Copper River Pt. 01

Copper River -- Part 1

Thanks for all the positive comments on my earlier stories. I was going to publish this in one part, but it got too long to comfortably keep it in one, so I split it in two. Part two will be published very soon. As always, votes and constructive comments are welcome. Also, part of the story revolves around the tech/computer/programming world, which is not my strong point. Please let any glaring mistakes go for the sake of the overall story.

Trigger warning -- later in the story, a suicide attempt by one of the characters is discussed, so please be aware.

Thanks, and please enjoy another story from the rambling recesses of my mind...

It was an early spring Friday afternoon, and Steven Frasier had lived through the worst week of his life. Monday he came home from work only to find his fiancée Paula had moved out of their apartment and broken off their engagement. All her clothes were gone; all she left him was a note on the kitchen island, her keys, and her engagement ring.

Steven,

I'm so sorry to leave like this, but I am too much of a coward to do this face to face. I'm sorry, but I just don't love you anymore like you deserve to be loved. This is nothing you did -- this is all my fault. You're a wonderful person who will someday find a woman who loves you like you should be loved. Unfortunately, that woman is not me. Please don't try to contact me -- it will only make things more difficult. Believe me, it is better this way. I hope you have a wonderful life. Sorry...

Paula

With tears welling in his eyes, Steven ran through the apartment, and saw that everything Paula was gone -- clothes, makeup, pictures, books, and more. It was as if his last two years had suddenly disappeared and never happened. To say he was heartbroken would be an understatement.

But the week went on. Wednesday afternoon, everyone at his office got an email requesting their attendance first thing Thursday morning at a meeting to announce several promotions. Because of his abilities, knowledge, respect from others, and seniority, everyone was sure the main promotion to Vice President would be his. But instead, Steven got another gut punch as Mitchell West -- someone who had less seniority, fewer abilities, and was disliked by most everyone who met him -- was given the promotion. And instead of accepting the promotion with grace, Mitchell acted like he always did -- like a pompous ass.

"Too bad, Frasier. It seems the better man got the job. Now you and everyone else will see how this place should be run. And yes, you all should be afraid."

Now it was Friday, a day that started sunny but cool. The air had the feel of rain, so Steven grabbed his umbrella as he left. He didn't feel like facing the Friday traffic, so he decided to take the bus to work. The stop was only two blocks from his office, and only slightly longer to his apartment, and he thought the walking might do him some good.

With everything that had happened that week, he was in a foul mood when he arrived at work. Luckily he had his own office where he could shut the door and be alone in his misery. His one hope was that Mitchell would be too busy to bother Steven and his team. After settling in his office, Steven soon was lost in a daydream.

Some time later, still lost in his daydream, someone knocked at his door, breaking him from his reverie. Annoyed, he answered the knock harsher than he should have.

"Whoever that is, it better be really important."

The door opened and there stood Rose Peterson. Rose was about 15 years older than Steven and had been at his company longer than most everyone else. However, she had no ambitions to be a manager, and was quite happy doing what she loved most. She was Steven's "right-hand-woman" on his team, and was a wiz at writing and coding software. In fact, Steven had never met anyone who could do that job better than Rose, and he was always grateful they worked together. They had been colleagues for over 10 years and good friends for almost as long. And the one thing he admired most about her was her ability to see through his, and anyone else's, bullshit.

"Ok, boss, what's going on? All week you've either hid in your office, or when out in the common area, you've been surly and short with everyone. I know it's not just the promotion, so what the fuck's going on?"

He almost laughed, knowing that Rose could see right through him.

"Come on in, Rose, and please close the door. I really don't want anyone else to hear."

Closing the door behind her, Rose sat opposite Steven and waited for him to start.

"I don't know how you do it, but you have this uncanny ability to see right through me, Rose. And yes, I've been in a crappy mood all week, and yesterday was just the topper."

Steven hesitated, trying to figure out how to say what he wanted to say without sounding maudlin.

"When I got home Monday night, Paula had left me a note saying she was breaking off our engagement and moving out. She took all her clothes, all her books, all her everything. It's like my last two years with her never existed. We were making wedding plans, looking at venues, planning the honeymoon -- all of it. And now she's gone and I never saw it coming."

"Oh Steven, I'm so sorry to hear that. I know how much you cared for Paula. Is there another man?"

"I have no idea. She didn't say, and anytime I try to call her, it goes right to voice mail. Emails keep bouncing back as undeliverable. None of her friends will talk to me, so I don't know what happened. And then that asshole West gets the VP promotion. Mitchell fucking West. Really? I've seen 10 year olds write better programs than that moron. What the hell was Mr. Clarkson thinking?"

"I don't know, Steve. I know you are a better person, a better manager, a better employee than Mitchell, and so do others. In fact, you have three others out there that are certain they are going to get fired because of the way you've been acting all week. And you know they're all too good at their jobs to lose them."

"I know. I need to apologize to everyone, and I planned on doing it later this morning. I'm just trying to calm down so I don't say anything inappropriate."

"I wouldn't worry if I were you. You know your team and how much they respect you. Just be respectful with them and tell them as much as you're comfortable with. They'll understand."

Nodding his head in agreement, Steven had Rose bring his team into his office together.

"First, I need to apologize to all of you for the way I've been acting this week. What I'm going to tell you I would like to keep quiet, so please don't tell anyone -- especially Mitchell.

"Yes, I'm upset at not getting the promotion, but that's not the only reason I've been acting like I have. Monday my fiancée broke up with me and moved out of our apartment. I don't know why and she won't answer my calls, so I'm at a loss. So please accept my humblest apology for this week. You're the best co-workers and team members I could ever hope to have. And I promise to make it up to you."

Smiling in relief, his team let Steven know in no uncertain terms that his secret is safe with them, and that they all feel bad for what happened. They all left his office in much better moods than when they entered, knowing they still had their jobs and nothing was wrong.

Several hours later, after clearing up his 'To Do' list, Steven saw the weather was beginning to take a turn for the worse. Grabbing his umbrella and coat, he decided to leave early. There was a pub down the block from his apartment that he frequented, and tonight seemed like a good night for several beers. As he left, he told the rest of his team that as soon as they finished up whatever they were working on, they were free to leave early and beat the weather. Their grateful 'thank you' was all he needed to hear.

As he walked to the bus stop, the light rain quickly changed to snow. Heavy snow, the kind that made great snowballs but was hell to drive in, was now coming down fast and furious. He was glad he had left early, because the drive home was slow, as the plows hadn't gotten out yet.

When he finally got to his stop, Steven took two steps, slipped, and promptly fell into a growing pile of wet snow.

"Great, just great", he thought. Now I'm totally soaked, and I still have four blocks to walk in this crap."

As he started his slow trudge home, he realized the wind had picked up and it was snowing even harder.

"The weather forecasters really blew this one", he thought. It was only supposed to rain, and only a little bit at that. Now he was walking through a full-blown blizzard, and was quickly chilled to the bone.

It was getting more and more difficult to see where he was walking, so when he came to a fork in the sidewalk, he realized he was close to home. His apartment backed up to a city park, one that had several walking trails he often used. His favorite trail ran alongside Copper River, and the trail path now veered to his right. All he needed to do was to stay on the left path, and soon he would be in the comfort and warmth of his home. But as he started moving he thought he heard a dog barking. He stopped to listen, and there it was again. He then looked up to see a small dog, dragging its leash, run up to him.

"What are you doing out here, pup? You need to find your owner and go home."

The dog kept barking at Steven, and when he made to walk away, the dog barked even louder.

"What? Do you want me to follow you? Ok, Lassie, lead on."

As Steven began to walk down the other path, the dog bounded ahead. Every so often he would stop and look back to see if Steven was still there, bark some more, and run ahead. In a few minutes, Steven could see a set of footprints angling toward the river. The dog barked again, and Steven now heard a different voice -- that of a human being, calling for help.

Moving quickly toward the sound, he realized it was coming from the riverbank, and with all the recent rain and now snow, the ground was wet and treacherous. Slowing his approach, he yelled that he was on his way.

"Please hurry. I can't hold on for much longer."

Moving as fast as he could on the wet ground, he could finally see who was calling for help. Someone was holding onto a branch of a tree right on the river's edge. The person was mostly in the water, being buffeted by the raging river. Steven knew he had to hurry, so he picked up his pace and slid down the bank, stopping himself just in time before he fell into the water as well. As he slid he pushed the snow ahead of him, hitting the stranded person in the face. And then he saw her -- it was a woman who was calling him, holding onto the branch but only moments away from losing her grip.

"Help me, please. My hand is slipping and I can't hold on."

"I'm here to help you. Can you reach up and grab my hand? I'll pull you out of the water."

"But if I let go, I'll wash away. Can you come any closer and grab me?"

Steven slid further down the bank, as far as he dared to go. Holding onto a bush, he extended his umbrella out to the woman, and told her to take hold of it. She let go with one hand and reached as far as she could to take hold of the umbrella handle. Once she did, Steven was able to pull her up and then grab hold of her arm. Pulling as hard as he could, he was able to bring her up to where he was laying.

He looked at her -- she seemed to be about his age, with pale skin and bright red hair that fell to her shoulders. But even as he looked at her he knew he needed to get both of them someplace warm. Steven knew how cold he was, and could only imagine how cold she was. If he didn't get her inside soon, hypothermia would set in.

Luckily, he was only one block from his apartment, so he pulled her up with him to the trail, picked her up, and carried her back to his place. As he walked he looked around for the dog that grabbed his attention, but didn't see it.

"Thanks for grabbing my attention, little buddy. You probably saved this lady's life."

Moments later Steven was opening the door to his home. He set the woman down in front of his fireplace and fired it up on high, blowing warm air into the room. Her skin felt clammy and cold, and she had stopped shivering -- a sure sign of hypothermia. He quickly stripped off her clothes and wrapped her in a fluffy bath towel and the warmest blanket he could find. Once he had her settled, he stripped off his clothes as well and stepped into his shower to warm up.

Drying himself off, he checked on the woman and found her unconscious but breathing. He quickly dressed himself and dialed 911 to get her an ambulance. Unfortunately, the severity of the storm had taken everyone by surprise, so the plows were just getting onto the streets. It would be at least 45 minutes before the EMTs could get there, so Steven did what he could to warm up this mystery woman.

He threw another blanket and several bath towels into his dryer to warm them up, and then re-wrapped the woman in warmth. He kept rubbing her hands, legs, and arms to keep her circulation moving -- anything he could do to keep her warm and alive.

After what seemed like five hours but was only one, he heard a siren outside his windows. Rushing to the front door, he welcomed two frazzled EMTs into his home. They had been running from one accident to another since the snow began falling, and were cold and tired themselves. Steven told them all he could about what had happened, and as they worked on the woman, he gave them mugs of hot chocolate to help them warm up.

"It looks like you did a good job of warming her up. The way she looked I first thought she was dead. Thanks for making our job a bit easier today. And now that she's stable, we're taking her to Community Hospital."

"Would I be able to ride with her?"

"No, we can't allow that, but if you want to drive there, the doctors will probably want to hear what happened. The roads are crappy, but the plows have been out on the main streets, so if you tuck in right behind us, you'll be fine."

An hour later, Steven was in the ED of Community Hospital, speaking with a doctor and several nurses. He related how he found her, how he pulled her from the river, and what he did when he brought her into his home. When he finished he noticed the nurses were smiling at him and nodding their heads. The doctor told him he most likely saved the young woman's life.

"Can I see her? Has she regained consciousness yet?"

"No she hasn't, but we are moving her to a room soon. It might be a good idea if you were there if she wakes up. Maybe she'll remember you and what happened. Once we get her moved, someone will come get you."

An hour later, Steven was sitting next to Heather McPherson -- the woman he pulled from the river. She had woken up and was anxious to meet the person who saved her life. As they talked, he noticed how beautiful she was. He knew she had a gorgeous body from when he took her wet clothes off in his apartment. But now looking at her in a non-life threatening situation, he saw her brilliant green eyes, sparkling smile, pale but freckled skin; but most of all, he heard her laugh -- one that lit up her hospital room with a joyous sound.

"I don't know how I can thank you enough for what you did today. The nurses said you pulled me from the river and saved my life. Thank you so much, Steven. I owe you a lifetime of gratitude."

"You're very welcome, Heather. I'm just glad I was able to help you."

"How did you know where I was? I didn't see anyone else around when I was on the trail."

"Honestly, it was pure luck. I live nearby and was walking home from the bus stop when a dog came running up, barking at me, wanting me to follow him. I did, and that's when I saw your footprints and heard you calling for help. You don't happen to have a small dog with a red leash, do you?"

"No, pets and I don't usually get along. I wonder whose dog that was? I hope he got home safely."

There was a long pause in the conversation while they pondered what had happened.

"Hey, I've got a question for you. What happened to all my clothes? The nurses said I came in wrapped in a blanket and several bath towels."

"Sorry, but I had to take them off of you, as you were freezing from the river. You stopped shivering, which is a classic sign of hypothermia, so I stripped your clothes off and wrapped you up the best I could."

"So you saw me naked?"

"Yes I did. I would've averted my eyes, but I figured it was better and easier to work actually seeing what I was doing. And for what it's worth, I'm glad I did. You are very beautiful, Heather."

By now both were blushing furiously, especially Heather.

"You think I'm beautiful? That's something I rarely heard from my ex."

"Then he's an idiot."

"Yes he was. For many reasons."

Just then an older couple, hurrying into the room, interrupted them.

"Oh my god, Heather. Are you ok? What happened?"

"Mom, I'm fine. I had a bit of an accident, but everything's fine. Please don't cry."

"All we heard was that you were in some kind of life-threatening situation and in the hospital. Why didn't you call us?"

"Mom, I was unconscious until 45 minutes ago. I couldn't call. Plus my phone is somewhere in the Copper River, floating downstream."

After several long moments of hugging and tearful kissing, Heather's parents noticed Steven sitting by the bed.

"Mom, dad, this is Steven Frasier. He's the one who pulled my butt from the river, saving my life. Steven, my mom and dad, Rachel and Matt McPherson."

Standing up, Steven held his hand out, but instead was enveloped by two massive hugs.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you for saving our little girl. We all owe you a huge debt of gratitude."

"You are both very welcome. I'm just happy I was able to be in the right place at the right time. And now since you're both here, I'll leave you alone. Heather, I'll wash your clothes tonight and bring them back here tomorrow, if that's alright?"

"Yes, that'll be great, Steven. And thank you again for saving my life. See you tomorrow."

When Steven got home he realized just how tired he was. The long week, finished off by his pulling a beautiful woman out of the river, seeing her naked, followed by meeting her parents had left him exhausted. He had enough energy to put all his and Heather's clothes in the wash, and then fell into a deep, dream filled sleep.

His blissful night of sleep was shattered by the constant ringing of his phone. He tried to ignore it, but it kept on ringing. Admitting defeat, he grabbed it, looking at the time.

"Fuck. Who the hell is calling me at 6:00 in the morning? What!"

A perky female voice answered.

"Hi. Is this Steven Frasier? Sorry to call so early, but I wanted to be sure I spoke to you before anyone else."

"How can you be so energetic at this god-awful time, and why the hell are you calling me?"

"So are you the Steven Frasier who saved that woman from drowning in Copper River yesterday? If so, I'd love to talk to you about it. You do realize you're a hero, don't you?"

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not a hero. Just someone who was in the right place at the right time. So if you don't mind, I'm going back to sleep."

Ending the call, he also shut off his phone to stop Ms. Perky from calling back. He realized he hadn't finished the clothes from last night, so he tossed everything in the dryer and went back to sleep. Several hours later he woke again, this time on his own and feeling more relaxed. He wasn't sure when visiting hours were at the hospital, so he took care of the clothes, showered, and ate breakfast before heading out.

When he arrived at the hospital he was surprised to see news vans from several different stations. They were camped by the main entrance, with several security guards keeping them back. As he walked to the entrance, he was spotted and pounced on by the reporters, shouting questions at him about what he did yesterday. Steven tried to ignore them, but they blocked his way in. Resigned to the fact that he needed to speak with them, he stopped.