Eyes. Blink open. Mistake! Sun. Blindingly bright! Unbearable. Tight shut eyes.
Great pain. Whole body pain.
Last memory. Walking. Mountain track. Falling. Tumbling over rocks. Big rocks. Water. Rocks. River. Pain. Cold. Glacier cold.
Move body. Bad idea. Sit up. Black out!
Wake up. More pain. More cold.
Must move. Agony to move. No black out. Broken leg. Broken arm. Crawl from water. Shiver. Vomit.
Find wood. Flood detritus? Heap sticks.
Pack? Yes, damaged. Matches? Yes! Dry grass. A little. Light grass. Poke into sticks. Blow flames. Feed fire. Bigger sticks. More sticks. Keep feeding fire.
Fire warming. Fire drying. More sticks.
For leg. Pack. Bandages? Yes. Work on leg. Pain again. Bind sticks. Leg immobilised. Still pain. Subsiding.
OK, arm. Smaller sticks. Straighten arm. Pain. Vision clouds. Deep breath. One more. Bind arm. Pain. Too much. Black out!
Awake. Pain, bearable. Fire dying. More sticks. Blow coals. Fire rekindling. Stay warm.
Food in pack. Warm food. Boil water. Make tea. Feels good. Think. What now?
Road. Near river. Hobble? Slowly – yes. Crutch? Need stick. Right stick. Found one! Pack on. Pain. Let’s go.
Hobble. Hobble more. Rest. Repeat. Keep repeating. Rest more, hobble less. Moving. Inch by inch. Moving. Falling. Black out.
Wake to pain. Come on! Keep moving. Hobble. Hobble more. Rest more. Keep going. Slowly. More slowly. Moving. Moving. Road in sight.
Reach road. Wait for traffic. Wait. What’s this? 4×4 truck. Wave. Slowing, slowing. Stops.
“What happened?”
“Fall!”
“Hop in!” Laughs.
More memory. Driver’s face. Familiar. Where from? Rack brain. Where from? Slide into sleep. Jolt awake! Driver’s face. Mountain track. Pushing me. Falling! Oh, shit
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