Joy in His Heart by Kate Welsh

knowing which way the nearest town is or how far it is, that transponder and the plane’s radio are our best hope for a rescue that I can think of.” She sighed. “But it went in pretty far up there.”
    They stared at each other. As if by some silent communication, Brian put his hand on her shoulder and nodded, letting her know that he understood the harsh reality of the situation. “It won’t seem so far away after a good night’s sleep. And speaking of sleep, I’d better get going on the shelters. Maybe we should move in closer to that stream, though. Can you make it a little farther?”
    She nodded. “I’ve been thinking about the kids,” Joy said. “If you can, maybe you should make one of the shelters big enough for you and them. We may have them with us by tonight if those were their tracks we saw.”
    Brian nodded, looking worried as they started a slow progress across the valley floor. Considering those lost kids, Joy knew what had to be done. She gripped her crutch tightly. It was the most difficult thing she’d needed to say since they’d parted twelve years earlier when she’d wished him a good life and walked away without meaning a word of it.
    This time she meant what she said but it was harder to put voice to it. However much they’d avoided saying so, they both knew there were no planes looking for them where they were. It would mean hours alone for her, but the kids were just as alone and a lot more helpless than she was.
    “Um…Bri, if we don’t find them today, we really should stay here while you search for them using this as a base camp. You said you don’t think they could be far ahead of us.”
    As if on cue, they heard a pain-filled scream from the direction of the stream. Joy nearly jumped out of her skin. Brian took off like a shot in that direction. Unwilling to await his return and concerned for the children, Joy followed as quickly as her aching leg would allow.
    When she arrived she found Brian kneeling over the prone body of a boy. He lay at the base of a pile of boulders near the swollen stream. Five other dirty, disheveled boys stood around looking frightened and worried, staring at the boy on the ground. Silent tears flowed from his tightly closed eyes. He lay there biting his lip and shaking with pain. They were all dressed in varying shades of the same kind of warm spring jacket, long cargo pants and mud-encrusted sneakers.
    Brian murmured to the boy on the ground, examining him with reassuring efficiency. “Someone tell me what happened,” he said over his shoulder.
    “He thought if he stood on the top of the rocks, he could see the whole valley and maybe see if anybody was looking for us,” a small boy with longish brown hair piped up.
    “I told him not to climb up there,” a tall preteen said. She gauged his age about that of the injured boy. His superior attitude reminded her of Brian at that age, but the casual style of his blond hair and height reminded her of her brother, Jim.
    “But he did see them, Adam,” that same boy with the brown hair said. She judged this one to be around eleven but a little small for his age. “Hey, mister, where’s the other guy Dan says he saw?” he added.
    Joy tried not to flinch, wishing just once someone would see her feminine side when she wasn’t wearing a dress, especially since she didn’t wear one often. Then, warming her heart, Brian said in a matter-of-fact tone, “Actually, that was a very tall, very pretty lady, son. And she should be along any moment. Like your friend Dan here, she’s hurt.”
    “Are you here to take us home?” a very small blonde asked.
    “That’s the plan, son.”
    Brian was startled when his statement was met by a round of raucous giggles led by a boy with very close cropped hair. Brian looked up at the child who’d asked the question and blinked. He was a she. And not anywhere near eleven years old. He guessed seven or eight.Then, for no reason at all, he knew Joy had caught up to him.