It was my first time in the Highlands of Scotland and I'd signed up to go on a hike despite my fitness being questionable at best. The guide said it was pretty easy going though so I put on my newly purchased gear and went to join the group. There was about 7 of us, 4 women and 3 guys. The rest of the group all looked like they would be running up the trails just for fun but I was more interested in getting some good pictures from the peak. The guide, Callum, grinned at me when he saw what I was wearing and came over to talk to me.
"I know what you have on is keeping you warm just now but once we get moving you're going to be cooking, laddie," he said to me in his thick Scottish accent.
"I uh, don't do well with the cold," I replied. He just laughed.
"And ye came tae the Highlands? Here, you've got plenty of room in yer pack, I'll help ye. Ye need to be layered that way you can easily add and remove layers when we stop or get going."
"Thanks, I'm used to just throwing my camera in my bag and taking short hikes."
"Don't worry about it, you're no the first to be told you need all this crap."
Callum got my gear down to about half of what I actually needed and put the excess gear in the van we'd driven up in. Another man was dropped off in the parking area and greeted Callum, he was to be our secondary guide.
"So, are we all ready to go?" said the second man. The rest of the group all enthusiastically said yes.
"You takin point, Dave?" said Callum.
"Aye, have a novice do we?" replied the other man.
The group all turned and looked at me.
"He'll be fine but that lot look like they're going to be a bit much for even you," said Callum.
"Nae worries, right, let's go!" said Dave and they set off.
I hated admitting he was right but the others marched ahead and it wasn't long before they were pulling away from me and Callum. He was okay about it and told me to go at my own pace and not to worry about them. We chatted as we walked on a relatively flat section of the trail.
"So, what's your story, Mr. Marcus? I don't usually see tourists up here by themselves. Just curious is all," he said with a smile.
"Promise you won't laugh?" I replied.
"No, but I'll not be cruel about anything," he said, laughing.
"Catfish. That's why I'm here alone."
"What?"
"I came from Nebraska to meet a woman. We'd talked on the phone and exchanged pictures and all that but she lived in a small village and said she could only get dial up so we couldn't do facetime or anything. When I got here, she turned out to be 15 years older than she said she was. The age thing might not have bothered me if she told me but she was a lot different than she made herself out to be and the pictures she sent me were of her married daughter she never even told me about. I spent all this money to get here, I didn't want to just go home," I said.
"Oh that's not something I'll laugh at pal, that's pretty messed up."
"Yea, my friends tried to tell me even the remote places get satellite internet these days but I was just blind I guess."
"You not find any good lookin' American lassies? You're a good-looking young lad."
"I'm terrible with women, I get so shy and can barely hold a conversation."
"You're doing fine holding a conversation with me."
"You're a guy though. I don't know, I just get so nervous."
"Well yer secret's safe with me. Hard enough dating these days when you have women like that to mess with yer heid."
I heard a radio squelch and Callum had me stop as he took it out his pocket.
"This is Callum," he said.
"Callum, it's Helen at base camp two. You have a storm headed your way, Dave said he's almost at the second point so he's going to take them down that way but are you close?" said the woman on the radio.
"No, I'm a wee bit behind him. I think I'm close to Shepherd's peak. My friend here's not a fitness nut like the group Dave took so we've been taking it nice and easy."
"Well I'd suggest picking up the pace. Call me if you need picked up but get to shelter. Helen, out."
"Don't take that personally mah friend, I like a nice relaxing pace and refuse to push anyone. We are going to get shelter though, put your waterproofs on and we'll be heading a different direction," he said to me.
I looked in my bag but to my horror I'd put the waterproofs with the stuff Callum said I'd not need.
"Shit, I left them with my other stuff. I forgot to put them back in," I said.
"Well, not to worry but we'll have to move."
We picked up and started moving at a more serious pace. Callum checked on me every few minutes but I did my best to keep up. When the rain hit, the trail we'd taken became pretty slick and I was having trouble. I asked him for a second to catch my breath.
"I'm so sorry, I know it's pouring but my lungs are on fire," I said to him.
"It's okay, I just want to get us out of this," he replied.
We got moving again and the trail only got worse. The rain was pretty heavy by that point and to make things worse, I tripped on a rock I didn't see and went sprawling down a small embankment. I landed in the mud and was soaked right through by the time I stopped bouncing over the heather and rocks. The rain washed the mud off my face pretty quickly but as Callum came down to help me up, I tried to stand and yelled out in pain.
"Where are you hurt?" he said to me.
"I... I think I twisted my back and my knee," I replied.
"Give me your pack."
It hurt even getting that off. Callum managed to stuff my pack into his then picked me up out of the mud like I was nothing. He put his arm around me and helped me get to the trail then after looking at my knee he just picked me up, put me over his shoulder and began marching ahead. My back and knee were in agony but there was nothing I could do.
"I know this isn't the most dignified way my friend but we need to get out of this rain. We're not too far but I don't see you walking on that knee," he said as he powered on.
I don't know how much longer we took but we got to a small cottage stuck in the middle nowhere. He pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the door then took me inside. He sat me down on a bench then closed and locked the door then quickly set about building a fire. Once it was lit he turned his attention to me.
"Look, I'm not going to sugarcoat this but even with all that mud on you that knee looks pretty bad. I'm going to run a hot bath but I'll probably need to cut those fancy trousers off ye," he said.
"Okay," was all I could reply.
He took off his jacket and put it over a chair then picked me up again and took me through to a small kitchen area. He set me down in one of the chairs and opened a cabinet and flipped a switch then left the room. I soon heard water running and he came back to the kitchen. He had his radio out again.
"Base three, come in base three," he said.
"Ba.. thr.. repe.. rep..." was all that came back through static.
"Fuck. Oh, the booster didn't come up!" he said. He flipped the switch a few more times then tried his radio again.
"Base three, come in base three," he repeated.
"Your signal isn't great Callum but we read you. Are you at the mansion?" replied the radio person.
"Aye but I'm going to need rescue. Trail 3 will be a river by now and I have an injured man. His knee and back are pretty bad."
"Rescue has grounded all flights, storm is worse than they thought. Can you treat him until it passes or is he losing blood?"
"No, thankfully he's not bleeding but he can't walk."
"Well, supplies and medical gear were checked last week, let me know if he gets worse. We'll let you know when we can fly."