eyes. With infinite slowness and a searing pang across my spine, I tried to maneuver onto my side. “Help.” My voice was so faint I hardly heard it.
The floating faces of two people came into sight. I knew this man and woman. Their names were just out of reach.
“It’s Helen,” prompted the female face. “Remember me? I’ve called Mountain Rescue.”
“No.” I tried to raise my
