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“Sss-all right.” Another giggle. “Oh. Em. Gee. I sound drunk. Drunk as a skunk. Although I don’t think skunks get drunk. But I am. Sort of.”

“Yes, you are. It’s cute.” He couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face. She was adorable in her current state, despite her broken arm and being covered in dirt and grime.

“Really?”

“Really.”

They gradually made their way to the staging area, where an empty harness awaited them.

After a few minutes of discussion between Doug and the commanding officer, a second harness was added to the traverse high-line.

Doug was strapped in first, and then the soldiers gently lifted Jenn until she sat on his lap, facing him, and wrapped her legs around him.

Her injured arm rested on his shoulder while her other hand latched onto the back of his neck.

He held her snugly against him while their harnesses were attached to each other.

While they could’ve brought the Stokes back over for her, he hadn’t wanted her to be alone when she was high as a kite.

“I like this,” she said against his ear. “Well, not exactly. I could do without the broken arm and the audience, but I like being this close to you.”

“Me too.”

Once they were ready, Doug kept one hand around Jenn’s waist and grabbed the harness strap above his head to try to reduce the swaying while they were in motion.

The pulley system was then activated, and they were towed across the debris field, about eight feet off the ground.

Mindful of Jenn’s injury and the duo’s positioning, the soldiers kept the pace slower than the others transported in the harness had experienced.

When they passed over the tree that Margie’s body was pinned under, he was grateful the rescue blanket was still in place, covering her. Worried Jenn would be upset if she saw it, he glanced at her face and noticed her eyes were closed. Good.

What felt like an hour was in reality only about ten minutes before they reached the other side and were disconnected. Romeo, Lindsey, and Tony were there to help Jenn to the ground before Doug dropped down beside her. Parsons was nearby with his Chevy Suburban ready and waiting.

As Doug helped her into the back seat of the vehicle, she suddenly stopped, swayed, and grabbed onto the door frame. “Wait. Margie. We need to—we can’t leave her here.” Her gaze darted over his shoulder. “Tony?—”

Her friend stepped forward and gently took her uninjured hand in his. “I’m staying here with Roland and one of the guards. We’ll bring her back to the commune once it’s safe for her body to be recovered. I promise.”

“Thank you.” Tears filled her drug-glazed eyes.

“Let them get you back to Ramona, and I’ll talk to you soon.”

Doug ground his back molars together to keep from shoving the other man away from Jenn and publicly claiming her as his. But he promised that he’d keep their relationship a secret for now, and therefore, Romeo and Lindsey couldn’t find out yet. That didn’t mean he had to like it, though.

“Okay.” She solemnly nodded and let Doug settle her in the middle of the seat.

He climbed in next to her, and Lindsey got in on the other side.

Parsons was behind the wheel while Romeo took the front passenger seat.

He glanced over his shoulder and looked at Doug.

“Your go-bag is in the back with ours. Anything left behind that you need them to recover?”

He thought for a few moments before shaking his head. “Just the commune’s medical bag we had with us when the landslide hit. It’s on the porch of a cabin—can’t miss it—but we used a lot of stuff, so there’s not much left in it.”

“No worries,” Parsons said as he steered around a dip in the dirt road. He was driving slower than he had the day before, probably because of Jenn’s injury. “We have more that were donated at the commune.”

Between the effects of the morphine and the rocking motion of the vehicle, it wasn’t long before Jenn fell asleep.

He didn’t miss Lindsey’s curious expression when he put his arm around Jenn’s shoulders, tucking her close to his side to keep her from pitching forward as Parsons drove them down the mountain.

When they finally reached the commune, just before sunset, he woke Jenn up.

Dr. Sanchez was already waiting for them to exit the vehicle.

They brought Jenn into the clinic, where the splint was removed so the doctor could assess her arm.

“Well, definitely broken, but the capillary refill in your fingers is normal, so that’s good. Any numbness?”

She shook her head. “Nope. It hurts, but the drugs are still working, so it’s not that bad.”

Dr. Sanchez reapplied the splint and inflated it again.

“I don’t want to cast it here without an X-ray first, and the hospitals are overloaded with earthquake victims. I hate to say it, Jenn, but I think the best thing for you to do is return to the States and see an orthopedist as soon as possible. ”

“But you need help?—”

“And we have it,” Dr. Sanchez cut her off.

“You’ll be no good with a busted arm that needs to be cast. I spoke to your uncle a little while ago, before and after I called Margie’s brother to notify him of her death.

Ian told me he’ll arrange to transport her body after it’s recovered.

That was nice of you to ask him to do that.

You’ve been a wonderful help here these past few weeks, and we’ll all miss you, especially the children.

I hope you’ll come back again, maybe next year, but for now, it’s time for you to go home, get that arm taken care of, and then rest.”

Crestfallen, Jenn stared at the older woman for a few moments before nodding. “I guess you’re right. I would love to come back next year, though.”

Dr. Sanchez smiled. “I’ll look forward to seeing you then.

Now, why don’t Lindsey and I help you pack your bags?

I’ll make sure Margie’s things get back to her family.

Our residents are already talking about planting a tree or some flowers in her memory after things calm down.

She was well loved here, as are all our volunteers, including you. ”

Hoping off the examination table, Jenn hugged the doctor with her good arm. “I’m going to miss everyone.”

“We’ll miss you too.”

After Jenn’s belongings were packed and loaded, it took much longer than expected to leave for Bogotá since she had to say lengthy goodbyes to everyone in the commune, at least twice, especially the children.

Hugs and tears were aplenty. She left notes for Tony and Roland because they wouldn’t be back until she was most likely already on the private jet, and it grated on Doug’s nerves.

He wanted to see what she wrote to the two men, but short of ripping them out of her or Ramona’s hands, he didn’t have an opportunity.

She tried to stay strong and smile while talking to the children, but completely lost it in the back seat of the Suburban about a mile down the road, sobbing into Doug’s chest as he held her tightly.

Once again, he ignored Lindsey’s curious look.

It would be a long and exasperating flight if he couldn’t pull Jenn onto his lap and comfort her the way he craved.