My Alaskan mountain man

Robin steps in

Robin is happy that the radio is working now and that Cammie can get some proper medical attention, but he can’t but help feel upset about her having to leave the cabin. The main reason he rushed to get the radio fixed is so that he could try find some information about Cammie’s sister, but now the realisation that Cammie will be air lifted out of here in a few hours is putting him on edge. The notion that her leaving is causing him this much stress is ludicrous, after all, he’s only known her a few days.... but he just can’t let her go. What is wrong with him?

He can feel the tension rising in himself and can’t deal with it, he decides the best thing to do is to create some space between her and him and to keep himself busy.

He stands up with an almighty thud, everyone turns to look at him with a jolt. He stares back with a frown that he wouldn’t be able to hide even if tried and says with a short and matter of fact tone, “I guess that’s that, the chopper’s arranged, I guess it’s time for me to go check on my livestock and see what damage the storm has wreaked on my homestead”, and off he stomps. The others watch him leave and Cammie starts to feel nervous.

***

Sitting quietly, Cammie has been contemplating what it will be like in town. The Superintendents words ringing in her ears ever since he said them, ‘people in this town, everyone knows everyone else’s business. Someone will have some information somewhere along the grapevine.’

Once she gets to town everyone will know who she is and she is sure it won’t take long before everyone knows what happened to her. This makes her scared, she doesn’t want those men knowing she’s still alive. They’ll probably come looking for her so they can finish her off for good this time. She has no idea if they are local to the area or not, but she sure as hell knows that they know the area well, so even if they aren’t locals, they probably frequent these mountains often.

Cammie has a million possibilities running through her head. Maybe they could have someone escort her home straightaway. But no, she definitely can’t leave, not until she finds Callie.

Maybe Robin will let her stay here with him, she looks out of the small kitchen window, she can see him stomping around outside shovelling snow like a maniac. He seems to be trying to make some kind of clearing, probably making it so the helicopter can land. He’s working with a ferocity, it seems he can’t get rid of the three of us quick enough.

That makes Cammie think twice about asking him if she can stay.

Cammie resigns herself to waiting on the sofa until the rescue team arrives. She watches as Doctor Willow and the Sheriff pack their things up, smiling and chatting to each other. I suppose they’re happy to be getting back to their normal lives again, back to the comforts of their own home. It’s a nice distraction to watch them joke about and kiss each other with the affection that only a life long love can bring. How Cammie wishes she could have that too one day.

***

Willow intuitively knows that Cammie will be feeling quite anxious right now, she is going to be taken away from her safe little spot here in the mountains away from prying towns folk, straight into the thick of it. Everyone is going to want to know who she is and word is going to spread like wild fire. Willow knows Cammie’s wound is healing up well. But she will never the less have to convince Cammie that going to the hospital is the best thing.

Willow intends to make sure that Cammie knows, Henry is going to keep her safe and is going to find those men and lock them up, and that he will do everything he can to find her sister. But first, there’s a lot of equipment and paraphernalia that need to be packed away and things to get ready for the air lift.

In the mean time, Cammie decides to head back to the bedroom. She may as well go and get things ready to go. As she gets up Sheriff and Doc start toward her, but she waves her hand and says, “it’s okay, I’m okay, I can do it myself.”

Even though her wound is incredibly tender and sends shooting pains through her with every step she takes, Cammie hobbles over slowly without complaint, holding her side as she walks. Her stubborn streak refuses to let her be carried or helped, now that she’s up and out of bed, she’s determined to go it alone. Once in the room she sits on the bed to take a moment to rest.

Looking around the room, Cammie realises there really isn’t anything she owns or has that she can pack or take with her when she goes.

She looks down at the clothes she is wearing, an oversized T-shirt of Rob’s paired with some loose fitting pj bottoms that Willow gave her from her own clothes together with some thick work boot socks also donated by Rob.

“What a state I look?” she says to herself.

Looking around the room, she spots something that looks familiar in a small bundle on the floor in the corner of the room next to the bed. She slowly gets up and walks over to pick it up. As she bends down and picks it up she sees it is her own top all bloodied and torn and under the top is what’s left of her underwear.

Just as memories from that night come rushing back to her, Sheriff comes in and says, “I need those for evidence, best not to touch them now.”

Cammie immediately drops the items of clothing and turns back toward the bed, trying not to show how upset she is.

A loud thudding noise can now be heard in the distance and with every second that passes it gets louder and louder. Sheriff walks over to the items of clothing Cammie has just dropped and carefully puts his hand into a bag, then picks the items up with his bag covered hand and pulls the bag over the clothing items and seals the bag shut.

He looks to Cammie and says, “the chopper is here, we can finally get you down this mountain, the first thing I need from you after you’ve had a chance to be looked at by the medics is a full statement of everything that you can remember. I am just itching to get my hands on those bastards.” With that the sheriff turns and walks out of the bedroom to go and meet the helicopter crew, not realising how insensitive he must have sounded to Cammie. His job is to catch bad guys and his mind has been trapped up this mountain same as his body due to the storm. He has been obsessing over this case and is impatient to get onto working it. Willow is the one who deals with feelings, he just deals with criminals.

Sheriff doesn’t know it, but with every word he says to Cammie, the further she withdraws back into herself. Cammie has the events of the night running through her head, and the thoughts of it are causing her to freeze with fear. The thought of going into a town, where those bastards as the Sheriff called them, may well be right now, is terrifying.

***

“Cammie?”

“Cammie?... the rescue helicopter is here”

“Cammie!”

Robin walks over to Cammie and puts his hand gently on her shoulder.

Cammie suddenly snaps out of her state of shock and hears Doctor Willow calling her name.

When she looks up, Cammie sees Robin hunched over next to her with his large warm hand resting on her shoulder. Doctor Willow and the Sheriff as well as two medics are standing in the doorway of the bedroom, everyone staring at her with great big eyes.

“I’m not going!”, Cammie blurts out.

“I mean, I can’t go, what if they are there? In town! Or what if they know someone from town and they hear about me?”

Sheriff now, “girl, you don’t have to worry, my deputies and I will be there to protect you day in and day out. And if they are there, trust me, I’m going to get the bastards.”

Sheriff looks convincing, but Cammie knows she won’t feel safe there.

Here in Robins homestead, is the only place she will feel safe. Cammie has just come to the realisation that she trusts Robin, and only Robin. She knows Sheriff and doc willow are good people, but she isn’t completely convinced that town is the best place for her.

Sheriff again, “it’s for the best, you need hospital treatment and I need a full statement from you”.

Cammie, “take my statement here, now!”

She looks at Willow, “Doc, my wound is healing well isn’t it? I’m walking around like you wanted me to! I’m fine to stay here?” She pleads to her own dismay with a higher, slightly panicked tone to her voice.

Willow looks at the Sheriff, “it might not be a bad idea Henry. There are lots of prying eyes and ears in town”.

Sheriff, “don’t be ridiculous! She has to come with us. She can’t stay here! What about poor Robin being dragged into all of this. What happens if that lot come looking for her? That’s going to put Rob in danger. She’s better off with me and my deputies keeping an eye on her in town”.

Robin immediately gets up and stands I front of Cammie, “she’s staying!” He says with a loud assertive tone.

“For as long as she wants to!”