Part I: Six Packages, Six Journeys, One Big Wooden Door

58 59 The Chosen: Battle with a Cerberosian Prince The Summit prominent; topped with thick, white snow, they were just as sublime. The local villages consisted of Asian style architecture, with a lot of brick and stone buildings, with colorful roofs, differing slightly in style from one village to the next. They were met with very warm welcomes and greetings from the locals. The rest days were an opportunity to soak in the beauty of the nature that surrounded them. As they entered the second half of the journey, things started to get a bit more challenging. They needed more rest breaks, more frequently. TJ and Fang were faring well. Pippa, Tumi, and Ethan had to push themselves. Ana was really struggling. “Oy! Hold up, mates!” Ethan shouted to the group ahead. Dorjee made his way back to see what was going on. Ana’s sherpa gave him an update of how she was doing. They spoke to one another for a few more minutes. “Ana, your body seems to be struggling with acclimatizing,” Dorjee said. She was breathing heavily. Her goggles became foggy. She looked down, with her head sagging, not making eye contact with anyone. “Do you want to go back?” Dorjee asked her. She started sniffling. “Ana,” Pippa said as she held her hand. “Everything will be OK.” Ana started crying. “Is there anything we can do to make this final leg easier?” Tumi asked Dorjee. He took the other climbers to the side. Pippa remained with Ana while the rest of the crew awaited the course of action. “Can I be frank?” Dorjee said. “Please…” they responded. “We can give her oxygen. That will give her a little more distance. But if she is already struggling this early in the journey, she probably will not make it all the way.” “So, what are our options?” TJ asked. “Well, you either send her back and complete the trek yourselves. Or you can attempt to keep going with her. Or you could all turn back and try again a few days later.” “We can’t let her go back on her own,” Tumi said. “Er… We can’t?” TJ responded. “Yeah, she’s all alone in a place she’s not familiar with.” “We don’t know each other. It’s not like we’re a family!” TJ said. “Don’t be an idiot, mate.” “Wait, so you guys want us all to go back, because the little girl bit off more than she could chew?” “Pippa,” Tumi called her over. “Yeah?” “Well, we basically have three options. Either Ana returns to the lodge and we continue climbing. We turn back with her and try later. Or she gets oxygen and we keep going,” Tumi said. “Obviously we can’t let her go back on her own.” TJ flung his arms in frustration. “Whatever. Do what you wanna do.”