Going Home

Part 52

Standing and moving back so he could see up the cliff Josh called out, “Grace is Dad there yet?”

Hearing Josh call him dad Robert had trouble keeping his emotions in check. It had been so long since he’d heard it. He turned his head away from Grace until he could get himself under control.

 Looking over the edge Grace called back “yes he’s here. How is she?”

“She seems okay actually, no broken bones as far as I can tell. But we’re going to need a rescue litter, a spinal board and a neck brace just in case. Can you call and see how far away the ambulance is?”

“No worries Josh, hang on.”

Robert, who had managed to compose himself, took the phone Grace handed him and called Margaret to find out how long they have to wait. While Robert was on the phone Josh called out again, “hey Grace, can you throw down a blanket?”

Calling back “sure” Grace moved over to the ute Robert drove and finding the blanket Josh had asked him to bring, she carried it back to the cliff.

“Here you are Josh” and throwing it down watched him catch it and head back to lay it over Maddie.

Robert hung up and called out to his son “Josh?”

Standing up Josh stepped back again so he could see the top of the cliff “yeah”

“They are at the farm so they should be here in about ten minutes.”

“Right.”

Stepping back to Maddie Josh crouched down again “okay Maddie we are going to get you out of here soon.”

“How?” Maddie asked with a worried frown.

“Well they’ll lower a stretcher and a brace to go around your neck then we’ll get you pulled back up the cliff.”

But Maddie wasn’t sure about this, it sounded scary to her. She just looked at him.

Seeing the concern on her face Josh tried to reassure her “don’t worry you’ll be perfectly safe. You can’t fall. And it’s the only way to get you home. Your Mum and Dad are really worried about you.”

After a few minutes silence, finally Maddie spoke, “you sure I won’t fall?”

Josh smiled “absolutely Maddie. I guarantee it.”

Searching his face for a minute Maddie agreed. In a quiet voice she said “okay.”