Page 9 of Still Afraid

Josh unbuckled the chest straps and dropped his pack to the ground. “I’ll go up to her.”

Chloe nodded and petted Poirot’s head. The dog sat at attention at the foot of the tree.

Eva was a good twenty feet above the ground, stuck between multiple branches. Josh would need a first aid kit. He wished he had a pediatric neck brace or body board.

He pulled out his harness and ropes. He had to climb the tree and strap himself to it so he would have his hands free to assess her injuries and decide how to proceed.

As Josh strapped his harness on and gathered the gear he needed in the tree, Chloe radioed Lance and command to alert them to the situation, ask for more help, and report their location.

Josh reached for the first branch, but Chloe’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.

“Be careful.”

“Of course.” He kissed her forehead and climbed.

Thankfully, the sturdy tree had numerous branches and was easy to ascend.

“Eva, how are you? My name is Josh.”

Eva didn’t respond but continued to whimper. Though grateful she was alive, the lack of response didn’t bode well. Still, he realized a four-year-old girl might hesitate to talk to a strange man.

He reached the branches near her, wrapped the rope around the trunk of the tree, and tied it securely. He connected the other end to his harness with enough give to extend to Eva. After testing the branches below her to be certain they would hold his weight, Josh inched toward her.

The girl’s right leg hung at an unnatural angle. He had no doubts it was broken but, thankfully, no bone protruded. The exposed skin on her arms and legs was tattered with lacerations. Her clothes were also shredded and hung like strips of cloth from her frail little body.

“Eva, I’m Dr. Josh. I’m here to get you out of the tree and to your mommy and daddy. They’re going to be so excited to see you.” He touched his index finger to the palm of her limp hand. “Can you squeeze my finger, Eva?”

Her tiny fingers slowly wrapped around his and squeezed.

Relief rushed through him. She was alert, at least enough.

Josh moved closer to her, the branch beneath his feet bending, making him a little lower than he’d like to be, but he was still able to reach her.

With Eva right in front of him, he pulled the rope attached to his harness taut so he didn’t have to focus as much on his balance.

He was finally able to look in her face. Terrified bright green eyes stared back at him.

He smiled. “Hey, Eva.”

She blinked at him and reached for him, but the branch beneath her cracked.

Josh thrust his arms forward to catch her, but she didn’t fall. “I got you, Eva. But I need to figure out the safest way to get you down from the tree.”

She grunted in response.

“Can you move your toes?” He needed to know what he was dealing with.

She didn’t respond.

“Can you understand what I’m saying?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Good. Can you move your toes?” He didn’t want her to try and move her whole leg. As it was, he would have to move her before he could attempt to splint the broken bones.

“I think so.”

Her little toes hung out of her pink sandals and wiggled on the foot without the broken bone. At least it was likely she didn’t have a severe spinal injury.