Part 21 (1/2)

He risked a glance at Sarah, and it gave him renewed energy.

Her face was bright pink, sweat running off her in rivers. She was focusing all of her energy onto holding that stick. For him. For the first time since he'd met her, she had nothing to say.

He knew if he didn't get up there in the next few seconds, one of them was going to see what it felt like to fall from a very great height very possibly it would be both of them. By now, he knew that look on Sarah's face. It meant she wasn't going to let go, even if it meant she was going down too. d.a.m.n stubborn woman.

The rock started to curve to a more flat surface, just a few inches above Jonathan's face. If he could just get one more foothold, he could probably get his arm on top of it and use it to bring himself the rest of the way up. He felt around with his foot, looking for another b.u.mp on the rock.

Just then the stick slid down. Sarah's hands were sweaty; she was losing her grip on the bamboo.

”Holy s.h.i.+t, Jonathan, the stick is slipping!” she screamed. ”Grab my hand!”

”Do not let go of the stick, Sarah! You can't hold me with one hand!”

”I can't hang onto the stick anymore, you have to grab my hand. On three. You pull on the stick as hard as you can for leverage and then let go; then I let go and grab your hand at the same time.”

”It's never going to work, Sarah! It's physically impossible!”

”DON'T GIVE ME ANY OF YOUR PHYSICS s.h.i.+T! IT'S GOING TO WORK! Now grab my right hand with your left hand on the count of three. One---two---three!!”

In that split second, when Jonathan pulled up on the stick and let go of it, using whatever grip he had on the rock to launch his hand up in the air, he knew that he had never been so vulnerable, never counted on another human being like he was in this moment, ever in his life. G.o.d help him, Sarah Peterson was going to determine his destiny.

He felt her hand in his before he saw it. The smack of their palms meeting jolted his fingers into action. He closed them around hers in a kung fu grip. Even if he had wanted to let go, it would have been impossible. He was on survival autopilot.

Sarah dropped the pole and leaned over as far as she could. She was folded completely in half. She stretched her open hand out towards the still p.r.o.ne and dangling Jonathan.

She grunted out, ”Now grab my other hand. Hurry!”

Jonathan flailed around for a second before they could make contact. Then they were together, hand in hand Jonathan hanging over the edge, Sarah bent in half, her bruised and bleeding heels stuck into grooves that kept her tethered to the top of the rock.

Jonathan dug his elbows into the unforgiving hard surface, instantly feeling excruciating pain. Blood begin to drip from his elbows now too. He had to ignore it. His feet kicked around in the air, looking for purchase.

Sarah strained her already nearly exhausted biceps, trying to manhandle Jonathan back up to the top of the rock.

Inch by painstaking inch, Sarah's power and Jonathan's elbows and abdominal muscles pulled him closer and closer to their joined hands. Finally, he was able to throw one leg up, allowing the heel of his sneaker to grab hold of a b.u.mp on the top part of the rock. He used this leg to pull the rest of his body over.

Now that his full weight wasn't resting on her heels, Sarah was able to use her upper body strength to pull on him. She pulled one more time using all the strength she had left, at the same time Jonathan rose up on his knees, apparently intending to release her hands and crawl the rest of the way up.

His body flew forward and landed on top of Sarah. They both fell over, Sarah's back against the rock and Jonathan lying p.r.o.ne on top of her. Both of them were too stunned and in pain to move.

Sarah laid her head back against the rock, first feeling the burning numbness and then the pain that was shooting up from her heels. Next, she felt sweat dripping down her face and neck. Then she noticed her heartbeat and Jonathan's heartbeat mingling together to create a frantic melody. Last, she smelled Jonathan's B.O. as it quickly threatened to overwhelm her completely.

”Holy c.r.a.p, Jonathan, you smell. Get off me.”

Jonathan didn't move. His face was buried in her chest. His words came out m.u.f.fled. ”I'm sorry, but I can't move. Every ounce of energy I had is now gone. Wake me up in five minutes.” Then he began to snore.

Sarah sat still for a second trying to figure out if he was really sleeping. ”Jonathan? Are you seriously sleeping in my b.o.o.bs?” she asked tentatively.

Then she felt his body shaking with laughter.

”Get off me, you idiot!” She pushed him to the side. He rolled over to lie next to her.

”Ah, that was awesome. I got you.”

Sarah feigned brus.h.i.+ng off his smell from her body. ”Whatever. I knew you weren't sleeping.” She sat up and tried to stand, immediately stopping and reaching for her feet. ”Oh s.h.i.+t, that hurts. Holy c.r.a.p, I think my feet are broken.”

Jonathan sat up, quickly, all signs of mirth disappearing as his concern for her pain came to the fore. ”Let me see them.”

”No, get away, Stinky McSmellypits.” She slapped at his hands.

”Seriously, Sarah, let me take a look. I'll sit downwind from you.”

Sarah relented out of sheer desperation, she was in so much pain, letting him pick up her legs by the calves so he could look at her heels. His sharp intake of breath told her that it wasn't good.

”Well, they're pretty banged up. Cut and bruised too.” He didn't let go of her leg he set it down gently in his lap.

”Sarah.”

”What.” She was refusing to look at him.

”Sarah, look at me.”

”Fine. What.”

”Thank you. Thank you for destroying your heels to save my life. I'll never forget it.”

”Whatever. You're welcome.”

”Ever.”

”Ever, what?”

”Never ever.”

”Never ever, what?” Sarah was getting frustrated. He looked so earnest.

”I will never, ever forget, or let you forget, that you saved my life.” Jonathan flashed her a huge grin.

Sarah smiled back, despite herself. ”Don't make me come over there.”

”Give it your best shot.” He issued the challenge, and it hung in the air between them.

She gave him her best c.o.c.ky girl smile. ”Maybe another time, when I'm not on the injured list.”

”Whenever. Wherever.”

Sarah laughed; she couldn't help it. ”Since when did you get so big and bad anyway?”

”Since I nearly lost my a.s.s over that rock, that's when.”