High-Altitude Doctor

The man in him saw soft curves, creamy skin and green eyes that sparked and teased. He saw temptation and seduction in every graceful movement of those long limbs. Dr. Finn McBride saw guts mingled with a vulnerability that could cut a man off at the knees.

The doctor in him wondered whether Dr. Juliet Adams had enough body fat to make the strenuous assault on the world’s highest mountain. He knew that about fifteen percent of body weight was lost after three months at high altitude. He had a better than fair experience with women’s bodies and he was willing to bet money that Dr. Adams couldn’t afford to lose fifteen percent.

Would she make it to the top of Everest?

With a soft curse, Finn reminded himself that her fitness wasn’t his problem.

The fact that she was trekking to one of the most inhospitable places on earth, wasn’t his problem.

So why did he have a powerful urge to bundle her straight back on that terrifying flight and return her safely to Kathmandu?

Dear Reader,

I’m always happiest in the mountains. I like to walk in the Lake District and ski in the Alps, but the one place I’ve always yearned to visit is the Himalayas. I’m fascinated by the growing interest in high-altitude medicine and also by the drive that makes climbers risk their lives to tackle summits over eight thousand meters high.

As remote areas of the world become more accessible, more people are exposed to the effects of altitude, and I decided that this would make a different and interesting setting for a medical romance.

The research was extensive but stimulating, and I wrote this book during the period of time that the various teams were tackling Everest. Tracking their progress on a daily basis helped to bring the book to life for me.

My heroine, Juliet, has her own demons to beat. She knows that mountains are dangerous and she won’t give her heart to a man who risks his life. But love cannot always be easily set aside, and Finn McEwan isn’t a man to take no for an answer.

This is a book about bravery and determination, about grit and courage when life seems to demand the impossible.

If you have your own personal Everest to climb, then I wish you the strength and courage to make it to the top.

Love,

Sarah

To Julian, for being perfect in every way and

for making me so happy.

Love always

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ONE

Kathmandu, Nepal, 1300 metres above sea level

SHE was going to die.

The flight from Kathmandu to the tiny village of Lukla in the foothills of the Himalayas took only forty minutes and it was the longest, most terrifying forty minutes of her life. If there’d been any other practical way of travelling across this part of Nepal, she would have taken it.

Juliet closed her eyes tightly and tried to focus on something, anything, other than the clouds, the mountains hidden behind them and the ground that taunted her as it flashed beneath the aircraft.

‘Hey, doc…’ The bearded man in the next seat leaned towards her. ‘You’re looking green. You OK?’

‘I will be when we land.’

‘That bad, huh?’ He laughed in surprise. ‘And I was told you were gutsy.’

Juliet kept her eyes closed. ‘My guts are back in Kathmandu. If you want to fly back and get them, Neil, that’s up to you, but I’m only taking this flight once.’

The twin-engined Cessna only had sixteen seats and at that precise moment Juliet sincerely wished that there hadn’t been room for her. At Kathmandu Airport hordes of people had jostled for a place on the flight but the exchange of rupees had been sufficient to ensure that all the climbers and trekkers had gained seats. Including her.

She wished she’d left a month earlier and walked.

She heard Neil give a sympathetic chuckle. ‘We’ll be landing soon.’

‘And that’s supposed to make me feel better?’ Juliet opened one eye and shot him a baleful look. ‘We both know what the runway is like at Lukla.’

She liked Neil Kennedy a lot. They’d climbed together in the Alps and the Himalayas and he had proved himself to be a skilful and reliable team member. He was calm, level-headed and able to smooth over the trickiest situations—a general, all-round good guy.

‘They’ve actually built a runway?’ Neil pretended to look surprised. ‘That’s the best news I’ve had all day.’

Maybe not such a good guy.

‘Very funny, I’m sure.’

‘Well, runway is a generous description for a bit of dirt with a cliff at the end.’

‘Thanks for reminding me what it’s like.’

‘You were here last year. You know exactly what it’s like.’

‘Which is why I prefer to close my eyes.’ She did so, but carried on talking. ‘Are the trekkers doing OK? Anyone lost their breakfast yet?’

Four trekkers had opted to join them on the trek up to Everest base camp and Juliet knew that none of them had had any experience of high altitude before.

Neil swivelled in his seat. ‘The two guys are trying to look tough and macho, one of the girls looks white and the other one is gawking out of the window at the view. She obviously doesn’t know about the runway. Ten more minutes to landing and then she’ll be as green as you. But so far their insides seem to still be inside.’

‘Good.’ She didn’t want to have to think about delivering medical care to anyone at the moment. She was too busy looking after herself. ‘I haven’t even had a chance to get to know them yet. Do they look as though they’ll make it all the way?’

‘To Everest Base Camp?’ Neil settled back in his seat again and gave a shrug. ‘Who knows? Altitude is a great leveller, as you’re always telling me. They’ve got all the gear and they’re enthusiastic enough. And they’ve certainly paid enough for the privilege of trekking with Dr Juliet Adams, expert in high-altitude medicine. They think you walk on water. If anything goes wrong, they’re expecting you to fix it with one wave of your magic stethoscope.’

Despite the teasing note in his voice, Juliet didn’t open her eyes. At the moment she didn’t feel like an expert in anything and the only thing she wanted to fix was her churning stomach. ‘Well, I just hope they’re impressed so far.’

‘They’re probably wondering how a woman who can’t open her eyes in a plane managed to climb halfway up Everest last year.’

Juliet felt a flicker of regret. ‘Not the top, Neil. I had to turn back at Camp III.’ Driven back by bad weather and another climber with a severe case of pulmonary oedema who had needed to be escorted down to Base Camp. The frustration and disappointment still festered inside her. Would she have made it to the top? ‘I’m fine as long as my feet are on the ground. That’s natural. It’s flying that’s unnatural.’

‘There’s nothing natural about climbing Everest,’ Neil said dryly, leaning across her to stare out of the window. ‘And I still don’t understand what a nice girl like you is doing in a place like this. You should be at home, looking after a man and raising babies.’

‘Are you proposing?’

Neil lifted her hand to his lips and gave a boyish grin. ‘Believe me, if I thought I had a chance I would have proposed years ago, sweetheart. But my daughter, who is about your age, would undoubtedly die of embarrassment and my wife wouldn’t be too pleased either.’

Juliet leaned across and kissed him on the cheek. ‘Given that you’re away from home, climbing mountains, for at least half the year, there’s no way I’d marry you, but there’s no one I’d rather have as part of a summit team. And this year we’re going all the way to the top.’

Everest.

The highest mountain in the world.

Her goal.

‘Why?’ Neil let go of her hand and shot her a curious look. ‘Why would a slip of a girl like you need to climb Everest?’

Something dark and terrifying stirred deep inside her, something Juliet preferred to keep locked away. She had her own reasons for being on Everest. And they were personal.

‘You sound like one of those journalists.’ She kept her tone light and Neil settled himself more comfortably in his seat.

‘So what do you tell the journalists when they ask you that question?’

Juliet shrugged. ‘Depends on my mood. If it’s bad then something like, “Mind your own business.” Sometimes I tell them it’s because it raises my credibility when I’m lecturing a thousand doctors on high-altitude medicine.’ She tilted her head to one side and gave a wry smile. ‘It’s hard to grab the attention of an audience if you’ve never been near a mountain. Sometimes I just tell them I like pushing myself to the limit.’

‘And what a limit. Do you know how many people have died attempting to climb Everest?’

Her insides tensed and knotted.

Oh, yes, she knew.

‘Nine per cent don’t come back,’ she said flatly, ‘and I don’t know why you’re giving me this lecture, given that you’re planning to climb it, too. At least I’m single.’

And she intended to stay that way.

‘Is that why you never get involved with anyone? You never talk about your love life.’ He turned his head and gave her a curious look. ‘Do you stay single because you have a life-threatening career? Even the promise of a floaty white dress and a bunch of presents you don’t need aren’t enough to tempt you to marriage?’

‘Now you definitely sound like a journalist,’ Juliet said lightly, rummaging in her bag for some sweets to suck, ‘and the answer is mind your own business.’

‘Well, whatever the reason, I’m glad you’re our team doctor. It means you can mop my fevered brow when I’m struck down by altitude. Who knows?’ He gave her a saucy wink. ‘I might even get mouth to mouth.’

‘You should be so lucky. And, anyway, I might be the one who’s struck down. Doctors don’t have immunity to the effects of altitude, as you well know.’ Juliet risked a glance out of the window and immediately felt her stomach lurch. ‘We’re coming in to land. Let’s hope we live to climb a mountain instead of slamming straight into one.’

She didn’t even want to think about the angle of the runway.

‘There are some strong teams attempting the southeast face this year,’ Neil told her, ticking them off on his fingers as he listed a few. ‘There’s a small Spanish team, the New Zealand team are exceptional and the Americans are filming an ascent.’

Juliet caught a glimpse of the runway ahead of her and the mountain ahead of that. She tightened her fingers into a ball and tried not to notice the abandoned wreckage of a plane on one side of the field. ‘If you’re trying to distract me, I have to tell you that it isn’t working. You need to try harder.’ She closed her eyes again and concentrated on her dream.

Everest.

Soon it would begin. The thirty-five-mile trek towards Base Camp, which would then be her home for the coming weeks.

Theoretically it was possible for an extremely fit, acclimatised person to make the distance to the foot of Everest in a few days but, as expedition doctor, Juliet had insisted that they take over a week to cover the same distance. Altitude sickness had been her area of study for several years and she understood the importance of allowing the body time to adjust to the decrease in oxygen. She was responsible for the health of the trekkers who were going with them as far as Base Camp, as well as the expedition members. And she was also responsible for her own health.

And she knew that her own health was important.

Without her, the team would have no medical backup in a remote and potentially lethal environment.

And if she didn’t stay healthy, she wouldn’t be climbing the mountain.

And this year she was aiming for the summit.

She was going all the way.

Lukla, in the foothills of the Himalayas, 2850 metres above sea level

The village was tiny, little more than a cluster of huts around an airstrip, and as the plane juddered to an uneasy halt, hordes of Nepalese villagers hurried forward to unload the plane.

With her baseball cap tugged down over her eyes and her hands shoved in the pockets of her combat trousers, Juliet watched as they shifted crates and bags, checking that her medical supplies had survived the flight. Her green eyes were sharp, observant, missing nothing. Crates of vegetables, live chickens, long rolls of carpet and other cargo were mixed up with her own supplies and she watched closely as they were sorted into piles. She’d spent months calculating what she’d need to support an expedition to the world’s highest mountain and she didn’t want to lose any of it at this stage.

The sun blazed overhead as Neil gathered together the trekkers who had been on the flight from Kathmandu and would be joining them as far as Everest Base Camp. The rest of the climbers in their party had made the same journey a few days earlier.

Only when she was satisfied that all her packages had made it in one piece did Juliet turn away. She felt grubby and hot and in desperate need of a shower.

And that was when she spotted him.

He stood slightly apart from the other climbers and trekkers, a battered hat pulled down over his eyes, a disturbingly intent expression in his dark eyes as he watched her.

And Juliet watched him back.

What woman wouldn’t have?

She saw unreasonably broad shoulders and a strong, athletic physique. She saw a man who was both arrogant and confident, a man who would lead while others followed. She saw a man who was tough and uncompromising and totally comfortable in these harsh surroundings. And she saw strong masculine features designed to make a woman dream and want.

But most of all she saw danger. The sort of danger she avoided at all costs.

For a moment Juliet struggled with her breathing. Then she told herself firmly that it was nothing to do with the fact that she was on the receiving end of that intense dark gaze, and everything to do with the sudden increase in altitude. She’d just gained six thousand feet in elevation. It was hardly surprising she was breathless.

Neil followed her gaze. ‘That’s Finn McEwan. Bit of a legend. He’s climbed almost all the big ones, but Everest has always eluded him. Mostly because the guy is always playing the hero. Two years ago he risked his neck bringing an injured climber down from the South Col, the year before that he rescued a bunch of climbers who’d been caught in an avalanche. I hope he makes it this year. Handsome devil, isn’t he? Can’t believe you don’t know him.’

For a moment Juliet didn’t respond. She was held, locked in visual communication with the man on the opposite side of the runway. ‘I’ve read his research,’ her voice was croaky. ‘I’ve seen him interviewed and I—’

‘That’s not the same,’ Neil interrupted her with a wave of his hand. ‘It’s time you met each other in the flesh, so to speak. Come on.’ He grabbed Juliet’s arm. ‘I’ll introduce you. He’s the male equivalent of you. Both doctors, both climbers, both driven and competitive. And both single.’ His tone was dry. ‘It’s a match made in heaven.’

Panic fluttered inside her but before she could reply Neil propelled her across the airstrip and the next moment she was standing in front of the man.

‘Finn.’ Neil greeted the man with a handshake and a warm slap on the shoulder that suggested familiarity. Then he turned back to her. ‘This dizzy-looking blonde is Dr Juliet Adams. Don’t be fooled by the fact she looks like a teenager. Her qualifications are impressive. Frankly, I can’t believe the two of you haven’t met before now, given that you climb the same mountains, are on the same lecture circuit and the fact that you’re never one to let a pretty girl pass you by, but there you are. This is your lucky moment.’

Juliet tensed, stiff with embarrassment at the introduction, but the expression on Finn McEwan’s hard, handsome face didn’t flicker and his gaze lingered thoughtfully on her flushed cheeks.

‘Dr Adams.’ He extended a hand and she had no choice but to take it. Strong fingers closed around her palm and the contact made her pulse race even faster. In contrast he was totally relaxed, his voice deep and steady. ‘I read your last paper on the effects of altitude on asthma. Your conclusions were interesting. Are you carrying out any research at the moment? What’s your purpose on Everest this year?’

Juliet hesitated. ‘To climb it.’

She saw something dark flicker in the depths of those dark eyes. They continued to hold hers. Continued to probe.

‘You should stick to research.’ His tone was low and measured. ‘Or being Base Camp doctor. You shouldn’t be up on her slopes.’

She lifted her chin, needled by his unwarranted advice. ‘Why is that, Dr McEwan?’

There was a long silence while he watched her. ‘I think you know why.’

A sudden tension snapped the air tight and for a moment his eyes held hers in silent communication.

Her stomach tumbled and her pulse raced and she cursed herself silently for feeling something she really didn’t want to feel. ‘I wish I had the time to argue the merits of being a woman on Everest, Dr McEwan, but I’ve got places I need to be.’ Her tone was cool and formal and lacking in any reaction other than politeness. ‘And now we need to get going because we’ve got some walking to do before we settle down for the night.’ She jerked her hand away and turned to Neil. ‘We’re sleeping lower down the valley. It will be easier to breathe.’

Neil gave a slight frown. ‘I know our itinerary, but I thought you—’

‘We should really get going.’ Aware that she was repeating herself, Juliet shifted the pack on her back and gave Finn McEwan a quick nod. ‘See you at Base Camp, I expect.’

The sudden narrowing of his eyes was his only reaction to her almost curt dismissal.

‘Oh, we’ll see each other long before that.’ His voice was a deep, lazy drawl that hinted things that she really didn’t want to think about. ‘We’re following the same trail as you at the same pace, Dr Adams. There’s a strong chance we’ll get the chance to enjoy a yak burger together.’

Her gaze maintained a glacial cool. ‘I don’t think so. It was nice meeting you, Dr McEwan.’ And with that she walked over to the trekkers, careful not to look back in case those watchful blue eyes were still trained in her direction.

‘Well!’ Neil joined her, not even bothering to hide his astonishment. ‘What was all that about?’

Juliet bent down to adjust her boots. ‘Clearly your Dr McEwan has a problem with women climbing Everest.’

Neil frowned. ‘I don’t think so. I mean, he’s been on loads of expeditions with women. The man loves women—’

Juliet stood up. ‘Must just be blondes he has a thing against, then.’

Neil shook his head. ‘I don’t get it. You’re the most sociable person I know and normally if you meet another doctor I can’t stop you talking. Finn is the best there is but you behaved as though he were carrying the plague, not here to treat it.’

Juliet didn’t answer. Instead, she took her water bottle out of her pack and drank deeply. She knew the importance of keeping herself hydrated at altitude. And the activity gave her time to settle her thoughts. ‘Perhaps I’m just not in the mood to argue about a woman’s right to climb mountains.’ She took another drink, aware that Neil was staring at her.

‘But you love arguing. It’s what you do best. You’re sassy and sparky and you love it when people challenge you just so that you can prove them wrong.’

Juliet lowered the bottle, her peaked cap hiding the angry flash of her eyes. ‘Perhaps I don’t feel the need to prove myself today. We’ve got a schedule to keep, Neil. Let’s do it.’

He stared at her. ‘And that’s it? You just met the heartthrob of the mountains and all you can think about are schedules?’ Neil scratched his head, his expression amazed. ‘You’re the first woman I’ve ever met who hasn’t gone dizzy at the sight of him. Women usually can’t leave the guy alone. He’s Mr Super-Cool. Real hero material.’

‘Surely you mean Dr Super-Cool.’ Juliet stuffed the water bottle back in her pack. ‘And I don’t need a hero. Let’s just say that Dr Finn McEwan isn’t my type.’

‘But you don’t know him.’

She thought of those wicked dark eyes and that lazy look that could seduce a woman at a glance. She thought of the cool self-confidence and machismo that was part of the man. ‘I know all I need to know. That sort of guy you can read at a glance.’ She checked her boots were comfortable, swung her pack onto her pack and jammed her cap further down over her eyes. It was a ritual she followed before she walked. Boots, pack, cap.

‘Oh, right.’ Neil gave a disbelieving laugh. ‘You don’t go for strong, handsome guys who are clever and bold as brass?’

‘That’s about the size of it.’ Juliet shifted the pack slightly and made a mental note to remove something that evening. It was too heavy. She was carrying too much gear.

‘If I live to be a hundred, I will never understand women.’ Neil shook his head. ‘That guy scores with every female he meets. He fights them off.’

‘Sounds exhausting. I’m sure he’ll be relieved to know that I’m one less woman he’ll have to keep at a distance.’ She strolled towards the trekkers who were hovering, determined not to let her mind linger on Finn McEwan for even a second. He didn’t think she should be on Everest. But she wasn’t interested in his opinion, she reminded herself. His opinion didn’t matter to her. ‘I just want to watch them load my medical equipment and then we’ll start the walk to the village. The sun is hot at the moment but once it dips behind those clouds the temperature will drop sharply so make sure you have an extra layer handy.’

Sally, one of the trekkers, walked over to her. ‘That flight was amazing. I couldn’t believe the angle of the runway.’ She was obviously eager to ask questions. ‘Is it true that it’s possible to walk to Everest Base Camp in three days from here?’

Juliet ignored Neil’s pained expression. The trekkers had paid to be guided by a doctor with experience in high-altitude medicine. They had a right to ask questions and she was more than happy to answer them. This was her job. It was what she knew. And she was happy to be distracted from thoughts of Finn McEwan. ‘If you want to risk cutting your holiday short, yes. But from this point on you’re going to feel the effects of high altitude. If you don’t give yourself time to acclimatise, you’ll suffer. You need to give your body time to adjust to having less oxygen. Climb too high, too fast and your trip will be over. And not just the trip. Over supper tonight I’m going to give a talk on altitude sickness so that you all know the basics.’ A small crowd of Sherpas converged on the luggage and Juliet’s face brightened as one of them approached her, a broad smile on his face. ‘Pemba Sherpa! Our Base Camp leader. Namaste.’

Using her rusty and very limited Nepali, she greeted the Sherpa whom she’d met on previous expeditions and who would be responsible for running the camp that they established at the base of the mountain. She switched to English to discuss the transportation of her medical equipment and watched as a string of yaks were led onto the landing field.

Yaks, a type of hardy cattle, were used to transport packs and equipment up to Base Camp and Juliet watched in trepidation as the Sherpas placed blankets and wooden frames on the animals’ backs and then started tying on her crates. Would they be too heavy? She’d barely been able to lift half of them but the animal didn’t flinch and she relaxed slightly when she saw that the Sherpas were loading still more on top. Clearly they didn’t consider her supplies to be excessively heavy.