“No problem. We have both been hugged by people we rescued. It seems to be something that comes with the job. We need to get this collar on you.”

He pulled the collar on her and tightened it.

Jess came up a few minutes later carrying a drug box and a fire extinguisher. After a call to Mercy with updated vitals they started an IV.

“How are you going to get me out of this? I mean it is tight.”

“Carefully.”

“I mean how are you going to get my legs free? That dash is bent down and it is heavy metal.”

“The guys are bringing Julie.”

“Who is Julie. Do you have a Russian hammer thrower on your team.”

He laughed. “We call it Julie for short. It’s the Jaws of life. We’ll either lift the dash or cut through it.”

“What about the wires. What if one of them shorts and starts a fire.” He nodded. A good question, something most people wouldn’t think of.

“We will disconnect the battery before we start and we will have fire extinguishers here in case. How did you know that.”

“Dad told me in any accident fire is a concern and really bad if someone is trapped. He said electricity is a big risk. I turned off the switch as soon as I stopped.”

“Smart dad. Smart girl for listening.”

“I had water, food, something to try to keep me warm.”

“What made you think of the duct tape and magazine for a splint. And the webbing. That was good.”

“Well dad said if we were ever lost, look at what you had, not what you didn’t. And don’t waste anything. I caught water in empty water bottles. I wasn’t sure I could drink it but I figured I could use it to wash off if I needed it and I thought I better keep it just in case. So I used water in the cup holder to wash.”

Jim handed a wipe to her. “If you want to clean up little.”

“Thanks.”

Jim’s radio came to life. “We just turned on the logging road. Any instructions?”

“Bring four fire extinguishers, two leg air casts and the back board. We will need at least four people to carry her out. Don’t block my truck. We will take her to the ambulance on it.”

It took nearly an hour to cut and remove the crushed dash. They carefully lifted her legs and slid the back board under them. She grimaced in pain when they straightened them and removed the splints. Two of the others held her legs as Jim cut the legs off her jeans then cut them down her legs and removed them. Every bump and movement caused pain.

“I hate to complain but can you give me something for pain?”

“I wish we could but we can’t. We will get the air casts on, that will help. You couldn’t stand the pain of us carrying you out or the ambulance ride without them. I promise it will get better.”

“I’m sorry to be a bother.”

“You are not a bother. If you weren’t here I would be fishing instead of holding the hand of a pretty girl. What’s better about that, my wife can’t complain about me doing it.”

“Thanks.”

They eased on the air casts and inflated them then slid her down the board to a reclining position. She was strapped to the board and four people started to pick her up.

She grabbed his hand. “Jim. Will you bring the one backpack?” It was the one that contained the pistol, cell phone and radio. He picked it up and put it on his shoulder. He pulled the one poncho off the mule and lay it over her legs and stuffed it so it would stay. He took the other one and covered her from the neck down.

“The press will be at the ambulance and at the hospital taking pictures.”

“Thanks. Can you ride with me in the ambulance?”

“If you like.”

“I do.”

At the ambulance he handed his keys to Charlie, one of the men who came in on the unit. “Can you bring my truck to the hospital. When you get there bring the backpack in it inside and keep it in your possession. It has items she wants me to give it to her fiancée.”

“Sure.”

At the ambulance Jim twice blocked photographers. At the hospital he did it again and blocked the TV crew. He refused to allow them to exploit her accident.