The Challenge(34)

“Where’s the hospital?” she asked him.

“In Billings. About an hour from here.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll pick you up in ten minutes.”

When he left his house, the same blond reporter headed for him with about thirty others, snapping his picture, and she put the mic in his face first. “How do you feel?”

“Elated, thrilled, grateful. So happy and relieved that they all made it.” She was smiling at him, and when she turned off her microphone, she looked at him, embarrassed. “I’m sorry I pushed so hard the other day. Sometimes you lose perspective in this business. I listened to the recording of our interview after, and I felt like an idiot. I’m so happy it all worked out, for all of them. And fuck what it cost the taxpayers.” She smiled at him. “That’s what we pay taxes for. Better that than nuclear arms. What else matters except kids’ lives?”

He was smiling at her and leaned over and kissed her cheek.

“Thank you. It’s a reminder to us all about what does matter. I’ve got to go pick my daughter up now.” She nodded and waved as he walked away and got in his truck, and she went back to the van from her TV station. She still had some wrap-up interviews to get, but he could tell she wouldn’t be harassing him again with dumb, offensive questions.

Beth was waiting for him outside her hotel, and there were no TV vans there. “You took twenty minutes, not ten,” she said tartly, and he smiled. Same old Beth.

“I got waylaid by a reporter whom I insulted the other day. She apologized.”

“You insulted her, and she apologized?” Beth laughed.

“Something like that,” he said, looking amused.

“She must want to sleep with you,” Beth said.

While they drove to Billings, Harvey was giving a press conference in his office about the recovery of the seven young people who had been recovered from the mountain that morning, after having been lost for three days. In winter, they would never have survived it, and in summer they might not have either, for a number of reasons: the treacherous mountain, the ravines, hostile wildlife, their health. But all had ended well. He wrapped up with the press, consulted a bulletin about the progress of the fire, and headed to Billings himself. All the parents were on their way there to be reunited with their children.

Benjie was jumping up and down on his hospital bed when Bill and Pattie walked into the room.

“Justin scared away a big bear!” he screamed, and then gave a terrifying rendition of it. Matt confirmed that it was true and hugged his parents. Bill and Pattie hugged them until the boys could hardly breathe. And they were all crying.

Justin had broken his ankle when he fell off the rock, and was already in surgery to put pins in it when his mother got there. Marlene looked worn to a nub, and the doctors were keeping Noel at Saint Vincent’s for a few days to make sure that his blood sugar levels had stabilized. He hadn’t eaten properly in days.

“How’s Dad?” was the first thing Noel asked his mother, and Justin when he returned in a cast.

“About the same,” she said quietly to both of them. She didn’t tell them that he had had a sixth sense that something was wrong with them.

The Pollocks had their arms around Peter, and he told them about Juliet climbing the tree to get the supplies, and the flag they had made. They had reclaimed their shirts that morning. Peter was wearing the plaid shirt his father had remembered, with a piece torn out of the elbow. Tom and Beth were alternately hugging Juliet. A nurse had been working on removing her splinters from when she had climbed the trees. She had dozens of them in her arms and legs. None of the kids looked as bad as their parents thought they would. The food they’d eaten the night before had helped.



* * *



—

Harvey Mack appeared a little while later and toured all their rooms. He talked with each of the children and their parents. The police had cordoned off the end of the hallway for them, so they’d have privacy. The parking lot was full of photographers and journalists.

Harvey stopped to talk to Beth for a few minutes, while Tom talked to Pitt, with ecstatic grins on their faces.

“I told you we’d get her back,” Harvey said to her in a low voice so no one would hear him. “You didn’t believe me.”

“You were right. I was scared. She’s my everything.” Especially now with Tom out of her life.

“You should spend some time here and relax,” he suggested. “It’s a good place to think, and to write.” She nodded but didn’t know what to say to him. He was an overwhelming presence, and not just because of his size. She had the feeling that he could see right into her soul and know what she was thinking. It made her feel safe just standing near him. He patted her shoulder and then moved on to the other parents. He was sure she’d be leaving soon. He couldn’t imagine her spending time in Fishtail, Montana. She looked so typically New York. The thought of it amused him, as she watched him move on to another room.

He and Marlene were old friends and he wanted to ask her how Bob was. He hated the fact that he was dying and she had so much on her shoulders now. But, thank God, at least she hadn’t lost the boys.

The return of all seven children was a miracle and a blessing for them all.



* * *



—