While the team unloaded the supplies, Mateo approached Elena, his brow furrowed. “We’ve got a problem,” he said. “The generator parts for the clinic didn’t make it. They’re stuck at base camp.”
Elena’s heart sank. The clinic relied on that generator to power its equipment. Without it, the villagers wouldn’t have access to critical medical care.
“We’ll go back,” she said without hesitation. “Tonight.”
Mateo stared at her in disbelief. “In this storm? You’re crazy.”
“Maybe,” Elena said with a wry smile. “But those parts need to get here, and I’m not waiting for the weather to clear.”
As night fell, Elena and Mateo set out alone, leaving the rest of the team to rest. The climb back was grueling, the darkness and snow combining to create a near-impossible challenge. But they pressed on, driven by the knowledge that lives depended on them.
By dawn, they had retrieved the generator parts and were on their way back to San Alvaro. When they arrived, exhausted but victorious, the entire village came out to greet them.
“You’re heroes,” Rosa said, tears streaming down her face as the generator roared to life.
Elena shook her head. “We’re just climbers. But we’ll always climb for you.”
